“Only begotten” focuses on the uniqueness of Jesus in relationship to the Father. The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures is published by Jehovah’s Witnesses. John says, “Beloved, if God so loved you, you also ought to love that difficult person.” It is in these difficult situations that God’s amazing love in Christ shines forth in us. But the Bible is clear that God’s love does not negate His holiness and justice, or vice versa. 1 John 4:11-12 KJV. It seemed like a good idea to focus on one at a time. Why did He come? Some of these doctrines are important for how we live the Christian life, and so we may vigorously debate them among ourselves. I might add that, perhaps another aspect of Christ’s love was His special love for the apostle John, who refers to himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved (John 13:23). The false teachers claimed to know God in a secret, deeper sense, but John is saying that they do not know God at all. Some go so far as to say that because God is love, He could never condemn anyone to the eternal punishment of hell. So while it is vital that we affirm, “God is love,” it is also vital that we affirm, “God is holy,” and, “God is the righteous judge.”. 1 John 4:11 in all English translations. John has just spent six verses warning us (4:1), “do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” He did not say, “Let’s just set aside those points of doctrine where we disagree and come together where we do agree, loving those who differ on these matters.” Because these men denied essential truth about Jesus Christ, John calls them false prophets, whose teaching is the spirit of antichrist. John shows us the source of genuine love and then draws an inevitable conclusion: John states (4:7) that, “love is from God,” and then he goes farther and states (4:8) that, “God is love.” Of course, even unbelievers may demonstrate sacrificial love for others. From 1977-1992 he was the pastor of Lake Gregory Community Church in Crestline, California. Acts 10:14 "No, Lord!" Here are my notes on the verses from 2 John… 1. Change Language John states this both positively and negatively (4:7-8): “everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Since no one loves perfectly, how do we apply verses 7 & 8? John goes so far as to say that if you do not love others, you do not know God (4:8). We who were rebels, dead in our sins, did not deserve to have Him come to this world to redeem us. We may be prone to say, “Okay, brother, we’ve got that one down now. 1 John 4:11. The positions are mutually exclusive. Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2006, All Rights Reserved. A sinning Christian needs to understand that he abides in God’s love only when he obeys God. This passage of scripture is one of the most popularly quoted among Christians — right up there with John 3:16 (“God so loved the world”), 1 Timothy 1:7 (“God has not given us a spirit of fear”), and Romans 10:9(“confess with your mouth”). neither hast thou the vessel to draw with, and, Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers. He is the only source of love in the world. 1 John 4: Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it.'". If you are His child through the new birth, then you must be the channel for His love to flow to those who may not be very lovable. (1-6) Christ returns to Judea. Or, the opposite is also true. Since God has so loved us, John’s conclusion is inescapable: “Ought” implies obligation or commandment. The initiative was totally with God! 4. Where are the boundaries? Perhaps John the Baptist’s further testimony was transposed here to give meaning to “water” in Jn 3:5. But before the sentence could be carried out, the Christian father pleaded for the life of this Communist who had killed his son. See on John 4:6. Invariably, he would repeat, “Little children, let us love one another.” The disciples began to grow weary of the same words every time, and they finally asked him why he always said the same thing over and over. To deny the necessity of the substitutionary atonement of Christ (which John affirms in verse 10), or that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, apart from our works (Eph. But at the same time, John commands (4:11), “Beloved, if God so loves us, we also ought to love one another.” It is not automatic or effortless! He encourages them that the Spirit in them is greater. Rather, as Paul put it (Rom. I ask that we love one another. John states (4:7), “Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” The implication is that the life of God imparted to us in the new birth manifests itself in love for others. But we must always remember that we are debating as brothers in Christ. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. However, just as Nicodemus had failed to see the spiritual meaning of being “born again” (John 3:3-4), the woman fails to see the spiritual significance of the “living water” and only sees what may be a practical advantage for her I Cor. 1 John 4:9-11 New International Version (NIV). “In the instance of John 8:1-11, a woman committed adultery, but Jesus did not condemn her. 12 q No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and r his love is perfected in us. Sacrifice and Service. And, he argues, we must be careful about various evangelical clichés. They are angry, unkind, impatient, abusive in their speech, self-centered in their daily lives, and judgmental of others. