1 John 4:12

4:12 No one has seen God at any time. ¹  If we love one another, God resides ²  in us, and his love is perfected in us. ³ 

1 John 4:20

4:20 If anyone says ⁴  “I love God” and yet ⁵  hates his fellow Christian, ⁶  he is a liar, because the one who does not love his fellow Christian ⁷  whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. ⁸ 

[4:12]  ¹ sn An allusion to John 1:18.

[4:12]  ² tn The phrase “God resides in us” (ὁ θεὸς ἐν ἡμῖν μένει, Jo qeo" en Jhmin menei) in 4:12 is a reference to the permanent relationship which God has with the believer. Here it refers specifically to God’s indwelling of the believer in the person of the Holy Spirit, as indicated by 4:13b. Since it refers to state and not to change of status it is here translated “resides” (see 2:6).

[4:12]  ³ tn The phrase “his [God’s] love is perfected (τετελειωμένη ἐστίν, teteleiwmenh estin) in us” in 4:12 is difficult. First it is necessary to decide whether αὐτοῦ (autou), which refers to God, is (1) subjective (God’s love for us) or (2) objective (our love for God). It is clear that a subjective genitive, stressing God’s love for us, is in view here, because the immediate context, 4:11a, has believers as the objects of God’s love (ὁ θεὸς ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς, Jo qeo" hgaphsen Jhma"). The entire phrase ἡ ἀγάπη αὐτοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν τετελειωμένη ἐστίν (Jh agaph autou en Jhmin teteleiwmenh estin) then refers to what happens when believers love one another (note the protasis of the conditional sentence in 4:12, ἐάν ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους [ean agapwmen allhlou"]). The love that comes from God, the love that he has for us, reaches perfection in our love for others, which is what God wants and what believers are commanded to do (see 3:23b).

[4:20]  ⁴ tn Grk “if anyone should say…”

[4:20]  ⁵ tn “Yet” is supplied to bring out the contrast.

[4:20]  ⁶ tn See note on the phrase “fellow Christian” in 2:9.

[4:20]  ⁷ tn See note on the phrase “fellow Christian” in 2:9.

[4:20]  ⁸ sn In 4:20 the author again describes the opponents, who claim to love God. Their failure to show love for their fellow Christians proves their claim to know God to be false: The one who does not love his fellow Christian whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.