The Epistle of John C. 4

[MatthewG]

May God give the increase to you.
The Epistle of John C. 4
The Epistle of John C. 3
The Epistle of John C. 2
First Epistle of John C. 1 - Introduction
The book of Hebrews C. 3
The Book of Hebrews C. 2
The Book of Hebrews C. 1 - Introduction



1 John 4
Young's Literal Translation

4 Beloved, every spirit believe not, but prove the spirits, if of God they are, because many false prophets have gone forth to the world;
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Verse 1: Beloved, do not believe every spirit you hear (there is spirit of truth / spirit of error) (Spirit of Christ / Spirit of Darkness (blind/unbelief, spiritual deadness)

2 in this know ye the Spirit of God; every spirit that doth confess Jesus Christ in the flesh having come, of God it is,
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Verse 2: In this know you ; the Spirit of God ~ Every spirit that does confess Jesus Christ in the flesh had come ~ Of God is the person -> who confesses the truth about the Messiah who came in the Flesh, and had flesh like you and me.

3 and every spirit that doth not confess Jesus Christ in the flesh having come, of God it is not; and this is that of the antichrist, which ye heard that it doth come, and now in the world it is already.
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Verse 3: Every spirit of error that does not confess Jesus Christ - in the flesh ~ Has come ~ of God that spirit is not - (Gnosticism) - This is that of the antichrist -

This of the antichrist -> Those who reject Jesus Christ whom came in the flesh

Saying that Jesus Christ did not come in the flesh -> spirit of Error

This is of that of the antichrist - which you heard that does come

and now in this world it is already - 1 John -> Writing to believers, in their day, the antichrist has became with-in the world - already.

4 Ye -- of God ye are, little children, and ye have overcome them; because greater is He who [is] in you, than he who is in the world.
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Verse 4: You - Whom are of God - of the spirit of truth / you have overcome those who are still in error/darkness/blinded/unable to see the truth.

Because greater is Christ who is in you, than a person who is of and in the world rather than spirit.

5 They -- of the world they are; because of this from the world they speak, and the world doth hear them;
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Verse 5: They -- who are of the spirit of error/ of the world not of the spirit ~

Because of this from the world they speak -

And the world does understand them and hears them ~ They can not understand spiritual things for they have a hard heart that does not believe.

6 we -- of God we are; he who is knowing God doth hear us; he who is not of God, doth not hear us; from this we know the spirit of the truth, and the spirit of the error.
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Verse 6: We ~~ Who are of God by the spirit ~ He who is knowing God -> Understands God does hear us

~ Those who have no belief - who are of the world - of the spirit of error than the spirit of truth ~ God can not hear because they have a

hard heart and they do not believe. God can not hear them because they are not calling towards Him.

7 Beloved, may we love one another, because the love is of God, and every one who is loving, of God he hath been begotten, and doth know God;
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Verse 7: Beloved - May we love one another ~

Because the love is of God - > And everyone who is

loving ~ Of God his he from - being saved to the kingdom of Gods Son by faith - and knows God

8 he who is not loving did not know God, because God is love.
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Verse 8: He who is not loving did not know God

Because God is Love.

9 In this was manifested the love of God in us, because His Son -- the only begotten -- hath God sent to the world, that we may live through him;
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In this was manifested the Love of God in us - Because

of Gods Son ~ The only begotten ~ Had God sent to the world

~ That we may live through Him and He in us and through us.

 

[MatthewG]

10 in this is the love, not that we loved God, but that He did love us, and did send His Son a propitiation for our sins.
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verse 10: Because of this love God has shown us

Not that we loved God

But that He did Love us ~ And did send His Son as a propitiation for our sins.

(Yeshua Christ's sacrifice was a one and a once in a lifetime event; that pleased God His Father forever by paying the price of sins not only for us but for all human beings!!)

Greek word for propitiation : 2434 hilasmós – properly, propitiation; an offering to appease (satisfy) an angry, offended party. 2434 (hilasmós) is only used twice (1 Jn 2:2, 4:10) – both times of Christ's atoning blood that appeases God's wrath, on all confessed sin. By the sacrifice of Himself, Jesus Christ provided the ultimate 2434 /hilasmós ("propitiation").​

11 Beloved, if thus did God love us, we also ought one another to love;
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Verse 11: Beloved - If thus did God love us ~

We ought one another to love ~

Greek word for love here in verse 11:
Cognate: 25 agapáō – properly, to prefer, to love; for the believer, preferring to "live through Christ" (1 Jn 4:9,10), i.e. embracing God's will (choosing His choices) and obeying them through His power. 25 (agapáō) preeminently refers to what God prefers as He "is love" (1 Jn 4:8,16). See 26 (agapē).

