1 John 4:8 (GNV)

Passage

Hee that loueth not, knoweth not God: for God is loue.

Nearby Context

1 John 4:6 We are of God, he that knoweth God, heareth vs: he that is not of God, heareth vs not. Heereby knowe wee the spirit of trueth, and the spirit of errour.

1 John 4:7 Beloued, let vs loue one another: for loue commeth of God, and euery one that loueth, is borne of God, and knoweth God.

1 John 4:8 Hee that loueth not, knoweth not God: for God is loue.

1 John 4:9 Herein was that loue of God made manifest amongst vs, because God sent that his onely begotten sonne into this world, that we might liue through him.

1 John 4:10 Herein is that loue, not that we loued God, but that he loued vs, and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 7's "Beloued let vs loue one another for..." into verse 9's "Herein was that loue of God made...", so "loueth" and "knoweth" 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 "loueth" and "knoweth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.