1 John 4:14

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 John 4:14-16

Since faith in Christ works love to God, and love to God must kindle love to the brethren, the apostle here confirms the prime article of the Christian faith as the foundation of such love. Here, I. He proclaims the fundamental article of the Christian religion, which is so representative of the love of God: And we have seen, and do testify, that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world, 1 John 4:14. We here see, 1. The Lord Jesus's relation to God; he is Son to the Father, such... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 John 4:7-21

4:7-21 Beloved, let us love one another, because love has its source in God, and everyone who loves has God as the source of his birth and knows God. He who does not love has not come to know God. In this God's love is displayed within us, that God sent his only Son into the world that through him we might live. In this is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Brothers, if God so loved us, we too ought to love each other. No... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 John 4:7-21

In this passage there occurs what is probably the greatest single statement about God in the whole Bible, that God is love. It is amazing how many doors that single statement unlocks and how many questions it answers. (i) It is the explanation of creation. Sometimes we are bound to wonder why God created this world. The disobedience, and the lack of response in men is a continual grief to him. Why should he create a world which was to bring him nothing but trouble? The answer is that... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 John 4:7-21

Before we leave this passage we must note that it has also great things to say about Jesus Christ. (i) It tells us that Jesus is the bringer of life. God sent him that through him we might have life ( 1 John 4:9 ). There is a world of difference between existence and life. All men have existence but all do not have life. The very eagerness with which men seek pleasure shows that there is something missing in their lives. A famous doctor once said that men would find a cure for cancer more... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 John 4:14

And we have seen, and do testify ,.... This seems to be particularly said of the apostles, who had a clear discerning of the love and grace of God, manifested in the mission of Christ into the world; for though no man had seen his nature and his person, yet they had seen his love, and the exceeding riches of his grace, which he had shown forth in Christ Jesus; and they had also seen Christ, God manifest in the flesh; they had seen his glory, as the glory of the only begotten of the Father;... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:14

And we have seen - Jesus Christ manifested in the flesh; see 1 John 1:1 , etc.; and do testify - bear witness, in consequence of having the fullest conviction, that the Father sent the son to be the Savior of the world. We have had the fullest proof of this from his doctrine and miracles, which we heard and saw during the whole time that he sojourned among men. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:14

Verse 14 14And we have seen He now explains the other part of the knowledge of God, which we have referred to, that he communicates himself to us in his Son, and offers himself to be enjoyed in him. It hence follows, that he is by faith received by us. For the design of the Apostle is to shew, that God is so united to us by faith and love, that he really dwells in us and renders himself in a manner visible by the effect of his power, who otherwise could not be seen by us. When the Apostle... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 4:7-21

God is Love, and love is the surest test of birth from God. From 1 John 3:11 , 1 John 3:12 St. John renews his exhortations to love, this time at greater length and in closer connexion with the other great subject of this second half of the Epistle, the birth from God. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 4:7-21

Threefold recommendation of the duty of loving one another. I. THE DUTY RECOMMENDED , FROM LOVE HAVING ITS ORIGIN IN GOD . The duty enjoined. "Beloved, let us love one another." John has a winning way of urging duty, addressing his readers as objects of his affection, and desiring himself to be stirred up to duty. He has in view the "absolute type of love" (Westcott) in the Christian circle. There are considerations adduced which go beyond brotherly love, which... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 4:14

And we have beheld, and do bear witness. The emphatic ἡμεῖς clearly means "we apostles;" and "beheld" τεθέαμεθα implies contemplation with bodily eyes, as in 1 John 4:12 . The invisible God can be only "invisibly seen" by the pure heart. But the incarnate Son has been visibly contemplated; and to bear witness of this fact was the very office of an apostle ( John 15:27 ; Acts 1:8 ). The language of this verse, as of 1 John 1:1 , 1 John 1:3 , would be strained and rather... read more

Group of Brands