1 John 3:14-18

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 John 3:14-19

The beloved apostle can scarcely touch upon the mention of sacred love, but he must enlarge upon the enforcement of it, as here he does by divers arguments and incentives thereto; as, I. That it is a mark of our evangelical justification, of our transition into a state of life: We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren, 1 John 3:14. We are by nature children of wrath and heirs of death. By the gospel (the gospel-covenant or promise) our state towards another... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 John 3:10-18

3:10-18 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are made plain; anyone who does not do righteousness is not of God, and neither is he who does not love his brother, because the message that we have heard from the beginning is the message that we should love one another, that we should not be like Cain, who was of the Evil One and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his works were evil and his brother's works were just. Do not be surprised, brothers, if the... read more

William Barclay

William Barclay's Daily Study Bible - 1 John 3:10-18

In this passage there is a parenthesis; we return to it now. The parenthesis is 1 John 3:11 and the conclusion drawn from it is in 1 John 3:12 . The Christian must not be like Cain who murdered his brother. John goes on to ask why Cain murdered his brother; and his answer is that it was because his works were evil and his brother's were good. Then he drops the remark: "Do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you." An evil man will instinctively hate a good man.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 John 3:14

We know that we have passed from death to life ,.... From a death in sin, a moral or spiritual death; which lies in a separation from God, Father, Son, and Spirit; in an alienation from the life of God; in a loss of the image of God, of righteousness, holiness, and knowledge, in which man was created; in a privation of all true sense of sin, and in a servitude to it, which is unto death, and is no other than death: and from a legal death, or death in a legal sense, under the sentence of... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 John 3:15

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer ,.... A soul murderer, as the Ethiopic version renders it; not only of himself, for every sinner, by sinning, wrongs and destroys his own soul; but of his brother whom he hates: he is a murderer of him in his heart, even as he that lusts after a woman hath committed adultery with her in his heart, out of which arise murders, as well as adulteries; it is not only taking away life, but also causeless anger, malice, and hatred, that is a breach of the... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 John 3:16

Hereby perceive we the love of God ,.... The phrase "of God" is not in the Oriental versions, nor in the Greek copies, but is in the Complutensian edition, and in the Vulgate Latin version, and is favoured by the Syriac version, which reads, "by this we know his love to us"; and so the Ethiopic version, "by this we know his love". That is, the love of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is truly and properly God, the great God, the mighty God, the true God, and God over all, blessed for ever. His... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 John 3:17

But whoso hath this world's good ,.... The possessions of this world, worldly substance, the temporal good things of it; for there are some things in it, which are honestly, pleasantly, and profitably good, when used lawfully, and not abused, otherwise they are to the owner's hurt: or "the living of this world"; that which the men of the world give up themselves to, are bent upon, and pursue after; or on which men live, and by which life is maintained, and preserved, and made comfortable in... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 John 3:18

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue ,.... Which though it holds good of love to God, and to Jesus Christ, yet here is to be understood of love to the brethren, as the context shows; and so the Syriac version reads, "let us not love one another in word", &c.; that is, without the heart, or with a double heart; speaking one thing with the lip, and designing another thing in the heart; speaking peaceably with the mouth, and with the heart laying wait; or we should... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 3:14

We know that we have passed from death unto life - Death and life are represented here as two distinct territories, states, or kingdoms, to either of which the inhabitants of either may be removed. This is implied in the term μεταβεβηκαμεν , from μετα , denoting change of place, and βαινω , I go. It is the same figure which St. Paul uses, Colossians 1:13 ; : Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love. The believers to... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 3:15

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer - He has the same principle in him which was in Cain, and it may lead to the same consequences. No murderer hath eternal life - Eternal life springs from an indwelling God; and God cannot dwell in the heart where hatred and malice dwell. This text has been quoted to prove that no murderer can be saved. This is not said in the text; and there have been many instances of persons who have been guilty of murder having had deep and genuine... read more

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