1 John 4:17-21 NIV

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

There is no fear in love - The man who feels that he loves God with all his heart can never dread him as his Judge. As he is now made a partaker of his Spirit, and carries a sense of the Divine approbation in his conscience, he has nothing of that fear that produces terror or brings torment. The perfect love - that fullness of love, which he has received, casteth out fear - removes all terror relative to this day of judgment, for it is of this that the apostle particularly speaks. And as it... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:19

We 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 more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:20

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother - This, as well as many other parts of this epistle, seems levelled against the Jews, who pretended much love to God while they hated the Gentiles; and even some of them who were brought into the Christian Church brought this leaven with them. It required a miracle to redeem St. Peter's mind from the influence of this principle. See Acts 10. Whom he hath seen - We may have our love excited towards our brother, By a consideration of his... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:21

This commandment have we - We should love one another, and love our neighbor as ourselves. The love of God and the love of man can never be separated; he who loves God will love his brother; he who loves his brother gives this proof that he loves God, because he loves with a measure of that love which, in its infinitude, dwells in God. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:17

Verse 17 17Herein is our love made perfect There are two clauses in this passage, — that we are then partakers of divine adoption, when we resemble God as children their father; and,secondly, that this confidence is invaluable, for without it we must be most miserable. Then in the first place, he shews to what purpose God has in love embraced us, and how we enjoy that grace manifested to us in Christ. Then, God’s love to us is what is to be understood here. He says it is perfected, because it... read more

John Calvin

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

Verse 18 18There is no fear He now commends the excellency of this blessing by stating the contrary effect, for he says that we are continually tormented until God delivers us from misery and anguish by the remedy of his own love towards us. The meaning is, that as there is nothing more miserable than to be harassed by continual inquietude, we obtain by knowing God’s love towards us the benefit of a peaceful calmness beyond the reach of fear. It hence appears what a singular gift of God it is... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:19

Verse 19 19We love him The verb ἀγαπῶμεν may be either in the indicative or imperative mood; but the former is the more suitable here, for the Apostle, as I think, repeats the preceding sentence, that as God has anticipated us by his free love, we ought to return to render love to him, for he immediately infers that he ought to be loved in men, or that the love we have for him ought to be manifested towards men. If, however, the imperative mood be preferred, the meaning would be nearly the... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:20

Verse 20 But this love cannot exist, except it generates brotherly love. Hence he says, that they are liars who boast that they love God, when they hate their brethren. But the reason he subjoins seems not sufficiently valid, for it is a comparison between the less and the greater: If, he says, we love not our brethren whom we see, much less can we love God who is invisible. Now there are obviously two exceptions; for the love which God has to us is from faith and does not flow from sight, as... read more

John Calvin

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

Verse 21 21And this commandment This is a stronger argument, drawn from the authority and doctrine of Christ; for he not only gave a commandment respecting the love of God, but bade us also to love our brethren. We must therefore so begin with God, as that there may be at the same time a transition made to men. 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

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:19

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:20

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:21

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:17

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

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:19

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 4:20

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

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 4:7-21

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