1 John 3:11–22

For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another—

unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

13

Don’t be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.

14

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn’t love his brother remains in death.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 14–15. We know that we have passed from death to life; that is from the death of sin to the life of grace: we know it by a moral certainty, when we experience in our heart a love of our neighbour.—He that loveth not God and his neighbour, abideth in death. He that hateth his brother with a mortal hatred, or to a considerable degree, is a murderer. Witham.

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15

Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 14–15. We know that we have passed from death to life; that is from the death of sin to the life of grace: we know it by a moral certainty, when we experience in our heart a love of our neighbour.—He that loveth not God and his neighbour, abideth in death. He that hateth his brother with a mortal hatred, or to a considerable degree, is a murderer. Witham.

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16

By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 16. The charity of God, [2] because he hath laid down his life for us. Jesus Christ, therefore, who laid down his life for us, was God. It is true at present the words of God are wanting in most Greek MSS.: yet the Prot. translation has them. Witham.

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17

But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him?

18

My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.

19

And by this we know that we are of the truth and persuade our hearts before him,

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 19–20. And in his sight we shall persuade our hearts. That is, if we love God and our neighbour in deed, as he said before, we may rest satisfied in conscience that we follow the ways of truth, and may have a well-grounded confidence in God.—But if our hearts reprehend us, for not complying with this duty and precept of charity, God is still greater than our heart; that is he sees and knows the interior dispositions of our heart, even better than we know ourselves, and therefore we have more reason to fear him, especially when even our heart and conscience reprehend us. Witham.

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20

because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

ExplanationCommentary

EXPLANATION

Verse 19–20. And in his sight we shall persuade our hearts. That is, if we love God and our neighbour in deed, as he said before, we may rest satisfied in conscience that we follow the ways of truth, and may have a well-grounded confidence in God.—But if our hearts reprehend us, for not complying with this duty and precept of charity, God is still greater than our heart; that is he sees and knows the interior dispositions of our heart, even better than we know ourselves, and therefore we have more reason to fear him, especially when even our heart and conscience reprehend us. Witham.

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21

Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God;

22

so whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.