SEV Biblia, Chapter 5:19
Sabemos que somos de Dios, y el mundo entero yace en maldad.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 John 5:19
Verse 19. We know that we are of God] Have the fullest proof of the truth of Christianity, and of our own reconciliation to God through the death of his Son. The whole world lieth in wickedness.] en tw ponhrw keitai? Lieth in the wicked one - is embraced in the arms of the devil, where it lies fast asleep and carnally secure, deriving its heat and power from its infernal fosterer. What a truly awful state! And do not the actions, tempers, propensities, opinions and maxims of all worldly men prove and illustrate this? "In this short expression," says Mr. Wesley, "the horrible state of the world is painted in the most lively colours; a comment on which we have in the actions, conversations, contracts, quarrels and friendships of worldly men." Yes, their ACTIONS are opposed to the law of God; their CONVERSATIONS shallow, simulous, and false; their CONTRActs forced, interested, and deceitful; their QUARRELS puerile, ridiculous, and ferocious; and their FRIENDSHIPS hollow, insincere, capricious, and fickle:-all, all the effect of their lying in the arms of the wicked one; for thus they become instinct with his own spirit: and because they are of their father the devil, therefore his lusts they will do.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 19. [And] we know that we are of God , &c.] The sons of God, and regenerated by him; this is known by the Spirit of God, which witnesses to the spirits of the saints that they are the children of God; and by the fruits and effects of regenerating grace, as love to the brethren, and the like: and the whole world lies in wickedness ; that is, the men of the world, the greater part of the inhabitants of it, who are as they were when they came into it, not being born of God; these are addicted to sin and, wickedness; the bias of their minds is to it, they are set upon it, and give themselves up to it, are immersed in it, and are under the power of it: or in the wicked one; Satan, the god of this world; they are under his influence, and led according to his will, and they are governed by him, and are at his beck and command; and this is known, by sad experience, it is easy of observation; And cannot comprehend the things that are promised to the righteous in time to come: for this world is full of unrighteousness and infirmities. (2 Esdras 4:27) Ver. 20. And we know that the Son of God is come , &c.] That the second Person in the Godhead, who is equal to the Father, and of the same nature with him, is come from the Father, from heaven into this world, not by local motion, but by assumption of nature; that he is come in the flesh, or is become incarnate, in order to work out salvation for his people, by his obedience, sufferings, and death; and this John and others knew, for they had personal knowledge of him, and converse with him; they saw him with their eyes, heard him, and handled him: he dwelt among them, preached to them, wrought miracles before them, which proved him to be what he was; and it may be known that the Messiah must become, since Daniel's weeks, which fixes the time of his coming, are long ago up; the sceptre is departed from Judah, and the second temple is destroyed, neither of which were to be till the Messiah came; and that Jesus of Nazareth is he who is come may be known by the characters of him, and the works done by him: and hath given us an understanding ; not a new faculty of the understanding but new light into it; a knowledge of spiritual things of himself, and of God in him, and of the truths of the Gospel, and of all divine and heavenly things; for he, the Son of God, is come a light into the world, and gives spiritual light to men: that we may know him that is true ; or the true God, as the Alexandrian copy and some others, and the Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read; that is, God the Father, who is the true God, in opposition to the false gods of the Heathens, though not to the exclusion of the Son and Spirit; and the spiritual knowledge of him as the Father of Christ, and as a covenant God and Father in him, is only given to men by Christ, and this is life eternal; (see Matthew 11:27 John 17:3); and we are in him that is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ ; the words Jesus Christ are left out in the Alexandrian copy, and in the Vulgate Latin version; however, certain it is, that Jesus Christ is meant by his Son, who is the Son of the true and living God, and is himself true; not only true God, as hereafter asserted, but true man, having a true body and a reasonable soul, and was true and faithful in the discharge of his offices, as prophet, priest, and King; he faithfully declared the whole will of God, and taught the way of God in truth; he was faithful to him that appointed him, by securing his glory when he made reconciliation for the sins of the people; and all the administrations of his kingly office are just and true; yea, he is truth itself, the substance of all the types, in whom all the promises are yea and amen, and who has all the truths of the Gospel and treasures of wisdom in him; now his people are in him; they were secretly in him before the world was, being loved by him, chosen in him, put into his hands, preserved in him, and represented by him; and openly, at conversion, when they are anew created in him, brought to believe in him, and live upon him, and he lives in them, and they are in him as branches in the vine; and this is known by his Spirit being given them, by the communication of his grace unto them, and by the communion they have with him. This is the true God and eternal life ; that is, the Son of God, who is the immediate antecedent to the relative this; he is the true God, with his Father and the Spirit, in distinction from all false, fictitious, or nominal deities; and such as are only by office, or in an improper and figurative sense: Christ is truly and really God, as appears from all the perfections of deity, the fulness of the Godhead being in him; from the divine works of creation and providence being ascribed to him; and from the divine worship that is given him; as well as from the names and titles he goes by, and particularly that of Jehovah, which is incommunicable to a creature; and he is called eternal life, because it is in him; and he is the giver of it to his people; and that itself will chiefly consist in the enjoyment and vision of him, and in conformity to him.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 18-21 - All mankind are divided into two parties or dominions; that whic belongs to God, and that which belongs to the wicked one. Tru believers belong to God: they are of God, and from him, and to him, and for him; while the rest, by far the greater number, are in the power of the wicked one; they do his works, and support his cause. This genera declaration includes all unbelievers, whatever their profession station, or situation, or by whatever name they may be called. The So leads believers to the Father, and they are in the love and favour of both; in union with both, by the indwelling and working of the Holy Spirit. Happy are those to whom it is given to know that the Son of God is come, and to have a heart to trust in and rely on him that is true May this be our privilege; we shall thus be kept from all idols an false doctrines, and from the idolatrous love of worldly objects, an be kept by the power of God, through faith, unto eternal salvation. To this living and true God, be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
οιδαμεν 1492 5758 οτι 3754 εκ 1537 του 3588 θεου 2316 εσμεν 2070 5748 και 2532 ο 3588 κοσμος 2889 ολος 3650 εν 1722 τω 3588 πονηρω 4190 κειται 2749 5736
Vincent's NT Word Studies
19. We are of God (ek tou Qeou esmen). For the phrase ei=nai ejk to be from, see on John i. 46. For ejsmen we are, see on iii. 1. John expresses the relation of believers to God by the following phrases: To be born or begotten of God, gennhqhnai ejk tou Qeou (v. 1; ii. 29; iv. 7): denoting the initial communication of the new life. To be of God, ei=nai ejk tou Qeou (John viii. 47; 1 John iii. 10; iv. 6): denoting the essential connection in virtue of the new life. Child of God, teknon Qeou (John i. 12; 1 John iii. 1, 10): denoting the relation established by the new life.
World (kosmov). See on John i. 9.
Lieth (keitai). The word is stronger than ejsti is, indicating the passive, unprogressive state in the sphere of Satan's influence. "While we are from God, implying a birth and a proceeding forth, and a change of state, the kosmov the world, all the rest of mankind, remains in the hand of the evil one" (Alford).
In wickedness (en tw ponhrw). Rev., better, in the evil one. The expression to lie in has a parallel in Sophocles'"Anti-gone:" ejn uJmin gar wJv Qew keimeqa tlamonev "Wretched we lie in you as in a God" (247).
