The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error
4You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you4:4 Rm 8:31; Col 1:27; 1Jn 3:20 is greater than the one who is in the world.4:4 Jn 12:31
Knowing God through Love
7Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God4:7 1Jn 2:29 and knows God.
8The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
9God’s love was revealed among us4:9 Or in us in this way: God sent4:9 Mk 9:37 his one and only Son4:9 Jn 1:14,18; 3:16,18 into the world so that we might live4:9 Jn 10:28 through him.
10Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us4:10 Jn 3:16 and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice4:10 Or the propitiation4:10 2Co 5:21; 1Jn 2:2 for our sins.
11Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.4:11 Jn 13:14; 15:12; Rm 13:8; 1Th 4:9; 1Pt 1:22
12No one has ever seen God.4:12 Ex 33:20 If we love one another, God remains in4:12 Or remains among us and his love is made complete in us.
13This is how we know that we remain in him4:13 Jn 15:4–7; 1Jn 2:6,24,27–28; 3:6,24; 4:15–16 and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.4:13 Rv 3:22
14And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son4:14 Rm 1:3 as the world’s Savior.
15Whoever confesses4:15 Jn 9:22; Php 2:6 that Jesus is the Son of God — God remains in him and he in God.
16And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.
17In this, love is made complete with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment,4:17 Mt 10:15; 11:22,24; 12:36; 2Pt 2:9; 3:7; Jd 6 because as he is, so also are we in this world.4:17 Jn 14:10–11; 15:9–10; 17:11,15,18
18There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear,4:18 Rm 8:15 because fear involves punishment.4:18 Or fear has its own punishment or torment So the one who fears is not complete in love.4:18 Eph 4:11–16
20If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet hates his brother or sister,4:20 1Jn 2:9,11; 3:15 he is a liar.4:20 1Jn 1:10 For the person who does not love his brother or sister4:20 1Jn 2:10; 3:10,14–17 whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.4:20 Other mss read has seen, how is he able to love ... seen? (as a question)
21And we have this command from him: The one who loves God must also love his brother and sister.
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