Oecumenius

By this we know that we are of the truth, and before Him we shall assure our hearts. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God; and whatever we ask, we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ.
"By this we know." By what? From the fact that we do not love in word, but in action and in truth. And what do we know? That we are of the truth. How? For he who says one thing and does another, not having an action conforming to his speech, is a liar and not truthful.
"and before Him we shall assure our hearts." That is to say, what John means is that by this, namely that we are truthful (furthermore, we will be truthful when our actions continue according to our words), we will assure our conscience, for he wishes to signify this by “hearts”.
And how shall we assure? By placing this among ourselves, as we express our words with God as our witness. For this means in His sight, or before Him. Indeed, if we do not do so, John says, but our conscience or heart condemns us, it does not hide that we are sinning. If our conscience, which is small as it comes from a small creature, cannot be hidden while we sin, much more can God, who is limitless and everywhere, not be hidden. Therefore, the whole discourse is this: My little children, let us not lie to one another, loving only in word, but let us also show our love through actions: for by this we will be known that we are of the truth, that is, from God; and let us speak as if God were watching. Indeed, no one, even if he were more shameless than demons, could bear to lie in the presence and sight of God.
For if we do not act so, but by saying that we love, our heart will accuse us of falsehood; we err. How? By thinking that God is hidden, who is present everywhere? And not knowing that if it cannot be that our heart, when it is small, is hidden, much less will He be hidden who is never absent.
Therefore, after we have prepared ourselves in such a way, beloved, that we are not condemned by ourselves, namely in being truthful with one another, we will have confidence towards God: through which confidence, whatever we ask, we will receive entirely from Him. Why?
because we keep His commandments: for this is of utmost importance for obtaining what is requested, namely the obedience of those who ask, when it has been without any hesitation, towards Him to whom the request is directed.
Since therefore we also keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight, let us trust that we shall not suffer rejection in our requests: since the affection that is in both parties greatly desires to repay the service that comes to the use of the other. And what commandment do we keep? That which says: Have mutual love among yourselves. (Jn. 13:35)
Therefore, since we have received the command to love one another with the faith that is in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, we have done this; through this we know that the grace He has given us through His Spirit is firmly established in us. It should be noted that it is often found in the New Testament, "Believe in the name of our Lord Jesus." (Act 16:31) But what does this name mean? Nothing other than glory, purpose, or good reputation. Indeed, glory and good reputation, as when it is said: "How wonderful is your name in all the earth (Ps. 81:1):" purpose and will, as in this place, and when it is said: "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus." (Acts 2:38) For that is, in His will. But what is the will of the Lord Jesus? “That all nations be baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt. 28:19)

And let us love one another, as he commanded; and whoever keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
This is, he says, let us love each other with true affection. And where did he command this? In these words, when he says: "As you wish that others would do to you, do so to them." (Matt. 7:12) Therefore, if we desire that our neighbors are truly and sincerely affectionate towards us, we must be entirely similarly affectionate towards them. If this is the Lord's command, much more if we abide in Him or are established in Him, He will also present Himself to us. (1 Tim. 2:15) For He cannot deny Himself: that is, He cannot be taken away, while He provides us with His commandments, but He first establishes these in Himself. However, if this is the case, certainly if we keep His commands, we will have Him listening to us in all that we ask of Him, and His gift will be firm in us. The whole sentiment of the rule is this: That we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another truly, as His commandment is.
For whoever keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in them. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit or gift which He has given us. Indeed, as long as this sanctuary remains, we undoubtedly have an indestructible gift of His. But how will it be a sanctuary? If we do not neglect anything of what He has commanded us regarding love.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the Antichrist, of which you heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.
After John has completed his discourse on love for one's neighbor, and has demonstrated that this is a sign of the permanence of the Spirit we have received, he now adds a judgment concerning those who are truly brothers and neighbors, so that having this, we do not fall into the occasion of the commandment of love concerning false brothers, false apostles, and false prophets, bringing great harm upon ourselves from this.
Indeed, by embracing them as if they were of similar character, we will first harm ourselves while we communicate with those who are faithless, and we present holy things to dogs (Matt. 7:6): then, to those who associate with us, our love towards them will persuade many to take them as teachers and to believe what is said by them, while not observing, as if they were stealthily drawn away because of their conduct with us, and what is the indication of these, this is what follows:
"every spirit that confesses." Every spirit, whether of prophecy or the dignity of apostleship, that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh, is from God: but whatever does not confess this is not from God, but this dignity is of the Antichrist, of which you have heard.
When? From these words which he said a little earlier, that many antichrists are in the world, (1 Jn. 2:18) that is, forerunners of the Antichrist. Furthermore, he says that the confession of the Lord's coming is not made by the tongue, but by works. How? As blessed Paul says: "Always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made evident in our body." (2 Cor. 4:10) Therefore, whoever has Jesus working in him, and is dead to the world, no longer lives to the world but to Christ, and carries Him not only in the flesh of Christ, but also in his own, he is from God. But whoever lives not for Christ, but for the world, that is, for the pleasures of the world, such a person is not from God. Therefore, Paul says, "When there are contentions and factions among you, are you not carnal and walking according to man?" (1 Cor. 3:3) He who walks according to the flesh does not have the spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9); that is, he who does not live according to Christ, in such a way that he has died to the world, this one is not of Christ.
"and now it is already in the world." In the world, John says, the Antichrist is already present, not physically, but because of the presence of those who prepare the way for him, namely, false prophets, false apostles, and heretics. This Antichrist, however, will be a man who conveys Satan, exalted against all that is called God or divinity. (2 Thess. 2:4)
Therefore, he will also reject the worship of idols, which he signified as gods: moreover, by adding this: Every divine being also signifies Christianity: and he will only attempt to show himself as God.

