1 John 4 - What is love?
On Denying the Incarnation
1 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.
2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.
6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit[a] of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
God’s Love and Ours
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
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.
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.
11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God.
16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.
18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19 We love because he first loved us.
20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
Footnotes:
- 1 John 4:6 Or spirit
Observation Questions
On Denying the Incarnation
What are we to do instead of believing every spirit? (verse 1)
What is the reason why we are to test the spirits? (verse 1)
What are we to test the spirit for? (verse 1)
How can we recognize the Spirit of God? (verse 2-3)
Is every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh from God? (verse 2)
Is every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus the spirit of the antichrist? (verse 3)
Is the spirit of the antichrist now already in the world? (verse 3)
How have we overcome the one who is in the world? (verse 4)
Who does the world listen to? (verse 3-5)
Who listens to us? (verse 6)
Who does not listen to us? (verse 6)
How do we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood? (verse 2-6)
God’s Love and Ours
What comes from God? (verse 7)
Who has been born of God and knows God? (verse 7)
Does anyone who does not love know God? (verse 8)
Is God love? (verse 8)
How did God show his love among us? (verse 9)
What is love? (verse 10)
Why ought we to love one another? (verse 11)
If we love one another, who lives in us? (verse 12)
If we love one another, whose love is made complete in us? (verse 12)
How do we know that we live in him and he in us? (verse 13-15)
Why did God send his Son? (verse 14)
Who does God live in? (verse 15)
Who lives in God? (verse 15 & 16)
What do we know and rely on? (verse 16)
Is God love? (verse 16)
How is love made complete among us? (verse 17)
Is there any fear in love? (verse 18)
What does perfect love drive out? (verse 18)
What does fear have to do with? (verse 18)
Is the one who fears made perfect in love? (verse 18)
Why do we love? (verse 19)
If someone claims to love god yet hates a brother or sister, are they a liar? (verse 20)
Can someone who does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, love God, whom they have not seen? (verse 20)
Who must love their brother and sister? (verse 21)
Thoughts
This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. - verse 17
Comments
Post a Comment