Bible Commentary

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 11. Beloved ] For the sixth and last time the Apostle uses this appropriate address: see on 1Jn 3:2. No address of any kind occurs again until the last verse of the Epistle. if God so loved us ] As in 1Jn … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 John 4:11”

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins. 10. Herein is love ] ‘Herein’ again refers to what follows: Love in Its full perfection is seen, not in man’s love to God, but in His to man, which reached … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 John 4:10”

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 9. In this was manifested ] Or, for the sake of uniformity with 1Jn 4:10 ; 1Jn 4:13 ; 1Jn 4:17, Herein was manifested: we have the same … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 John 4:9”

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 8. knoweth not God ] Literally, knew not God, i.e. never attained to a knowledge of Him. This is a remarkable instance of S. John’s habit of not making the second part of an antithesis the exact counterpart of the first, but an advance … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 John 4:8”

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 7 21. Love is the Mark of the Children of the God who is Love 7. Beloved, let us love one another ] See on 1Jn 3:2. The transition seems abrupt, as … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 John 4:7”

We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. 6. We are of God ] ‘We’ with great emphasis, like ‘ye’ in 1Jn 4:4, in contrast to the false prophets. ‘We’ is probably … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 John 4:6”

They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 5. They are of the world ] This follows, though it has not yet been stated, from their not being ‘of us’ (1Jn 2:19): for there is no middle position. The verse is another reminiscence of the Lord’s farewell … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 John 4:5”

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 4. Ye are of God ] As in 1Jn 2:20 the Apostle passes abruptly from the false teachers to his true children with an emphatic pronoun, made still more emphatic … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 John 4:4”

And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. 3. confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh ] On … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 John 4:3”

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: 2. Hereby know ye ] Or, Herein ye know: the verb may be either indicative or imperative (comp. 1Jn 2:27; 1Jn 2:29). The indicative is preferable, in spite of the imperatives in 1Jn … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 John 4:2”