What Does 1 John 2:5 Mean in the King James?
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The word is guarded, and the love of God reaches its intended completion in the one who keeps it.
THE MEANING
When you keep his word, the love of God reaches its intended completion in you. The verse joins that keeping with knowing you are in him: belonging becomes recognizable in a life where love has come into its fullness.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that you can know you are in God apart from the way his word is held and lived.
THE ROOT
τετελείωται
teteleiōtai
GROWS FROM
τέλος
telos
An end, aim, or outcome toward which something comes to completion.
The love of God reaches its telos, its intended fullness, in the one who keeps the word. “Perfected” carries the sense of love brought to its aim, with that completed state now present.
ALSO GROWS
teleioō: To bring to completion or fulfillment.
τελειόω
This is the verb family of “perfected”; love is described as arriving at its intended fullness.
teleios: Complete, mature, fully formed.
τέλειος
This branch shows completion as a formed state, giving “perfected” a sense beyond flawlessness.
τηρῇ
tērē
GROWS FROM
τηρέω
tēreō
To guard, keep watch over, preserve, or observe.
“keepeth” in this verse is tērē. Keeping the word includes guarding what has been entrusted, not only hearing it. The verse connects that active holding with love reaching its fullness and with recognizing that you are in him.
ALSO GROWS
tērēsis: Keeping, observance, or custody.
τήρησις
This related noun names the act or state of keeping, echoing the care involved in holding his word.
tērētēs: A keeper or observer.
τηρητής
This word family keeps the sense of someone who watches over what is held; the verse describes a relationship lived through that keeping.
THE PATTERN
Love comes to completion as it is kept in practice and made visible in relationship.
Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.THE THREAD
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.This verse uses the same Greek words for “keep” and “word,” making the connection especially direct. It opens “we are in him” as a lived mutual dwelling: the word is kept, love is present, and God makes an abode with the keeper.
This reading is from Selah Verse.
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