Abstract:

This article examines 1 John 4:7–21 in the context of the Nigerian church. The pericope presents the elaborate nature and essence of divine love among Christians. This model of love is based on self-sacrifice, motivated by positive will and implemented by daily practice. Adopting a historical-critical method of exegesis, the article argues that a thorough understanding of this model of love in its reading of the pericope is achieved within the framework of an internal problem the Johannine community faced. This problem was rooted in the activities of heretical teachers who brought about a spiritual aristocracy and schism in the community. In this study, it is contended that 1 John 4:7–21 deals with this problem and that its teachings centre on God’s love as the function of love within the Christian brotherhood. The hermeneutics of the study shows that there is a paradigm shift with regard to the conception and application of love in the Nigerian church today. It also demonstrates that most Christians in the Nigerian church consider some limitations and initiate some reservations in the practice of love to their fellow Christians. All these are against the teachings of this Johannine pericope as interpreted in this article. First John 4:7–21 teaches Christians to love one another unconditionally as the evidence of their love for God.

摘要：

本文在尼日利亚教会的背景下考察了约翰一书4：7–21。pericope展现了基督徒之间神圣爱情的精巧本质和本质。这种爱的模式是建立在自我牺牲的基础上，以积极的意志为动力，并通过日常实践来实现。文章采用历史批判的诠释方法，认为在约翰内宁社区所面临的内部问题的框架内，可以通过对爱情模式的透彻理解来彻底理解这种爱情模式。这个问题的根源在于异端教师的活动，他们在社区中带来了精神上的贵族和分裂。在这项研究中，有人争辩说，约翰一书4：7–21处理了这个问题，并且其教义以上帝的爱作为基督教兄弟会中爱的功能为中心。该研究的诠释学表明，在当今的尼日利亚教会中，关于爱的概念和运用发生了范式转变。这也表明，尼日利亚教会中的大多数基督徒考虑到一些限制，并在对同胞基督徒的爱实践中提出了一些保留。所有这些都与本文所解释的约翰内尔pericope的教义背道而驰。约翰一书4：7-21教导基督徒无条件地彼此相爱，以此作为他们对上帝的爱的证据。所有这些都与本文所解释的约翰内尔pericope的教义背道而驰。约翰一书4：7-21教导基督徒无条件地彼此相爱，以此作为他们对上帝的爱的证据。所有这些都与本文所解释的约翰内尔pericope的教义背道而驰。约翰一书4：7-21教导基督徒无条件地彼此相爱，以此作为他们对上帝的爱的证据。