1 John 4:19

19. After ἡμεῖς [738], Peschito, and Vulgate insert οὖν. After ἀγαπῶμεν omit αὐτόν with [739][740] against [741][742]. For αὐτόν [743] has τὸν Θεόν. For αὐτός ([744][745][746][747], Thebaic) [748] and Vulgate have ὁ Θεός.

[738] 5th century. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, from Alexandria, and afterwards presented by him to Charles I. in 1628. In the British Museum. All three Epistles.
[739] 5th century. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, from Alexandria, and afterwards presented by him to Charles I. in 1628. In the British Museum. All three Epistles.
[740] 4th century. Brought to Rome about 1460. It is entered in the earliest catalogue of the Vatican Library, 1475. All three Epistles.
[741] 9th century. All three Epistles.
[742] 9th century. All three Epistles.
[743] 4th century. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the monastery of S. Catherine on Mount Sinai, and now at Petersburg. All three Epistles.
[744] 4th century. Discovered by Tischendorf in 1859 at the monastery of S. Catherine on Mount Sinai, and now at Petersburg. All three Epistles.
[745] 4th century. Brought to Rome about 1460. It is entered in the earliest catalogue of the Vatican Library, 1475. All three Epistles.
[746] 9th century. All three Epistles.
[747] 9th century. All three Epistles.
[748] 5th century. Brought by Cyril Lucar, Patriarch of Constantinople, from Alexandria, and afterwards presented by him to Charles I. in 1628. In the British Museum. All three Epistles.

19. ἡμεῖς�. The Old Vulgate here is trebly wrong: nos ergo diligamus invicem, the New has Deum; Augustine omits both,—Nos diligamus. (1) The οὖν inserted in A and some other authorities is a false reading. (2) There is no invicem either stated or implied by the Greek. (3) Ἀγαπῶμεν is indicative, not subjunctive, as is shewn in the ἡμεῖς: the hortative verb would hardly have the pronoun expressed; contrast 1 John 4:7. Some authorities insert τὸν θεόν or αὐτόν after ἀγαπῶμεν: so A.V., ‘we love Him’. Nothing is to be understood, Christian love of every kind being meant. The power of loving is a Divine gift.

ὅτι αὐτὸς πρῶτος. The πρῶτος is the important word and implies three things. 1. Our love owes its origin to God’s love, from which it is an effluence (1 John 4:7). 2. Love is checked by fear when it is doubtful whether it is returned; and our love has no such check, for God’s love has been beforehand with it. 3. Gratitude easily blossoms into affection, especially gratitude for love. With God’s priority in loving us Bede compares Christ’s priority in choosing His disciples (John 15:16).