João 13:35

35 Com isso todos saberão que vocês são meus discípulos, se vocês se amarem uns aos outros”.

João 13:35 Meaning and Commentary

John 13:35

By this shall all men know
Not only by this you yourselves will know that ye have passed from death to life, that the true work of grace is begun upon your hearts; nor only by this will you know one another to be Christians; but by this all men, even the men of the world will know,

that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another:
and own and acknowledge it, as Tertullian ^F14 says the very Heathens did in his time; who would say, when they saw the Christians pass along the streets, and meet and express their affection to each other, "see how they love one another": would to God the same was as observable now. The distinguishing badge and character of a disciple of Christ, is not any outward garb, or any austerities of life, by which the disciples of John and of the Pharisees were known; nor were the ordinary nor extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, bestowed upon the disciples of Christ, what distinguished them as such; since those who were not truly his disciples, had these bestowed on them; but love to one another, brotherly love was the distinguishing character, and this is another reason or argument enforcing a regard unto it.

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 Apolog. c. 39.

João 13:35 In-Context

33 “Meus filhinhos, vou estar com vocês apenas mais um pouco. Vocês procurarão por mim e, como eu disse aos judeus, agora digo a vocês: Para onde eu vou, vocês não podem ir.

34 “Um novo mandamento dou a vocês: Amem-se uns aos outros. Como eu os amei, vocês devem amar-se uns aos outros.

35 Com isso todos saberão que vocês são meus discípulos, se vocês se amarem uns aos outros”.

36 Simão Pedro lhe perguntou: “Senhor, para onde vais?”Jesus respondeu: “Para onde vou, vocês não podem seguir-me agora, mas me seguirão mais tarde”.

37 Pedro perguntou: “Senhor, por que não posso seguir-te agora? Darei a minha vida por ti!”