1 Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God: and [such ]we are. For this cause the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2 Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is. 3 And every one that hath this hope [set ]on him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. 4 Every one that doeth sin doeth also lawlessness: and sin is lawlessness. 5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away sins; and in him is no sin. 6 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither knoweth him. 7 [My ]little children, let no man lead you astray: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous: 8 he that doeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. To this end was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God. 10 In 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. 11 For this is the message which ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another: 12 not as Cain was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. 13 Marvel not, brethren, if the world hateth you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in death. 15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby know we love, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoso hath the world’s goods, and beholdeth his brother in need, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how doth the love of God abide in him? 18 [My ]little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth. 19 Hereby shall we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before him, 20 whereinsoever our heart condemn us; because God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God; 22 and whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. 23 And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he gave us commandment. 24 And he that keepeth his commandments abideth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.
1 John · Revised Version with Apocrypha
1 John 3 Revised Version with Apocrypha
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (24)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 John 1:12; Galatians 3:26; 2 Corinthians 6:18; Galatians 4:5–6; John 3:16
- 2 Philippians 3:21; Colossians 3:4; 1 Corinthians 13:12; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Psalm 17:15
- 3 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 John 2:6; 2 Peter 3:14; Matthew 5:48; Hebrews 12:14
- 4 1 John 5:17; Romans 3:20; Romans 4:15; Numbers 15:31; 1 John 3:8–9
- 5 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 9:26
- 6 3 John 11; 1 John 2:4; 1 John 3:9; 1 John 4:8; John 15:4–7
- 7 1 John 2:29; Romans 2:13; 1 Peter 1:15–16; 1 John 3:3; 1 John 2:26
- 8 Hebrews 2:14; John 8:44; Colossians 2:15; John 16:11; John 12:31
- 9 1 John 5:18; 1 Peter 1:23; John 1:13; 1 John 5:1; 1 John 2:29
- 10 1 John 4:8; 3 John 11; 1 John 4:21; Matthew 13:38; John 8:44
- 11 John 15:12; 2 John 5; 1 John 4:7; John 13:34–35; 1 Peter 3:8
- 12 Hebrews 11:4; Genesis 4:4–15; Proverbs 29:27; Genesis 4:25; Jude 11
- 13 John 15:18–19; John 17:14; Luke 21:17; 2 Timothy 3:12; Luke 6:22
- 14 1 John 5:2; John 13:35; John 5:24; 1 John 4:20–21; 1 Thessalonians 4:9
- 15 Matthew 5:21–22; Revelation 21:8; Proverbs 26:24–26; John 8:44; Leviticus 19:16–18
- 16 1 John 4:9–11; Ephesians 5:2; John 13:34; John 3:16; Romans 5:8
- 17 Hebrews 13:16; Isaiah 58:7–10; Deuteronomy 15:7–11; 1 John 4:20; Proverbs 19:17
- 18 James 2:15–16; Romans 12:9; 1 Peter 1:22; Galatians 5:13; 1 Corinthians 13:4–7
- 19 Hebrews 10:22; 1 John 3:21; Isaiah 32:17; Hebrews 6:10–11; John 18:37
- 20 Psalm 139:1–4; Jeremiah 17:10; Hebrews 4:13; 1 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John 4:4
- 21 1 John 2:28; Hebrews 4:16; 2 Corinthians 1:12; Psalm 101:2; Psalm 7:3–5
- 22 John 15:7; John 9:31; Matthew 21:22; 1 John 5:14; Mark 11:24
- 23 John 6:29; John 13:34; 1 Peter 1:22; John 15:12; 1 Peter 4:8
- 24 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 John 4:15–16; 1 John 4:12–13; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 2 Timothy 1:14
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Hear intently, I do beseech you, because it is no small matter that we have to cope withal: and I doubt not, because ye were intent upon it yesterday, that ye have with even greater intentness of purpose come together to-day.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)
… ever, which now appeareth unto us in the dark image of the clouds, and through the glass of the heavens, not as it is; because we also, although we be the well-beloved of Thy Son, yet it hath not yet appeared what we shall be. He looketh through the lattice of our flesh, and He is fair-speaking, and hath inflamed …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
The devil then is the first author of sin, and the father of the wicked: and this is the Lord's saying, not mine, that the devil sinneth from the beginning: none sinned before him.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)
"He that soweth to the spirit," it is said, "shall of the spirit reap life everlasting." John too writes, "Hereby we know that he abideth in us by (ek) the spirit which he hath given us." "That which is conceived in her," says the angel, "is of the Holy Ghost," and the Lord says "that which is born of the …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 8 (1895)
… eluded; and he who will not piously submit himself to things as they are, proudly feigns, and mocks himself with a state of things that does not exist; so that what the blessed Apostle John says thus becomes intelligible: "The devil sinneth from the beginning," --that is, from the time he was created he refused righteousness, which none but a …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)