1 John 4:16
New International Version
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

New Living Translation
We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

English Standard Version
So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Berean Standard Bible
And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

Berean Literal Bible
And we have come to know and have come to believe the love that God has as to us. God is love, and the one abiding in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

King James Bible
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

New King James Version
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

New American Standard Bible
We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.

NASB 1995
We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

NASB 1977
And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Legacy Standard Bible
And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has in us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Amplified Bible
We have come to know [by personal observation and experience], and have believed [with deep, consistent faith] the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides continually in him.

Christian Standard Bible
And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.

American Standard Version
And we know and have believed the love which God hath in us. God is love; and he that abideth in love abideth in God, and God abideth in him.

Contemporary English Version
and are sure God loves us. God is love. If we keep on loving others, we will stay one in our hearts with God, and he will stay one with us.

English Revised Version
And we know and have believed the love which God hath in us. God is love; and he that abideth in love abideth in God, and God abideth in him.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
We have known and believed that God loves us. God is love. Those who live in God's love live in God, and God lives in them.

Good News Translation
And we ourselves know and believe the love which God has for us. God is love, and those who live in love live in union with God and God lives in union with them.

International Standard Version
We have come to know and rely on the love that God has for us. God is love, and the person who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Majority Standard Bible
And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

NET Bible
And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has in us. God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him.

New Heart English Bible
We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.

Webster's Bible Translation
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love: and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Weymouth New Testament
And, as for us, we know the love which God has for us, and we confide in it. God is love, and he who continues to love continues in union with God, and God continues in union with him.

World English Bible
We know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and he who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and we have known and believed the love that God has in us; God is love, and he who is remaining in love, remains in God, and God in him.

Berean Literal Bible
And we have come to know and have come to believe the love that God has as to us. God is love, and the one abiding in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Young's Literal Translation
and we -- we have known and believed the love, that God hath in us; God is love, and he who is remaining in the love, in God he doth remain, and God in him.

Smith's Literal Translation
And we have known and have believed the love which God has in us. God is love; and he remaining in love remains in God, and God in him.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And we have known, and have believed the charity, which God hath to us. God is charity: and he that abideth in charity, abideth in God, and God in him.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love. And he who abides in love, abides in God, and God in him.

New American Bible
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.

New Revised Standard Version
So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And we have believed and have known the love that God has for us. God is love; and he who dwells in love, abides in God.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And we believe and we know the love that God has for us, for God is love, and everyone who dwells in love dwells in God.
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And we have known and believed the love which God has for us. God is love; and he that dwells in love, dwells in God, and God in him.

Godbey New Testament
And we have known and we have believed the divine love which God has in us. God is divine love; and the one abiding in divine love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Haweis New Testament
And we have known and believed the love which God hath towards us. God is love; and he that abideth in love, abideth in God, and God in him.

Mace New Testament
and we have known, and are convinced that God hath loved us. God is love; and he that cultivates social affection, dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Weymouth New Testament
And, as for us, we know the love which God has for us, and we confide in it. God is love, and he who continues to love continues in union with God, and God continues in union with him.

Worrell New Testament
And we have known and believed the love which God hath in us. God is love, and he that abides in love abides in God, and God abideth in him.

Worsley New Testament
And we have known and believed the love which God hath towards us: for God is love; and he, that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Love Comes from God
15If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God is love; whoever abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love has been perfected among us, so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; for in this world we are just like Him.…

Cross References
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor principalities, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, / neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 John 3:24
Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.

John 15:9-10
As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you. Remain in My love. / If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.

Ephesians 3:17-19
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Then you, being rooted and grounded in love, / will have power, together with all the saints, to comprehend the length and width and height and depth / of the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

1 John 2:5
But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God has been truly perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him:

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. / It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. / Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. ...

John 14:23
Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.

Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

1 John 2:27
And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.

Psalm 136:1-3
Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good. His loving devotion endures forever. / Give thanks to the God of gods. His loving devotion endures forever. / Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His loving devotion endures forever.

Jeremiah 31:3
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with loving devotion.

Deuteronomy 7:9
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.

Psalm 103:17
But from everlasting to everlasting the loving devotion of the LORD extends to those who fear Him, and His righteousness to their children’s children—

Isaiah 54:10
Though the mountains may be removed and the hills may be shaken, My loving devotion will not depart from you, and My covenant of peace will not be broken,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you.


Treasury of Scripture

And we have known and believed the love that God has to us. God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him.

we.

1 John 4:9,10
In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him…

1 John 3:1,16
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not…

Psalm 18:1-3
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the LORD, who spake unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he said, I will love thee, O LORD, my strength…

God is love.

1 John 4:8,12,13
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love…

and he.

1 John 4:12
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

1 John 3:24
And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

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Abides Abideth Believe Believed Confide Continues Dwelleth Faith Love Rely Remaining Union
1 John 4
1. He warns them not to believe all who boast of the Spirit;
7. and exhorts to brotherly love.














