1 John 4:9-19

9 Herein as to us has been manifested the love of God, that God has sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son a propitiation for our sins.

11 Beloved, if God has so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

12 No one has seen God at any time: if we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us.

13 Hereby we know that we abide in him and he in us, that he has given to us of his Spirit.

14 And *we* have seen, and testify, that the Father has sent the Son [as] Saviour of the world.

15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

16 And *we* have known and have believed the love which God has to us. God is love, and he that abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

17 Herein has love been perfected with us that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, that even as *he* is, *we* also are in this world.

18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has torment, and he that fears has not been made perfect in love.

19 *We* love because *he* has first loved us.

Footnotes

• [a]. 'In our case,' in respect of us. The idea of the love of God remains absolute: only it has been shown 'as respects us in this,' &c.
• [b]. En, 'of which we are the objects;' but it is more than 'towards.'