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Joseph Sutcliffe

Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments - 1 John 4:1-21

1 John 4:1-3 . Believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God. Whether those teachers believe that Christ is come in the flesh, which to the present hour the unbelieving jews deny. Try them by the faith of all the holy apostles and confessors, whether they confess that Christ is the Son of the living God. Whether he be the glory that shone in the ancient church, and dwelt on the mercyseat. The Eternal Son, the Word, the Wisdom of God, crucified for sinners. False... read more

Joseph Exell

The Biblical Illustrator - 1 John 4:18

1 John 4:18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment The place of fear in the gospelSome readers of the Bible, some preachers of the gospel, have thought that fear was a dangerous, was even a forbidden principle, under the dispensation of the fulness of times.This is a hasty inference. Our Lord says, “Fear Him which, after He hath killed, hath power to cast into hell.” St. Paul says, “Work out their own salvation with fear and trembling”; and St.... read more

John Trapp

John Trapp Complete Commentary - 1 John 4:18

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. Ver. 18. There is no fear in love ] But complacence and acquiescence in the person beloved. Perfect love casteth out fear ] Timorem scilicet servilem illum, non amicalem. (Beda in Pro 1:1-33 ) Because fear hath torment ] Quem metuunt, oderunt, Whomsoever men fear, they hate, saith the proverb. And odium timorem spirat, saith Tertullian. Hatred hath... read more

Samuel Bagster

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge - 1 John 4:18

is no: Luke 1:74, Luke 1:75, Romans 8:15, 2 Timothy 1:7, Hebrews 12:28 fear hath: Job 15:21, Psalms 73:19, Psalms 88:15, Psalms 88:16, Psalms 119:120, James 2:19 He that: 1 John 4:12 Reciprocal: Exodus 14:10 - sore afraid Luke 19:21 - I feared Galatians 5:6 - faith James 1:4 - perfect and James 2:13 - and James 2:22 - faith made 1 John 2:5 - in him read more

John Wesley

Wesley's Explanatory Notes - 1 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.There is no fear in love — No slavish fear can be where love reigns. But perfect, adult love casteth out slavish fear: because such fear hath torment - And so is inconsistent with the happiness of love. A natural man has neither fear nor love; one that is awakened, fear without love; a babe in Christ, love and fear; a father in Christ, love without fear. read more

Daniel Whedon

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

2. The one confirmatory test love. The threefold love between God, the believer, and the brethren, 1 John 4:7-21. The one test is love; centered in God, 8; and manifested to us in Christ, 9-11; into which love we come by union through faith with Christ and God, 12-16; which love may be perfected in us, 17-19; and this divine love is love to our fellow-man, 20, 21. Our apostle does not argue and reason out this statement; he affirms it, aphoristically and positively, by successive... read more

Daniel Whedon

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:18

18. No fear in love They are contrary affections. So far as love is perfected so far is fear dispersed. So Bengel strikingly gives the grades of our moral state: “Without fear or love; with fear, but without love: with both love and fear; with love without fear.” Casteth out The stronger and better affection expels the weaker and the worse. Fear hath torment And this shows that the exclusion of the apostle’s fear is not the exclusion of that reverential fear which “is the... read more

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