KJV ORIGINAL
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Anyone who doesn't love others doesn't really know God, because God is love.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
The writer is saying that if someone doesn't show love to others, they can't truly know God, because love is the very essence of who God is.
📚 Historical Context
The apostle John wrote this letter to early Christian communities around 85-95 AD to counter false teachers who claimed to know God but lived without love for others. These false teachers were causing division in the churches and promoting a form of spirituality that ignored the importance of loving relationships. John, known as 'the apostle of love,' emphasized that genuine faith in God must be demonstrated through love for one another.
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