notes
Main point summary
John gives us three reasons we are to love one another: 1) love is from God and God is love; 2) God has loved us first by sending Jesus; and 3) God's love is then perfected in us.
Arc
editing
NT
1 John 4:7-12
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nasb
schl
Ἀγαπητοί, ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους,
a Beloved, let us b love one another,
Geliebte, lasset uns einander lieben!
ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν,
for love is from God;
Denn die Liebe ist aus Gott,
ground
καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἀγαπῶν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται καὶ γινώσκει τὸν θεόν.
and c everyone who loves is 1 d born of God and e knows God.
und wer liebt, der ist aus Gott geboren und kennt Gott.
inference
ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν οὐκ ἔγνω τὸν θεόν,
The one who does not love does not know God,
Wer nicht liebt, kennt Gott nicht;
ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν.
for a God is love.
denn Gott ist Liebe.
negativepositive
ἐν τούτῳ ἐφανερώθη ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν,
By this the love of God was manifested 1 a in us,
Darin ist die Liebe Gottes zu uns geoffenbart worden,
ὅτι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἀπέσταλκεν ὁ θεὸς εἰς τὸν κόσμον
that b God has sent His 2 only begotten Son into the world
daß Gott seinen eingeborenen Sohn in die Welt gesandt hat,
ἵνα ζήσωμεν διʼ αὐτοῦ.
so that we might live through Him.
damit wir durch ihn leben möchten.
actionpurpose
ideaexplanation
ἐν τούτῳ ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγάπη,
In this is love,
Darin besteht die Liebe,
οὐχ ὅτι ἡμεῖς ἠγαπήκαμεν τὸν θεὸν
a not that we loved God,
nicht daß wir Gott geliebt haben,
ἀλλʼ ὅτι αὐτὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς
but that b He loved us
sondern daß Er uns geliebt
καὶ ἀπέστειλεν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἱλασμὸν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν.
and sent His Son to be c the propitiation for our sins.
und seinen Sohn gesandt hat als Sühnopfer für unsre Sünden.
progression
Ἀγαπητοί, εἰ οὕτως ὁ θεὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς,
a Beloved, if God so loved us,
Geliebte, wenn Gott uns so geliebt hat,
καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾶν.
b we also ought to love one another.
so sind auch wir schuldig, einander zu lieben.
conditional
θεὸν οὐδεὶς πώποτε τεθέαται.
a No one has seen God at any time;
Niemand hat Gott je gesehen;
ἐὰν ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους,
if we love one another,
wenn wir einander lieben,
ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν μένει
God abides in us,
so bleibt Gott in uns,
καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν τετελειωμένη ἐστίν.
and His b love is perfected in us.
und seine Liebe ist in uns vollkommen geworden.
series
concessive
Third class conditional 'Present General Condition' indicating a generic situation or universal truth at the present time.
First class conditional assumed to be true for the sake of argument.
First reason to love one another - love is from God and God is love.
Second reason to love one another: God has loved us by sending Jesus.
Third reason to love one another: God's love is then perfected in us.
John Stott writes in his commentary, "God’s love, which originates in himself (v7–8) and was manifested in his Son (v9–10), is made complete in his people (v12)."
na28
discourse
Phrase
1 John 4:7-12
Love One Another Because God Is Love
Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is from God;
and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
The one who does not love does not know God,
for God is love.
Love One Another Because God has Loved Us
By this the love of God was manifested in us,
that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world
so that we might live through Him.
In this is love,
not that we loved God,
but that He loved us
and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also ought to love one another.
Love One Another Because This Completes His Love in Us
No one has seen God at any time;
if we love one another,
God abides in us,
and His love is perfected in us.
phrasing
Phrase Greek
1 John 4:7-12
na28
Ἀγαπητοί, ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους,
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
Geliebte, lasset uns einander lieben! Denn die Liebe ist aus Gott, und wer liebt, der ist aus Gott geboren und kennt Gott.
ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν,
καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἀγαπῶν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται καὶ γινώσκει τὸν θεόν.
ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν οὐκ ἔγνω τὸν θεόν,
The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Wer nicht liebt, kennt Gott nicht; denn Gott ist Liebe.
ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν.
ἐν τούτῳ ἐφανερώθη ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν,
By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
Darin ist die Liebe Gottes zu uns geoffenbart worden, daß Gott seinen eingeborenen Sohn in die Welt gesandt hat, damit wir durch ihn leben möchten.
ὅτι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἀπέσταλκεν ὁ θεὸς εἰς τὸν κόσμον
ἵνα ζήσωμεν διʼ αὐτοῦ.
