1 John 4:17

1 John 4:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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.
• New International Version (NIV)This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.
• English Standard Version (ESV)By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

Context of 1 John 4:17

15God lives in those who declare that Jesus is the Son of God, and they live in God. 16We have known and believed that God loves us. God is love. Those who live in God’s love live in God, and God lives in them. God’s love has reached its goal in us. So we look ahead with confidence to the day of judgment. While we are in this world, we are exactly like him ⌞with regard to love⌟. 18No fear exists where his love is. Rather, perfect love gets rid of fear, because fear involves punishment. The person who lives in fear doesn’t have perfect love. 19We love because God loved us first.

1 John 4:17 word by word

ἐν τούτῳ τετελείωται ἡ ἀγάπη μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν, ἵνα παρρησίαν ἔχωμεν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως, ὅτι καθὼς ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Hereinἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• ·οὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• isτελειόωteleioō · to perfectG5048
• ourμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• ·ἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• loveὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• loveἀγάπηagapē · loveG26
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• we may haveἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• boldnessπαρρησίαparrhēsia · boldnessG3954
• the dayἡμέραhēmera · dayG2250
• of judgmentκρίσιςkrisis · judgmentG2920
• becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
• heἐκεῖνοςekeinos · thatG1565
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• soκαίkai · andG2532
• worldκόσμοςkosmos · worldG2889

Cross-references for 1 John 4:17

• 1 John 4:12No one has ever seen God. If we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
• 1 John 2:5But whoever obeys what Christ says is the kind of person in whom God’s love is perfected. That’s how we know we are in Christ.
• James 2:22You see that Abraham’s faith and what he did worked together. His faith was shown to be genuine by what he did.
• 1 John 2:28Now, dear children, live in Christ. Then, when he appears we will have confidence, and when he comes we won’t turn from him in shame.
• 1 John 3:19This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and how we will be reassured in his presence.
• James 2:13No mercy will be shown to those who show no mercy to others. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
• Matthew 10:15I can guarantee this truth: Judgment day will be better for Sodom and Gomorrah than for that city.
• Matthew 11:22I can guarantee that judgment day will be better for Tyre and Sidon than for you.
• Matthew 12:36“I can guarantee that on judgment day people will have to give an account of every careless word they say.
• 2 Peter 2:9Since the Lord did all this, he knows how to rescue godly people when they are tested. He also knows how to hold immoral people for punishment on the day of judgment.
• 2 Peter 3:7By God’s word, the present heaven and earth are designated to be burned. They are being kept until the day ungodly people will be judged and destroyed.
• 1 John 3:3So all people who have this confidence in Christ keep themselves pure, as Christ is pure.
• Matthew 10:25It is enough for a student to become like his teacher and a slave like his owner. If they have called the owner of the house Beelzebul, they will certainly call the family members the same name.
• John 15:20Remember what I told you: ‘A servant isn’t greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they did what I said, they will also do what you say.
• Romans 8:29This is true because he already knew his people and had already appointed them to have the same form as the image of his Son. Therefore, his Son is the firstborn among many children.
• Hebrews 12:2We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him. Now he holds the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne.

Commentaries on 1 John 4:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Herein is our love made perfect - By God dwelling in us, and we in him; having cast out all the carnal mind that was enmity against himself, and filled the whole heart with the spirit of love and purity. Thus the love is made perfect; when it thus fills the heart it has all its degrees; it is all in all; and all in every power, passion, and faculty of the soul. May have boldness in the day of judgment - ̔· Freedom of speech, and liberty of access; seeing…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Herein is our love made perfect - Margin, “love with us.” The margin accords with the Greek - ̓ ̔͂ meth'hēmōnThe meaning is, “the love that is within us, or in us, is made perfect.” The expression is unusual; but the general idea is, that love is rendered complete or entire in the manner in which the apostle specifies. In this way love becomes what it should be, and will prepare us to appear with confidence before the judgment-seat. Compare the notes at…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-21Verses 14-21 The Father sent the Son, he willed his coming into this world. The apostle attests this. And whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. This confession includes faith in the heart as the foundation; makes acknowledgment with the mouth to the glory of God and Christ, and profession in the life and conduct, against the flatteries and frowns of the world. There must be a day of universal judgment…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17love has been perfected: The Greek word translated as has been perfected means mature and complete. It does not mean without flaw. This confidence motivates us to mature in our relationship with God, and God's love completes our love. Experiencing and expressing God's love and doing what it requires does not make us acceptable to God. But it guarantees us that we have been accepted, and our fears of the final judgment disappear.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 17-1817-18. (Compare 1Jo 3:19-21.) our love--rather as the Greek, "LOVE (in the abstract, the principle of love [Alford]) is made perfect (in its relations) with us." Love dwelling in us advances to its consummation "with us" that is, as it is concerned with us: so Greek. Lu 1:58, "showed mercy upon (literally, 'with') her": 2Jo 2, the truth "shall be with us for ever." boldness--"confidence": the same Greek as 1Jo 3:21, to which this passage is parallel. The…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 4:17

• Boldness
• Fear of God
• God
• Judgment
• Love
• Righteousness

In the dictionaries

• Day of Judgment
• Benevolence
• Fear
• Love
• Perfect
• Boldness
• Herein
• Johannine Theology
• John, the Epistles of
• judge, judgment

Commentaries on 1 John 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings