1 John 4:20

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? LOVETH NOT HIS BROTHER WHOM HE HATH SEEN, HOW CAN HE LOVE GOD WHOM HE HATH NOT SEEN? It is easier for us, influenced as we are by sense, to love one within the range of our sense, than One unseen, appreciable only by faith. 'Nature is prior to grace: we by, nature love things seen before things unseen' (Estius). The eyes are our leaders in love. 'Seeing is its incentive' (OEcumenius). If we do not love the brethren, God's visible representatives, how can we love the invisible One, whose children they are? Man's true ideal (as made in God's image), lost in Adam, is realized in Christ, in whom God is revealed as He is, and man as he ought to be. Until Christ came we had lost the knowledge of MAN as well as of GOD. Thus, by faith i...

But this love cannot exist, except it generates brotherly love. Hence he says, that they are liars who boast that they love God, when they hate their brethren. But the reason he subjoins seems not sufficiently valid, for it is a comparison between the less and the greater: If, he says, we love not our brethren whom we see, much less can we love God who is invisible. Now there are obviously two exceptions; for the love which God has to us is from faith and does not flow from sight, as we find in 1 Peter 1:8; and secondly, far different is the love of God from the love of men; for while God leads his people to love him through his infinite goodness, men are often worthy of hatred. To this I answer, that the Apostle takes here as granted what ought no doubt to appear evident to us, that God offers himself to us in those men who bear his image, and that he requires the duties, which he does...

14-21 The Father sent the Son, he willed his coming into this world. The apostle attests this. And whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. This confession includes faith in the heart as the foundation; makes acknowledgment with the mouth to the glory of God and Christ, and profession in the life and conduct, against the flatteries and frowns of the world. There must be a day of universal judgment. Happy those who shall have holy boldness before the Judge at that day; knowing he is their Friend and Advocate! Happy those who have holy boldness in the prospect of that day, who look and wait for it, and for the Judge's appearance! True love to God assures believers of God's love to them. Love teaches us to suffer for him and with him; therefore we may trust that we shall also be glorified with him, 2 Timothy 2:12. We must distinguish between...

Verse 20. _IF A MAN SAY, I LOVE GOD, AND HATETH HIS BROTHER_] This, as well as many other parts of this epistle, seems levelled against the Jews, who pretended much love to God while they hated the _Gentiles_; and even some of them who were brought into the Christian Church brought this leaven with them. It required a miracle to redeem St. Peter's mind from the influence of this principle. See Acts 10. _WHOM HE HATH SEEN_] We may have our love excited towards our brother, 1. By a consideration of his _excellences_ or _amiable_ _qualities_. 2. By a view of his _miseries_ and _distresses_. The _first_ will excite a love of _complacency_ and _delight_; the _second_, a love of _compassion_ and _pity_. _WHOM HE HATH NOT SEEN?_] If he love not his brother, it is a proof that the lov

IF A MAN SAY, I LOVE GOD, AND HATETH HIS BROTHER - His Christian brother; or, in a larger sense, any man. The sense is, that no man, whatever may be his professions and pretensions, can have any true love to God, unless he loves his brethren. HE IS A LIAR - Compare the notes at 1 John 1:6. It is not necessary, in order to a proper interpretation of this passage, to suppose that he “intentionally” deceives. The sense is, that this must be a false profession. FOR HE THAT LOVETH NOT HIS BROTHER WHOM HE HATH SEEN ... - It is more reasonable to expect that we should love one whom we have seen and known personally, than that we should love one whom we have not seen. The apostle is arguing from human nature as it is, and everyone feels that we are more likely to love one with whom we are

EXPOSITION 1 JOHN 4:1 - 1 JOHN 5:12 (2) _The source of son-ship. _Possession of the Spirit. 1 JOHN 4:1 Confession of the Incarnation is the assurance that the Spirit of God, who is the Spirit of truth, is working in us, and not the spirit of error. The passage seems clearly to teach that there are two rival influences contending for power over the spirits of men. We must test men's spirits to see whether they are organs of the Spirit of truth or of the spirit of error. 1 JOHN 4:1 BELOVED (as in...

IF A MAN SAY I LOVE GOD, AND HATETH HIS BROTHER,.... Than which profession nothing can be more contradictory, not black and white, or hot and cold in the same degree: HE IS A LIAR; it is not truth he speaks, it is a contradiction, and a thing impossible: FOR HE THAT LOVETH NOT HIS BROTHER WHOM HE HATH SEEN; his person, which might have drawn out his affection to him; and something valuable and worthy in him, which might have commanded respect; or his wants and distresses, which should have moved his pity and compassion: HOW CAN HE LOVE GOD WHOM HE HATH NOT SEEN? it cannot be thought he should; the thing is not reasonable to suppose; it is not possible he should; 1 John 4:12....

1 John 4:1. _Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world._ It was so in John's day: it is so in these days. If there were only one false prophet, we should have need to be on our guard, but «many false prophets are gone out into the world.» If false prophets were all shut up in a cage, and we had to go to seek them, there might be some danger to be apprehended from them, but there is so much more danger now that we can truly read, «Many false prophets are gone out into the world.» 1 John 4:2. _Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:_ Where the Godhead and the manhood of Christ are truly and properly confessed, so fa

1 JOHN 4:20 ouv du,natai avgapa/n) {A} Instead of the negative ouv, which is strongly supported by the Alexandrian text as well as by other witnesses (a B Y 1739 syrh copsa Cyprian Lucifer), the Textus Receptus, following A K L most minuscules itr vg syrp copbo arm eth _al_, substitutes the interrogative pw/j. The latter appears to be an improvement introduced by copyists in order to heighten the rhetorical style....

V. HEREBY WE KNOW Chapter S 3:19-5:13 _ 1. Hereby we know that we are of the truth (1 John 3:19)_ 2. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God (1 John 4:1) 3. Hereby know we the Spirit of truth and of error (1 John 4:5) 4. The Love manifested toward us (1 John 4:7) 5. The final tests as to the possession of eternal life (1 John 4:20; 1 John 5:1) 1 John 3:19 .