3:23a

this: (Pronoun Reference) The word this refers to 3:23b–d, believing in Jesus and loving one another.

His commandment: (Lexical Problem) John here says commandment in the singular to show that belief and love are the summary or main point of all God’s commands. In some languages it may not be possible to have the singular this and commandment referring to the two verbs “believe” and “love.” If that is the case in your language, you can say something like “These are the most important things he told us to do.”

3:23b

the name: (Figure of Speech) This refers to Jesus’ authority and character and everything about him as God’s Son.

3:23d

as He commanded: (Alternative Interpretations) It is not completely clear who He refers to here:

(1) It probably means “Christ” (see Good News Translation), since it was Christ who gave the commandment to love. See John 13:34.

(2) It may mean “God.”

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.