1 John 4:19

 

1 John 4:19

( KJV) We love him, because he first loved us.

(1611 KJV) We loue him: because hee first loued vs.

(1526 Tyndale) We love him for he loved vs fyrst.

(1382 Wycliffe) Therfor loue we God, for he louede vs bifore.

 

Counterfeit Versions

(CSB) We love because he first loved us.

(NIV) We love because he first loved us.

(NASV) We love, because He first loved us.

(AMP) We love Him, because He first loved us.

(NLT) We love each other because he loved us first.

(ESV) We love because he first loved us.

(CEV) We love because God loved us first.

(NCV) We love because God first loved us.

(1901 ASV) We love, because he first loved us.

(HCSB) We love because He first loved us.

(RSV) We love, because he first loved us.

(NAB-Roman Catholic) We love because he first loved us.

(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) As for us, we love, because he first loved us.

 

Textus Receptus - Traditional Text

hmeiV agapwmen auton oti autoV prwtoV hgaphsen hmaV

 

Hort-Westcott - Critical Text

hmeiV agapwmen oti autoV prwtoV hgaphsen hmaV

 

Corrupted Manuscripts

This verse is corrupted in the following Manuscripts:

A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century

B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century

1241 - (Miniscule) - Twelfth century

1739 - (Miniscule) - Tenth Century

 

Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse

Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)

K 018 - Ninth century

L 020 - Ninth century

 

Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions

Omits “him”

Lachmann, Karl - 1842

Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869

Tregelles, Samuel - 1857

Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871

Wordsworth, Christopher - 1856 revised in 1870

Westcott and Hort - 1881

Weiss, Bernhard - 1894

Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941

Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition

Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition

United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition

Von Soden, Freiherr - 1902

 

Affected Teaching

This is a very subtle yet significant omission. The Bible is telling us that we love God because He first loved us. Man, in his unsaved condition, is spiritually dead and unable to love or even gravitate toward God. What is in view here is that the love of God bestowed upon us is really a biblical synonym for the salvation of God being bestowed upon His children. Once salvation is given, we are then qualified to love God because we are now alive unto God. (Rom 8:28 KJV) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. The modern versions omit this great truth. In fact, the New Living Version replaces “Him” with “each other.” Our love must first be toward God and then we will have the ability to love others. By the modern versions omitting “Him,” they state that we love because God loved us. But the question remains, love what or who? I love the Grand Canyon because God loved me? I love my children because God loved me? No, because God loved me first, in other words bestowed salvation upon me, I now can love Him with all my heart. (Deu 6:5 KJV) And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Since God loved me, the relationship between God and myself is one of intimate love and not just superficial love which can change in an instant. The King James coveys this by keeping the word intact but the modern versions remove this great truth and make it a nebulous love which can be abused grammatically by anyone wanting to make it a verse of private interpretation. The love of God toward His children is eternal and never changing.

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