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NT References in the Ante-Nicene Fathers

1 Peter 4:8

1 Clement

Who can describe the [blessed] bond of the love of God? What man is able to tell the excellence of its beauty, as it ought to be told? The height to which love exalts is unspeakable. Love unites us to God. Love covers a multitude of sins.[220]

Clement of Alexandria The Instructor Book III

Also of "love." "Love," He says, "covers a multitude of sins."[189]

Clement of Alexandria Stromata Book I

But when "charity covers the multitude of sins,"[324]

Clement of Alexandria Stromata Book II

This blessedness came on those who had been chosen by Cod through Jesus Christ our Lord. For"love hides the multitude of sins."[147]

Clement of Alexandria Stromata Book IV

` Love covers a multitude of sins.[170]

Clement of Alexandria Who is the Rich Man that Shall Be Saved?

but is diffused on the brother. About him she is fluttered, about him she is soberly insane. "Love covers a multitude of sins."[69]

Tertullian Scorpiace

For, strictly speaking, there cannot any longer be reckoned ought against the martyrs, by whom in the baptism (of blood) life itself is laid down. Thus, "love covers the multitude of sins; "[41]

2 Clement "but love covereth a multitude of sins."[127]

1 Clement

Who can describe the [blessed] bond of the love of God? What man is able to tell the excellence of its beauty, as it ought to be told? The height to which love exalts is unspeakable. Love unites us to God. Love covers a multitude of sins.[267]

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See also 1 Peter 4:8 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse 8. _HAVE FERVENT CHARITY_] αγαπηνεκτενη. _Intense love;_ _for love shall cover a multitude of sins_. A loving disposition leads us to pass by the faults of others, to forgive offences against o...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    AND ABOVE ALL THINGS - More than all things else. HAVE FERVENT CHARITY AMONG YOURSELVES - Warm, ardent love toward each other. On the nature of charity, see the notes at 1 Corinthians 13:1. The word...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    IV. THE COMFORT IN THE MIDST OF TRIALS AND SUFFERING CHAPTER 3:10-4:19 _ 1. The comfort in suffering (1 Peter 3:10)_ 2. Few saved as illustrated by Noah's preaching (1 Peter 3:18) 3. The new life i...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    The conception that the _consummation of_ all things is at hand fills the thought of the section with urgency. All work is to be done in that spirit of earnest, prayerful readiness that all life may p...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    THE OBLIGATION OF THE CHRISTIAN (1 Peter 4:1-5)...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    ABOVE. before. App-104. HAVE, &C. = having your love toward (Greek. _eis)_ one another intense. FERVENT. Greek. _ektenes._ Only here and Acts 12:5. Compare 1 Peter 1:22. CHARITY. App-135. AMONG. A...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _And above all things have fervent charity_ It is to be regretted that the unintelligent desire for variation which the translators of 1611 took almost as their guiding principle, and in this instance...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    Having urged the necessity of terminating the regime of sin, St Peter next gives a summary of what life according to God in the Spirit should be. It is a life of sober-mindedness, of watchful prayer,...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    ΤῊΝ … ἈΓΆΠΗΝ ἘΚΤΕΝΗ͂ ἜΧΟΝΤΕΣ. ἐκτενῆ is the predicate. It is assumed that they have love towards one another, but they are bidden to maintain it in a fervent, strenuous condition, cf. 1 Peter 1:22. Ἑ...

  • Charles Rose Commentaries

    ΠΡΟ ΠΆΝΤΩΝ (G4253; G3956) перед всем, превыше всего, ΈΚΤΕΝΉΣ (G1618) усердный, интенсивный (_см._ 1 Peter 1:22). ΈΧΟΝΤΕΣ _praes. act. part. от_ ΕΧΩ (G2192) находить, ΚΑΛΎΠΤΕΙ _praes. ind. act. от_...

  • Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae

    DISCOURSE: 2407 THE DUTY AND OFFICE OF CHRISTIAN LOVE 1 Peter 4:8. _Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins_. THE divine authority of our...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    AND ABOVE ALL THINGS HAVE FERVENT CHARITY— See on James 5:12. Lest they should imagine that the _sobriety_ and _prayer_ recommended in the preceding verse were all that was required of them, St. Peter...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    1 PETER 4:8-9 ABOVE ALL THINGS BEING FERVENT IN YOUR LOVE AMONG YOURSELVES; FOR LOVE COVERETH A MULTITUDE OF SINS: USING HOSPITALITY ONE TO ANOTHER WITHOUT MURMURING: _Expanded Translation_ in prefe...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. ABOVE ALL THINGS - not that "charity" is above "prayer," but love is the animating spirit,...

  • Commentary on the Minor Epistles by Caton

    VERSE 8. ABOVE ALL THINGS HAVE FERVENT CHARITY. Have above all things, as the most important of all, burning, continual love for the brethren. This makes you better and stronger. You will then see no...

  • Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch

    19 Who are these imprisoned spirits ? Are they not the same that Peter mentions in his second epistle (1Pe_2:4) who were thrust down to the gloomy caverns of Tartarus, and the messengers of Jude's epi...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    HAVE FERVENT CHARITY] RV 'being fervent in your love,' lit. 'intense'; perseverance and vigour, not excitement, is implied. SHALL COVER THE MULTITUDE OF SINS] 'covereth a multitude of sins,' from Prov...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE SECURITY OF THE FAITHFUL IN THE APPROACHING JUDGMENT _C_ (ii). 1 Peter 4:1. 'This is your faith: live then in accordance with it. Arm yourselves against your troubles by resolving to be like Chris...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    This kind of deep love is God’s kind of love (see chapter 1 Peter 1:22). It is more than just good feelings that last only for a time. Christians should continue to love one another deeply, even when...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD 1 PETER _HELEN POCOCK_ CHAPTER 4 LIVING FOR GOD v1 Christ suffered while he was in his human body. Each one of you Christians must be ready to suffer as he did. If you suf...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    (7-11) DUTY OF BENEVOLENCE WITHIN THE CHURCH IN VIEW OF THE ADVENT. — The end of the world is not far off; let it find you not only sober, but (above all else) exerting an intense charity within the C...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    AND ABOVE ALL THINGS HAVE FERVENT CHARITY AMONG YOURSELVES. — The original is far more vigorous: _But before all things keeping intense your charity towards yourselves._ St. Peter assumes that the cha...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 13 CHRISTIAN SERVICE FOR GOD'S GLORY 1 Peter 4:7 "BUT the end of all things is at hand." Well-nigh two thousand years have passed away since the Apostle wrote these words. What are we to thi...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    πρὸπάντων, St. Peter emphasises the pre-eminent importance of love of man as much as St. cf. John 1:22. ἑαυτούς put for ἀλλήλους in accordance with the saying _thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST 1 Peter 4:1 The Apostle urges the disciples to make a clean break with sin. As our Lord's grave lay between Him and His earlier life, so there should be a clean break between o...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The whole force of the argument which the apostle has used in speaking thus of the Christ was to show these saints how through suffering Christ reached a triumph, and to call them to arm themselves wi...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    SERVING TO GLORIFY GOD From considering some who had heard the gospel and already died, Peter went immediately into the nearness of the end of all things. Peter may well have been specifically thinkin...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    (6) And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. (6) He commends charity towards one another, because it buries a multitude of sins, and...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _Charity covereth a multitude of sins. It is a great means to atone for them; or it may signify, that a charitable mind excuses many sins in others. (Witham)_...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; (2) That he no longer should live t...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    The epistles of Peter are addressed to the elect Jews of his day, believing of course on the Lord Jesus, and scattered throughout a considerable portion of Asia Minor. The apostle takes particular car...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _CHRISTIAN EXPECTATION*_ ‘Watch unto prayer.’ 1 Peter 4:7 Of old, certain Sundays in the Church’s year were known by particular names or titles, and in some measure this practice is still kept up....

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _THE COMING OF THE KINGDOM_ ‘The end of all things is at hand … watch unto prayer.… Have fervent charity.… Use hospitality.… Speak as the oracles of God … that God in all things may be glorified.’ 1...

  • James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

    _INTENSE CHARITY_ ‘Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.’ 1 Peter 4:8 The charity about which St. Peter and St. Paul wrote is love;...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    8_And above all things _He commends charity or love as the first thing, for it is the bond of perfection. And he bids it to be _fervent, _or intense, or vehement, which is the same thing; for whosoeve...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    From the beginning of this Chapter to the end of Verse, the apostle continues to speak of the general principles of God's government, exhorting, the Christian to act on the principles of Christ Him el...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    AND ABOVE ALL THINGS HAVE FERVENT CHARITY AMONG YOURSELVES,.... Not but that charity, or love, is to be exercised towards all men, even towards enemies, but more especially towards the saints, and tha...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Ver. 8. _Charity shall cover_] This is meant of mutual love, whereby we forgive offences one...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Above all things_ See that you remember the distinguishing badge of your religion and _have_, maintain, _fervent charity_, love, _among yourselves_ One toward another: _for love shall cover a multitu...

  • Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament (1851)

    FERVENT CHARITY; ardent love to one another. SHALL COVER THE MULTITUDE OF SINS; by leading him who exercises it to overlook and forgive the sins of his brethren. The words are quoted from Proverbs 10...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    Christian virtues and works:...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    AND ABOVE ALL THINGS HAVE FERVENT CHARITY AMONG YOURSELVES; FOR CHARITY SHALL COVER THE MULTITUDE OF SINS....

