1 John 3:11

Love One Another

11 For 1this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, 2that we should love one another.

1 John 3:11 Meaning and Commentary

1 John 3:11

For this is the message
Sent from God by Christ, or what he in his ministry declared, and is the commandment which was so frequently urged by him, ( John 13:34 ) ( John 15:12 John 15:17 ) ;

that ye have heard from the beginning;
of the preaching of the Gospel to them, and of their conversion; see ( 1 John 2:7 ) ;

that we should love one another;
to which the command of Christ, the reason with which it is enforced, and the early notice of it, should engage.

1 John 3:11 In-Context

9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.
10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
12 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.
13 Do not be surprised, brothers,that the world hates you.

Cross References 2

  • 1. 1 John 1:5; 1 John 2:24
  • 2. See John 13:34
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.