1 John 3.20b-The Reason Why Obeying the Command to Love One Another Resolves the Problem of a Guilty Conscience
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday February 15, 2018
First John: 1 John 3:20b-The Reason Why Obeying the Command to Love One Another Resolves the Problem of a Guilty Conscience
Lesson # 134
1 John 3:19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. (ESV)
“God is greater than our heart” is composed of the following: (1) conjunction hoti (ὅτι), “for” (2) nominative feminine singular form of the adjective megas (μέγας), “greater” (3) third person singular present active indicative form of the verb eimi (εἰμί), “is” (4) articular nominative masculine singular form of the noun theos (θεός), “God’s” (5) articular genitive feminine singular form of the noun kardia (καρδία), “than…heart.” (6) genitive first person plural form of the personal pronoun ego (ἐγώ), “our.”
This time the conjunction hoti is employed with the indicative mood of the verb eimi, “is” in order to form a causal clause, which presents the reason for the spiritual principle communicated in the previous the third class conditional statement.
The noun theos refers to the Father which is indicated by the word’s articular construction which in the New Testament commonly signifies the first member of the Trinity unless otherwise indicated by the context.
The adjective megas, “greater” means “superior” since the word pertains to God being a better judge of the believer’s actions than their conscience since He created the conscience and the command to love one another, which if obeyed provides the believer assurance in God’s presence, originated with God.
The third person singular present active indicative form of the verb eimi means “to possess a particular inherent characteristic” and is expressing the idea that God the Father possesses inherently the characteristics which makes Him superior to the believer’s conscience.
The present tense of the verb eimi is a gnomic present used to make a statement of a general, timeless fact expressing the idea that God the Father is as an eternal spiritual truth superior to the believer’s conscience.
Once again, the noun kardia here in 1 John 3:20 means “heart” referring specifically to that aspect of the heart, which is the conscience.
However, this time the word is in the genitive case and functions as a genitive of comparison which is used to indicate a comparison, which means that it is expressing a comparison between the Father and the believer’s conscience.
The Father is a superior judge of the believer’s actions or conduct than their conscience since He created the conscience and the command to love one another which if obeyed provides the believer assurance in God’s presence originated with God.
Thus, God is the final judge of the believer’s actions and not their conscience.
“And he knows everything” is composed of the following: (1) conjunction kai (καί), “and” (2) third person singular present active indicative form of the verb ginōskō (γινώσκω), “he knows” (3) accusative neuter plural form of the adjective pas (πᾶς), “everything.”
The conjunction kai is epexegetical, which means that it is introducing a declarative statement which serves to explain specifically why the previous causal clause is true.
The third person singular present active indicative form of the verb ginōskō speaks of the function of God’s omniscience.
The accusative neuter plural form of the adjective pas means “everyone” since the words pertains to totality of persons and is used in a distributive sense emphasizing no exceptions.
This refers to the totality of God’s creatures’ existence which would include their circumstances as well as their thoughts, words or actions, which is indicated by the fact that John is speaking in the context of the believer experiencing assurance as a result of obeying the command to love one another.
Therefore, this verb is expressing the idea that the Father possesses inherently an omniscient knowledge of each and every aspect of His creatures’ existence.
The present tense of the verb ginōskō is a gnomic present which is expressing the idea that God the Father as an eternal spiritual truth possesses inherently an omniscient knowledge of each and every aspect of His creatures’ existence.
1 John 3:19 Now, by means of this, any one of us will, at any time confirm for ourselves that we are manifesting the attribute originating from obedience to the truth. Consequently, each one of us will at any time assure our hearts before Him, 20 namely whenever any of our hearts are convicted. For God is inherently superior to our heart. Specifically, He possesses inherently an omniscient knowledge of everyone. (My translation)
1 John 3:20 is composed of two hoti clauses and an epexegetical clause.
The first hoti clause contains the protasis of a third class condition.
The apodosis is contained in the result clause which completes 1 John 3:19.
The second hoti clause is a causal clause which presents the reason for the previous third class condition.
Therefore, the content of 1 John 3:20 is intimately connected to the content of 1 John 3:19.
The epexegetical clause which completes 1 John 3:20 provides specific details which help the reader understand the meaning of the causal clause.
As we have noted, the second hoti clause in verse 20 is causal clause, which means it presents the reason for the spiritual principle communicated in the previous the third class conditional statement.
It asserts that God is superior to the believer’s heart and specifically that aspect of the heart which is called the conscience.
Therefore, John is asserting that if or whenever the believer’s conscience is convicted, they will experience assurance in God’s presence as a result of obeying the command to love one another because God is superior to their conscience in the sense that He is a superior judge of the believer’s actions.
In the second hoti John is asserting that whenever the believer’s conscience is convicted, they will experience assurance in God’s presence as a result of obeying the command to love one another because God is superior to their conscience.
He is superior in the sense that He is a superior judge of the believer’s actions.
In other words, if the believer is obeying the command to love one another, then they can have assurance in God’s presence because this command originated with God and not with their conscience.
Therefore, God is not only superior to the believer’s conscience because He is the Creator of the conscience but also because the command to love one another which provides the believer assurance in His presence originated with Him and not with the believer’s conscience.
He is the believer’s final judge and not their conscience.
1 John 3:20 ends with a declarative statement which explains specifically for the reader what John means by the previous causal clause which asserts that the Father is superior to the believer’s conscience.
In other words, it is explaining specifically why the Father is superior to the believer’s conscience, which acts as a judge of their conduct.
This declarative statement asserts that the Father possesses inherently an omniscient knowledge of every person.
In other words, John is asserting that God the Father knows in an omniscient sense the totality of His creatures’ existence which would include their circumstances as well as their thoughts, words or actions.
Therefore, John is teaching in this epexegetical clause that God is superior to the believer’s conscience because He is omniscient whereas their conscience is not.
In other words, John brings God’s omniscience into the discussion at this point because the believer’s conscience is not a perfect judge of the believer’s conduct since it does not know exhaustively every aspect of their lives.
Only God possesses inherently in His person all knowledge of every one of His creatures so as to make a perfect decision.
On the other hand, the conscience, which contains the believer’s norms and standards, can be formed from ungodly ideas or views or incomplete information.
It also can be adversely affected as a result of unrepentant sinful behavior.
Therefore, by mentioning God’s omniscience at this point in verse 20, the apostle John is emphasizing with the recipients of First John the perfection which characterizes their assurance before God when they obey the command to love one another.
In other words, the believer can be completely and perfectly assured when praying to the Father in His presence as a result of obeying the command to love one another because God is a judge with perfect knowledge.
On the other hand, their conscience is based upon incomplete or imperfect information or can be based upon ungodly viewpoints.
This perfection of knowledge is important because if God whose knowledge is perfect and exhaustive says the believer can be assured in His presence by obeying the command to love one another, then they can indeed be assured.
On the other hand, the conscience is imperfect and fallible because it does not possess exhaustive and perfect information in which to make perfect decisions as is the case with God.
Thus, if God, who is a perfect judge, because He possess all knowledge, says the believer can be assured when they obey the command to love one another, then they indeed can be assured.
The conscience can never give the believer perfect assurance because it is not a perfect judge and it is not a perfect judge because it does not have perfect knowledge like God.
Furthermore, as we noted, God is the author of the command to love one another.
The conscience is not.