1 John 4:18

James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 4:18

LOVE AND FEAR‘Perfect love casteth out fear.’ 1 John 4:18 This principle, that ‘perfect love casteth out fear,’ is a universal principle, and belongs to all human things. It is shown most completely in religious matters; but it is also true that, wherever love rules, there fear has no place; that we do not fear or suspect those whom we love; and that this is true of us just in proportion as our love is true and strong. I. Trust in God, and confidence in Him, is really worship, even although... 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 4:17-18

‘ Herein is love made perfect with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, even so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment, and he who is afraid is not made perfect in love.’ The one who knows the love of God in Christ in him and abides in Him finds that that love is made perfect within him (see 1 John 4:12). He is aware of that love as revealed in the giving of a Saviour, and the suffering of a... read more

Arthur Peake

Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:7-21

1 John 4:7-Ecclesiastes : . John returns to the theme of 1 John 3:14 ff., be cause if the Church is the home of truth, still more is it the home of love. The evidence for our Divine sonship is that the love manifested by God in sending His Son for our redemption— a fact to which the Church bears witness— issues in love on our part to God and to our brethren; love, when mature, casts out fear. Moreover the proof that we love the unseen God is that we love our brother, as Christ commanded us.... read more

Matthew Poole

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible - 1 John 4:18

That he proveth from the contrary natures of fear and love. The fear which is of the baser kind, viz. that is servile, and depresses the spirit, hath no place with love, but is excluded by it, by the same degrees by which that love grows up to perfection, and shall be quite excluded by that love fully perfected: inasmuch as love is a pleasant, fear a tormenting, passion, which, as such, while it remains, shows the imperfection of love. read more

Joseph Exell

Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary - 1 John 4:15-21

CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES1 John 4:15. Son of God.—St. John was jealous of the double truth of the person of Jesus—His Divinity and His humanity.1 John 4:17. Made perfect.—Or reaches its purpose and end. The sign of its being fully developed in us will be the removal of fear in relation to the “day of judgment.” We shall no more fear it than Jesus did. Enter into sonship, and all thought of judgment day passes away from us. Children are not afraid of their father.1 John 4:20-21.—A... read more

William Nicoll

Sermon Bible Commentary - 1 John 4:18

1 John 4:18 I. The Apostle here contemplates a universal dominion of fear wherever there is not the presence of active love. Of course he is speaking about the emotions which men cherish with regard to God. It is not fear and love generally that he is talking about, but it is the relation in which we stand to our Father in heaven; and of that he says universally, Those that do not love Him fear Him. Is that true? It is not difficult, I think, to establish it. (1) This universal dominion of fear... read more

Charles Simeon

Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae - 1 John 4:18

DISCOURSE: 2460INFLUENCE AND IMPORTANCE OF LOVE1 John 4:18. 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.THE essence of all true religion is love—love to God, working by love to man. Both tables of the law are fulfilled in this: and to bring us to such a state of mind is no less the intent of the Gospel, than of the law itself. St. John, than whom no inspired writer more fully unfolds the glories of the... read more

C.I. Scofield

Scofield's Reference Notes - 1 John 4:18

perfect (See Scofield " :-") . read more

Chuck Smith

Chuck Smith Bible Commentary - 1 John 4:1-21

Shall we turn now in our Bibles to I John chapter 4. As we go back to verse 1Jo 4:24 of chapter 3, the later portion, "Hereby we know that He abides in us by the Spirit which He has given us." I know that God abides in life. How do I know? Because He has given me the Holy Spirit.Paul said, "The Holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession" ( Ephesians 1:14 ). We have been sealed, he said, with this Holy Spirit of promise; the seal was God's mark... read more

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