SEV Biblia, Chapter 4:10
En esto consiste la caridad, no porque nosotros hayamos amado a Dios, sino porque l nos am a nosotros, y ha enviado a su Hijo para ser aplacacin por nuestros pecados.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 John 4:10
Verse 10. Not that we loved God] And that he was thereby induced to give his Son to be a propitiation for our sins. No: we were enemies to God, and yet Christ died for our ungodly souls. (See Rom. v. 6-11, and the notes there.) So it was God's love, not our merit, that induced him to devise means that his banished might not be expelled from him.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 10. Herein is love , &c.] The love of God, free love, love that cannot be matched: herein it is manifested, as before; this is a clear evidence of it, an undoubted proof, and puts it out of all question: not that we loved God : the love of God is antecedent to the love of his people; it was when theirs was not; when they were without love to him, yea, enemies in their minds, by wicked works, and even enmity itself, and therefore was not procured by theirs; but on the contrary, their love to him is caused by his love to them; hence his love, and a continuance in it, do not depend on theirs; nor does it vary according to theirs; wherefore there is good reason to believe it will continue, and never be removed; and this shows the sovereignty and freeness of the love of God, and that it is surprising and matchless: but that he loved us ; that is, God; and so the Syriac version reads, but that God himself loved us. The Vulgate Latin version adds, first, as in ( John 4:19); the instance of this love follows: and sent his Son [to be] the propitiation for our sins : this is a subordinate end to the other, mentioned in ( 1 John 4:9); for, in order that sinful men may possess everlasting life and happiness, it is necessary that their sins be expiated, or atonement be made for them, which is meant by Christ's being a propitiation for them; that the justice of God should be satisfied; that peace and righteousness, or love and justice, should be reconciled together; and kiss each other; and that all obstructions be removed out of the way of the enjoyment of life, which are brought in by sin; and that the wrath of God, which sin deserved, be averted or appeased, according to our sense apprehension of it; for otherwise the love of God people is from everlasting, and is unchangeable, never alters, or never changes from love to wrath, or from wrath to love; nor is the love of God procured by the satisfaction and sacrifice of Christ, which are the effects of it; but hereby the way is laid open for the display of it, and the application of its effects, in a way consistent with the law and justice of God. This phrase is expressive of the great love of Christ to his people, and of his substitution in their room and stead; and so it is used among the Jews for a substitution in the room of others, wtbha bwrl , to express the greatness of love f44 ; (see Gill on Romans 3:25) and (see Gill on Romans 9:3).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 7-13 - The Spirit of God is the Spirit of love. He that does not love the image of God in his people, has no saving knowledge of God. For it is God's nature to be kind, and to give happiness. The law of God is love and all would have been perfectly happy, had all obeyed it. The provision of the gospel, for the forgiveness of sin, and the salvatio of sinners, consistently with God's glory and justice, shows that God is love. Mystery and darkness rest upon many things yet. God has s shown himself to be love, that we cannot come short of eterna happiness, unless through unbelief and impenitence, although stric justice would condemn us to hopeless misery, because we break ou Creator's laws. None of our words or thoughts can do justice to the free, astonishing love of a holy God towards sinners, who could no profit or harm him, whom he might justly crush in a moment, and whose deserving of his vengeance was shown in the method by which they wer saved, though he could by his almighty Word have created other worlds with more perfect beings, if he had seen fit. Search we the whol universe for love in its most glorious displays? It is to be found in the person and the cross of Christ. Does love exist between God an sinners? Here was the origin, not that we loved God, but that he freel loved us. His love could not be designed to be fruitless upon us, an when its proper end and issue are gained and produced, it may be sai to be perfected. So faith is perfected by its works. Thus it wil appear that God dwells in us by his new-creating Spirit. A lovin Christian is a perfect Christian; set him to any good duty, and he is perfect to it, he is expert at it. Love oils the wheels of his affections, and sets him on that which is helpful to his brethren. man that goes about a business with ill will, always does it badly That God dwells in us and we in him, were words too high for mortals to use, had not God put them before us. But how may it be known whethe the testimony to this does proceed from the Holy Ghost? Those who ar truly persuaded that they are the sons of God, cannot but call his Abba, Father. From love to him, they hate sin, and whatever disagree with his will, and they have a sound and hearty desire to do his will Such testimony is the testimony of the Holy Ghost.
Greek Textus Receptus
εν 1722 τουτω 5129 εστιν 2076 5748 η 3588 αγαπη 26 ουχ 3756 οτι 3754 ημεις 2249 ηγαπησαμεν 25 5656 τον 3588 θεον 2316 αλλ 235 οτι 3754 αυτος 846 ηγαπησεν 25 5656 ημας 2248 και 2532 απεστειλεν 649 5656 τον 3588 υιον 5207 αυτου 846 ιλασμον 2434 περι 4012 των 3588 αμαρτιων 266 ημων 2257
Vincent's NT Word Studies
10. Propitiation. See on ii. 2.
