2:5a

His word: (Lexical Problem) This refers to the same thing as “His commandments” in 2:3–4.

2:5b

the love of God: (Alternative Interpretations) The phrase the love of God could be understood in two different ways:

(1) It probably means “that person loves God” (Berean Standard Bible, Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Living Bible, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English). (John says the same thing in 5:3 in almost the same words.)

(2) However, some think it means “God loves that person” (New International Version (2011 Revision), The Jerusalem Bible, New English Bible).

been truly perfected: (Figure of Speech) John means that such a person loves God completely; his love has the full outcome that it should have.

2:5c

By this: (Logical Connection) The word this is pointing forward to the next verse. John is saying that the thing which shows whether we are “in God” is our behavior or manner of life (2:6 Berean Standard Bible “walk”). In 2:6 he explains why our behavior will show this. It may be necessary in translation to make some of these connections explicit.

in Him: (Collocation) This is John’s way of talking about our personal relationship and union with God. (See John 15:4–7, 17:21, 23). In some languages it sounds like nonsense if one talks about someone being “in” someone else. In such cases the translator needs to find how a very close relationship or association of two things would be referred to. See Good News Translation “in union with God.”

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.