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1–3 John is unavailable, but you can change that!

When to fight and when to compromise are not always easy choices to make. Stubbornly defending the truth can easily end up in arrogance that discredits the gospel, while too readily seeking middle ground can leave truth by the wayside. Torn by conflict and marred by schism, the congregation to whom John addressed his letters stood in need of his strong exhortations to love and unity within the...

God Encourages Us in Love (4:17–18)* The relationship of divine and human love is further developed here. God makes our love complete and so gives us confidence. As noted above in the comments on verse 12, love that is complete is love that reaches its goal by being bestowed upon our brother or sister. To put it another way, the shape of perfect love is triangular: love comes as a gift from God that enables us to love each other and so return to God the gift that is given to us. In the words of
1 John 4:17
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