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    Christ's suffering in the flesh is set before us then as an example; not His sufferings for us in atonement, which were His alone, but His sufferings in a contrary world, in precious, lowly grace. We...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    SHALL: Or, will...

  • Mark Dunagan Commentaries

    _1 Peter 4:8 ‘Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers. multitude of sins'._ ‘ABOVE ALL' -‘before all things' (P.P. Comm. p. 172). ‘The phrase does not intend to put l...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    7-11 The destruction of the Jewish church and nation, foretold by our Saviour, was very near. And the speedy approach of death and judgment concerns all, to which these words naturally lead our minds...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    AND ABOVE ALL THINGS: see the like expression, JAMES 5:12, and on the same occasion, COLOSSIANS 3:14. HAVE FERVENT CHARITY; not only labour after charity diligently and carefully, but let it be ferven...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    1 Peter 4:8 And G1161 above G4253 things G3956 have G2192 (G5723) fervent G1618 love G26 another G1519...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘Above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves, for love covers a multitude of sins, using hospitality one to another without murmuring,' Instead of indulging in ‘lasciviousness' (‘lust...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    IN THE LIGHT OF THE COMING JUDGMENT AND RESURRECTION THEY ARE TO LIVE WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY (1 PETER 4:7). In view of the urgency of the times therefore they are to live out their Christian lives ac...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    APPLICATION OF THE PREVIOUS THEME, AND REMINDER OF THE COMING JUDGMENT (1 PETER 4:1). Having portrayed the great and all encompassing victory of Jesus Christ through suffering, Peter now applies the i...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    1 Peter 4:8. BEFORE ALL THINGS HAVING YOUR LOVE ONE TO ANOTHER INTENSE. The ‘and' of the A. V. is cancelled by the R. V. and the best authorities. This exhortation and the following are put in the par...

  • Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary on the NT (4 vols)

    The thought of Christ's readiness to judge both quick and dead leads naturally to that of the close of the world. Peter passes thus to a new series of counsels bearing on what befits men who see the J...

  • Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

    ABOVE ALL THINGS (προ παντων). See this phrase in James 5:12.BEING FERVENT (εκτενη εχοντες). Present active participle of εχοντες and predicate accusative of adjective εκτενης (from εκτεινω, to s...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    SINS SIN (_ See Scofield) - (Romans 3:23). _...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    1 Peter 4:8 It is quite evident that the sins spoken of here are not our own sins, but the sins of other persons, and that the intention is to say that as hatred brings causes of quarrel to the surfa...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    1 Peter 4:1. _Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind:_ Accepting this great truth, that it is well that the flesh should die that the s...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    1 Peter 4:1. _Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin:_ Brethren, we have a...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Exhortations to mortification of sin and living unto God. Suffering with Christ. CHARACTERS: God, Christ. CONCLUSION: Christ having suffered so much for us, should cause us to fortify ourse...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    1 Peter 4:3. _The will of the gentiles._ Augustine in his city of God, should be read to see the excess and abominable idolatries of the gentiles. See the notes on Ephesians 5:12; Romans 1....

  • The Bible Study New Testament

    LOVE ONE ANOTHER EARNESTLY. "Love is the mortar which builds living stones into the house where God lives through his Spirit (Ephesians 2:20-22). Without this _love_ to hold you together, you will be...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    1 PETER—NOTE ON 1 PETER 4:8 LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS (Proverbs 10:12). Where love is present, offenses are forgiven....

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _CRITICAL AND EXEGETICAL NOTES_ 1 Peter 4:7. END OF ALL THINGS.—Jews naturally thought of the end of organised Judaism as the “end of all things,” The end of one great _æon_, or dispensation was nigh...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITIONS 1 PETER 4:1 FORASMUCH THEN AS CHRIST HATH SUFFERED FOR US IN THE FLESH. St. Peter returns, after the digression of 1 Peter 3:19, to the great subject of Christ's example. The words "for...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us (1 Peter 4:1) That is, has gone to the cross. in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that has suffered (1 Peter 4:1) Or come...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    1 Corinthians 13:1; 1 Corinthians 13:7; 1 Corinthians 14:1; 1 Peter 1:22;...

  • Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament (4 Volume Set)

    Fervent [ε κ τ ε ν η]. See, on the kindred adverb fervently, notes on ch. 1 22. Love covereth, etc. Compare James 5:20; Proverbs 10:12....

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    Love covereth a multitude of sins — Yea, "love covereth all things." He that loves another, covers his faults, how many soever they be. He turns away his own eyes from them; and, as far as is possible...

  • William Burkitt's Expository Notes

    The next grace and virtue exhorted to, is that of charity, or mutual love amongst themselves: and observe with what special care and particular regard it is recommended to us, ABOVE ALL THINGS; and no...

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Old Testament