1 John 4:8

The Popular Commentary by Paul E. Kretzmann - 1 John 4:7-10

The greatness of God's love: v. 7. Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. v. 8. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is Love. v. 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. v. 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. This paragraph... read more

Johann Peter Lange

Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures: Critical, Doctrinal and Homiletical - 1 John 4:7-21

7. Brotherly Love and Divine Love as Related to Each Other on the Ground of Christ’s Advent1 John 4:7-217Beloved, let us love one another: for8 love is of God; and every one that loveth9 is born of God, and knoweth God. 8He that loveth not, knoweth10 not God;11 for God is love. 9In this was manifested the love of God toward12” us, because13 that God sent his 10only begotten Son14 into the world, that we might live through him. Herein15 Isaiah 16:0 love, not that we loved God, but that he17... read more

Frederick Brotherton Meyer

F.B. Meyer's 'Through the Bible' Commentary - 1 John 4:1-11

the Token of God’s Love 1 John 4:1-11 In those days the intense ferment of men’s minds wrought many delusions and heresies which were fraught with temptation to young converts, and the Apostle wished to give tests for determining which voice spake from God. The confession of Jesus Christ as the Incarnate Word, a spirit of love and gentleness, and the willingness to abide in the doctrine of the Apostles, were signs that the speaker was commissioned by Christ. Wouldst thou overcome the world?... read more

G. Campbell Morgan

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible - 1 John 4:1-21

Two closely related perils threaten our fellowship with God as love, false prophets and the spirit which actuates them. Teaching is to be tested by the indwelling Spirit. All who refuse to confess that Jesus is Lord do so because they are of the world. At the root of every heresy concerning Jesus there has been worldliness in some form. To degrade the Person of Christ is to shake the foundations of faith. There can be no character which is according to God when the creed concerning Christ is a... read more

Robert Neighbour

Wells of Living Water Commentary - 1 John 4:1-21

Testing the True and the False 1 John 4:1-21 INTRODUCTORY WORDS We have in our opening verses some important admonitions, and also some important instructions. 1. Important admonitions. (1) "Believe not every spirit." Some people seem always ready to take up with anything that comes along. They forget that there are two spirits that work among the children of men. As our verse says, "Many false prophets are gone out into the world." These false prophets and teachers, in as far as they can,... read more

Robert Neighbour

Wells of Living Water Commentary - 1 John 4:7-19

God's Wonderful Love Story John 3:16 ; 1 John 4:7-19 INTRODUCTORY WORDS We wish to give our whole attention today to one verse of Scripture. It stands before us as an unfathomable river of blessing. Some one has called John 3:16 "the Gospel in a nutshell." Let us notice for our first statement The Great Lover. Who is it that so loves the world? It is God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, the Divine Trinity loves us, and yet John 3:16 is speaking particularly of the love... read more

Robert Neighbour

Wells of Living Water Commentary - 1 John 4:7-21

The Love of God Chapter 1 John 4:7-21 INTRODUCTORY WORDS We have always thought of the thirteenth chapter of I Corinthians as the Love Chapter. However, we have in the Word of God another chapter which is filled with the love of God. That is the fourth chapter of First John. This latter chapter predominates in God's love toward us, but it also stresses our love one for another. 1. The love of God toward the whole world. John 3:16 tells us that God so loved the world. This is not a love of... read more

James Nisbet

James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 4:8

‘GOD IS LOVE’‘God is love.’ 1 John 4:8 This Epistle was an Epistle General, that is, it was not directed to any local Church. St. John was now a very old man. St. Peter, St. James, and St. Paul had all gone ‘to be with Christ,’ and St. John survived them all. The beginning of the Epistle is much the same as the beginning of St. John’s Gospel.‘God is love.’ That is one of the golden sentences only to be found in the Book of God. It is ‘an ocean of thought in a drop of language.’ Bengel says,... read more

Peter Pett

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

The Centrality of Christian Love (1 John 3:11 to 1 John 4:21 ). The reference to loving one’s brother, deliberately added almost as an appendage in 1 John 3:10 in order to introduce the next section, now leads on to that section where love is pre-eminent. Previously any emphasis has been on God’s love for His own (1 John 2:5; 1 John 2:15; 1 John 3:1) although love of fellow-Christians has not been totally ignored (1 John 2:8-11), but from now on the thought becomes central. The emphasis has... read more

Peter Pett

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:7-8

God Is Essentially Light and Love, Holy Love, And Therefore Those who Are His and Know Him and Abide in Him Will Reveal That Love To All Who Are His (1 John 4:7 to 1 John 5:3 ). ‘Beloved, let us love one another. For love is of God, and every one who loves is begotten of God, and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.’ This statement, beloved of all, especially the world which interprets it totally incorrectly, is not at all quite so simple to understand, and... read more

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