Conservative Friends Bible Study of 1 John #10 Chapter 4 Verses 7-16

Ohio Yearly Meeting's Podcast

The podcast begins with a question about a commentator’s interpretation given in a particular commentary on the word, “schism”. The commentator seemed to believe that the individuals who left John’s congregation may have been pushed out, rather than having left by their own decision. Henry responds that there is really nothing in 1 John that seems to indicate they were pushed out.

Another question arises on the roots and perhaps deeper meanings of the Greek word for truth, “alithea”, prompting a brief word study of that word.

Verse 7
Henry begins the study of verse 7 with an examination of the frequent use in 1 John of the Greek word, “agape”, love. While the noun, “beloved” in the Greek is in the masculine form, it is inclusive, meaning unconditional, love to both men and women.

The word “gnosko” (knows) means to have a deep experience with something. To know God is to have personally experienced Him at a deep level.

In the Greek, these words, “ek tou”, mean “from”. In the early modern English (at the time of the writing of the KJV), the word, “of”, also meant, “from”. Thus, “everyone that loveth is born of God” was understood then and should be understood today as “is born from God”.

Verse 10
“ . . . and sent his Son to be the propitiation [Greek: hilasmos] for our sins. . . . ” The word propitiation in English is “atonement” and is perhaps easier understood as: “at oneness”. We can be made at one with God because of Christ’s sacrifice. A few other English words with the same root as atonement are: one, only, and alone. The New Testament makes it very clear that the atonement was not just for Christians (as some denominations wrongly believe), but for anyone in the world . . . “whosoever”. (John 3:15)

Verse 12
In the phrase, “No man hath seen God at any time”, the Greek word, “theaomai” (frequently translated only as “see”, or “seen”) has a much deeper meaning: it means “to perceive”, “to gaze upon intently”, or “to perceive something at a deeper level above and beyond that which is seen with the eye.” “He perceived much error within us” would be a synonymous meaning of the word, “theaomai.”

The word, “perfected” (Greek: “teleioo”, in the phrase, “. . . his love is perfected in us” has a very different meaning than what the word, “perfect” means today: with no error. In the Greek, (and in the KJV), the word, perfect, means, “fully developed”, “mature”, “complete”, almost in the same sense as a fruit that has become totally juicy and ripe. Thus, spiritually, it means “be spiritually, fully developed”, The maturity varies with the individual and his unique giftedness. The growth to full development comes from Him, not through things we have striven to attain.

Verse 13
To abide (Greek: meno) is “stay”, “continue”, “remain”. We remain (abide) in Him, and He remains in us.

The advice in our introduction is from the Ohio Yearly Meeting's Book of Discipline.

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