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InterlinearVerse GEN EXO LEV NUM DEU JOB JOS JDG RUTH 1 SAM 2 SAM PSA AMOS HOS 1 KI 2 KI 1 CHR 2 CHR PROV ECC SNG JOEL MIC ISA ZEP HAB JER LAM YNA (JNA) NAH OBA DAN EZE EZRA EST NEH HAG ZEC MAL LAO GES LES ESG DNG 2 PS TOB JDT WIS SIR BAR LJE PAZ SUS BEL MAN 1 MAC 2 MAC 3 MAC 4 MAC YHN (JHN) MARK MAT LUKE ACTs YAC (JAM) GAL 1 TH 2 TH 1 COR 2 COR ROM COL PHM EPH PHP 1 TIM TIT 1 PET 2 PET 2 TIM HEB YUD (JUD) 1 YHN 2 YHN (2 JHN) 3 YHN (3 JHN) REV
1 Yhn 4 V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V8 V9 V10 V11 V12 V13 V14 V15 V16 V18 V19 V20 V21
◄ ← 1 YHN (1 JHN) 4:17 ↓ → ► ║ ©
OET (OET-LV) In this the love has_been_perfected with us, in_order_that we_may_be_having confidence in the day of_ the _judgement, because as that one is, we also are in the this world.
OET (OET-RV) This is how love will be perfected in us so that we can live with confidence about the coming judgement day: we live like Yeshua in this world.
Read 4:7–5:12 carefully.
Section Theme: In this section John gives two reasons why we should love one another:
4:7–12 | God has shown us what true love is by sending his Son to die for us. |
4:13–21 | God has loved us so much that we have a duty to love others. |
At the end of the section, in 5:1–12, he shows how it is believing in Jesus that enables us to both love and obey God.
Read 4:17–18 in both BSB and GNT. Compare the two versions.
Paragraph Theme: These verses concentrate on another theme from 4:12, namely God’s love being complete in us.
In this way, love has been perfected among us,
¶ We(incl) will know that God’s love has done all the work he intends it to do in us
¶ God will clearly have loved people through us just as he wishes
In this way: (Alternative Interpretations) There are different interpretations as to what the Greek pronoun translated this refers to here:
Probably it points forward to the second clause of the verse, “we have confidence…” (GNT, JB, NEB, JBP) Some of these translations therefore restructure the sentence.
Some think the pronoun refers back to the idea of loving and living in God in 4:16. (BSB, NIV later editions)
love has been perfected among us: (Meaning) This is the same phrase as in 4:12c, except that a different preposition “among” is used here instead of “in.” See the note on 4:12c.
so that we may have confidence
when we are not afraid of God
so that: (Alternative Interpretations) There are different interpretations of how the first and second clauses of this verse fit together:
Probably the first clause, “(God’s) love becomes complete in us” is explained by the second clause, “by our having confidence on the day of judgment.” (JB, NEB, JBP) John means that when we are allowing God to love us and to love others through us as he wants to, then we will not be afraid of God, even on the day of judgment.
Some think that the second clause gives the purpose of the first clause. (NIV, GNT)
Some think that the second clause gives the result of the first clause.
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1).
on the day of judgment;
on the day when God will judge all people.
the day of judgment: (Biblical Term) This refers to the day when God will judge everyone, including believers.
for in this world we are just like Him.
We(incl) will not be afraid of God because we have lived united with him in this world just as Jesus did.
for: (Logical Relationship) This gives the reason why we will have confidence on the day of judgment. In translation it may be necessary to make clear which clauses it links. See GNT and the Display.
in this world: (Multiple Senses) Here John uses this phrase to refer to our life on earth.
we are just like Him: (Alternative Interpretations) There are two interpretations of what this refers to, although it may not be necessary to make it explicit in translation:
It probably refers to God living in us and us living in God, just as God and Christ were always in one another.
It may refer to us being in a relationship of perfect love with God, as Christ was.
Him: (Pronoun Reference) This refers to Christ.
