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Contemporary English Version

1 John 4:10

Real love isn't our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Atonement;   Condescension of God;   God Continued...;   Jesus, the Christ;   Jesus Continued;   Propitiation;   Righteousness;   Salvation;   Wicked (People);   Thompson Chain Reference - John, Beloved Disciple;   Propitiation;   Salvation-Condemnation;   The Topic Concordance - Jesus Christ;   Love;   Sending and Those Sent;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Atonement, the;   Love of God, the;   Redemption;   Salvation;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Propitiantion;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Atonement;   Ethics;   Jesus christ;   Love;   Propitiation;   Son of god;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Anger;   Atonement;   Death of Christ;   John, Theology of;   Mission;   New Command;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Atonement;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Propitiation;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Love;   Propitiation;   Sacrifice;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Atonement;   Expiation, Propitiation;   Fullness of Time;   Guilt;   Immutability of God;   John, the Letters of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Atonement;   John, Epistles of;   John, Theology of;   Law;   Propitiation;   Sin;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Brotherly Love;   Character;   Death of Christ;   Example;   Gospel (2);   Grace;   John Epistles of;   Justification;   Love;   Personality;   Pre-Existence of Christ;   Priest;   Propitiation;   Propitiation (2);   Righteous, Righteousness;   Sacrifice;   Sacrifice (2);   Sacrifices ;   Sanctify, Sanctification;   Vicarious Sacrifice;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Propitiation;   8 To Love, Have Affection for;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Propitiation;   Smith Bible Dictionary - John, the First Epistle General of;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - John the Baptist;   Propitiation;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Atonement;   Brotherly Kindness;   For;   Here;   Johannine Theology, the;   John, the Epistles of;   Justification;   Propitiation;  

Devotionals:

- Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life - Devotion for September 24;   Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for December 25;   Every Day Light - Devotion for November 28;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
King James Version (1611)
Herein is loue, not that wee loued God, but that he loued vs, and sent his Sonne to be ye propitiation for our sins.
King James Version
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
English Standard Version
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
New American Standard Bible
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.
New Century Version
This is what real love is: It is not our love for God; it is God's love for us. He sent his Son to die in our place to take away our sins.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
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.
Berean Standard Bible
And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Complete Jewish Bible
Here is what love is: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the kapparah for our sins.
Darby Translation
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son a propitiation for our sins.
Easy-to-Read Version
True love is God's love for us, not our love for God. He sent his Son as the way to take away our sins.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Herein is that loue, not that we loued God, but that he loued vs, and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes.
George Lamsa Translation
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that God loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Good News Translation
This is what love is: it is not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the means by which our sins are forgiven.
Lexham English Bible
In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Literal Translation
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be a propitiation relating to our sins.
Amplified Bible
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [that is, the atoning sacrifice, and the satisfying offering] for our sins [fulfilling God's requirement for justice against sin and placating His wrath].
American Standard Version
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Bible in Basic English
And this is love, not that we had love for God, but that he had love for us, and sent his Son to be an offering for our sins.
Hebrew Names Version
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
International Standard Version
This is love: not that we have lovedwe loved
">[fn] God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.John 15:16; Romans 5:8,10; Titus 3:4; 1 John 2:2;">[xr]
Etheridge Translation
In this is love: it was not that we had loved Aloha, but that Aloha himself loved us, and sent his Son a propitiation for our sins.
Murdock Translation
In this is love; it was not that we loved God, but that God loved us, and sent his Son a propitiation for our sins.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Herein is loue, not that we loued God, but that he loued vs, and sent his sonne to be the agreement for our sinnes.
English Revised Version
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins.
World English Bible
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Herein is love; not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son, a propitiation for our sins.
Weymouth's New Testament
This is love indeed--we did not love God, but He loved us and sent His Son to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
In this thing is charite, not as we hadden loued God, but for he firste louede vs, and sente hise sone foryyuenesse for oure synnes.
Update Bible Version
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.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
New English Translation
In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
New King James Version
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.
New Living Translation
This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
New Life Bible
This is love! It is not that we loved God but that He loved us. For God sent His Son to pay for our sins with His own blood.
New Revised Standard
In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Herein, is love: not that, we, have loved God, but that, he, loved us, and sent forth his Son, as a propitiation concerning our sins.
Douay-Rheims Bible
In this is charity: not as though we had loved God, but because he hath first loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins.
Revised Standard Version
In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Herin is love not that we loved god but that he loved vs and sent his sonne to make agrement for oure sinnes.
Young's Literal Translation
in this is the love, not that we loved God, but that He did love us, and did send His Son a propitiation for our sins.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Herein is loue, not that we loued God, but that he loued vs, and sent his sonne to make agremet for oure synnes.
Mace New Testament (1729)
and what heightens his love, was this, that it was not we who first loved God, but it was he that first loved us, and sent his son to expiate our sins.
Simplified Cowboy Version
This is what tying hard and fast to love looks like. It's ain't about how much we love God, but about how much he loved us by sending his Son in order to forgive our sins.

