Yesterday, we looked at the most common meaning of peithein, which is “to convince” or “to persuade.” Today we begin by looking at another meaning,
The other meaning of peithein is “to reassure” or “to assure.” This meaning is rare. It occurs elsewhere in the New Testament only in Matt. 28:14: “If this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.” But in spite of its infrequency, this is probably the meaning to be adopted (so RSV, NASB, NIV and others). In this case the two main clauses following the verb need not be interpreted as supplying the content of that of which we are to be persuaded and may give other meanings.
What the phrases do mean is, however, connected with the other major grammatical difficulty. In each case the phrase is introduced by the apparent conjunction hoti. This may mean “because.” In fact, in the second instance it obviously does mean “because,” for that phrase “God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things” gives us a truth by which we may reassure our consciences. In the first instance, however, the meaning “because” is clumsy and disrupts the passage as a whole. The solution, in this case, seems to be to take hoti as the relative pronoun ho plus ti, which words together with the following word ean form an idiomatic expression meaning “in matters where” or “whenever.” This solution is adopted by most of the modern commentators and by many contemporary translations.
If these solutions to the grammatical difficulties of the passage are followed, the sense is as the RSV presents it. In this case, two references are made by which the doubting Christian may reassure or pacify his heart. The first looks back to what has just been said concerning love as it expresses itself in deeds. The second looks forward to God’s verdict of acquittal, a verdict to be trusted regardless of one’s own doubts or misgivings.
It is important to notice that in referring back to the test of love John is not referring to love merely in some generally emotional or subjective sense, for this would be little help to the doubting Christian. Indeed, it may be precisely this that he is doubting. He may be asking, “But do I really love the brethren? Do I love enough?” He may even be remembering acts that did not express love and for which his heart condemns him. No, John is not referring to love in a general sense but rather to love in the precise and visible sense about which he has just been speaking. He has spoken of the essence of love as self-sacrifice. He has spoken of the need to meet specific needs of specific Christians. He concluded, “My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” Now he says, “Remember that, when you doubt. Do not look at your failures. Christians have many of them. Look rather at those specific acts of love which the Holy Spirit of God within you has led you to perform. Let those be evidence, and cease doubting.”
Here an active taking hold of oneself and reminding oneself of objective acts flowing from the divine nature is striking. John is not allowing us to indulge our feelings of doubt or encourage introspection. We are not even to pray about the matter; for, as he is about the show, confidence of being able to pray and of being heard in prayer comes after we have assured our hearts before Him. We are not even to “let go and let God,” as some say. We are to seize our minds and by the grace of God turn ourselves around. The first way we are to do that is by focusing on specific past acts of the divine love.
