1 John 4:7

Dear friends, we must love each other, because God enables us to love each other, and because those who love their fellow believers have become God’s children and ◄know/have a close relationship with► him.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

In Context

6As for us (exc), because we belong to God, whoever ◄knows/has a close relationship with► God listens to us. But those who do not belong to God do not listen to us. That is how we can know whether the things that people are teaching [MTY] are true or whether they are false, and deceiving people.

8God’s nature is to love all people. So those who do not love their fellow believers do not ◄know/have a relationship with► God.

Read all of 1 John 4

Cross References

John 17:3The way for people to live eternally is for them to know that you are the only true God, and to know that I, Jesus, am the Messiah, the one you have sent.

Galatians 4:9But now you have come to know God. Perhaps it would be better to say that now God knows you. So now you are acting foolishly! ◄You are again believing that by obeying rules and rites you will benefit spiritually! [RHQ] Those rules are ineffective and inadequate! You are wanting to obey them again [MET] like slaves obey their masters. [RHQ]

1 Thessalonians 4:9I want to urge you again that you should love your fellow believers [MET]. You do not really need that anyone write to you about that, because God has already taught you how to love each other,

1 Peter 1:22Because you have been made pure by obeying the truth, with the result that you sincerely love your fellow believers, continue to love each other earnestly and sincerely/wholeheartedly.

1 John 2:29Since you know that Christ always does what is right, you know that all those who continue doing what is right are the ones who have become children of God.

1 John 4:8God’s nature is to love all people. So those who do not love their fellow believers do not ◄know/have a relationship with► God.

Matthew Henry on 1 John 4:5-7

Danger of Antichristian Spirit. ( a. d. 80.) 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. 5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. 6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. In these verses the apostle encourages the disciples against the fear and danger of this seducing antichristian… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study 1 John 4:7