Logos Bible Study

1 John 3:11–18

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More on Love and Hatred

11For this is the message you heardp from the beginning:q We should love one another.r 12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil ones and murdered his brother.t And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.u 13Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,b if the world hates you.v 14We know that we have passed from death to life,w because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.x 15Anyone who hates a brother or sistery is a murderer,z and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.a

16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.b And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.c 17If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them,d how can the love of God be in that person?e 18Dear children,f let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.g

Read in Logos
1 John 3:16: By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

Footnotes

  1. bThe Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 16.

Cross references

  1. p1 Jn 1:5
  2. qSee 1 Jn 2:7
  3. rJn 13:34, 35; 15:12; 1 Jn 4:7, 11, 21; 2 Jn 5
  4. sSee Mt 5:37
  5. tGe 4:8
  6. uPs 38:20; Pr 29:10
  7. vJn 15:18, 19; 17:14
  8. wJn 5:24
  9. xSee 1 Jn 2:9
  10. ySee 1 Jn 2:9
  11. zMt 5:21, 22; Jn 8:44
  12. aGal 5:20, 21; Rev 21:8
  13. bJn 10:11
  14. cJn 15:13; Php 2:17; 1 Th 2:8
  15. dDt 15:7, 8; Jas 2:15, 16
  16. e1 Jn 4:20
  17. fSee 1 Jn 2:1
  18. gEze 33:31; Ro 12:9

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 Biblica, Inc.

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Copyright 2001 Crossway Bibles

CSBChristian Standard Bible

For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another, unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.

Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death. Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. This is how we have come to know love: He laid down his life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has this world’s goods and sees a fellow believer in need but withholds compassion from him—how does God’s love reside in him? Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth.

Copyright 2017 Holman Bible Publishers

NLTNew Living Translation

This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.

If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.

We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?

Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning: that we should love one another, not as Cain, who was of the evil one and violently murdered his brother. And for what reason did he violently murder him? Because his deeds were evil and the deeds of his brother were righteous.

Do not marvel, brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed over from death to life because we love the brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that every murderer does not have eternal life residing in him. We have come to know love by this: that he laid down his life on behalf of us, and we ought to lay down our lives on behalf of the brothers. But whoever has the world’s material possessions and observes his brother in need and shuts his heart against him, how does the love of God reside in him?

Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

Copyright 2012 Lexham Press

KJV 1900King James Version

For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

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