First John: 1 John 4:13b-The Ultimate Source and Means By Which the Child of God Can Confirm They Are Living In Fellowship with the Father and Vice Versa Lesson # 177

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. (ESV)

Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom

Wednesday July 11, 2018

www.wenstrom.org

-The Ultimate Source and Means By Which the Child of God Can Confirm They Are Living In Fellowship with the Father and Vice Versa

Lesson # 177

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. (ESV)

“Because he has given us of his Spirit” is composed of the following: (1) conjunction hoti (ὅτι), “because” (2) preposition ek (ἐκ), “of” (3) articular genitive neuter singular form of the noun pneuma (πνεῦμα), “Spirit” (4) genitive third person masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos (αὐτός), “his” (5) third person singular aorist active indicative form of the verb didōmi (δίδωμι), “he has given” (6) dative first person plural form of the personal pronoun ego (ἐγώ), “us.”

The conjunction hoti is employed with the indicative form of the verb didōmi, “he has given” in order to form an epexegetical clause.

It introduces a clause which identifies specifically the means by which the child of God can at any time confirm they are experiencing fellowship with the Father and the Father with them.

The noun pneuma means “the Spirit” and refers of course to the Holy Spirit.

The articular construction of this word is employed with genitive third person masculine singular form of the intensive personal pronoun autos (αὐτός), “his” to denote possession expressing the relationship between the Father and the Spirit.

This construction emphasizes the Spirit is in a relationship with the Father and is also distinguishing the Spirit from the Father.

The noun pneuma is the object of the preposition ek which means “by means of as a source” since the word functions as a marker of means with the implication of something proceeding from or out of the source.

Therefore, this prepositional phrase is not only emphasizing that the Spirit is the instrumentality the Father uses to confirm with the believer that they are experiencing fellowship with the Father and vice versa, but also, He is the source of this confirmation.

The third person singular aorist active indicative form of the verb didōmi means “to bestow as a gift” since the word pertains to giving someone something which is of great value and as a gift and speaks of giving someone something as an expression of generosity.

Therefore, this verb is expressing the idea that the Holy Spirit was given by the Father to the believer as a gift at the moment of their justification.

The dative first person plural form of the personal pronoun ego means “each one of us” since the word refers to John and the recipients of First John as a corporate unit and is used in a distributive sense emphasizing no exceptions.

This word functions as a dative direct object meaning it is receiving the action of the verb didōmi, which indicates that John and each one of the recipients of First John received from the Father the gift of the Holy Spirit at the moment of their justification.

The apostle John puts the word in the dative rather than accusative case since he wants to emphasize the personal nature of this act of the Father at the moment of their justification and emphasizes the personal relationship between the Father and the Spirit and the Spirit and the believer.

By means of this, each one of us can at any time confirm that we are living in fellowship with Him and correspondingly, He Himself is living in fellowship with us. Specifically, by means of His Spirit as a source who He has bestowed upon each one of us as a gift. (Author’s translation)

contains three assertions.

The first teaches that the child of God can at any time confirm they are living in fellowship with the Father by means of obeying the command to love one another.

The second corresponds to the first and teaches that they can at any time confirm the Father is living in fellowship with them by means of obeying the command to love one another.

The third identifies specifically for the recipients of First John the means by which they can confirm at any time they are living in fellowship with the Father and vice versa.

It asserts that it is by means of the Spirit as a source whom the Father bestowed upon them as a gift at the moment of justification that they can have this confirmation.

Therefore, this third assertion is related to the command to love one another.

The implication is that when the child of God obeys this command they will be able to confirm that they are living in fellowship with the Father and vice versa.

This epexegetical clause is thus identifying the ministry of the Holy Spirit as the ultimate source behind the command to love one another.

The Spirit confirms with the child of God that they are living in fellowship with the Father and vice versa when they obey the Spirit inspired command to love one another.

John is emphasizing with these assertions the critical importance of obeying the command to love one another since it is the means by which the child of God can confirm that they are living in fellowship with the Father.

He is also emphasizing the critical importance of the Holy Spirit in this confirmation since He confirms with the child of God that they are living in fellowship with the Father and vice versa when they obey His command to love one another.

The Spirit reproduces God’s attribute of love in the believer who obeys His command to love one another.

This reproduction of the love of God in the child of God is called “the fruit of the Spirit” by the apostle Paul in .

Therefore, as was the case in , here in , the Spirit is conceived as impersonal in the sense that He is the instrument the Father uses to confirm with the obedient believer that they are living in fellowship with the Father and the Father is living in fellowship with them.

Specifically, the Spirit is the instrument the Father uses to confirm with the obedient believer that they are living in fellowship with the Father and the Father is living in fellowship with them when the believer obeys the command to love one another.

The command to love one another originated with the Father and was communicated to the apostles by the Son through the Spirit and was communicated to the church by the Spirit.

Thus, John is teaching in both verses that the child of God can confirm they are living in fellowship with the Father and the Father with them by means of obeying the command to love one another because the Spirit inspired this command.

He also reproduces the Father’s attribute of love in the believer when they obey this command.

Now, contains the first and contains the fourth of six explicit references to the Holy Spirit in First John (cf. , , ; , ). He is described by John in and 27 as “the anointing.”

The Titles of God the Holy Spirit: (1) “Spirit of holiness” () (2) “Spirit of life” () (3) “Spirit of knowledge” () (4) “Spirit of truth” ().

Titles related to God the Father: (1) “Spirit of God” (2) “Spirit of our God” (; ; ) (3) “Spirit of your Father” ().

Titles related to God the Son: (1) “Spirit of Christ” (2) “Spirit of Jesus Christ” (; ) (3) “Spirit of His Son” () (4) “Spirit of the Lord” ().

These titles do speak of an attribute because an attribute would not be designated by a personal pronoun such as “He,” “Him,” and “His” (cf. , ; .

God the Holy Spirit is a separate and distinct Person in the Godhead.

He is called “Lord” in just as God the Father and God the Son are.

The Holy Spirit has the attributes of personality: (1) Intellect (; ). (2) Emotion (; ; ). (3) Will (; ). (4) He has a mind, and therefore He thinks, searches and teaches.

The Spirit performs the actions of personality: (1) Teaches (; ). (2) Testifies or bears witness (). (3) Guides and Leads (R. 8:14). (4) Performs miracles (). (5) Convinces (). (6) Restrains (; ). (7) Commands (). (8) Intercedes in prayer (R. 8:26). (9) He receives ascriptions of personality. (10) He can be obeyed (). (11) He can be lied to (). (12) He can be resisted (). (13) He can be blasphemed (). (14) He can be grieved (). (15) He can be insulted ().

The Spirit speaks to the church through the communication of the Word of God (cf. ; ; ; ; ; , , ; , , ).

There are two types of sin committed by the unbeliever against God the Holy Spirit: (1) “Blasphemy” against the Spirit () (2) “Resistance” of the Holy Spirit ().

There are three sins by the believer against the Holy Spirit: (1) “Lying” to God the Holy Spirit () (2) “Grieving” the Holy Spirit () (3) “Quenching” the Holy Spirit ().

Therefore, when the believer disobeys the Father’s Spirit inspired commands, they are grieving and quenching the Spirit’s work in their life.

Consequently, the Holy Spirit will, by no means confirm for them that they are experiencing fellowship with the Father and the Father with them because they are disobedient to what He is teaching them and which teaching originated from the Father.