1 John 4:5

4:1-6 Christians who are well acquainted with the Scriptures, may, in humble dependence on Divine teaching, discern those who set forth doctrines according to the apostles, and those who contradict them. The sum of revealed religion is in the doctrine concerning Christ, his person and office. The false teachers spake of the world according to its maxims and tastes, so as not to offend carnal men. The world approved them, they made rapid progress, and had many followers such as themselves; the world will love its own, and its own will love it. The true doctrine as to the Saviour's person, as leading men from the world to God, is a mark of the spirit of truth in opposition to the spirit of error. The more pure and holy any doctrine is, the more likely to be of God; nor can we by any other rules try the spirits whether they are of God or not. And what wonder is it, that people of a worldly spirit should cleave to those who are like themselves, and suit their schemes and discourses to their corrupt taste?

{4} They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. (4) He brings a reason why the world receives these teachers more willingly than the true: that is, because they speak nothing but that which is worldly: which is another note also to know the doctrine of antichrist by.

1 John 4:5 . αὐτοὶ (as opposed to ὑμεῖς ) ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου εἰσίν , as its delegates, messengers, representatives, and as such ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου λαλοῦσιν . λαλεῖν , not “speak” ( λέγειν ), but “talk,” with a suggestion of prating ( cf. John 4:42 ). ἀκούειν takes accus. of the thing heard, genit. of the person from whom it is heard. Cf. Luke 5:1 ; Acts 1:4 (where both are combined). The world listens to those who speak its own language.

Ver. 5,6. He giveth here a further rule whereby to judge of doctrines and teachers, viz. what they severally savour of, and tend to. The doctrines and teachers whereby these Christians were assaulted and tempted, were of an earthly savour and gust, tending only to gratify worldly lusts and inclinations, and to serve secular interests and designs; and therefore men only of a worldly spirit and temper were apt to listen and give entertainment to them. On the other hand, says he, (in the name of the asserters and followers of true and pure Christianity, comprehended with himself): We are of God; i.e. our doctrine and way proceed from God, and tend only to serve, please, and glorify him, and draw all to him; therefore such as know God, i.e. are his friends, and converse much with him, hear us; the things we propose and offer are grateful and savoury to them, {as John 8:37,47} having manifestly no other aim than to promote serious godliness. And hereby may the spirit of truth and the spirit of error in matters of this nature be distinguished; the one being next of kin to purity, and holiness, and a godly life; the other, to sensuality, and a design only of gratifying the animal life.

Of the world (ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου) Proceeding from, as their source (ἐκ). Different from ἐκ τῆς γῆς from the earth (John 3:31), as marking the whole worldly economy morally considered. Speak they of the world (ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου λαλοῦσιν) An ambiguous rendering, which might readily be interpreted "they speak concerning the world." Literally it is: "they speak out of the world; i.e., the character of their utterances corresponds to their origin. Rev., "speak they as of the world." The position of the world in the sentence is emphatic: "it is out of the world that they speak."

Verse 5. - The source of their character and their teaching is the world; from it they derive their inspiration; and of course the world listens to them. Once again (see on 1 John 3:23) we have an echo of Christ's last discourses: "If ye were of the world, the world would love its own" ( John 15:19 ). 1 John 4:5

5. of the world—They derive their spirit and teaching from the world, "unregenerate human nature, ruled over and possessed by Satan, the prince of this world" [Alford]. speak they of the word—They draw the matter of their conversation from the life, opinions, and feelings of the world. the world heareth them—(Joh 15:18, 19). The world loves its own.

They are of the world - This was one of the marks by which those who had the spirit of antichrist might be known. They belonged not to the church of God, but to the world. They had its spirit; they acted on its principles; they lived for it. Compare the notes at 1 John 2:15 . Therefore speak they of the world - Compare the notes at John 3:31. This may mean either that their conversation pertained to the things of this world, or that they were wholly influenced by the love of the world, and not by the Spirit of God, in the doctrines which they taught. The general sense is, that they had no higher ends and aims than they have who are influenced only by worldly plans and expectations. It is not difficult to distinguish, even among professed Christians and Christian teachers, those who are heavenly in their conversation from those who are influenced solely by the spirit of the world. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh," and the general turn of a man's conversation will show what "spirit is within him." And the world heareth them - The people of the world - the frivoulous ones, the rich, the proud, the ambitious, the sensual - receive their instructions, and recognize them as teachers and guides, for their views accord with their own. See the notes at John 15:19. A professedly religious teacher may always determine much about himself by knowing what class of people are pleased with him.

5 . They are of the world ] This follows, though it has not yet been stated, from their not being ‘of us’ ( 1 John 2:19 ): for there is no middle position. The verse is another reminiscence of the Lord’s farewell discourses: ‘If ye were of the world, the world would love its own’ ( John 15:19 ; comp. John 17:14 ). therefore speak they of the world ] Or, therefore of the world they speak : as in John 3:31 , the Greek order is impressive and worth preserving. (See on 1 John 3:1 ; but here διὰ τοῦτο is not followed by ὅτι .) The impressive repetition of ‘the world’ is very characteristic of S. John’s style; e.g. John 1:10 ; John 3:17 ; John 15:19 ; John 17:14 . Comp. ‘He that is of the earth, of the earth he is, and of the earth he speaketh’ ( John 3:31 ): where, however, ‘to speak of the earth ’ or ‘ earthly things ’ is to speak of God’s work on earth; whereas ‘to speak of the world ’ is to speak what is alien from God’s work and opposed to it. ‘To speak of ’ ( λαλεῖν ἐκ ) is not the same as ‘to speak concerning ’ ( λέγειν περί ) 1 John 5:16 ; John 1:22 ; John 1:47 ; John 2:21 , &c. ‘To speak of the world’ is to have the world as the source of one’s words, so that one’s inspiration flows from it: and of course the world ‘heareth’, i.e. loves to hear, the wisdom derived from itself.