1 John 3:22

1 John 3:22

20 ^aFor if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, ^awe have confidence toward God.

22 And ^awhatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments ^band do those things that are pleasing in His sight.

23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ ^aand love one another, as He gave¹ us commandment.

The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error

24 Now ^ahe who keeps His commandments ^babides in Him, and He in him. And ^cby this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

Commentaries:

Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)

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Whatsoever we ask (o ean aitwmen). Indefinite relative clause with modal an and the present active subjunctive, like oti ean kataginwskh in verse I John 3:20. In form no limitations are placed here save that of complete fellowship with God, which means complete surrender of our will to that of God our Father. See the clear teaching of Jesus on this subject in Mark 11:24; Luke 11:9; John 14:12 f.; John 16:23 and his example (Mark 14:36; Matthew 26:39; Luke 22:42). The answer may not always be in the form that we expect, but it will be better.

We receive of him (lambanomen ap autou). See I John 1:5 for ap autou (from him).

Because (oti). Twofold reason why we receive regularly (lambanomen) the answer to our prayers (1) "we keep" (throumen, for which see I John 2:3) his commandments and (2) "we do" (poioumen, we practise regularly) "the things that are pleasing" (ta aresta, old verbal adjective from areskw, to please, with dative in John 8:29 with same phrase; Acts 12:3 and infinitive in Acts 6:2, only other N.T. examples) "in his sight" (enwpion autou, common late vernacular preposition in papyri, LXX, and in N.T., except Matthew and Mark, chiefly by Luke and in the Apocalypse), in God's eye, as in Hebrews 13:21.

**Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing 1 John 3:22:**

John 20:30
Acts 6:2

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