New Living Translation
1 John 3:23
23And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.
1 John 3:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And 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.
- New International Version (NIV)And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And 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.
Context of 1 John 3:23
21Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. 22And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. 24Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.
Read all of 1 John 31 John 3:23 word by word
καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ αὐτοῦ ἵνα πιστεύσωμεν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους καθὼς ἔδωκεν ἐντολὴν ἡμῖν.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andκαίkai · andG2532
- thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- isεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- commandmentὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- commandmentἐντολήentolē · commandmentG1785
- Thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- we should believeπιστεύωpisteuō · to trust (in)G4100
- on the nameὄνομαonoma · nameG3686
- Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
- loveἀγαπάωagapaō · to loveG25
- one anotherἀλλήλωνallēlōn · one anotherG240
- asκαθώςkathōs · as/just asG2531
- he gaveδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
- usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
Cross-references for 1 John 3:23
- Deuteronomy 18:15Moses continued, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.
- Psalms 2:12Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become angry, and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities— for his anger flares up in an instant. But what joy for all who take refuge in him!
- Mark 9:7Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.”
- John 6:29Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”
- John 14:1“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.
- John 17:3And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.
- Acts 16:31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.”
- 1 Timothy 1:15This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”—and I am the worst of them all.
- 1 John 3:11This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
- 1 John 2:8Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.
- 1 John 4:21And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.
- Matthew 22:39A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
- John 13:34So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.
- John 15:12This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.
- Ephesians 5:2Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.
- 1 Thessalonians 4:9But we don’t need to write to you about the importance of loving each other, for God himself has taught you to love one another.
Commentaries on 1 John 3:23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23That we should believe on the name of his Son - We are commanded to believe on Christ, that for the sake of his passion and death we may be justified from all things from which we could not be justified by the law of Moses; and being through him redeemed from the guilt of sin, restored to the Divine favor, and made partakers of the Holy Ghost, we are enabled to love one another as he gave us commandment; for without a renewal of the heart, love to God and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23And this is his commandment - His commandment, by way of eminence; the leading, principal thing which he enjoins on us; the commandment which lies at the foundation of all true obedience. That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ - See the notes at Mark 16:16. Compare John 16:1; Acts 16:31. And love one another - This follows from the other, and hence they are mentioned as together constituting his commandment. Notes, John 13:35.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-24Verses 22-24 When believers had confidence towards God, through the Spirit of adoption, and by faith in the great High Priest, they might ask what they would of their reconciled Father. They would receive it, if good for them. And as good-will to men was proclaimed from heaven, so good-will to men, particularly to the brethren, must be in the hearts of those who go to God and heaven. He who thus follows Christ, dwells in Him as his ark, refuge, and rest…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 23-24John gives a new way to recognize who has the Spirit. The Spirit does not belong only to a small group of people who claim to have special knowledge but do not show changed lives. Instead, the Spirit comes to all believers and leads them to live in obedience as followers of Christ (Galatians 5:22–23).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. Summing up of God's commandments under the Gospel dispensation in one commandment. this is his commandment--singular: for faith and love are not separate commandments, but are indissolubly united. We cannot truly love one another without faith in Christ, nor can we truly believe in Him without love. believe--once for all; Greek aorist. on the name of his Son--on all that is revealed in the Gospel concerning Him, and on Himself in respect to His…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 John 3:23
In the dictionaries
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
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