1 John 4:16

“And we have known and believed, &c.] Or have a full assurance and knowledge of, and faith in, the love that God hath to us; shown as in many instances, so more especially in sending his Son to be the propitiation for our sins, to be the Saviour of us, and that we might live through him. God is love; (see Gill on “<620408>1 John 4:8”): and he that dwelleth in love; who dwells by faith upon the love of God as displayed in Christ, and abides in the exercise of love to God and to the saints: dwelleth in God, and God in him; (see Gill on “<620413>1 John 4:13”); the last clause, “and God in him”, is left out in the Syriac version.”

“And we--John and his readers (not as Jo1 4:14, the apostles only). known and believed--True faith, according to John, is a faith of knowledge and experience: true knowledge is a knowledge of faith [LUECKE]. to us--Greek, "in our case" (see on Jo1 4:9). dwelleth--Greek, "abideth." Compare with this verse, Jo1 4:7.”

“And we have known and believed ... - We all have assurance that God has loved us, and the fullest belief in the great fact of redemption by which he has manifested his love to us. God is love - Notes, 1 John 4:8. It is not uncommon for John to repeat an important truth. He delights to dwell on such a truth as that which is here expressed; and who should not? What truth is there on which the mind can dwell with more pleasure; what is there that is better fitted to win the heart to holiness; what that will do more to sustain the soul in the sorrows and trials of this life? In our trials; in the darkness which is around us; in the perplexities which meet and embarrass us in regard to the divine…”

“And we know and believe - By the same Spirit, the love that God hath to us. 1 John 4:17”

“we: Jo1 4:9, Jo1 4:10, Jo1 3:1, Jo1 3:16; Psa 18:1-3, Psa 31:19, Psa 36:7-9; Isa 64:4; Co1 2:9 God is love: Jo1 4:8, Jo1 4:12, Jo1 4:13 and he: Jo1 4:12, Jo1 3:24 1 John 4:17”