ἐν τούτῳ ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγάπη,
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Darin besteht die Liebe, nicht daß wir Gott geliebt haben, sondern daß Er uns geliebt und seinen Sohn gesandt hat als Sühnopfer für unsre Sünden.
οὐχ ὅτι ἡμεῖς ἠγαπήκαμεν τὸν θεὸν
ἀλλʼ ὅτι αὐτὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς
καὶ ἀπέστειλεν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἱλασμὸν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν.
Ἀγαπητοί, εἰ οὕτως ὁ θεὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς,
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Geliebte, wenn Gott uns so geliebt hat, so sind auch wir schuldig, einander zu lieben.
καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾶν.
θεὸν οὐδεὶς πώποτε τεθέαται.
No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
Niemand hat Gott je gesehen; wenn wir einander lieben, so bleibt Gott in uns, und seine Liebe ist in uns vollkommen geworden.
ἐὰν ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους,
ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν μένει
καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν τετελειωμένη ἐστίν.
Ἀγαπητοί, ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους, ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν, καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἀγαπῶν ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγέννηται καὶ γινώσκει τὸν θεόν.
ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν οὐκ ἔγνω τὸν θεόν, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν.
ἐν τούτῳ ἐφανερώθη ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν, ὅτι τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ ἀπέσταλκεν ὁ θεὸς εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἵνα ζήσωμεν διʼ αὐτοῦ.
ἐν τούτῳ ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγάπη, οὐχ ὅτι ἡμεῖς ἠγαπήκαμεν τὸν θεὸν ἀλλʼ ὅτι αὐτὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς καὶ ἀπέστειλεν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ ἱλασμὸν περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν.
Ἀγαπητοί, εἰ οὕτως ὁ θεὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾶν.
θεὸν οὐδεὶς πώποτε τεθέαται. ἐὰν ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους, ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν μένει καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν τετελειωμένη ἐστίν.
Diagram
scripturetext
components
1 John 4:7-12
na28
table
Ἀγαπητοί
solid
drop
revrocket
equal
line
subjectverb
pred
ἀγαπῶμεν
directobject
ἀλλήλους
obtuse
pstack
cword
ἡ
ἀγάπη
ἐστιν
prepphrase
ἐκ
τοῦ
θεοῦ
ὅτι
text
v7a
v7c
v7b
ὁ
ἔγνω
οὐκ
participle
ἀγαπῶν
μὴ
vertical
τὸν
θεόν
ὁ
θεὸς
ἐστίν
predicate
ἀγάπη
ὅτι
v8a
v8b
ἡ
ἀγάπη
ἐφανερώθη
τοῦ
θεοῦ
ἐν
τούτῳ
ἐν
ἡμῖν
ὁ
θεὸς
ἀπέσταλκεν
τὸν
υἱὸν
αὐτοῦ
equals
τὸν
μονογενῆ
εἰς
τὸν
κόσμον
ζήσωμεν
διʼ
αὐτοῦ
ἵνα
ὅτι
καὶ
ὁ
πᾶς
ἀγαπῶν
rocketship
γεγέννηται
γινώσκει
ἐκ
τοῦ
θεοῦ
τὸν
θεόν
καὶ
smartline
dashed
free
ttext
v9a
v9b
v9c
ἐστὶν
ἡ
ἀγάπη
οὐχ
ὅτι
ἡμεῖς
ἠγαπήκαμεν
τὸν
θεὸν
ὅτι
αὐτὸς
ἠγάπησεν
ἀπέστειλεν
ἡμᾶς
τὸν
υἱὸν
αὐτοῦ
ἱλασμὸν
περὶ
τῶν
ἁμαρτιῶν
ἡμῶν
καὶ
ἀλλʼ
ἐν
τούτῳ
v10a
v10b
v10c
v10d
Ἀγαπητοί
ἡμεῖς
ὀφείλομεν
καὶ
shelf
infinitive
ἀγαπᾶν
ἀλλήλους
ὁ
θεὸς
ἠγάπησεν
οὕτως
ἡμᾶς
εἰ
v11a
v11b
οὐδεὶς
τεθέαται
πώποτε
θεὸν
ὁ
θεὸς
μένει
ἐν
ἡμῖν
ἡ
ἀγάπη
ἐστίν
αὐτοῦ
τετελειωμένη
ἐν
ἡμῖν
ἀγαπῶμεν
ἀλλήλους
ἐὰν
καὶ
v12a
v12b
v12c
v12d
How does one properly diagram this? NASB and NET add "top be". NIV and ELB and SCHL add "as". LUT adds "to".
diagram