1 John 3

Read the chapter

¹Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. ✦ ²Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. ✦ ³And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. ✦ ⁴Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. ✦ ⁵And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. ✦ ⁶Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. ✦ ⁷Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. ✦ ⁸He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. ✦ ⁹Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. ✦ ¹⁰In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. ✦ ¹¹For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. ✦ ¹²Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. ✦ ¹³Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. ✦ ¹⁴We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. ✦ ¹⁵Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. ✦ ¹⁶Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ✦ ¹⁷But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? ✦ ¹⁸My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. ✦ ¹⁹And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. ✦ ²⁰For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. ✦ ²¹Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. ✦ ²²And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. ✦ ²³And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. ✦ ²⁴And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. ✦

Tap any verse for its study page. Underlined terms mark a concept, person, or place; ✦ marks verses with cross-references.

Where this chapter connects

1 Jn 4 ·22 1 Jn 2 ·20 1 Jn 3 ·16 1 Jn 5 ·15 John 15 ·12 Rom 8 ·10 1 Pet 1 ·9 Eph 5 ·8

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 3 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.

Resources, by level

Lay

★ Start hereAudioThrough the WordThrough the Word · ~10 min/chapter · Free · evangelical
A clear ~10-minute audio teaching for every one of the Bible's 1,189 chapters — the most systematic free way to study chapter by chapter.

Pastoral

SermonChuck Smith — C2000 SeriesChuck Smith · Free · evangelical
Free verse-by-verse audio through the entire Bible from the founder of Calvary Chapel.

Commentaries & study tools

VideoBibleProject — 1 John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
VideoWatch teaching on 1 John 3YouTube · Lay · Free
Sermons and chapter teaching from across YouTube.
CommentaryEnduring Word — 1 John 3David Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical
Readable, verse-by-verse exposition of the whole chapter.
CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
ReferenceBlue Letter Bible — 1 John 3Blue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free
Interlinear, lexicon, and study tools across the chapter.

← 1 John 2 1 John 4 →