Whoever loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause of stumbling in him.
Parallel translations
- WEB He who loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no occasion for stumbling in him.
- KJV He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
- NKJV He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
- NASB The one who loves his brother and sister remains in the Light, and there is nothing in him to cause stumbling.
- NLT Anyone who loves a fellow believer is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Loving fellow believers shows one abides in the light, with no cause for stumbling. Love keeps us on a stable, godly path.
Overview
The one who loves remains in the light and has nothing in him to cause stumbling, whether for himself or others. Love produces moral and spiritual stability. Contrasted with the hater of the next verse, the loving believer walks securely in fellowship with God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 1 Jn 3:14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.
- Rom 9:32–33Why not? Because their pursuit was not by faith, but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,
- Rom 14:13Therefore let us stop judging one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother’s way.
- Hos 6:3So let us know—let us press on to know the LORD. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the rain, like the spring showers that water the earth.
- 2 Pet 1:10Therefore, brothers, strive to make your calling and election sure. For if you practice these things you will never stumble,
- John 8:31So He said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples.
- Matt 18:7Woe to the world for the causes of sin. These stumbling blocks must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!
- Matt 13:21But since he has no root, he remains for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away.
- Luke 17:1–2Jesus said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come!
- Phil 1:10so that you may be able to test and prove what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,
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Christ at the center
Jesus is the Word of life made manifest, the propitiation for our sins, the Son in whom is eternal life — 'that you may know that you have eternal life.'
How 1 John 2:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.