With the believer, 25 /agapáō ("to love") means actively doing what the Lord prefers, with Him (by His power and direction). True 25 /agapáō ("loving") is always defined by God – a "discriminating affection which involves choice and selection" (WS, 477). 1 Jn 4:8,16,17 for example convey how loving ("preferring," 25 /agapáō) is Christ living His life through the believer.​

12 God no one hath ever seen; if we may love one another, God in us doth remain, and His love is having been perfected in us;
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Verse 12: No one has ever seen God;

if we may love one another ~ God in us does remain - Abiding in - living by the spirit

And His Love - Gods Love is having been made mature through us - being manifest through and by faith and trusting God who is love!!~~

13 in this we know that in Him we do remain, and He in us, because of His Spirit He hath given us.
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Verse 13: In this we know that in Him we do remain - Abiding - and He also is abiding In us because

Of The Spirit of Christ/Holy Spirit - from the Father which He has given to us by and through the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith

14 And we -- we have seen and do testify, that the Father hath sent the Son -- Saviour of the world;
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Verse 14: And as believers we have seen and do testify ~ That the Father has sent the Son whom is Saviour of the world.

15 whoever may confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God in him doth remain, and he in God;
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Verse 15: And whoever may confess that Jesus is the Son of God - God in Him does remain and He in God - abiding by the spirit through faith and belief and trust to and towards God, and the Son of God.

16 and we -- we have known and believed the love, that God hath in us; God is love, and he who is remaining in the love, in God he doth remain, and God in him.
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Verse 16: And as believer - We have known and believed the love

that God has in us - God is love ~ And He who is remaining in the love ~ God does remain, and God in Him.

17 In this made perfect hath been the love with us, that boldness we may have in the day of the judgment, because even as He is, we -- we also are in this world;
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Verse 17: In God's love this made us mature having the love with us

That with boldness may have in the day of judgement ~ Because as He is - God is love ~ Also are we in this world by the spirit which is given to us to express His love that was shown by the Son of God Jesus Christ.

18 fear is not in the love, but the perfect love doth cast out the fear, because the fear hath punishment, and he who is fearing hath not been made perfect in the love;
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Verse 18: Fear is not in love - Mature love does cast out fear

Fear has to do with punishment, and he who is fearing has not be made mature in the love ~~

Greek word for punishment:
Cognate: 2851 kólasis (from kolaphos, "a buffeting, a blow") – properly, punishment that "fits" (matches) the one punished (R. Trench); torment from living in the dread of upcoming judgment from shirking one's duty (cf. WS at 1 Jn 4:18).

Perfected love casts out tormenting fear (2851 /kólasis)

1 Jn 4:17,18: "17By this, love is perfected [brought to its higher stages] with us, so that we may continuously have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment [2851 /kólasis, "torment"], and the one who fears is not perfected in love."​

19 we -- we love him, because He -- He first loved us;
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Verse 19: AS believers we love Him because He loved us first.

20 if any one may say -- `I love God,' and his brother he may hate, a liar he is; for he who is not loving his brother whom he hath seen, God -- whom he hath not seen -- how is he able to love?
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Verse 20: if anyone may say ~ I love God ~ And his brother he may hate, is a liar.
He who is not loving his brother whom he has seen -

How is a person able to love God they have not seen if they are blinded and hate their own brother?

Greek word for Hate:
3404 miséō – properly, to detest (on a comparative basis); hence, denounce; to love someone or something less than someone (something) else, i.e. to renounce one choice in favor of another.

Lk 14:26: "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate (3404 /miséō, 'love less' than the Lord) his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple" (NASU).

[Note the comparative meaning of 3404 (miséō) which centers in moral choice, elevating one value over another.]​

21 and this [is] the command we have from Him, that he who is loving God, may also love his brother.​

Verse 21: And this is the command we have for Him

That he who is loving God - May also love His brother.