1 John 4:11
My dearest, if God hath so loved us; we also ought to love one another.
Open 1 John 4:11 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Carissimi, si sic Deus dilexit nos : et nos debemus alterutrum diligere.
- Greek New Testament (SBLGNT)
- ἀγαπητοί, εἰ οὕτως ὁ θεὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ἀλλήλους ἀγαπᾶν.
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine On the Holy Trinity, How the Holy Spirit is Called Love, and Whether He Alone is So Called. That the Holy Spirit is in the Scriptures Properly Called by the Name of Love
31. As, then, we call the only Word of God specially by the name of Wisdom, although universally both the Holy Spirit and the Father Himself is wisdom; so the Holy Spirit is specially called by the name of Love, although universally both the Father and the Son are love. But the Word of God, i.e. the only-begotten Son of God, is expressly called the Wisdom of God by the mouth of the apostle, where he says, “Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.” But where the Holy Spirit is called Love, is to be found by careful scrutiny of the language of John the apostle, who, after saying, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God,” has gone on to say, “And every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God; for God is love.” Here, manifestly, he has called that love God, which he said was of God; therefore God of God is love. …
St Augustine Ten Homilies on the First Epistle of John, 1 John IV. 4-12
9. “In this is love, in this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only-begotten Son into this world, that we may live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us:” we did not love Him first: for to this end loved He us, that we may love Him: “And sent His Son to be the Atoner for our sins: “ litatorem ,” i.e. one that sacrifices. He sacrificed for our sins. Where did He find the sacrifice? Where did He find the victim which he would offer pure? Other He found none; His own self He offered. “Beloved, if God so loved us we ought also to love one another. Peter,” saith He, “lovest thou me?” And he said, “I love.” “Feed my sheep.”