Contextual Overview

7 My dear friends, we must love each other. Love comes from God, and when we love each other, it shows that we have been given new life. We are now God's children, and we know him. 8 God is love, and anyone who doesn't love others has never known him. 9 God showed his love for us when he sent his only Son into the world to give us life. 10 Real love isn't our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we must love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is truly in our hearts. 13 God has given us his Spirit. That is how we know that we are one with him, just as he is one with us.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Herein: 1 John 4:8, 1 John 4:9, 1 John 3:1

not: 1 John 4:19, Deuteronomy 7:7, Deuteronomy 7:8, John 15:16, Romans 5:8-10, Romans 8:29, Romans 8:30, 2 Corinthians 5:19-21, Ephesians 2:4, Ephesians 2:5, Titus 3:3-5

and sent: 1 John 2:2, Daniel 9:24, Romans 3:25, Romans 3:26, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 3:18

Reciprocal: Genesis 22:2 - Take Genesis 22:12 - seeing Exodus 40:6 - General Leviticus 4:31 - a sweet Leviticus 4:35 - and the priest shall make Leviticus 23:28 - General Deuteronomy 24:22 - General Psalms 36:7 - How Psalms 47:4 - whom Isaiah 9:6 - unto us a son Isaiah 53:10 - he hath Isaiah 63:9 - in his Isaiah 64:4 - have not Zechariah 2:8 - sent Zechariah 13:7 - smite Matthew 7:11 - how Mark 9:7 - This Luke 1:78 - tender Luke 2:14 - good Luke 10:37 - Go John 1:29 - which John 3:12 - heavenly John 3:16 - God John 8:42 - neither John 11:36 - Behold John 11:42 - that thou Romans 1:3 - his Son Romans 4:25 - Who was Romans 5:15 - and the gift Romans 8:28 - them Romans 8:32 - that Romans 8:37 - him Romans 8:39 - love 2 Corinthians 5:18 - who 2 Corinthians 9:15 - his Galatians 2:20 - the Son Galatians 3:13 - redeemed Galatians 4:4 - God Ephesians 1:7 - whom Colossians 1:20 - having made peace 2 Thessalonians 2:13 - beloved 2 Thessalonians 2:16 - which 1 Timothy 1:14 - with 1 Timothy 1:15 - that 1 Timothy 2:6 - gave Hebrews 2:9 - by James 1:17 - good 1 Peter 1:20 - but 1 John 3:16 - perceive 1 John 4:14 - the Father 1 John 4:16 - we 1 John 5:6 - blood 2 John 1:3 - the Son Revelation 1:5 - him