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world, therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Whereby he gave knowledge of the Lord to the prophets and apostles: he adds: But you, beloved, since you are of God, have overcome them, namely the false prophets. How? Because the God who is in you is greater than he who is in the world, according to whom the false prophets chose to live. Then John adds another sign of their false prophets, which also greatly saddened the simpler believers. For it was likely that some of these found it hard to accept, while they saw that many held them in esteem, but they themselves were despised, and John said: "Do not be affected by sorrow if you are despised by many; they are indeed accepted by these."
For a similar thing runs to its like. "They are from the world, therefore they speak from the world." They are of the world, and when they speak of the world, that is, they teach according to fleshly desires, they have those who obey them, the perverse with the perverse. But we, being from God and alienated from fleshly desires, cannot be received by them.
However, He listens to us who lives temperately, and whoever knows God, ready to give us hearing. Therefore, Christ also said: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear," (Matt. 11:15) testifying that only he who is prepared for obedience has ears.
Having distinguished these, John then adds as a seal of those things already said, that through this (namely, what has already been said) we recognize those who have the spirit of truth or true prophetic dignity, and those who have the spirit of error or false prophecy.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this, the love of God was revealed in us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Again, after the aforementioned, John resumes the discourse on love. For when he had shown whom one ought to love, namely those who are conformed in character, he adheres to what was said at the beginning, stating that both love and the one who loves are from God, and that only he who loves is born of God and knows God: while he who does not have love also does not know God, confirming opposites with opposites. How, then, does he who does not love not know God? He proves it in this way: "God is love." And how will this be revealed? From the fact that he sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might have true life through Him, and that we might live through Him. For just as goodness is said to exist because it has produced the intellectual and sensible world for the sake of goodness, so that He who truly is, might have some participants in Himself; likewise, also for the love with which He sent His Only Begotten into the world for us, He shows, even through this, that love exists. Therefore, He Himself adds: "By this, is love," that is, in this it is shown that God is love. Then, praising the goodness of God's love, he says: Not that we have loved Him, but that God did this, giving His Son for us, as if He ought to repay the beloved with an equal affection; but through love, first anticipating the benefit towards us, He sent His Son; and not only did He send Him, but also, for our sins, He was an atoning sacrifice by His own blood.

