He based it on a congratulatory cantata Durchlauchtster Leopold, BWV 173.1, composed in Köthen.

[3][5] The prescribed readings for the feast day were from the Acts of the Apostles, the sermon of Peter for Cornelius (Acts 10:42–48), and from the Gospel of John, "God so loved the world" from the meeting of Jesus and Nicodemus (John 3:16–21).

Only movements 1 and 4 relate to the Gospel; the first stanza of movement 4 is a close paraphrase of the beginning of the gospel text, "Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt …" (For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.)

This verse became the opening chorus of Also hat Gott die Welt geliebt, BWV 68, for the same occasion a year later.

[2] The cantata in six movements is scored for four vocal soloists (soprano, alto, tenor and bass), a four-part choir, two flauto traverso, two violins, viola and basso continuo, whereas the original secular cantata is scored for only soprano and bass soloists.