1 John 2:3

Contextual Overview

³ And hereby know we that we know him, if we keep his commandments. ³By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him: if we keep His commandments.³ When we obey God, we are sure that we know him. ³ The way we can be sure we know him is if we are obeying his commands. ³ And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. ³ If we obey what God has told us to do, then we are sure that we know him. ³ And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. ³ And by this we may be certain that we have knowledge of him, if we keep his laws. ³ And hereby we are sure that we knowe him, if we keepe his commandements. ³ And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

hereby: 1 John 2:4-6, 1 John 3:14, 1 John 3:19, 1 John 4:13, 1 John 5:19

we know: Isaiah 53:11,*Heb: John 17:3, 2 Corinthians 4:6

if we: 1 John 3:22, 1 John 3:23, 1 John 5:3, Psalms 119:6, Psalms 119:32, Luke 6:46, John 14:15, John 14:21-24, John 15:10, John 15:14, 1 Thessalonians 4:1, 1 Thessalonians 4:2, Hebrews 5:9, Revelation 22:14

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 22:12 - that thou mayest Psalms 9:10 - know Psalms 119:166 - and done Proverbs 7:2 - Keep Proverbs 19:16 - keepeth the Jeremiah 22:16 - was not Ezekiel 18:5 - if Daniel 11:32 - the people Hosea 5:4 - and Hosea 6:6 - the Matthew 7:24 - whosoever Matthew 28:20 - them Luke 1:6 - walking Luke 6:49 - that heareth Luke 8:15 - keep John 7:28 - whom John 15:21 - because 1 Corinthians 7:19 - but Galatians 4:9 - ye have Ephesians 1:17 - in the knowledge Philippians 3:10 - I Colossians 3:10 - knowledge James 1:22 - be 1 John 2:5 - whoso 1 John 2:13 - because

Cross-References

Genesis 2:2
And by the seventh day God had finished the work He had been doing; so on that day He rested from all His work.

Genesis 2:2
And on the seuenth day God ended his worke, which hee had made: And he rested on the seuenth day from all his worke, which he had made.

Genesis 2:2

The Seventh Day

By the seventh day God had finished his work, and so he rested.

Genesis 2:2
On the seventh day God was finished with his work which he had made, so he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

Genesis 2:2
And God had finished on the seventh day his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

Genesis 2:2
God finished the work he was doing, so on the seventh day he rested from his work.

Genesis 2:2
And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done.

Genesis 2:2
And on the seventh day God came to the end of all his work; and on the seventh day he took his rest from all the work which he had done.

Genesis 2:2
And in the seuenth day God ended his worke whiche he had made. And the seueth day he rested from all his worke which he had made.

Genesis 2:2
And on the sixth day God, finished his works which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his works which he had made.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And hereby we do know that we know him,.... Either the Father, with whom Christ is an advocate; not as the God of nature, and by the light of it, nor as the lawgiver and Judge of the whole earth, and by the law of Moses; but as the God of all grace, as a God pardoning iniquity, transgression, and sin, as the Father of Christ, and as in him by the Gospel; and this not in a mere notional and speculative way, but with love and affection; not with fear and trembling, as devils know him, nor in theory, as formal professors and hypocrites, but with a knowledge, joined with hearty love of him, and cheerful obedience to him: or else Christ, the advocate and propitiation for sin; and him also, not with a mere notional knowledge of his person and offices, which carnal men and devils themselves have of him, but with that which is spiritual, special, and saving, being from the Spirit and grace of God; and regards Christ as a Saviour, as a propitiatory sacrifice for sin, and an advocate with God the Father; and by which he is approved as such, to the rejection of all other savours, sacrifices, and advocates; and is trusted, confided, and believed in as such, and affectionately loved, and that above all others, in sincerity and truth; and is readily obeyed in his word and ordinances; for where there is true knowledge of Christ, there is faith in him; and where there is faith in him, there is love to him, for faith works by love; and where there is love to him, there will be an observance of his commands; and this is here made the evidence of the true knowledge of him: for it follows,

if we keep his commandments; not the commandments of men, for the keeping of them arises from ignorance of God, and is a proof of it; nor the commandments of the ceremonial law, which are abolished, particularly circumcision, which is opposed to the keeping of the commandments of God, 1 Corinthians 7:19; but either those of the moral law, and which are more particularly the commandments of God the Father; the observance of which, though it cannot be with perfection, yet being in faith, and from love to God, and with a view to his glory, is an evidence of the true knowledge of him and of his will: or else those commandments, which are more especially the commandments of Christ Jesus; such as the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's supper, which are peculiar to the Gospel dispensation; and which being kept as they were delivered by Christ, and in his name and strength, and to his glory, without depending on them for life and salvation, is an argument and proof of the right knowledge of him; and particularly his new commandment of loving one another may be chiefly designed, that being what the apostle has greatly in view throughout this epistle; now let it be observed, that keeping of the commands of God, or Christ, is not the knowledge of either of them itself, for much may be done in an external way, yet neither God nor Christ be spiritually and savingly known; nor is it the cause of such knowledge, for that is owing to the Spirit and grace of God; but is an effect or consequence of spiritual knowledge, and so an evidence of it; hereby is not the knowledge itself, but the knowledge of that knowledge, that is, that it is true and genuine.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And hereby we do know that we know him - To wit, by that which follows, we have evidence that we are truly acquainted with him, and with the requirements of his religion; that is, that we are truly his friends. The word “him” in this verse, seems to refer to the Saviour. On the meaning of the word “know,” see the notes at John 17:3. The apostle had stated in the previous part of this Epistle some of the leading points revealed by the Christian religion, and he here enters on the consideration of the nature of the evidence required to show that we are personally interested in it, or that we are true Christians. A large part of the Epistle is occupied with this subject. The first, the grand evidence - that without which all others would be vain - he says is, that we keep his commandments.

If we keep his commandments - See the notes at John 14:15. Compare John 14:23-24; John 15:10, John 15:14.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 John 2:3. And hereby we do know that we know him — If we keep the commandments of God, loving him with all our heart, and our neighbour as ourselves, we have the fullest proof that we have the true saving knowledge of God and his Christ. The Gnostics pretended to much knowledge, but their knowledge left them in possession of all their bad passions and unholy habits; they, therefore, gave no proof that they had known either God or his Son Jesus-nor is any man properly acquainted with God, who is still under the power of his sins.