1Jo 4:13-16 | JFB | STEP | 13. Hereby —"Herein." The token vouchsafed to us of God's dwelling ( Greek, "abide") in us, though we see Him not, is this, that He hath given us "of His Spirit" ( ). Where the Spirit of God is, there God is. ONE Spirit dwells in the Church: each believer receives a measure "of" that Spirit in the proportion God thinks fit. Love is His first-fruit ( ). In Jesus alone the Spirit dwelt without measure ( ).

1 John 4:13-16

13. Hereby—"Herein." The token vouchsafed to us of God's dwelling (Greek, "abide") in us, though we see Him not, is this, that He hath given us "of His Spirit" (1Jo 3:24). Where the Spirit of God is, there God is. ONE Spirit dwells in the Church: each believer receives a measure "of" that Spirit in the proportion God thinks fit. Love is His first-fruit (Ga 5:22). In Jesus alone the Spirit dwelt without measure (Joh 3:34).

14. And we—primarily, we apostles, Christ's appointed eye-witnesses to testify to the facts concerning Him. The internal evidence of the indwelling Spirit (1Jo 4:13) is corroborated by the external evidence of the eye-witnesses to the fact of the Father having "sent His Son to be the Saviour of the world."

seen—Greek, "contemplated," "attentively beheld" (see on 1Jo 1:1).

sent—Greek, "hath sent": not an entirely past fact (aorist), but one of which the effects continue (perfect tense).

15. shall confess—once for all: so the Greek aorist means.

that Jesus is the Son of God—and therefore "the Saviour of the world" (1Jo 4:14).

16. And we—John and his readers (not as 1Jo 4:14, the apostles only).

known and believed—True faith, according to John, is a faith of knowledge and experience: true knowledge is a knowledge of faith [LUECKE].

to us—Greek, "in our case" (see on 1Jo 4:9).

dwelleth—Greek, "abideth." Compare with this verse, 1Jo 4:7.