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1Jn_4:19. ἡμεῖς ἀγαπῶμεν ] According to this reading (omit αὐτόν ), ἀγαπᾷν is here to be taken in the same comprehensive way as ἀγάπη in 1Jn_4:16 (Düsterdieck, Myrberg,[284] Ebrard), and must not be restricted to “brotherly love” (Lücke).
ἀγαπῶμεν , in analogy with ἀγαπῶμεν in 1Jn_4:7, and with ὀφείλομεν , 1Jn_4:11, is taken by Hornejus, Grotius, Lorinus, Lange, Lücke, de Wette-Brückner, Baumgarten-Crusius, Sander, Besser, Düsterdieck, Myrberg, etc., as imperative subjunctive; but it might be more correct to regard this verse, just as 1Jn_4:17, as an expression of the actual character of true Christians, with whom, in 1Jn_4:20, by ἐάν τις εἴπῃ the false Christian is contrasted, and therefore to take ἀγαπῶμεν , with Beza, Socinus, Spener, Bengel, Rickli, Neander, Ebrard, Hofmann (Schriftbew. II. 2, p. 338), Braune, etc., as indicative, in favour of which is also the prefixed ἡμεῖς .
The reason of ἡμεῖς ἀγαπῶμεν is stated in ὅτι αὐτὸς πρῶτος ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς , in which the chief emphasis rests on πρῶτος ; comp. 1Jn_4:9-10.
[284] Myrberg remarks: totum genus amoris hic proponitur; sed ubi totum genus amoris nuncupatur, ibi mens ante omnia fertur ad considerationem amoris erga Deum.