I John 4:16
A plain-spoken deep dive on this verse. Read the chapter →
And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
And we--John and his readers (not as Jo1 4:14, the apostles only). known and believed--True faith, according to John, is a faith of knowledge and experience: true knowledge is a knowledge of faith [LUECKE]. to us--Greek, "in our case" (see on Jo1 4:9). dwelleth--Greek, "abideth." Compare with this verse, Jo1 4:7.
Open source ↗In this chapter the apostle exhorts to try spirits (Jo1 4:1), gives a note to try by (Jo1 4:2, Jo1 4:3), shows who are of the world and who of God (Jo1 4:4-6), urges Christian love by divers considerations (Jo1 4:7-16), describes our love to God, and the effect of it (Jo1 4:17-21).
Open source ↗Cross-references
Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.
Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.
Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.
By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
How great is Your goodness which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have bestowed before the sons of men on those who take refuge in You!
Rather, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God.”
From ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides You, who acts on behalf of those who wait for Him.