No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son as the Savior of the world.
We have also said before that it is customary for this blessed man to repeat the same things about them, and to wish to instill the habits of what is said in those who are being taught, and to lead the discourse to what is clearer and more perfect. For by approaching in one way and another from those things that are seen in reality, and as if fulfilling what is lacking in the discourse, John makes a most perfect demonstration of what is said. According to this instruction, even now using discourse, he says:
"No one has ever seen God." For in making a discourse about love for the brethren, he had brought forth God as an example, who gave His only begotten Son to death, because of the love He had for us: it was therefore fitting that someone would say: And how or in what way do you say this about invisible and incomprehensible things, and you confirm to us what no one has ever known? Therefore, responding to those who would speak thus, John himself says: Indeed, no one has ever seen God, and I also assert: but from mutual love for us, we know that God is in us. And he speaks rightly. For we certainly perceive many things that are invisible to us through actions. Indeed, just as no one has seen the soul, yet we discern its existence through actions and movements within us: in the same way, we recognize God's love for us, as if through a certain motion and operation. If this is not absurd, then this man also shows God to be present in us through actions beyond dignity. And what is this operation? Pure and sincere love for one's neighbor.
For this is effective and has no defect, when it is pure. This is the sign that we abide in Him and He in us, which He has also given us through His Spirit. For He who is pure grants us purity and is perfect from all filth. Therefore, since we communicate with Him through pure love, we also, He says, who have seen Him according to the flesh, have known Him, and we testify that the Father sent Him as the Savior of the world. But besides our own knowledge, He also instructed us, leading us more perfectly into this understanding, when He said: "I came forth from the Father and have come into the world." (Jn. 16:28) This pertains to the fact that He sent His Only Begotten Son into the world for our love. Again, He made it clearer to others: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish.” (Jn. 3:16) And: “I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.” (Jn. 12:47) Therefore, we have, from our own sight, He says, and from the teaching of the Only Begotten who is in the bosom of the Father (Jn. 1:18), as it is said in the Gospels, and from the operation through mutual love, that God is in us, and He has given us of His Spirit, and we participate with Him.

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. In this, love is made perfect with us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world.
This refers to what has been said a little earlier, namely that every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God. (1 Jn. 4:2) For John has sufficiently demonstrated that they are children of God and that God abides in them: this has been demonstrated through great love, which confirms that the Holy Spirit or spiritual gifts have been given to them: again, he refers to those words and says: "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him;" saying something of this kind: John said above, Everyone who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God (1 Jn. 4:2): furthermore, in the course of the conversation, something else was revealed, and therefore he proposed this: that those who confess these things also have the Spirit abiding in themselves, or God and his spiritual gifts, and they themselves abide in God. And this we do not say lightly, but with firm knowledge and faith through mutual love.
But having mentioned love, John also refers to all that he has said about love, attributing great faith to the discourse on love. "In this, love is made perfect." He wishes, he says, for us to be perfect in love, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment, towards Him who was incarnate: for He himself will be the judge, according to his own statement, where he says: "The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son." (Jn. 5:22) And that there will be confidence towards him who was incarnate, John signified through what he said in the following, that just as he is, we are in this world, saying this: Since it has been shown before that God abides in us, and we are in God, he says, we attest to the perfection of love for ourselves. Just as he was blameless and pure in the world, he also said: "The ruler of this world is coming, and he has nothing in me (Jn. 14:30):" so also we, John says, will be in the world. For there is and we are placed through άντιχρονιαν (where one time is taken for another time), as is the custom of Scripture. Or it signifies something deeper through this. For John has often said that God is in us and we are in God. If this is indeed the case, He is holy in us, that is, the Leader and Prince of holiness: so we should also refer to him in this world sacredly and purely, dead to the world, always bearing his mortification in the body. (1 Cor. 4:10) Furthermore, he says, living this way, we will have confidence towards him, and we will be without fear then. For the “perfect love6”, (1 Jn. 4:18) through good works, will be far from fear. And he adds this confirmation, namely that “perfect love casts out fear”. What fear? He himself says it is the “fear has torment”: for it happens that someone loves because of fear, lest he be punished: but this fear is not perfect, that is, it is not of perfect love. Having said these things about “perfect love”, he completely convinces that we should love God, for John himself first, he says, “loved us”. However, we must, since he has been the first good beginning for us, strive to repay, as has been said more broadly by us above. However, some have asked how, when David says: "Fear the Lord, all his saints, for nothing is lacking to those who fear him," (Ps. 34:9) he does not say: "perfect love casts out fear." Are the saints of God not perfect in love, to whom it is commanded to “fear”? And we say that there are two kinds of “fear”: one is indeed initial, which also brings with it “torment”, because of the evils perpetrated by oneself: fearing him because he approaches God, and therefore approaching lest he be punished, and this is indeed initial. “Perfect”, freed from such fear, is therefore called holy and endures forever: for "The fear of the Lord is holy," David says, "and endures forever." (Ps. 19:9) Since initial fear is neither holy nor enduring, but ceases to exist in “perfect love”. Who then and for what reason is fear called perfect? It is because, having been perfectly taken into love, it strives and fears that it may lack those things which are fitting for them to do towards the beloved, whom they love intensely.

