Verses 7-16
3. God’s Indwelling Recognized 4:7-16
John now left behind his warning about false spirits that his readers might mistake as the Holy Spirit, spirits that lure believers onto worldly paths. He returned to one of his central themes, namely, love for the brethren. As 1 Corinthians 13 contains Paul’s great statement on God’s love, so 1 John 4:7-16 contains John’s.
". . . the present section spells out precisely the nature of the love which is demanded from every believer, and may thus be viewed as an extension of the teaching contained in 1 John 2:3-11 and 1 John 3:10-24. Earlier, John has related the love command to the ’real light’ which is already shining (1 John 2:8; 1 John 2:10), and to the ’eternal life’ of which love is the evidence (1 John 3:14-15). Now he relates the requirement of Christian love to the very nature of God himself. We are to love as a response to God’s own love, and to his loving activity in Christ and in the Church." [Note: Smalley, p. 235.]
This pericope contains a comprehensive treatment of the nature of true love.
"There is considerable pastoral wisdom in John’s summons to mutual love immediately after a warning to be on the alert against deceiving spirits. He knows he must anticipate possibly deleterious effects of his own counsel as readers take it to heart." [Note: Yarbrough, p. 234.]
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