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. The Samaritan woman. A young Communist officer ordered the execution of a Christian civilian. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.” 1 John 4, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary, by the leading authority in the Church of Christ, presents a verse level look at the Bible. 4-26) and then Some misconstrue it to mean that because God is love, He overlooks or is tolerant toward sin. We do not practice God’s love if we set aside such important truths for the sake of unity. As I said, love is not devoid of feeling, but it is not based on it. This love the apostles write about comes from God and is not normally a part of man's nature. Twice (4:7, 11) John practices what he preaches by addressing his readers as “beloved.” Of course, genuine love requires much more than calling someone tender names, but John’s readers knew him to be a man who practiced love for them. His love didn’t just brush aside our sin, because His holiness and justice would have been compromised. They granted the request. Study John 11 using Matthew Henry’s Bible Commentary (concise) to better understand Scripture with full outline and verse meaning. John 2:11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. The connection between what John says in 4:1-6 and his abrupt change of subject in 4:7ff. His words and his behavior were in harmony. 1 John 4:11. Question: "How is Jesus the 'True Shepherd' in John 10:1-5?" (J)9 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ(K)does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. While such love is caring and self-sacrificing, it never can be genuinely biblical, because unbelievers cannot seek the highest good of the one loved, namely, that the other person may come to saving faith and conformity to Christ. Cancel. Complete Concise Chapter Contents The sickness of Lazarus. The one who does not love does not know God….” Some find significance in the fact that John does not repeat the phrase “is born of God” in the negative statement, but I do not. “Propitiation” means to satisfy God’s justice and wrath toward our sin. These loving deeds stem from God’s common grace. John 4 – A Samaritan Woman and a Nobleman Meet Jesus A. They are not born again, because they do not practice biblical love. KJV: King James Version . 1 John 4:11 Context. On the other hand, if we only speak of God’s love for His elect, we will not be able to offer the gospel freely to sinners. ὀφείλομεν: see note on 1 John 2:6. John 11:4 When Jesus heard that That his friend Lazarus was sick, he said; either to his disciples, or to the messenger or messengers that brought the account to him, and that on purpose to yield some relief to the afflicted family 8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) For Sunday, January 6 we’re studying two somewhat similarly-themed texts: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 and 2 John 4-11. Bible Answer: Jesus uses water in a symbolic sense in John 4:14. John 4:1-54—Read the Bible online or download free. John 4:11 Context. He graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary (Th.M., 1976 in Bible exposition) and Califo... More. Q. stems from 3:23: “This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.” In 4:1-6, John explains the first part of that commandment, namely, believing in the name of His Son Jesus Christ. Rather, at its heart, Christianity is a matter of God imparting new life to those who are dead in their sins (Eph. We should not, therefore, make a ‘big deal’ over such a trifling and personal matter.” Others “paint” with There are many key and pivotal clauses and phrases found in the vocabulary of the Holy Spirit (cp. What does the "Doctrine of Christ" in 2 John 9-11 Mean? 10 In this is love, o not that we have loved God n but that he loved us and sent his Son to be p the propitiation for our sins. Commentary for Revelation 4–11 Revelation 4:1.. “Things Which Must Be Hereafter” Gerald N. Lund, who later served as a member of the Seventy, gave an overview of John’s visions in Revelation 4–22 and explained some of their basic meanings: “The basic structure of the vision is chronological. The Greek term "confess" is a compound from "the same" and "to speak," meaning "to say the same thing." Unbelieving soldiers may lay down their lives for their comrades. If we are going to be like Him, these verses are important to us because they tell us much about Him and our responsibilities. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a fount of water springing up to eternal life." John 4:11 Context 8 (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) That love can be commanded shows that it is not primarily a feeling, but rather an action based on commitment. It may have been fed by living springs (πηγαὶ). How to use john in a sentence. 1 John 4:11–12 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. What many fail to realize is that t… John 4:14 But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. There are two main scenes: first the dialog with the Samaritan Woman (vv. But it is not a commitment without feeling, but a caring commitment. It does not mean “soul,” for Hebrew anthropology did not postulate body/soul dualism in the way that is familiar to us. Does debt affect giving in modern times in light of the Israelite tithe and slaves? Romans 8:32 ); “in such a manner,” righteously, not by a facile amnesty but by a propitiation. 1 John 4:4, ESV: "Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world." 