Calvin

4:20

Such love as God engenders cannot exist without showing itself as love of brother. Such as claim the former without the latter are rightly declared liars. When we are exhorted from the position of needing to love those we can see, we are being reminded that God presents Himself to us in those who are His image; giving us opportunity to show our love for Him through our love for them. (Ps 16:2-3 - We are incapable of loving God properly in His invisible fullness, rather we show our love for Him to and through His saints here on earth.) Our love for God - whom we cannot see - is a product of our faith and His worthiness (1Pe 1:8 - we don't see Him now, yet we believe Him and love Him.)

4:21

His commandment to do so is a strong argument for the love of brother. Such love must, of course, begin in love for God, so that that love can make the transition to love of brother in us. [Thank You, again, Lord, for that reminder.]

5:1

Once more, faith and love are shown inseparable, in that God regenerates us by faith, causing in us the welling up of a love for Him as our Father. Jesus remains the solitary focus of such faith, being the sum of righteousness, life, and every blessing, and wholly God. Faith, believing in Christ, believes and knows also that all that Messiah promises will come. The title of Christ - which belongs solely to Jesus - is also pertinent, pointing out that unless we come to Him as our salvation (the office of Christ Messiah) we come to Him in futility. Daily, He offers Himself as our salvation. It remains for us to accept the offer. We cannot come to Jesus as Christ from our own strength, but must be drawn to Him by the Father (Jn 1:13 - our birth comes of God, not of man,) for that rebirth is unrecognizable to the physical senses, requiring the spiritual senses to understand (1Co 2:12 - without the Holy Spirit within, we cannot know what God has given us.) The begotten which the believer loves is intended to be his brothers, with Christ as begetter, not Christ with God as begetter. The argument is intended to show that brotherly love also finds its root in faith. This love for brother is not to stop within the fellowship of believers, but must also spread to include those who have not yet come to faith.

 

 

Matthew Henry

4:20-4:21

The reasons for love to our brothers in Christ are now given: it fits with and belongs to our profession of Christianity. As the eye has great influence on the heart, it is easier for us to love those things we can see. In this case, what we can see is a brother who shows much of God's image. If we cannot love the image of God, how then can we love God Himself? Further, this is the express command of the God we love - that we love those He loves; as they are derived from Him and received by Him, it is only natural that we who love Him ought also to love them.

5:1

Yet another reason we ought to love our brothers in Christ is the fact that they are our brothers; we are both children of God. His children are those who by faith believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God by office, God by nature, chief of all priests and others anointed of God. Furthermore, they are dignified by their descent from God's own lineage - having been begotten of Him. The love we have for the Father ought naturally to flow to His children in degree similar to their resemblance to Him; first to the Son who resembled Him perfectly, then to our brethren, who also are begotten of Him and resemble Him in part.

 

 

Adam Clarke

4:20

The commendation of brotherhood is directed largely at the Jews who had difficulty accepting Gentiles as brothers. (Ac 10:1-48 - Peter required a miracle to come around to acceptance of the Gentiles into God's plans.) Love for our brothers may come either from delight in their qualities or compassion for their circumstances. If such cannot move us to love, then God whom we cannot see cannot move us to love, and therefor His love is shown not to be in us.

4:21

"The love of God and the love of man can never be separated." We love with a measure of the love God has given us without measure from Himself.

5:1

Those who have believed Jesus is the Messiah, and have accepted His offered remission of sins, are begotten of God, and come to love God for His love. This love is bound to spread itself to all His children.

 

 

Barnes

4:20

Profession of faith becomes meaningless where love for our brethren is absent. Whether intentional or not, such a profession is shown to be false. If we do not love one who bears the divine image - who we can see - how then will we love the One whose image he bears - whom we cannot see?

