1 John 1:4

And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
And	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
things	ταῦτα taûta	G5023	these things
we	γράφομεν graphomen	G1125	to "grave" · verb — present active indicative, 1st person plural
you	ὑμῖν hymîn	G5213	to (with or by) you
that	ἵνα ina	G2443	compare G3588 (ὁ)) · conjunction
your	ὑμῶν hymōn	G5216	of (from or concerning) you
joy	χαρὰ chara	G5479	cheerfulness · noun — nominative singular feminine
be	ὦ ō	G5600	(may
full	πεπληρωμένη. peplērōmenē	G4137	to make replete · verb — perfect passive participle, nominative singular feminine

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

John 15:11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
John 16:24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.
2 John 1:12 Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our j…
2 Corinthians 1:24 Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield…
John 3:29 He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the…
Ephesians 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covere…

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 1:1-4

The apostle omits his name and character (as also the author to the Hebrews does) either out of humility, or as being willing that the Christian reader should be swayed by the light and weight of the things written rather than by the name that might recommend them. And so he begins, I. With an account or character of the Mediator's person. He is the great subject of the gospel, the foundation and object of our faith and hope, the bond and cement that unite us unto God. He should be well known; and he is represented here, 1. As the Word of life, Jo1 1:1. In the gospel these two are disjoined, and he is called first the Word, Joh 1:1, and afterwards Life, intimating, withal, that he is intelle…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 1:4

these things--and none other, namely, this whole Epistle. write we unto you--Some oldest manuscripts omit "unto you," and emphasize "we." Thus the antithesis is between "we" (apostles and eye-witnesses) and "your." We write thus that your joy may be full. Other oldest manuscripts and versions read "OUR joy," namely, that our joy may be filled full by bringing you also into fellowship with the Father and Son. (Compare Joh 4:36, end; Phi 2:2, "Fulfil ye my joy," Phi 2:16; Phi 4:1; Jo2 1:8). It is possible that "your" may be a correction of transcribers to make this verse harmonize with Joh 15:11; Joh 16:24; however, as John often repeats favorite phrases, he may do so here, so "your" may be…

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Adam Clarke on 1 John 1:4

That your joy may be full - Ye have already tasted that the Lord is good; but I am now going to show you the height of your Christian calling, that your happiness may be complete, being thoroughly cleansed from all sin, and filled with the fullness of God.

John Gill on 1 John 1:4

And these things write we unto you,.... Concerning the deity and eternity of Christ, the Word and concerning the truth of his humanity, and the manifestation of him in the flesh; and concerning that eternal life and salvation which is declared in the Gospel to be in him; and concerning the saints' fellowship one with another, and with God the Father, and with Jesus Christ: that your joy may be full; meaning either their spiritual joy in this life, which has Christ for its object, and is increased by the consideration of his proper deity, his incarnation and mediation by a view of free justification by his righteousness, and atonement by his blood; by a sight of his glorious person by faith,…

The Church Fathers

The fullness of joy comes when we are in fellowship with the apostles, as well as of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
— Hilary of Arles, INTRODUCTORY COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN

"And we write this to you, so that your joy may be complete." However, having seized this, let us be complete with joy as if united with God. Or because while you are participants with us, we have our joy to the fullest; which the joyful sower will establish for the reapers, rejoicing in what they may enjoy from their labors.
— Oecumenius, Commentary on 1 John

"That ye also," saith he, "may have fellowship with us." And what great matter is it to have fellowship with men? Do not despise it; see what he adds: "and our fellowship may be with God the Father, and Jesus Christ His Son. And these things," saith he, "we write unto you, that your joy may be full." Full joy he means in that fellowship, in that charity, in that unity.
— Augustine of Hippo, Ten Homilies on 1 John 1

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Fellowship — (1.) With God, consisting in the knowledge of his will (Job 22:21; John 17:3); agreement with his designs (Amos 3:2); mutual affection (Rom. 8: 38, 39); enjoyment of his presence (Ps. 4:6);…
John, The First Epistle General Of — There can be no doubt that the apostle John was the author of this epistle. It was probably written from Ephesus, and most likely at the close of the first century. In the introduction, ch. (1 John…
Grace · Manifestation of, in others, a cause of gladness — Manifestation of, in others, a cause of gladness
Joy · Of saints, made full by: Communion of saints — Of saints, made full by: Communion of saints

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

1 John 1:4

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 1:1-4

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 1:4

Adam Clarke on 1 John 1:4

John Gill on 1 John 1:4

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 John 1:4

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 John 1:1-4

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 John 1:4

Adam Clarke on 1 John 1:4

John Gill on 1 John 1:4

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on 1 John 1:3-7

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 John 1:4