• By his death Jesus has constituted the disciples as a society of "friends."  One might almost say that this is the Johannine doctrine of the Church as opposed to the institutional, organizational understanding of the Church... The disciples are friends, not first of one another, but of Jesus.  Only because of that are they friends of one another.

- Reginald H. Fuller, Preaching the Lectionary, p. 270
• Your joy will be full, if ye so love one another.

- John Wesley, Notes Upon the New Testament, vs. 12
• The change of relationship from servants to friends is significant because of what friends are able to share.

- Donald Guthrie, New Bible Commentary: Revised, p. 960
• Love and joy characterize the spiritual union of the disciples with their Lord.  His joy is also theirs.

- A.J. Macleod, New Bible Commentary, p. 891
• Very perfect indeed is that authority in the commandment of love which is based upon the example of him who commands.  Christ is the only preacher of absolute perfection who fully exemplified, in his own instance, the perfection he preached.  All true human preaching is above the practice of even the best preacher.

- D.D. Whedon, Commentary, p. 367
• The followers of Christ are the friends of Christ, and he is graciously pleased to call and account them so. 

- Matthew Henry, Commentary, p. 1126
• The disciples were to love one another with a love that rose above all the weaknesses of others, and which was at the same time brotherly, and caused the one who felt it to be the servant of his brother.

- John Darby, Synopsis of  the New Testament
• True, the love and reverence for God comes first in order, but as the true proof of it is love toward our neighbors, he dwells chiefly on this point.  Besides, as he formerly held himself out for a pattern in maintaining the general doctrine, so he now holds himself out for a pattern in a particular instance; for he loved all his people, that they may love each other.

- John Calvin, Commentary
• The love of the Father towards the Son, and of the Son towards us, and of us toward God and our neighbor, are joined together with an inseparable knot: and there is nothing more sweet and pleasant than it is. 

- Geneva Study Bible
Christ had been before speaking of his commandments; and he mentions this as the principal one, and to which all the rest may be reduced; for as the precepts of the second table of the moral law may be briefly comprehended in this one duty, love to our neighbor, so all the duties of Christianity, relative to one another, are reducible to this, by love to serve each other.
- John Gill,  Exposition of the Bible
The obedient spirit of true discipleship cherishing and attracting the continuance and increase of Christ's love; and this, He adds, was the secret even of His own abiding in His Father's love!
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary
• Christ's disciples serve him, but their service is not bondage, but that of love. Hence, they are friends instead of servants.

- Johnson, B.W., People's New Testament
• Non-final use of ina, introducing a subject clause in apposition with entolh (commandment) and the present active subjunctive of agapaw, "that ye keep on loving one another." See Matthew 13:34. 

- Robertson, A.T., Robertson's Word Pictures, vs.12

Hymns
Bob VanWyk, Lectionary Hymn Reviewer
 
 

Sermons, Outlines, & Commentaries
See also:  220.7 - Bible Commentaries; 251 - Homiletics;  252 - Sermon Texts

• A Life of Victory   1 John 5
• I Have Called You Friends  Why would Jesus want me for a friend?

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