1 John 3:11

1 John 3:11 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
• New International Version (NIV)For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,

Context of 1 John 3:11

9Everybody who is a child of God does not continue to do wrong things. This is because God has given them a new life. He has caused them to become his children. So they cannot continue to do wrong things. 10In this way, we can see clearly who are God's children and who are the Devil's children. Anyone who does not live in a way that is good and right does not belong to God. People like that do not love other believers. Yes, we must love one another. That is the message which you have heard from the beginning. 12We should not be like Cain. He belonged to Satan and he even killed his brother, Abel. Why did he do that? Cain did bad things and he killed Abel because Abel did things that were right. 13So, my Christian friends, do not be surprised when people who belong to this world hate you.

1 John 3:11 word by word

ὅτι αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγγελία ἣν ἠκούσατε ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• the messageὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• the messageἀγγελίαaggelia · messageG31
• thatὅςhos hē ho · whichG3739
• ye heardἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• the beginningἀρχήarchē · beginningG746
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• we should loveἀγαπάωagapaō · to loveG25
• one anotherἀλλήλωνallēlōn · one anotherG240

Cross-references for 1 John 3:11

• 1 John 1:5We are telling you the good news that Jesus Christ told to us. This is the message: God is completely good and clean. He is like light. There is nothing dark about him.
• 1 John 2:7My friends, I am telling you to love one another. When I write this to you, I am not giving you a new rule. It is an old rule that you have had for a long time. We gave it to you when you began to obey Christ. It is the same message that you have already heard.
• 1 Timothy 1:5We need to teach people to love one another with pure thoughts. They need to be sure in their minds that they are living in a good way. They need to trust God completely.
• 1 John 4:7My friends, we should all love each other. It is God who makes us able to love other people. Everyone who loves other people has become a child of God. That person knows God.
• John 13:34I give a new rule to you. Love each other. You must love each other as I have loved you.
• John 15:12This is the rule that I give to you: You must love each other, in the same way that I have loved you.
• Galatians 6:2When anyone among you has troubles, you must help each other. If you do that, you will be obeying Christ's rule.
• Ephesians 5:2Show that you love other people. Remember how much Christ loved us. He gave himself as a sacrifice on our behalf. He offered himself in a way that pleased God, like a sacrifice with a lovely smell.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:9But I do not need to write to you about how you should love other believers. God himself has taught you how to love each other.
• 1 Peter 1:22You have obeyed God's true message. As a result, you have become clean inside, and now you can really love other believers. So continue to love each other very well, with honest thoughts.
• 1 Peter 3:8Now I want to say this to you before I finish my letter. All of you should agree with each other in what you think. You should try to understand how other people are feeling. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be kind to each other. Do not think that you are more important than other people.
• 1 Peter 4:8Continue to love each other very much. That is more important than anything else. If you love people, you will forgive them for any wrong things that they have done.
• 2 John 1:5So now, dear lady, I want you to do something. I want all of us to love one another. I am not telling you a new command to obey. This is a command that we have had from the beginning.

Commentaries on 1 John 3:11

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 11For this is the message - See 1 John 1:5. From the beginning God hath taught men that they should love one another. How essentially necessary this is to the comfort and well-being of man in this state of trial and difficulty, every sensible man must see. All are dependent upon all; all upon each, and each upon all. Mutual love makes this dependence pleasant and doubly profitable. Nothing can be more pleasing to an ingenuous and generous mind than to…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 11For this is the message - Margin, “commandment.” In the received text, this is ̓́ angelia- “a message brought;” in several manuscripts, and in later editions, it is ̓́ epangelia- “annunciation, announcement;” an order given, or a commandment, Acts 23:21. It is not very material which reading is followed. The word “command” or “rule” would express the sense with sufficient clearness. The reference is to the law given by the Saviour as a permanent direction…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-15Verses 11-15 We should love the Lord Jesus, value his love, and therefore love all our brethren in Christ. This love is the special fruit of our faith, and a certain sign of our being born again. But none who rightly know the heart of man, can wonder at the contempt and enmity of ungodly people against the children of God. We know that we are passed from death to life: we may know it by the evidences of our faith in Christ, of which love to our brethren…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 11-22John now emphasizes that Christians need to love one another (see John 13:34).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1111. the message--"announcement," as of something good; not a mere command, as the law. The Gospel message of Him who loved us, announced by His servants, is, that we love the brethren; not here all mankind, but those who are our brethren in Christ, children of the same family of God, of whom we have been born anew.Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 3:11

• Commandments
• Love
• Righteousness
• Wicked (People)

In the dictionaries

• Appear
• Assure
• Condemn
• Pleasing
• Sin
• Word
• Brotherly Kindness; Brotherly Love
• Ethics
• John, the Epistles of

Commentaries on 1 John 3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings