The Letters · New Testament
1 John 3
1 John 3: children of God, children of the devil, and love in deed
General context
The chapter opens by asking the readers to look at the love that lets them be called the sons of God, and says the world does not know them because it did not know him. They are sons now, what they shall be has not yet appeared, but when he appears they will be like him, and everyone with that hope purifies himself. Sin is defined as the transgression of the law, and he was manifested to take away sins, having none in him. Whoever abides in him does not sin, and whoever sins has not seen or known him. Righteousness and sin are traced to two sources: whoever does righteousness is righteous, whoever commits sin is of the devil, and the Son of God was manifested to destroy the devil's works. Whoever is born of God does not commit sin because his seed remains in him. This marks out the children of God from the children of the devil, and the marks named are doing righteousness and loving the brother. The message heard from the beginning is that they love one another, unlike Cain, who killed his brother because his own works were evil. The readers are told not to marvel if the world hates them. Loving the brethren is the evidence of having passed from death to life, and hating a brother makes a murderer. Love is defined by his laying down his life, so they ought to lay down theirs, and the test given is whether a man with goods shuts compassion off from a brother in need. They are to love in deed and in truth, and if their heart condemns them, God is greater than their heart. The chapter ends with confidence toward God, answered prayer, and one commandment naming belief and love.
Cited passages: 1 John 3:1, 1 John 3:2, 1 John 3:3, 1 John 3:4, 1 John 3:5, 1 John 3:6, 1 John 3:8, 1 John 3:9, 1 John 3:10, 1 John 3:11, 1 John 3:12, 1 John 3:13, 1 John 3:14, 1 John 3:15, 1 John 3:16, 1 John 3:17, 1 John 3:18, 1 John 3:20, 1 John 3:22, 1 John 3:23
1 John 3 (KJV)
1Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
4Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
5And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
6Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
7Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
8He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
9Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.
11For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
12Not 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.
13Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
14We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
15Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
16Hereby 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.
17But 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?
18My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
19And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
20For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.
21Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.
22And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
23And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
24And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.
This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.
Historical context
One person from older scripture is named, and only one: "Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother". The letter supplies a reason for the killing, "Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous", and says nothing else about the story. The devil is said to sin from the beginning, with no further account. The readers' situation is given in one line, that the world hates them, with no persecutor, place or event named. The chapter states plainly that what the readers will be has not yet appeared, so it marks a limit on its own knowledge. Two of its statements sit in tension without being reconciled: verse 9 says whoever is born of God "cannot sin", while chapter 1 verse 8 says that claiming to have no sin is self deception, and chapter 2 verse 1 provides for the case where a reader does sin. The chapter quotes no scripture.
Cited passages: 1 John 3:12, 1 John 3:8, 1 John 3:13, 1 John 3:2, 1 John 3:9, 1 John 1:8, 1 John 2:1
Literary context
The chapter sorts people into two families and keeps the categories absolute. Whosoever is the governing word, used again and again with no exceptions allowed, and the pairs are stark: children of God against children of the devil, passed from death unto life against abideth in death, loving in word against loving "in deed and in truth". Cain is the one concrete case in the chapter, and the letter supplies his motive as well as his act. The definition of love is then given twice, once at its largest, laying down a life, and once at its smallest, opening a purse to a brother in need, and the second is put as a question rather than a rule. After so much sorting, verse 20 lets something in from the other side, that a condemning heart is not the last word because "God is greater than our heart", which is the only place in the chapter where the reader's own verdict on himself is overruled.
Cited passages: 1 John 3:6, 1 John 3:10, 1 John 3:14, 1 John 3:12, 1 John 3:16, 1 John 3:17, 1 John 3:18, 1 John 3:20
Key moments
- Called the sons of God (1 John 3:1). The readers are told to look at what they have been called.
- Not yet appearing (1 John 3:2). The letter admits what they will be is not yet shown.
- Two families named (1 John 3:10). Children of God and children of the devil are distinguished by conduct.
- Not as Cain (1 John 3:12). The one named example is a man who killed his brother.
- Hatred counted as murder (1 John 3:15). The letter refuses a gap between hating and killing.
- Shutting up compassion (1 John 3:17). Seeing a brother in need and doing nothing is put as a question.
- God greater than our heart (1 John 3:20). A self condemning heart is not allowed the final verdict.
For reflection
The chapter sets the largest measure of love beside the smallest, dying for someone and sharing goods with someone in need. Why might the smaller one be put as a question instead of a command?
