There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. The one who fears has not been perfected in love.
Parallel translations
- WEB There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has punishment. He who fears is not made perfect in love.
- KJV There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
- NKJV There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
- NASB There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.
- NLT Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
There is no fear in love; mature love drives out the dread of punishment. Resting in God's love frees us from terror before him.
Overview
John contrasts the slavish fear of judgment with the confidence that God's perfect love produces. Because Christ has borne our punishment, those who grasp God's love need not cower before the day of judgment. This is not the reverent 'fear of the Lord' commended elsewhere in Scripture, but the tormenting dread of condemnation, which the gospel removes.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 2 Tim 1:7For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.
- Rom 8:15For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
- 1 Jn 4:12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us.
- Luke 1:74–75deliverance from hostile hands, that we may serve Him without fear,
- Heb 12:28Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
- Jas 2:19You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
- Ps 119:120My flesh trembles in awe of You; I stand in fear of Your judgments.
- Ps 73:19How suddenly they are laid waste, completely swept away by terrors!
- Job 15:21Sounds of terror fill his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer attacks him.
- Ps 88:15–16From my youth I was afflicted and near death. I have borne Your terrors; I am in despair.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Jesus is the Word of life made manifest, the propitiation for our sins, the Son in whom is eternal life — 'that you may know that you have eternal life.'
How 1 John 4:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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