He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.
Parallel translations
- WEB He who says he is in the light and hates his brother, is in the darkness even until now.
- KJV He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
- BSB If anyone claims to be in the light but hates his brother, he is still in the darkness.
- NASB The one who says that he is in the Light and yet hates his brother or sister is in the darkness until now.
- NLT If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness.
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
Claiming to be in the light while hating a fellow believer proves one is still in darkness. Love is the test of true light.
Overview
John applies the light/darkness theme to relationships: hatred of a brother exposes a person as still in spiritual darkness, whatever they profess. Love and hatred reveal one's true spiritual condition. This is a central test of authentic faith running through the letter.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 1 Jn 4:20If a man says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who doesn’t love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
- 1 Jn 2:11But he who hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and doesn’t know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
- 1 Jn 3:13–17Don’t be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.
- Ps 82:5They don’t know, neither do they understand. They walk back and forth in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken.
- 1 Cor 13:1–3If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.
- 2 Pet 1:9For he who lacks these things is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins.
- 1 Jn 2:4One who says, “I know him,” and doesn’t keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth isn’t in him.
- 1 Jn 1:6If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and don’t tell the truth.
- John 9:41Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.
- Rom 2:18–21and know his will, and approve the things that are excellent, being instructed out of the law,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 2:9 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
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