We love him, because he first loved us. If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God must love his brother also.
"If anyone says, 'I love God.'" Where John shows with compelling reasons that love is transmitted from God to us, and from us to God, he adds again that if God has loved us in this way, we also must love one another: now referring again to this matter, he says that because it is our duty to love our brother, we fulfill the obligation by referring to the example of God's love for us, which we also return to God: it is necessary, he says, to love our brother exceptionally, as the most perfect sign of love towards God. For if this is not the case, neither would our love towards God be preserved, since the obligation that exists between us is interceding, which we have contracted out of love towards God.
"For he who does not love his brother." Moreover, he adds a most effective saying to convince those who attempt to corrupt divine love, saying: Love, in any case, consists of the habitual relations towards one another: relations, however, has the aspect of a brother, and from this, it is especially gathered to that love. If this is true, whoever does not act on what more strongly attracts to love, and does not love the brother whom he sees, how can he claim to love God whom he does not see, with whom he has neither conversed nor can be perceived in any sense, how will he be found to be truthful? Therefore, if anyone shamelessly says that he loves God, but hates his brother, is he not found not only to corrupt divine love but also to be a transgressor of His command? Of whom? Of Him who says: "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (Jn. 13:35) Therefore, whoever loves God, and claims to be His disciple, must also love his brother according to His command.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. And whoever loves the one who created him loves also the one who is born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
John confirms the discourse again with others, thereby strengthening it in a certain way: If we have received the command from the Master to love one another mutually, surely if we believe that our Master and Teacher is Jesus Christ, who is Christ in the same way that God and man are: we shall also observe his commandments as both a Teacher and as God. Furthermore, believing him to be God, we are called his children: just as it is said in the Gospels: "But as many as received him, that is, as many as believed in him, he gave them the power to become the children of God." (Jn. 1:12) If, therefore, we are born of him, we shall also fulfill what is fitting for him who begot us. What is this? That we love him who created us, since it follows from the nature of children that they love their parents. Since this is the case, all of us who have believed are born of the same. If we are born of the same, we are also indebted to love one another: both because we are brothers and because we are born of the same.
And John adds this persuasion: that whoever loves the one who created him loves also the one who is born of him. Then he uses a change of discourse and says that love for brothers or the children of God confirms love for Him who created. For John previously said: "he who loves God must love his brother also. (1 Jn. 4:21):" now, however, in an inverted discourse, he says that whoever loves the children of God also loves God: and he places the sign of love for God as love for the brother. Then he also says that love for God brings about the observance of His commandments: rightly saying this: for "Whoever loves me," says the Savior, "keeps my commandments."(Jn. 14:21
"For this is the love of God." In the superlative (ὑπερθατῷ), that what is proposed should be understood in this way: For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments, because whatever is born of God overcomes the world. Furthermore, and his commandments are not burdensome, it has been interpolated.
"and His commandments are not burdensome." Not as Christ said, "My yoke is easy (Matt. 11:30);" thus He Himself said that the commandments are light, but that they are not burdensome: for to him who is brought to virtue, even what is light is considered very heavy; just as to one who has lost strength and health, everything that makes for good, even what is very light, seems heavy. Indeed, because the commandments of God seemed burdensome to some, as they are God's, for this reason He says that His commandments are not burdensome. For what burden is there in loving a brother?
Furthermore, what burdensome does it cause to visit one who is in prison? For he does not command to free him who is in prison, which would be difficult, but only to visit; nor does he command to free the sick from their illness, but only to visit; nor does he command to set a lavish table for the hungry, nor to provide clothing to the naked prepared with unnecessary embellishment; but he requires what provides necessary use for him who is hungry or naked. After he has arranged these things in this way, he adds to what has already been said another thing that leads to the showing of love, what is that? Victory (ὴν νίκην). For John says: you who establish yourselves as sons of God by love for your neighbor, you already have this that accompanies that excellent deed, namely, to conquer the world; For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. Then John adds victory, and what is the cause of victory, and he says that both agree with faith, namely, that which is towards God, which also born of God, has conquered and driven away all disbelief; neither Jew, nor Greek, nor Heretic can do anything against it.
And since faith does not conquer alone, but together with the one who possesses it, John adds: "And who is it that overcomes the world, except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?" But who is this Jesus? “He who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ”. (1 Jn. 5:6)