1-john 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Jesus answered and said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water shall thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” (NASB) John 4:13-14 1 John 4:9–11 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that n God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. John 11:4. 1 John 4:7-12. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. Jesus uses water in a symbolic sense in John 4:14. whence hast thou, therefore, the spring-water you speak of? “Give him to me,” he said, “and I’ll teach him about the Savior.”. (For instance, that both were written… Not to be confounded with the water To display or manifest His great love in us, to His glory (Eph. He points out (pp. God so loved the world that he gave His Son (John 3:16). He sent His Son to a world that is filled with sin. Not to be confounded with the water-pot (ὑδρία) of John 4:28. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 7:37 On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and called out in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Carson goes on (pp. 9:13). Then he points us to the supreme illustration of love in the whole world, the Father’s love in sending His Son to die for our sins (4:9-10). First, love is of God—He is its Source. 1 John 4:16 John wants us to understand how much God loves us and to believe how special we are to God—our faith in how much He loves us. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. The church father, Jerome, said that when the apostle John was in his extreme old age, he was so weak that he had to be carried into the church meetings. The lexical form of both these verbs is the same (ejrcomai, ercomai). Q. for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 3 The scribes and Pharisees brought a woman along who had been caught committing adultery; and making her stand there in the middle 1 John 4:11. << >> Enter another bible reference: obb bible browser biblemail@oremus.org v 2.5.1 29 April 2019 God’s holiness and His love are both a part of His nature, and neither negates the other. And, he shows (4:17-21) that love for one another is evidence that we are mature in our love for God. 525 Brown, The Epistles of John, 496. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. NIV: New International Version . 1 John 4:11-12. Noblesse oblige. * [ 12:25 ] His life : the Greek word psychē refers to a person’s natural life. John 11:4 What Does John 11:4 Mean? Here’s their line of reasoning. This is a recurrent theme in 1 John (cf. No man hath seen God at any time. 11 The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? He concludes with the message that God is love. That father took the murderer of his son into his own home. But John wants us to know that the foundation for our love for one another is God, who is the source of love and whose very nature is love. So that we don’t get our focus on ourselves, or get puffed up with pride over how loving we are, John directs us back to God’s love as seen in His sending His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. The one who does not love shows that he does not know God. In 1 John 1:5, the apostle stated, “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” John also has said, “He is righteous” (2:29). 1 John 4:11–12 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. At its heart, biblical love is a commitment, and thus it may be commanded. The death of Lazarus. 2 At daybreak he appeared in the Temple again; and as all the people came to him, he sat down and began to teach them. If we have been born of the God who is love, and thus have come to know Him, we will be growing in love. How do we integrate them? This love the apostles write about comes from God and is not normally a part of man's nature. The structure of John 2:1-11 is typical of a miracle story: the setting is established (verses 1-2), a need arises (verses 3-5), a miracle addresses that need (verses 6-8), and there is a response to that miracle (verses 9-11). John warns his readers to be alert for the heresy that Jesus isn't Christ in the flesh - the spirit of antichrist. John 11 – Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead A. 1 John ... because as He is, so also are we in this world" Christians are to love as Jesus loved (cf. By way of introduction, note that while love is the inevitable result of being born of God, it is not the automatic result. John adds the phrases in this world and for eternal life. Also, note that love is not opposed to truth. * [ 3:23 ] Aenon near Salim : site uncertain, either in the upper Jordan valley or in Samaria. The Feeding of the 5000 along with the Discourse on the Bread of Life in chapter 6 is one clear example. Bible Language English. Love does not mean that we set aside the truth for the sake of unity. ), you may have a mate that is self-centered and difficult to live with. Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Our Price: $26.99. If I may speak hypothetically (I’m sure that no one can relate to this! Now, he turns to the second part of the commandment, the need to love one another. John uses misunderstanding (v. 11), irony (v. 12), an embarrassing subject quickly changed (v. 19), and front and back stage effects (v. 29). First, love is of God—He is its Source. Implicit in what John is saying here is that we must love those who may not be especially lovable or easy to love. As to send his Son to be a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins, and to obtain eternal life for us through his sufferings and death: the apostle uses the same language his Lord and master did, ( John 3:16 ) ; we ought also to love one another; Thankfully, most of us will never have to go through that kind of ordeal! (1-4) Jesus travels from Judea to Galilee, passing though Samaria. John 4:11. He cares for all of His creation, so that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without His permission. To get what 1 John 4:11 means based on its source text, scroll down or follow these links for the original scriptural meaning , biblical context and relative popularity. And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. 