Smoodock's Blog

In 1John 4:14 John told his readers, “We have seen and now testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world.” I need to mention two things as we begin this study. First, the word “we” is emphatic. It is hemeis (G2249) and is used only for emphasis. I believe John means to place himself and the Lord’s other eyewitnesses in contrast to 1John 4:12, which says “No one has ever seen God!” I believe it would be disingenuous of John to say such a thing, if he were not an eyewitness to what he testifies. Secondly, John testifies that the Father has sent his Son… not “to be the” Savior of the world, but sent his Son, Savior of the World. The point which I believe John is making is that Savior of the World was a known title used for the gods of the gentiles: Zeus, Jupiter and others. It was also used as a title for Caesar, but John uses it for Jesus—the only Savior of the World for believers.

So, John testifies of what he had seen. He says he was an eyewitness to words and works (1John 1:1-3) of Jesus, whom the Father has sent as Savior of the World (1John 4:14). The phrase, Savior of the World is found elsewhere only at John 4:42. There, Jesus had to leave Judea, because the Pharisees, probably in collusion with the Herodians (cp. Mark 3:6; 12:13), had John the Baptist imprisoned (John 3:24-25), and then they turned toward Jesus (John 4:1). Nevertheless, Jesus left Judea for Galilee (John 4:1-3; Mark 1:14), escaping through Samaria, knowing the Pharisees would avoid following him there. It was at this time that Jesus met the woman at the well, and after she was astonished at Jesus’ words, she went into the city and told everyone she met that she had found the Christ (John 4:29). Then the whole city went out to see Jesus and asked him to remain with them for awhile (John 4:30, 39-40). Afterward, many Samaritans went to the woman to say, that after hearing Jesus, they no longer believed because of her words, but they now believed he was Savior of the World because of his words (John 4:41-42).

I believe this is significant. John used the phrase Savior of the World in his epistle just after mentioning the false prophets (antichrists), who had come into the assemblies of the believers, denied Jesus was the Christ (1John 4:1-3). The only other time the phrase is used in the Bible occurs after Jesus had to flee his enemies, who recently had John the Baptizer imprisoned (Mark 1:14), because he had pointed to Jesus as the Christ (John 1:29-34; 3:24-30). Specifically, the Gospel narrative says the controversy between John and the Jewish authorities was over purifying (John 3:25). However, John mentioned that, although he baptized with water, Christ would baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11), which seems to be behind his saying, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Thus, John’s use of Savior of the World implies Jesus was / is the propitiation or atonement for cleansing or purifying us of our sins (1John 4:10).

So, whosoever would confess that Jesus is the Son of God, which is not only a Messianic title but is also a title given to Caesar, …whoever confesses Jesus as the Son of God, God dwells in that believer and he in God (1John 4:15). This is made possible in that God is Love, therefore, anyone who loves his brother, dwells or lives in Love, meaning he dwells in God; and Love dwells in him, meaning God dwells in the believer (1John 4:16).

Therefore, in this thing **our** love is made perfect, so that John’s readers could have confidence in the day when the Lord returned, namely, that as he is (as Christ is) so are **we** in this world. In other words those, who dwell in Love and in whom Love dwells, are the very images of Christ, in that they walk as he walked (1John 2:6). Moreover, since God became manifest (John 1:1, 14) in order to take away our sins (1John 3:5), every believer who holds onto this hope, purifies himself in an effort to be as Christ is (1John 3:3), and doing righteous deeds reveals the righteousness of God in us, just as Christ, himself is righteous (1John 3:7, 16). So, the love of God is fulfilled in the one who is in this world, living as Christ lived (1John 4:17; cp. Genesis 1:27).