4:16 (Alternative Interpretations)

There are different ways of understanding how this verse fits with the verses before and after it:

(1) The whole verse is probably the third part of the section 4:13–16. (See the note on 4:13–16, Theme.) It should therefore be linked to the previous verse by a conjunction like “And/Also,” or by no conjunction at all. There is then a paragraph break after this verse.

(2) Some think that the first sentence of this verse is a summary of 4:13–15, and that a new paragraph starts with the sentence “God is love.” In that case the verse should start with a phrase like “(And) so.” (New International Version (2011 Revision), Good News Translation, New English Bible)

4:16a

we: (Pronoun System) If your language distinguishes between exclusive and inclusive “we,” you should mark the pronoun in this and the following verses as inclusive. It means “we apostles and you believers,” and contrasts with the exclusive “we” of 4:14.

the love that God has for us: (Meaning) This may be translated “God’s love for us” or “God loves us.” (See The Jerusalem Bible and Display.) It refers to all God’s love, both his past love in sending Christ as our Savior, and his present love expressed by the Holy Spirit in us.

4:16b

God is love: (Meaning) See the note on 4:8b. The meaning is the same here.

4:16c

whoever abides…: (Logical Relationship) This is a result of the previous statement. It can be linked by a conjunction like “So,” or the two statements can be restructured as one sentence.

abides in love: (Collocation) In your language it may sound unnatural to say that a person abides in an abstract quality like love. If so, this should be treated as a metaphor, and the basic meaning could be translated, as in the Display.

love: (Lexical Problem) In your language you may need to use a verb here and to make clear the object of the person’s love. Since John is talking about love in general, it would be best to translate, “loves other people and God.”

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