By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Parallel translations
- WEB By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
- BSB By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
- NKJV By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
- NASB By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.”
- NLT Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
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
Jesus says love among His disciples is how everyone will recognize them as His. It makes mutual love the visible badge of true discipleship.
Overview
Christ identifies love within the community as the chief witness to the watching world. Such love commends the gospel and authenticates genuine discipleship. The verse challenges believers to make Christlike love the unmistakable mark of their life together.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- 1 Jn 4:20–21If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
- 1 Jn 2:10He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
- 1 Jn 3:10–14In 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.
- John 17:21That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
- 1 Jn 2:5But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
- Acts 4:32–35And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
- Gen 13:7–8And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land.
- Acts 5:12–14And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
How John 13:35 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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