John Gill's Exposition on 1 John 5:21

A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.

Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.

Little children, keep yourselves from idols, Amen.] From Heathen idols and idolatry, into which the saints in those times might be liable to be drawn, by reason of their dwelling among Heathen idolaters, and being related to them, and by the too great freedom used in eating things sacrificed to idols in their temples; and from all other idols that might be introduced by some who went by the name of Christians, as the Gnostics, who worshipped the images of Simon and Helena; and the passage may be an antidote against the worshipping of images, afterwards introduced by the Papists. Moreover, errors and false doctrines, which are the figments of men's minds, and what they are fond of, may be called idols, and should be guarded against, and abstained from; as also the lusts of men's hearts, and all the evil things that are in the world, which are adored by the men of it; and even every creature that is loved too much is an idol; hence covetousness is called idolatry; nor should any creature or thing be loved more than God or Christ: the one only living and true God, Father, Son, and Spirit, he is only to be worshipped, feared, and loved. FOOTNOTES Ft1 -- Eccl. Hist. 50:3. c. 24. Ft2 -- Augustin. apud Grotium. Ft3 -- Hor. Hebr. in <460114>1 Corinthians 1:14. Ft4 -- Stromat. 50:2. p. 389. Ft5 -- Lex. Cabalist, p. 63, 64. Ft6 -- Sepher Cosri, par. 2. sect. 2. fol. 61. 2. Ft7 -- Misn. Shebuot, c. 1. sect. 6. Ft8 -- Vid. T. Bab. Temura, fol. 15. 2. & Bava Kama, fol. 80. 1. T. Hieros. Sota, fol. 24. 1. &. Chagiga, fol. 77. 4. Ft9 -- Pirke Abot, c. 4. sect. 11. T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 32. 1. T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 10. 1. Ft10 -- De vita Mosis, 50:3:p. 673. Ft11 -- Jarchi in <235305>Isaiah 53:5. Ft12 -- T. Hieros. Nazir, fol. 57. 3. Vid. T. Bab. Succa, fol. 55. 2. Ft13 -- T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 71. 2. Ft14 -- T. Bab. Bava Metzia, fol. 33. 2. Ft15 -- T. Bab. Megilla, fol. 22. 2. Ft16 -- T. Bab. Horayot, fol. 13. 2. Ft17 -- Piske Toseph. Megilla, art. 104. Ft18 -- T. Bab. Cetubot, fol. 90. 2. & Kiddushin, fol. 47. 2. & 49. 1. & 65. 2. & Gittin, fol. 8. 1. & 60. 2. Ft19 -- T. Bab. Kiddushin, fol. 48. 1. Ft20 -- Maimon. Hilch. Tephilla, c. 11. sect. 16. Ft21 -- Zohar in Leviticus fol. 29. 1. Ft22 -- Ib. fol. 24. 1. T. Hieros. Yoma, fol. 38. 2. Ft23 -- T. Bab. Zebachim, fol. 88. 2. & Erachin, fol. 16. 1. Ft24 -- T. Bab. Zebachim, ib. T. Hieros. Yoma, fol. 44. 2. Ft25 -- T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 87. 1. & T. Hieros. Yoma, fol. 45. 2, 3. Ft26 -- Seder Tephillot, fol. 41. 1. Ed. Amsterd. Ft27 -- Yalkut Simconi, par. 2. fol. 461. Ft28 -- Moses Kotsensis Mitzvot Tora, pr. neg. 5. Ft29 -- Yalkut Simconi, par. 2. fol. 44. 4. Ft30 -- T. Hieros. Biccurim, fol. 65. 4. Ft31 -- Kimchi in Psal. 49:9. Ben Melech in ib. ver. 14. Ft32 -- T. Hieros. Horayot, fol. 47. 3. Ft33 -- Cabala Denudata, par. 2. p. 8. Ft34 -- De praemiis. & Paenis, p. 917. Ft35 -- Sepher Tikkunim, fol. 112. 1. apud Rittangel, de ver. Rel. Christ, p. 68. Ft36 -- Raya Mehimna in Zohar in Leviticus fol. 34. 2. Ft37 -- Midrash Ruth in Zohar in Genesis fol. 42. 4. Ft38 -- Zohar in ib. fol. 43. 1. Ft39 -- Ib. fol. 41. 1, 2. Ft40 -- Targum Jon. in <010408>Genesis 4:8. Pirke Eliezer, c. 21. Ft41 -- Targum Hieros. & Jon. in <010408>Genesis 4:8. Ft42 -- Quod Det. Potior. p. 161. Ft43 -- Shirhashirim Rabba, fol. 15. 1. & Lex. Cabal. p. 43, 44. Ft44 -- Misn. Negaim, c. 2. sect. 1. Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 2. sect. 1. & Jarchi & Bartenora in ib. vid. T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 23. 1. & Succa, fol. 20. 1.…

This public page shows a contextual excerpt from the locally available source text.

Read 1 John 5:21 →Read the full chapter →Jamieson, Fausset & Brown →Barnes' Notes →Wesley's Explanatory Notes →Tyndale Open Study Notes →Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge →

How to use this source
This excerpt is attributed to its named commentary. It is included as a historical study resource and should be evaluated in light of Scripture and other relevant evidence.