And so we know
The phrase "And so we know" emphasizes the certainty and assurance that believers have in their relationship with God. The Greek word for "know" here is "γινώσκομεν" (ginōskomen), which implies an experiential knowledge, not just intellectual understanding. This knowledge is rooted in a personal relationship with God, cultivated through faith and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Historically, this reflects the early Christian community's confidence in their faith despite external challenges and persecutions.

and rely on
The word "rely" is translated from the Greek "πιστεύομεν" (pisteuomen), which is often rendered as "believe" or "trust." This indicates a deep-seated trust and dependence on God's love. In a conservative Christian perspective, this reliance is not passive but an active, daily commitment to live in accordance with God's will, trusting in His promises and faithfulness.

the love God has for us
This phrase underscores the central theme of God's love, which is foundational to Christian theology. The Greek word for love here is "ἀγάπη" (agapē), denoting a selfless, sacrificial love that seeks the best for others. This love is not just an attribute of God but is His very nature. Historically, this understanding of divine love was revolutionary, contrasting with the capricious and often self-serving deities of the Greco-Roman world.

God is love
This profound statement encapsulates the essence of God's character. The Greek construction "ὁ Θεὸς ἀγάπη ἐστίν" (ho Theos agapē estin) is emphatic, declaring that love is not merely an action God performs but is intrinsic to His being. This truth is central to the Christian faith, affirming that all of God's actions are motivated by love. It challenges believers to reflect this divine love in their own lives.

whoever abides in love
The term "abides" comes from the Greek "μένει" (menei), meaning to remain, dwell, or continue. It suggests a continuous, enduring relationship with God, characterized by living in His love. This abiding is not a transient experience but a permanent state of being for the believer. In the historical context, this was a call for the early Christians to remain steadfast in their faith amidst trials.

abides in God
To "abide in God" means to live in constant fellowship with Him, drawing strength and guidance from His presence. This relationship is reciprocal, as God also abides in the believer. Theologically, this speaks to the intimate union between God and His people, made possible through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

and God in him
This phrase highlights the mutual indwelling of God and the believer. It is a profound mystery that God chooses to make His home within us. This indwelling is a source of comfort and empowerment, enabling believers to live out their faith authentically. Historically, this concept was a source of hope and encouragement for the early church, affirming that they were never alone in their spiritual journey.

Verse 16. - And we have come to know and believe. Both perfects are virtually presents, expressing the present continuance of a condition begun in the past: "We know and continue to believe." Experience and faith are intimately connected; and sometimes the one precedes, sometimes the other (John 6:69). As in verse 9 ἐν ἡμῖν should be rendered in us, not "to us" or "toward us;" and here also the interpretation, "in our case," is certainly possible, and perhaps safer. But the meaning may be that the object of our knowledge and faith is that portion of his own love which God has in us. It is "in us," and is exercised towards him and our brethren, but in reality it is his - it is himself abiding in us. In either case love is the object of our faith. Thus love is not only the true note of the Church (John 13:35), it is also the Church's creed. The second half of the verse restates the main proposition of this section with a view to further development.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
And
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

we
ἡμεῖς (hēmeis)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

have come to know
ἐγνώκαμεν (egnōkamen)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1097: A prolonged form of a primary verb; to 'know' in a great variety of applications and with many implications.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

believe
πεπιστεύκαμεν (pepisteukamen)
Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 1st Person Plural
Strong's 4100: From pistis; to have faith, i.e. Credit; by implication, to entrust.

the
τὴν (tēn)
Article - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

love
ἀγάπην (agapēn)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 26: From agapao; love, i.e. Affection or benevolence; specially a love-feast.

that
ἣν (hēn)
Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3739: Who, which, what, that.

God
Θεὸς (Theos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

has
ἔχει (echei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

for
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

us.
ἡμῖν (hēmin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

God
Θεὸς (Theos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

is
ἐστίν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

love;
ἀγάπη (agapē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 26: From agapao; love, i.e. Affection or benevolence; specially a love-feast.

whoever
(ho)
Article - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

abides
μένων (menōn)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3306: To remain, abide, stay, wait; with acc: I wait for, await. A primary verb; to stay.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

love
ἀγάπῃ (agapē)
Noun - Dative Feminine Singular
Strong's 26: From agapao; love, i.e. Affection or benevolence; specially a love-feast.

abides
μένει (menei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 3306: To remain, abide, stay, wait; with acc: I wait for, await. A primary verb; to stay.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

God,
Θεῷ (Theō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

God
Θεὸς (Theos)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316: A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

him.
αὐτῷ (autō)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.


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NT Letters: 1 John 4:16 We know and have believed the love (1J iJ 1Jn i jn 1 jo)
1 John 4:15
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