The Meaning of 1 John 4:21 Explained

1 John 4:21

KJV: And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

YLT: and this is the command we have from Him, that he who is loving God, may also love his brother.

Darby: And this commandment have we from him, That he that loves God love also his brother.

ASV: And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  this  commandment  have we  from  him,  That  he who loveth  God  love  his  brother  also. 

What does 1 John 4:21 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Furthermore, God commanded us to love both Himself and our brothers, not just Himself ( 1 John 2:3; 1 John 3:23-24; 1 John 5:3). Here is another false claim (cf. 1 John 1:6; 1 John 1:8; 1 John 1:10; 1 John 2:4; 1 John 2:6; 1 John 2:9; 1 John 2:22; 1 John 5:10).
"Much verbal expression of devotion for the person of Christ can co-exist with remarkably un-Christian attitudes toward the people of Christ ..." [1]
"It is easy to have a kind of love for God which does not recognize the obligation to love one another. Such love for God falls short of being real love for him, since it fails to obey his commandments." [2]

Context Summary

1 John 4:12-21 - The Test Of Our Love
If we are willing to be channels through which God's love flows to others, there need be no limit to the fullness of that holy current. In humility, selflessness, and gentleness, it will become perfected. The vessel placed beneath the waterfall is filled to overflowing.
Through our Savior we know the Father who sent Him, 1 John 4:14. See John 14:9-10. We first venture on God's love by faith; afterward we know it. Dare to affirm that God is love. Love is the wafted fragrance of Paradise. If thou lovest, heaven and earth will answer thee in terms of love. By strong, patient, selfless love thou wilt abide in unbroken touch with all pure and loving souls-whoever and wherever. Where love was crucified there was a garden. Where there is love, lonely places blossom as the rose. Be not afraid! Love on! Love always! "This is the true God, and eternal life." But one thought of hatred or ill-will will cause thy wholly happy experience to vanish. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 John 4

1  He warns them not to believe all who boast of the Spirit;
7  and exhorts to brotherly love

Greek Commentary for 1 John 4:21

That [ινα]
Sub-final object clause in apposition with εντολην — entolēn as in John 13:34; John 15:13. [source]
From him [απ αυτου]
Either God or Christ. See Mark 12:29-31 for this old commandment (1 John 2:7.). [source]
That [ἵνα]
Not defining the contents of the commandment, but expressing intent. Compare John 13:34, and see on John 15:13. [source]
His brother []
“To the persecutor Saul, Christ said, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? I have ascended into heaven, yet still I lie upon earth. Here I sit at the right hand of the Father; there I still hunger, thirst, and am a stranger'” (Augustine). [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 John 4:21

1 John 2:9 His brother [τὸν ἀδελφόν]
His fellow-Christian. The singular, brother, is characteristic of this Epistle. See 1 John 2:10, 1 John 2:11; 1 John 3:10, 1 John 3:15, 1 John 3:17; 1 John 4:20, 1 John 4:21; 1 John 5:16. Christians are called in the New Testament, Christians (Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16), mainly by those outside of the Christian circle. Disciples, applied to all followers of Christ (John 2:11; John 6:61) and strictly to the twelve (John 13:5sqq.). In Acts 19:1, to those who had received only John's baptism. Not found in John's Epistles nor in Revelation. Brethren. The first title given to the body of believers after the Ascension (Acts 1:15, where the true reading is ἀδελφῶν brethrenfor μαθητῶν disciples). See Acts 9:30; Acts 10:23; Acts 11:29; 1 Thessalonians 4:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 John 3:14; 3 John 1:5, 3 John 1:10; John 21:23. Peter has ἡ ἀδελφότης thebrotherhood (1 Peter 2:17; 1 Peter 5:9). The believers. Under three forms: The believers ( οἱ πιστοί ; Acts 10:45; 1 Timothy 4:12); they that believe ( οἱ πιστεύοντες ; 1 Peter 2:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:7; Ephesians 1:19); they that believed ( οἱ πιστεύσαντες ; Acts 2:44; Acts 4:32; Hebrews 4:3). The saints ( οἱ ἅγιοι ); characteristic of Paul and Revelation. Four times in the Acts (Acts 9:13, Acts 9:32, Acts 9:41; Acts 26:10), and once in Jude (Judges 1:3). Also Hebrews 6:10; Hebrews 13:24. In Paul, 1 Corinthians 6:1; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Ephesians 1:1, Ephesians 1:15, etc. In Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:3, Revelation 8:4; Revelation 11:18, etc.|Until now ( ἕως ἄρτι )|Though the light has been increasing, and though he may claim that he has been in the light from the first. The phrase occurs in John 2:10; John 5:17; John 16:24; and is used by Paul, 1 Corinthians 4:13; 1 Corinthians 8:7; 1 Corinthians 15:6.| [source]

What do the individual words in 1 John 4:21 mean?

And this the commandment we have from Him that the [one] loving - God should love also the brother of him
καὶ ταύτην τὴν ἐντολὴν ἔχομεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ ἵνα ἀγαπῶν τὸν Θεὸν ἀγαπᾷ καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ

ταύτην  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
ἐντολὴν  commandment 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ἐντολή  
Sense: an order, command, charge, precept, injunction.
ἔχομεν  we  have 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 1st Person Plural
Root: ἔχω  
Sense: to have, i.e. to hold.
ἵνα  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ἵνα  
Sense: that, in order that, so that.
  the  [one] 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀγαπῶν  loving 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀγαπάω  
Sense: of persons.
τὸν  - 
Parse: Article, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεὸν  God 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
ἀγαπᾷ  should  love 
Parse: Verb, Present Subjunctive Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀγαπάω  
Sense: of persons.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
ἀδελφὸν  brother 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀδελφός  
Sense: a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.