The verb or the noun ‘‘love” occurs in twenty-six of the 105 verses of First John. In all cases, it is the familiar root agape. The leading idea is that God is love by nature and that he revealed this by sending Christ into the world. (4:9) We are not love by nature, and therefore God loved us first. The measure of this love was the death of Christ on our behalf (3:16) and therefore the Father cou...
