God’s Word Translation
1 John 4:19
19We love because God loved us first.
1 John 4:19 in other versions
Context of 1 John 4:19
17God’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. We love because God loved us first. 20Whoever says, “I love God,” but hates another believer is a liar. People who don’t love other believers, whom they have seen, can’t love God, whom they have not seen. 21Christ has given us this commandment: The person who loves God must also love other believers.
Read all of 1 John 41 John 4:19 word by word
ἡμεῖς ἀγαπῶμεν ὅτι αὐτὸς πρῶτος ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for 1 John 4:19
- 1 John 4:10This is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the payment for our sins.
- Luke 7:47That’s why I’m telling you that her many sins have been forgiven. Her great love proves that. But whoever receives little forgiveness loves very little.”
- John 3:16God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life.
- John 15:16You didn’t choose me, but I chose you. I have appointed you to go, to produce fruit that will last, and to ask the Father in my name to give you whatever you ask for.
- 2 Corinthians 5:14Clearly, Christ’s love guides us. We are convinced of the fact that one man has died for all people. Therefore, all people have died.
- Galatians 5:22But the spiritual nature produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
- Ephesians 2:3All of us once lived among these people, and followed the desires of our corrupt nature. We did what our corrupt desires and thoughts wanted us to do. So, because of our nature, we deserved God’s anger just like everyone else.
Commentaries on 1 John 4:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19We love him because he first loved us - This is the foundation of our love to God. We love him because we find he has loved us. We love him from a sense of obligation and gratitude. We love him from the influence of his own love; from his love shed abroad in our hearts, our love to him proceeds. It is the seed whence our love springs. The verse might be rendered, Let us therefore love him, because he first loved us: thus the Syriac and Vulgate.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19We love him, because he first loved us - This passage is susceptible of two explanations; either. (1)that the fact that he first loved us is the “ground” or “reason” why we love him, or. (2)that as a matter of fact we have been brought to love him in consequence of the love which he has manifested toward us, though the real ground of our love may be the excellency of his own character. If the former be the meaning, and if that were the only ground of…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. 19God loved us first, even when we were still sinners and had not yet turned away from sin (Romans 8:5–11). God began this work. Because he loved us, he gave us the ability to respond to him with love and to show that same love to other people.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. him--omitted in the oldest manuscripts. Translate, We (emphatical: WE on our part) love (in general: love alike Him, and the brethren, and our fellow men), because He (emphatical: answering to "we"; because it was He who) first loved us in sending His Son (Greek aorist of a definite act at a point of time). He was the first to love us: this thought ought to create in us love casting out fear (1Jo 4:18).Read the comment
Topics related to 1 John 4:19
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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