1 John 4:11

1 John 4:11 KJV

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Commentary

This verse comes in the midst of John's profound discussion on the nature of God as love and the command for believers to love one another. Having just stated that "God is love" (v. 8, 16) and that God demonstrated His love by sending His Son (v. 9-10), John now draws a direct conclusion.

The phrase "Beloved" (Ἀγαπητοί - Agapētoi) is a term of endearment John frequently uses, addressing fellow Christians with affection and reminding them of their shared identity in Christ.

"If God so loved us" doesn't express doubt, but rather emphasizes the *magnitude* and *quality* of God's love. The "so" (οὕτως - houtōs) points back to the description of God's love in the preceding verses – a love demonstrated through the ultimate sacrifice of sending His Son to be a propitiation for our sins (v. 10). It is a sacrificial, initiating, and undeserved love.

The conclusion, "we ought also to love one another," presents this mutual love among believers not as an option, but as a necessary consequence and obligation ("ought" - ὀφείλομεν - opheilemen, implying a debt owed or a moral necessity) stemming from having received God's immense love. Our love for one another is the proper response to God's love for us and serves as evidence that His love is perfected or completed in us (v. 12).

Key Themes: The reciprocal relationship between God's love and human love, the Christian community's obligation to love based on God's example, love as a defining mark of genuine faith.

Practical Application: This verse challenges believers to look at the depth of God's love for them and recognize that this love compels and enables them to love others, especially fellow believers, in a tangible and sacrificial way, mirroring the love they have received.

Cross-References:

• John 13:34 - A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
• 1 John 3:16 - Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
• Ephesians 5:2 - And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.