If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness.
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.
- NKJV He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.
- NASB The one who says that he is in the Light and yet hates his brother or sister is in the darkness until now.
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,
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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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