4:21

As we love God, we are bound to keep His commandments; the foremost of which is to love God, followed by the command to love our brothers. If the one is binding on us, so the other. (Jas 2:10 - the whole of the Law is obligatory, to fail in one aspect is to fail completely. Jn 13:34-35 - We are to love each other as Jesus loved us. Jn 15:12 - Again, as He loved us. Jn 15:17 - We are to love one another - it's a command.)

5:1

As we believe - in such a way that we feel and act as though it's the truth - that Jesus is the anointed Messiah of God, fulfilling all the ramifications of that office; we are shown to be begotten of God. (Mk 16:16 - those who have believed (as noted above) are saved. Ac 8:37 - Full and heart-felt belief in Jesus as the Messiah is the sole requirement for salvation. Jn 3:3 - Rebirth in God is a prerequisite for seeing His kingdom. [This is not a second requirement for salvation, but an outflow of that salvation, I think.]) We who love the God who has begotten us and our brothers, will naturally love those brothers who are truly begotten of Him. As family, our mutual love ought to be expected.

 

 

Wycliffe

4:20-4:21

Our love for our visible brethren proves our love for invisible God, this is true piety and is the command of Christ. (Jn 13:34 - we are to love each other as He has loved us.)

5:1

Belief in Christ is the foundation of our fellowship. That Jesus was the Christ was denied by the Gnostics, and remains an essential test of true faith. God begets believers, to love the former ought to lead inexorably to love of the latter.

 

 

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

4:20

As nature precedes grace in us, so love of what we can see precedes love of that which can only be apprehended by faith. If we can't manage the natural, how then the graceful? In Adam, we lost our understanding of what God is and what man should be. In Jesus, both were revealed once more to us; teaching us again how to love both in truth. So, those who bear an image of Jesus in turn bear the image of God, and as such are worthy of love as well.

4:21

As further argument for the love of brother, the command of God is put forth (Mt 22:39 - We are to love our neighbor as ourselves.) When we love somebody, we gladly do as they wish. If we would be known as lovers of God, we ought to show it in obedience, and one of His primary commands / wishes is for us to love others.

5:1

Our brothers are God's representatives here, and as such are entitled to the same love we have for Him whom they represent. Jesus is all. As prophet He reveals the way to salvation, as priest He works out that way, as king He gives salvation to us. He could not be these three except He be Christ - God and Savior. Christ is the only-begotten by generation, we are regenerated into begotten children. (Jn 3:3-5 - this is the spiritual rebirth.) Those who truly love God will naturally love His children as well.

 

 

New Thoughts

I'd not thought before of our lost view of man and God. This is something that I need to chew on. And the reminder that the law is fully in force still is timely, as well. To love as Jesus loved: it's a tall order. Yet, He is both the one who showed us that it's possible and the One who empowers us to do so. Oh, Lord, Jesus, I pray that You would so empower me. I pray that You would teach me to recognize in Your life and Your Word how love is truly to operate. So often I feel unloving, and often I am. But I know also that love is not always what the emotions expect it to be, but sometimes is present in toughness. God, I beg You, show me where that toughness is love, and where it's misplaced self-preservation. I've learned all too well how to protect myself from hurts by turning inward. Teach me how to share myself instead, to expose myself to those I would love, to weather the hurts that seem guaranteed to come of such loving. Lord, You weathered far worse - giving Your love into lives that wanted nothing to do with You. You continue to lovingly put up with this family of Yours that so often cannot figure out how to respond properly to the love You give. Teach me, Oh God, to be thick-skinned enough to weather the mistaken responses of those I love and yet thin-skinned enough to love fully. I don't understand how this can be, but I know by faith and by Your example that it can; and I want to find that love in me. I want that sureness, that confidence, that knowing that my love for You is real, and not just the misleading of a wicked heart. Do what You must, Lord. I've said it before, and I've felt it hurt when You answered. But I've also seen what that hurt brings, and recognized it (eventually) as Your love doing what's needful once more. So - with no misconceptions about what I'm asking - I come to You once again and say 'do what You must, Lord. I am willing.'