1 John 3:16 NIV

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 3:16

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 3:16

Hereby perceive we the love of God - This sixteenth verse of this third chapter of John's first epistle is, in the main, an exact counterpart of the sixteenth verse of the third chapter of St. John's gospel: God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, etc. Here the apostle says, We perceive, εγνωκαμεν , we have known, the love of God, because he laid down his life for us. Of God is not in the text, but it is preserved in one MS., and in two or three of the versions; but... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 3:16

Verse 16 16Hereby perceive we, or, By this we know. He now shews what true love is; for it would not have been enough to commend it, unless its power is understood. As an instance of perfect love, he sets before us the example of Christ; for he, by not sparing his own life, testified how much he loved us. This then is the mark to which he bids them to advance. The sum of what is said is, that our love is approved, when we transfer the love of ourselves to our brethren, so that every one, in a... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:1-24

(1) The evidence of sonship. Righteousness. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:13-24

Hate and death contrasted with love and life ( 1 John 3:13-15 ); generous love, which has its pattern in the self-sacrifice of Christ ( 1 John 3:16 , 1 John 3:17 ); sincere love, which is the ground of our boldness toward God, who has commanded us to love ( 1 John 3:18-24 ). read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:13-24

The sign of brotherly love. I. LOVE TO BE TRACED TO A SAVING CHANGE . 1 . Not to be expected in the world. "Marvel not, brethren, if the world hateth you." Cain hated Abel; after the same fashion the world hates Christ's people. Our Lord, whom John here echoes, points to the fact of his being hated before his people, and then adds, "If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:16

In this ( 1 John 3:10 ; 1 John 2:3 )we have come to know (have acquired and possess the knowledge of) love (what love is), in that he laid down his life for us. This is better than "We have come to know love as consisting in this, that he laid down his life for us," which would have been ἐν τούτῳ οὖσαν . Cain is the type of hate; Christ, of love. Cain took his brother's life to benefit himself; Christ laid down his own life to benefit his enemies (see on John 10:12 ). This... read more

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

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

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

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 3:16

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - 1 John 3:16

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:1-24

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:13-24

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:13-24

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 John 3:16

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