This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ: not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that bear witness: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three are one.
Since John also remembered the birth of children, saying: "Everything that is born of God" (1 Jn. 5:4): these things, however, happen to us through sacred baptism; therefore he says: "This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ." And for what purpose did he come? To renew us and make us children of God. For this is also understood as a consequent statement, so that this is the meaning. "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world." But how was it born? He says, by water and blood. Indeed, Jesus Christ who came renews through water and blood. John adds again, repeating the statement, saying: not by water only, namely regenerating, but by water and blood. For he wishes first to show the name of Christ who adopted us: since the man who was in him, the first adopted by God, also gave us through his adoption such dignity, which has been demonstrated three times: namely in the baptism in the Jordan, when the heavenly Father testified that he who was being baptized was his beloved Son. (Matt. 3:17)
But who was he that entered the water except the man who was taken up together with the Word of God? Certainly, he who appeared in secret, for he needed a testimony. Therefore, by the water, that is, in the baptism that takes place through water, the Son of God, Jesus, was demonstrated to be so by the testimony of the Father. And by the blood, when he was to be crucified, he said: "Glorify me, Father," (Jn. 17:1) and a voice was heard: "And I have glorified and will glorify again;" (Jn. 12:28) which those who heard thought to be thunder.
By the Spirit, however, when He rose from the dead as God. For it is left to God alone to raise Himself. Furthermore, by the term Spirit, God is signified: since the Spirit is God. (Jn. 4:24) Therefore, since three bear witness to Jesus' adoption, namely baptism, crucifixion, and resurrection, there is no uncertainty in the Lord's adoption: by which adoption He also granted us, as He who was the first fruits of the entire human mass (Rom. 11:16), to be children of God. And these three are united in one Christ: for this is what it signifies, saying: "These three are one," that is, as a testimony concerning Christ. It should be noted that some of the fathers received the Spirit, not because of the resurrection, but the Father Himself when He cried out in the Jordan: "This is my beloved Son (Matt. 17:5);" because God is also called Spirit, as we have predicted.

If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater: for this is the testimony of God, which he has testified of his Son. He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he does not believe the testimony that God has given of his Son. And this is the testimony, that God has given us eternal life: and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Having said these things, he adds a persuasion of the things that are said, by a lesser argument, saying: If we receive the testimony of men about any common matter, ought we not to receive the testimony from God who is greater? Indeed, is not this testimony about His Son or Christ from God? Therefore, whoever believes in the Son of God, that He is God as the Son of God, has testimony in himself, that is, in himself, believing that he too has been adopted by God through Jesus, the adopted one. Whoever does not believe the truth is subject to two evils, namely disbelief, making God a liar: and furthermore depriving himself of adoption, and thus also of eternal life, which Christ has promised to those who would be adopted by Him: which he also has in himself as it is written in the Gospel: "In Him was life." (Jn. 1:4)
Therefore, whoever has the Son through holy baptism has life. For as many as we have been baptized into Christ, we have also, according to His command, put on Christ. But whoever does not have the Son of God through baptism does not have life, but is dead. For indeed, receiving the dead through sins, He awakens them through holy baptism. (Rom. 6:4) How? As it has often been said, that having been buried with Christ through the immersion that takes place in baptism, he is dead to the world (Gal. 6:14; Col. 2:20), or to worldly desires, and now lives not for himself, but for Christ (Gal. 2:20), walking according to His commandments in newness of life (Rom. 6:4), and no longer giving sin an opportunity to enter covertly.