Cross-References

Genesis 3:13
The Lord God then asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The snake tricked me," she answered. "And I ate some of that fruit."
Genesis 4:9
Afterwards the Lord asked Cain, "Where is Abel?" "How should I know?" he answered. "Am I supposed to look after my brother?"
Genesis 4:10
Then the Lord said: Why have you done this terrible thing? You killed your own brother, and his blood flowed onto the ground. Now his blood is calling out for me to punish you.
Genesis 9:5
I created humans to be like me, and I will punish any animal or person that takes a human life. If an animal kills someone, that animal must die. And if a person takes the life of another, that person must be put to death.
Genesis 18:20
The Lord said, "Abraham, I have heard that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are doing all kinds of evil things.
Exodus 3:7
The Lord said: I have seen how my people are suffering as slaves in Egypt, and I have heard them beg for my help because of the way they are being mistreated. I feel sorry for them,
Numbers 35:33
I, the Lord , live among you people of Israel, so your land must be kept pure. But when a murder takes place, blood pollutes the land, and it becomes unclean. If that happens, the murderer must be put to death, so the land will be clean again. Keep murder out of Israel!
Joshua 7:19
"Achan," Joshua said, "the Lord God of Israel has decided that you are guilty. Is this true? Tell me what you did, and don't try to hide anything."
Job 16:18
If I should die, I beg the earth not to cover my cry for justice.
Job 24:12
And along the city streets, the wounded and dying cry out, yet God does nothing.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Herein is love,.... The love of God, free love, love that cannot be matched: herein it is manifested, as before; this is a clear evidence of it, an undoubted proof, and puts it out of all question:

not that we loved God: the love of God is antecedent to the love of his people; it was when theirs was not; when they were without love to him, yea, enemies in their minds, by wicked works, and even enmity itself, and therefore was not procured by theirs; but on the contrary, their love to him is caused by his love to them; hence his love, and a continuance in it, do not depend on theirs; nor does it vary according to theirs; wherefore there is good reason to believe it will continue, and never be removed; and this shows the sovereignty and freeness of the love of God, and that it is surprising and matchless:

but that he loved us; that is, God; and so the Syriac version reads, "but that God himself loved us". The Vulgate Latin version adds, first, as in 1 John 4:19; the instance of this love follows:

and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins: this is a subordinate end to the other, mentioned in 1 John 4:9; for, in order that sinful men may possess everlasting life and happiness, it is necessary that their sins be expiated, or atonement be made for them, which is meant by Christ's being a propitiation for them; that the justice of God should be satisfied; that peace and righteousness, or love and justice, should be reconciled together; and kiss each other; and that all obstructions be removed out of the way of the enjoyment of life, which are brought in by sin; and that the wrath of God, which sin deserved, be averted or appeased, according to our sense apprehension of it; for otherwise the love of God people is from everlasting, and is unchangeable, never alters, or never changes from love to wrath, or from wrath to love; nor is the love of God procured by the satisfaction and sacrifice of Christ, which are the effects of it; but hereby the way is laid open for the display of it, and the application of its effects, in a way consistent with the law and justice of God. This phrase is expressive of the great love of Christ to his people, and of his substitution in their room and stead; and so it is used among the Jews for a substitution in the room of others, לרוב אהבתו, "to express the greatness of love" u; 1 John 4:9- : and

1 John 4:9- :.

u Misn. Negaim, c. 2. sect. 1. Maimon. & Bartenora in ib. Misn. Sanhedrin, c. 2. sect. 1. & Jarchi & Bartenora in ib. vid. T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 23. 1. & Succa, fol. 20. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Herein is love - In this great gift is the highest expression of love, as if it had done all that it can do.

Not that we loved God - Not that we were in such a state that we might suppose he would make such a sacrifice for us, but just the opposite. If we had loved and obeyed him, we might have had reason to believe that he would be willing to show his love to us in a corresponding manner. But we were alienated from him. We had even no desire for his friendship and favor. In This state he showed the greatness of his love for us by giving his Son to die for his enemies. See the notes at Romans 5:7-8.

But that he loved us - Not that he approved our character, but that he desired our welfare. Hc loved us not with the love of complacency, but with the love of benevolence.

And sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins - On the meaning of the word “propitiation,” see the notes at Romans 3:25. Compare the notes at 1 John 2:2.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 10. Not that we loved God — And that he was thereby induced to give his Son to be a propitiation for our sins. No: we were enemies to God, and yet Christ died for our ungodly souls. (See Romans 5:6-11, and the notes there.) So it was God's love, not our merit, that induced him to devise means that his banished might not be expelled from him.


 
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