10 In this is love, o not that we have loved God n but that he loved us and sent his Son to be p the propitiation for our sins. But since he was so young and blindly idealistic, he probably thought that his actions were right. It is a motivational verse for fearless living. King James Version (KJV) Public Domain . We must love others or we are being disobedient to God. and the well is deep; that which is now called Jacob's well, is by some said to be forty cubits deep, and by others thirty five yards: from whence then hast thou that living water? So, the seemingly simple statement, “God is love,” is not quite so simple after all! John 12:28 Father, glorify thy name. We also need to think biblically about the statement, “God is love.” On the surface, it sounds simple, but when you begin to consider all that Scripture teaches on this, it gets rather difficult. Yet, when taken in their proper context and compared with the rest of the letter, their meaning becomes much clearer. If we divide from one another over every minor point of doctrine, we fall into the errors of “fighting fundamentalism.” At the heart of that sort of cantankerous behavior is a spirit of pride, where I assert that everyone must agree with me on every minor issue. The First Epistle of John, often referred to as First John and written 1 John or I John, is the first of the Johannine epistles of the New Testament, and the fourth of the catholic epistles.There is no scholarly consensus as to the authorship of the Johannine works.The author of the First Epistle is termed John the Evangelist, who most scholars believe is not the same as John the Apostle. D. A. Carson wrote a perceptive little book, The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God [Crossway]. Then he restates the commandment in light of God’s great love (4:11). Jesus tells us (John 14:21), “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”. The noun means what is drawn, the act of drawing, and the thing to draw with. John 4:10(NASB) Verse Thoughts Jesus came to seek and to save that which is lost, for He is a gracious God Who searches us out before we would ever consider searching for Him - and yet in Christ are the words of eternal life; in Christ is all that we need for life and godliness; in Christ we become a new creation and part of His Body, with a new life and new hope of glory. (2) God’s providential love over all that he has made. A Lasting Legacy: Choosing A Wife For Isaac (Gen. 24:1-67). He wants to make sure that we understand that love is not an optional virtue for the believer. The first three verses of 1 John 4 contain certain elements that, at first glance, can be somewhat confusing. 1. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. The noun means what is drawn, the act of drawing, and the thing to draw with. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 5:8), “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”. He will go on to show how love for one another is evidence of God’s abiding in us and our abiding in Him (4:12-16). 9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? He replied, “Because it is the Lord’s commandment, and if this only is done, it is enough” (cited by John Stott, The Epistles of John [Eerdmans], p. 49). He hit it again in 3:11-18. 9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? 6:16 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and # ch. 1 John 4:7-12 If we are going to be like Him, these verses are important to us because they tell us much about Him and our responsibilities. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. Let’s move on to something else.” But John not only repeats the imperative to love one another in 4:7-5:4, but also he hits it longer and harder than at any other point in the book. See also the section “The ‘new commandment’ in 2:7” above. We must integrate these truths in biblical proportion and balance. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 5. At the same time, some issues fall into a gray zone, where salvation may not be at stake, but to embrace a particular view will have momentous consequences. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation, Related Topics: Christology, Love, Forgiveness, Character of God, Steve served as the pastor of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship from May, 1992 through his retirement in December, 2018. Key and pivotal clauses and phrases found in the church, and His love ’. Born of God toward us. Anyone to the second part of man 's nature 3:22 ;...: $ 18.00 ( 40 % ) buy now not an optional virtue for the of! Church, and the thing to draw with, and the thing to draw with, thus. Jesus uses water in a separate post the Epistles of John, 496 a young Communist officer ordered execution! Knoweth not God ; for God 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5 and 2 John 4-11 truth (. 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