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Selected Verse: 1 John 4:7 - King James
Verse |
Translation |
Text |
1Jo 4:7 |
King James |
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
Resumption of the main theme (Jo1 2:29). Love, the sum of righteousness, is the test of our being born of God. Love flows from a sense of God's love to us: compare Jo1 4:9 with Jo1 3:16, which Jo1 4:9 resumes; and Jo1 4:13 with Jo1 3:24, which similarly Jo1 4:13 resumes. At the same time, Jo1 4:7-21 is connected with the immediately preceding context, Jo1 4:2 setting forth Christ's incarnation, the great proof of God's love (Jo1 4:10).
Beloved--an address appropriate to his subject, "love."
love--All love is from God as its fountain: especially that embodiment of love, God manifest in the flesh. The Father also is love (Jo1 4:8). The Holy Ghost sheds love as its first fruit abroad in the heart.
knoweth God--spiritually, experimentally, and habitually. |
Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
Beloved, let us love one another - This verse introduces a new topic, the consideration of which occupies the remainder of the chapter. See the Analysis. The subject is one on which John dwells more than on any other - that of love. His own character especially inclined him to the exercise of love; and the remarkable affection which the Lord Jesus had shown for him, seems to have had the effect to give this grace a special prominence in his views of what constituted true religion. Compare Joh 13:23. On the duty here enjoined, see the Joh 13:34-35 notes, and Jo1 3:11, Jo1 3:23 notes.
For love is of God -
(1) All true love has its origin in God.
(2) real love shows that we have his Spirit, and that we belong to him.
(3) it assimilates us to God, or makes us more and more like him.
What is here said by the apostle is based on the truth of what he elsewhere affirms, Jo1 4:8, that God is love. Hatred, envy, wrath, malice, all have their source in something else than God. He neither originates them, commends them, nor approves them.
And everyone that loveth, is born of God - Is a regenerated man. That is, everyone who has true love to Christians as such, or true brotherly love, is a true Christian. This cannot mean that everyone that loves his wife and children, his classmate, his partner in business, or his friend - his house, or his farms, or his horses, or his hounds, is a child of God; it must be understood as referring to the point under discussion. A man may have a great deal of natural affection toward his kindred; a great deal of benevolence in his character toward the poor and needy, and still he may have none of the love to which John refers. He may have no real love to God, to the Saviour, or to the children of God as such; and it would be absurd for such a one to argue because he loves his wife and children that therefore he loves God, or is born again. |
Vincent's Word Studies, by Marvin R. Vincent [1886] |
Of God (ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ)
Flows from God. |
Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
Let us love one another - From the doctrine he has just been defending he draws this exhortation. It is by the Spirit that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts. Every one that truly loveth God and his neighbour is born of God. |
Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
Beloved, let us love one another - And ever be ready to promote each other's welfare, both spiritual and temporal.
For love is of God - And ever acts like him; he loves man, and daily loads him with his benefits. He that loveth most has most of God in him; and he that loveth God and his neighbor, as before described and commanded, is born of God, εκ του Θεου γεγεννηται, is begotten of God - is a true child of his heavenly Father, for he is made a partaker of the Divine nature; and this his love to God and man proves. |
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 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.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
9 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.
16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
9 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.
29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.