Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 JOHN 4:10KJVWhat does 1 John 4:10 mean?
1 John 4:10 says that real love is not about us loving God first, but about God loving us and sending his Son to deal with our sins. The verse highlights that God took the initiative to love and help us, even before we ever loved him.
The apostle John is writing to early Christians, reminding them what true love looks like. He points out that God's love is shown most clearly in sending Jesus as a "propitiation"—meaning someone who deals with the problem of sin—so that the relationship between God and people could be restored.
The Greek behind 1 John 4:10
- ἀγάπη (agapē, G26): This word for "love" refers to a self-giving, sacrificial kind of love, not just feelings or affection. John uses it to describe the quality of God's love for people.
- ἱλασμός (hilasmos, G2434): Translated "propitiation," this word means something like "atoning sacrifice"—a way of dealing with sin so that the relationship with God is made right. This shows that Jesus's role was to address the problem of sin, not just to be an example.
- ἀπέσταλκεν (apestalken, G649): This word means "sent" and emphasizes that God took action first. God did not wait for people to love him before sending his Son.
Why 1 John 4:10 matters
- 1 John 4:10 clears up the idea that love starts with human effort; instead, it stresses that God's love comes first.
- The verse highlights that God's love is active and sacrificial, not just a feeling or attitude.
- By connecting love to Jesus's role as "propitiation," John ties the idea of love directly to God's action in dealing with sin, which shapes how Christians understand both love and forgiveness in the wider letter.