Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

1 John 4:10

This verse is not available in the MSG!

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.
Contemporary English Version
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.
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

7My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God. 11My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love! 13This is how we know we're living steadily and deeply in him, and he in us: He's given us life from his life, from his very own Spirit. Also, we've seen for ourselves and continue to state openly that the Father sent his Son as Savior of the world. Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God's Son participates continuously in an intimate relationship with God. We know it so well, we've embraced it heart and soul, this love that comes from God.

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 serpent seduced me," she said, "and I ate."
Genesis 4:9
God said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "How should I know? Am I his babysitter?"
Genesis 4:10
God said, "What have you done! The voice of your brother's blood is calling to me from the ground. From now on you'll get nothing but curses from this ground; you'll be driven from this ground that has opened its arms to receive the blood of your murdered brother. You'll farm this ground, but it will no longer give you its best. You'll be a homeless wanderer on Earth."
Genesis 9:5
"But your own lifeblood I will avenge; I will avenge it against both animals and other humans.
Genesis 18:20
God continued, "The cries of the victims in Sodom and Gomorrah are deafening; the sin of those cities is immense. I'm going down to see for myself, see if what they're doing is as bad as it sounds. Then I'll know."
Exodus 3:7
God said, "I've taken a good, long look at the affliction of my people in Egypt. I've heard their cries for deliverance from their slave masters; I know all about their pain. And now I have come down to help them, pry them loose from the grip of Egypt, get them out of that country and bring them to a good land with wide-open spaces, a land lush with milk and honey, the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
Numbers 35:33
"Don't pollute the land in which you live. Murder pollutes the land. The land can't be cleaned up of the blood of murder except through the blood of the murderer.
Joshua 7:19
Joshua spoke to Achan, "My son, give glory to God , the God of Israel. Make your confession to him. Tell me what you did. Don't keep back anything from me."
Job 16:18
"O Earth, don't cover up the wrong done to me! Don't muffle my cry! There must be Someone in heaven who knows the truth about me, in highest heaven, some Attorney who can clear my name— My Champion, my Friend, while I'm weeping my eyes out before God. I appeal to the One who represents mortals before God as a neighbor stands up for a neighbor. "Only a few years are left before I set out on the road of no return."
Isaiah 5:7
Do you get it? The vineyard of God -of-the-Angel-Armies is the country of Israel. All the men and women of Judah are the garden he was so proud of. He looked for a crop of justice and saw them murdering each other. He looked for a harvest of righteousness and heard only the moans of victims.

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.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile