1 John 4:9–10
Love is not that we loved, but that God sent his Son
Study it word by word9By this the love of God was revealed among us: that God has sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him.
10In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as the expiation for our sins.
In its context
7Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
8Whoever does not love has not known God, because God is love.
…
11Beloved, if God loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another.
12No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been brought to completion in us.
Its words in the original
- ἐφανερώθηephanerōthē· reveal, make known
Reveal, show, make known.
- ἀγάπηagapē· love
Love.
- θεοῦtheou· God, god
God. In the plural or in another sense, "gods".
- υἱὸνhuion· son, Son
Son. Also descendant: "son of David" means one of King David's family, and is a title of the promised Messiah.
- μονογενῆmonogenē· only, unique
Only, unique; the only one of its kind.
- ἀπέσταλκενapestalken· send
Send someone on a mission. The word "apostle", one who is sent, comes from it.
- κόσμονkosmon· world
World: what God created; also humanity, and humanity living with its back turned to God.
- ζήσωμενzēsōmen· live
Live, be alive.
- ἐστὶνestin· be
Be, exist.
- ἠγαπήκαμενēgapēkamen· love
Love: to seek the good of the other, even of someone who does not deserve it.
- ἱλασμὸνhilasmon· expiation
Expiation: the sacrifice that takes away sin and appeases wrath.
- ἁμαρτιῶνhamartiōn· sin
Sin: missing the mark, failing God and what he commands.