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
ἐν τούτῳ
in in (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἐν τούτῳ τετελείωται ἡ ἀγάπη μεθʼ ἡμῶν ἵνα παρρησίαν ἔχωμεν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως ὅτι καθώς ἐκεῖνος ἐστίν καί ἡμεῖς ἐσμέν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ)
As in [4:9](../04/09.md), In this means something similar to the idiomatic expression “in this we know” that John uses many times in this letter. Alternate translation: [By doing this]
Note 2 topic: writing-pronouns
ἐν τούτῳ
in in (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἐν τούτῳ τετελείωται ἡ ἀγάπη μεθʼ ἡμῶν ἵνα παρρησίαν ἔχωμεν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως ὅτι καθώς ἐκεῖνος ἐστίν καί ἡμεῖς ἐσμέν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ)
In this may refer: (1) backward to the last sentence of verse 16. Alternate translation: [By remaining in God,] (2) forward to the clause beginning because just as that one is. Alternate translation: [By loving others just the way that Jesus does,]
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive
τετελείωται ἡ ἀγάπη μεθ’ ἡμῶν
˓has_been˒_perfected ¬the love with us
See how you translated the similar expression in [2:5](../02/05.md). Since John speaks in the previous verse of God’s love, here John is probably continuing to refer to God’s love for us, rather than to our love for God. Alternate translation: [God’s love has achieved its purpose in our lives]
Note 4 topic: grammar-connect-logic-result
ἵνα παρρησίαν ἔχωμεν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως
in_order_that confidence ˱we˲_˓may_be˒_having in the day ¬the ˱of˲_judgment
The clause beginning so that could function as: (1) a result clause. That is, John may be saying that as a result of God’s love achieving its purposes in our lives now, we will be confident on the day of judgment of his forgiveness and acceptance. If you decide that is the case, then your translation should follow the conventions of your language for result clauses. Alternate translation: [with the result that we may have confidence in the day of judgment] (2) a purpose clause. That is, John may be saying that one reason why God is having his love achieve its purpose in our lives now is that on the day of judgment, he wants us to be confident of his forgiveness and acceptance. If you decide that is the case, then your translation should follow the conventions of your language for purpose clauses.
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ἵνα παρρησίαν ἔχωμεν
in_order_that confidence ˱we˲_˓may_be˒_having
If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state explicitly what believers will have confidence about. Alternate translation: [so that we will be confident that God has forgiven us and will accept us]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / abstractnouns
ἵνα παρρησίαν ἔχωμεν
in_order_that confidence ˱we˲_˓may_be˒_having
If it would be helpful in your language, you could express the idea behind the abstract noun confidence with an adjective such as “confident.” Alternate translation: [so that we will be confident that God has forgiven us and will accept us]
Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom
ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως
in the day ¬the ˱of˲_judgment
John is using the term day to refer to a specific time. Alternate translation: [at the time when God judges us]
Note 8 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit
ὅτι
because
The word translated because here can be understood in different ways, depending on how you translated In this at the beginning of the verse. (1) If you translated In this as referring back to verse 16, then this word can be translated as “because.” (2) If you translated In this as referring to the clause beginning with this word, then translate this word with one that introduces the content of In this, such as “that.”
Note 9 topic: writing-pronouns
ὅτι καθὼς ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν
because (Some words not found in SR-GNT: Ἐν τούτῳ τετελείωται ἡ ἀγάπη μεθʼ ἡμῶν ἵνα παρρησίαν ἔχωμεν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως ὅτι καθώς ἐκεῖνος ἐστίν καί ἡμεῖς ἐσμέν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ)
The phrase that one refers to Jesus. Alternate translation: [since we are becoming more and more like Jesus]
Note 10 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy
ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ
in in ¬the world this
John uses world to mean various things in this letter, usually in a figurative sense. Here, however, it refers literally to the created world. Alternate translation: [as we live in this world] or [in our lives on this earth]
4:17 our love grows more perfect: The Greek word translated grows more perfect does not mean flawless, but mature and complete. We mature as our relationship with God grows, and God’s love makes our love complete.
• Experiencing and expressing God’s love and doing what it requires does not make us acceptable to God, but it does give us the assurance that we have been accepted, and our fears of the final judgment melt away.
OET (OET-LV) In this the love has_been_perfected with us, in_order_that we_may_be_having confidence in the day of_ the _judgement, because as that one is, we also are in the this world.
OET (OET-RV) This is how love will be perfected in us so that we can live with confidence about the coming judgement day: we live like Yeshua in this world.
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.