1 John 4:16 (DRB)

Passage

And we have known and have believed the charity which God hath to us. God is charity: and he that abideth in charity abideth in God, and God in him.

Nearby Context

1 John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father hath sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world.

1 John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him, and he in God.

1 John 4:16 And we have known and have believed the charity which God hath to us. God is charity: and he that abideth in charity abideth in God, and God in him.

1 John 4:17 In this is the charity of God perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment: because as he is, we also are in this world.

1 John 4:18 Fear is not in charity: but perfect charity casteth out fear, because fear hath sin. And he that feareth is not perfected in charity.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "known", "believed", "charity", "hath", and "abideth". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "known" and "believed", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the..." into verse 17's "In this is the charity of God...", so "known" and "believed" belong inside that flow. In 1 John context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "known" and "believed" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.