1Jo 4:9, 19 | JFB | STEP | 9. toward us — Greek, "in our case." sent — Greek, " hath sent." into the world —a proof against Socinians, that the Son existed before He was "sent into the world." Otherwise, too, He could not have been our life ( ), our " propitiation " ( ), or our "Saviour" ( ). It is the grand proof of God's love, His having sent " His only-begotten Son, that we might live through Him, " who is the Life, and who has redeemed our forfeited life; and it is also the grand motive to our mutual love.

1 John 4:9

9. toward us—Greek, "in our case."

sent—Greek, "hath sent."

into the world—a proof against Socinians, that the Son existed before He was "sent into the world." Otherwise, too, He could not have been our life (1Jo 4:9), our "propitiation" (1Jo 4:10), or our "Saviour" (1Jo 4:14). It is the grand proof of God's love, His having sent "His only-begotten Son, that we might live through Him," who is the Life, and who has redeemed our forfeited life; and it is also the grand motive to our mutual love.

1 John 4:19

19. him—omitted in the oldest manuscripts. Translate, We (emphatical: WE on our part) love (in general: love alike Him, and the brethren, and our fellow men), because He (emphatical: answering to "we"; because it was He who) first loved us in sending His Son (Greek aorist of a definite act at a point of time). He was the first to love us: this thought ought to create in us love casting out fear (1Jo 4:18).