1 John 4:17

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 John 4:17-19

E. Having Boldness at Christ’s Judgment Seat 4:17-19John drew a conclusion from what he had written about the importance of believers abiding in God. It is the conclusion that he introduced in the theme verse of the body of the epistle: "And now, little children, abide in Him, so that whenever He should appear, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming" (1 John 2:28)."How can a believer know that his love for the Father is being perfected? This paragraph of 1... read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:1-21

Fellowship with God in Love1. Try the spirits] RV ’Prove the spirits.’ The verb is used of testing metals. 2, 3. See on 2 John 1:7. 3. Confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh] RV ’confesseth not Jesus.’4. He that is in the world] the Devil: cp. 1 John 3:10; John 8:44; John 12:31. 5. They] the false prophets. 6. We] the Christian teachers.8. God is love] the third fundamental maxim (see Intro.). Love is not merely an attribute of God, it is His very Being. Hence to be without love... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - 1 John 4:7-21

(7) THE PERFECT LOVE THE SUREST TEST (1 John 4:7-21).(a)Fraternal love the necessary product of the true knowledge of God, because God is love (1 John 4:7-8).(b)The grand recent historical exhibition of God’s love (1 John 4:9-10).(c)Our consequent duty (1 John 4:11).(d)God’s abode in us, the perfecting of His love in us, and the proof of His presence through the Spirit, are the equivalent for seeing Him (1 John 4:12-13).(e)All this is grounded on the strong, undeniable truth of the Apostolic... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Dictionary of Texts - 1 John 4:1-21

1 John 4:1 We are all discerners of spirits. That diagnosis lies aloft in our life or unconscious power. The intercourse of society its trade, its religion, its friendships, its quarrels is one wide, judicial investigation of character. Emerson, on The Over-Soul. 1 John 4:1 A poor man, in our day, has many gods foisted on him; and big voices bid him, 'Worship or be !' in a menacing and confusing manner. What shall he do? By far the greater part of said gods, current in the public, whether... read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - 1 John 4:17

Chapter 14BOLDNESS IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT1 John 4:17IT has been so often repeated that St. John’s eschatology is idealised and spiritual, that people now seldom pause to ask what is meant by the words. Those who repeat them most frequently seem to think that the idealised means that which will never come into the region of historical fact, and that the spiritual is best defined as the unreal. Yet, without postulating the Johannic authorship of the Apocalypse-where the Judgment is described with... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - 1 John 4:1-21

V. HEREBY WE KNOW CHAPTERS 3:19-5:13 1. Hereby we know that we are of the truth (1 John 3:19-24 ) 2. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God (1 John 4:1-4 ) 3. Hereby know we the Spirit of truth and of error (1 John 4:5-6 ) 4. The Love manifested toward us (1 John 4:7-19 ) 5. The final tests as to the possession of eternal life (1 John 4:20-21 ; 1 John 5:1-13 ) 1 John 3:19-24 . If the love of God dwells in the heart of the child of God it must be manifested in a practical way. Love must be... read more

John Calvin

Geneva Study Bible - 1 John 4:17

4:17 {13} Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because {i} as he is, so are we in this world.(13) Again (as before) he commends love, seeing that by our agreement with God in this thing, we have a sure testimony of our adoption, it comes to pass by this that without fear we look for that latter day of judgment, so that trembling and torment of conscience is cast out by this love.(i) This signifies a likeness, not an equality. read more

L.M. Grant

L. M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:1-21

But there must be guards as to the operation of the Spirit of God, that is, the child of God must be guarded against all that would imitate the operation of the Spirit. Satan is extremely cunning, and his agents are abroad everywhere. We must remember that all that professes to be spiritual necessarily has a spirit behind it. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” The trying of the spirits... read more

James Gray

James Gray's Concise Bible Commentary - 1 John 4:7-21

GOD IS LOVE What is the third characteristic of God which John reveals (1 John 4:7-8 )? If, then, God is love, How is fellowship to be maintained with Him (same verses)? In the working out of the thought that fellowship with God is maintained by experiencing and exercising love, notice: 1. how His love was particularly manifested toward us (1 John 4:9-10 ); 2. how our love toward Him should be manifested (1 John 4:11-12 ); 3. how such love implies fellowship (1 John 4:13-16 ); 4. how it... read more

Robert Hawker

Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary - 1 John 4:7-21

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone 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... read more

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