I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God: that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe in the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.
As if in a summary at the end, John repeats the aforementioned and says: I have written these things to you as heirs of eternal life: for these things would not be written for those who do not live according to the hope of eternal life: because neither should holy things be given to dogs nor pearls be scattered before pigs, (Matt. 7:6) for they do not deserve praise. Therefore, writing these things as heirs of eternal life, John briefly repeats, as we have said, suggesting to them what has already been said: first, that it is necessary to firmly believe in the name of the Son of God, that is, in the divine worship handed down to us by Him: for this is what the name of the Son of God signifies, as we have said, to whom, namely, the grace of sacred baptism prepares the way.
Then, since there is no other sign of this unquestionable faith except trust, which we find in Him through irreproachable faith, as we have also said before. Again, He has set a sign of this trust, that we are not to be frustrated in all that is asked of us. But since not everyone achieves all that they ask for, nor are they always heard in what they request, He adds: according to His will: revealing indeed that the one asking, outside the will of the Master, is not to be heard, in accordance with blessed James: for he also said, "You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives," (James 4:3) that is, as it does not benefit you. However, converting this sign into a clearer indication, John says: "And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him:" saying something like this: If we ask according to His will, He hears us: and if He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we make our requests according to His will, and we have in ourselves the requests that we have asked. These, however, are His kingdom and righteousness (Matt. 6:33): which He also commanded us to ask for. Having said this, He also clearly proposes something of what He wants us to ask according to God's will.
For the entire letter is largely about extolling love for the brother and expressing the desire that we keep our love for the brother incorrupt, John now says that this is one of his wills, that “if anyone sees his brother sinning not unto death, he should ask, and it will be given to him.” (1 Jn. 5:16) And what will be given? “Eternal life.” To whom? To those who “sin not unto death.”

If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death; I do not say that he should pray about that. All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.
"If anyone sees his brother sinning." This is one will. For it is righteous to feel compassion for the brother who has sinned and to be of help for salvation.
"There is a sin leading to death." Let this be the order: There is a sin that leads to death, and there is a sin that does not lead to death. I do not say that one should pray for the one that leads to death, but for the one that does not lead to death. Then he explains the distinction making between the sin that leads to death and the one that does not lead to death. For John simply divides it as a kind of sin and says: All unrighteousness is sin: whether it leads to death or does not lead to death.
But because it is unto death, let him not pray or ask, for he will not be heard because he asks with wrong motives (James 4:3), especially when he shows no sign of conversion. For this alone is the sin that leads death, which does not regard repentance: when Judas fell ill with this, he was taken to eternal death. And those also sin that leads death who are mindful of injuries. For the paths of those who remember injuries lead to death (Prov. 12:28 LXX.), says Solomon. Nor do they convert by remembering, retaining the memory of injuries, and keeping anger against their neighbor, but they sin without repentance.

We know that whoever is born of God does not sin, but he who has been born of God guards (τηρεῖ) himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
Having declared this, he subsequently indicates whose sin is the sin leads to death; and he says that whoever is born of God does not sin. For when he has once entrusted himself to the one dwelling in him through adoption in Christ, he remains inaccessible to sin. However, lest anyone think that such a nature has been completely changed, so that he can no longer be seized by sin, he adds:
"He guards himself," as if to say: Unless he were to keep and guard himself from the evil one, he would certainly sin. Therefore, it is not nature that leads to perfection, but rather the glory of God, who, because He has adopted us, has deemed us worthy of such grace: that by keeping and guarding what has been given to us by Him, we may also have it, so that we do not sin. For unless it were so, since the world is established in evil (and the world refers to those who have not committed themselves to God through good works), nothing would prevent us from being examined along with those who perish: because the mind of man is continually inclined to evil from early youth, as God revealed during the time of the flood. (Gen. 8:22) But since, John says, the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding by which we may know the true God through internal understanding, and be in His true Son Jesus Christ: we have come to know through this glory that He is the true God and eternal life, and by knowing we are safe from the onslaught of evil and its offenses. "This is the true God." This, also, serves as a demonstrative article. Here, the article indicates relationship. "keep yourself from idols." Some have questioned: If John writes this to the perfect, why does he now command them to beware of idols? We therefore say that because he wrote to the whole Church, which was not made up of a select people, but there were also some among them who were less affected. Therefore, he commands all these, looking at their slippery nature.