Cain murdered his brother Abel, as recorded in Genesis 4. We are putting away the desires of the flesh, desires of the eyes, and the pride in lifestyle and following the desires of our Lord. He knows that you are loving him and striving to serve him. The content, style, and vocabulary seem to warrant the conclusion that these three epistles were addressed to the same readers as the Gospel of John. We know what love looks like because we see in Jesus the perfect example of love. Supremely these moral responses are to be ones of love. Since we are God’s children now, and since we hope in the day when we shall be […] … Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. When we get angry with one another and refuse to show proper love, we are showing that we are not born of God and do not have eternal life. It was not something they had never heard before. John was not telling them some new truth or something he had "invented." Hawley - Our nature has consequences; eventually we act the way we really are. He knows your passionate pursuit of him. Second, behavior is characterized by purity (1 John 2:28-3:10—Moral). The Gospel message of Him who loved us, announced by His servants, is, that we love the brethren; not here all mankind, but those who are our brethren in Christ, children of the same family of God, of whom we have been born anew. We are staying in the place of being spiritually dead, separated from God and not in a relationship with God. “It is the Lord’s command, and if this is done, it is enough.” What is here stated, then, is that the manifestation of the character of Christ in the believer is the outcome of receiving the word of God. God is greater than our condemning hearts. The grammar of 1 John 3:6 indicates that John is speaking of a settled, continued lifestyle of sin. Verse 11 tells us — for (because) this has been the message that the readers have heard taught since the beginning of hearing the gospel. His readers will be safe if they hold fast to the message which they heard, and that publicly and openly, from the beginning… In both doctrine and ethics we must go right back to the beginning and enquire what the apostles originally taught and their first converts both had (1Jn 2:7, eichete, aorist) and heard (1Jn 2:24 and 1Jn 3:11, ēkousate, another aorist). 1 Jn 3:12–13 show us the negative example, Cain, who in his hatred and ultimate murder of his brother Abel is the prototype of the world. –Gabriel Zepeda-Rolón 4th Sunday of Easter (White or Gold) Acts 4:5-12 Psalm 23 1 John 3:16-24 John 10:11-18 1 John 3:11-24-Love One Another (New Revised Standard Version) 11 For this is the message you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Our actions tell everything about who are truly God’s and who are not. So 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins” — he doesn’t specify any particular kind — “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” In the context the message is a reference to the original, apostolic Gospel, the good "message" of Him Who loved us (Jn 3:16) and which births children who exhibit a Spirit-enabled, supernatural love for their brothers and sisters in Christ. Arché refers to what is first or has primacy (the state of being first). In verse 19 John says we can know we are of the truth and have our hearts assured that we have eternal life. We have confidence before God and we are supposed to have confidence before him. There the message which John's readers had heard was a doctrinal one, the theological foundation for their faith that rests in the character of God 'This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him is no darkness at all' (1Jn 1:5). ", Daniel Akin - John speaks of four different levels of relationships in which we can choose to live: murder (1Jn 3:11, 12), hatred (1Jn 3:13-15), indifference (1Jn 3:16, 17), and Christian love in action (1Jn 3:18). 1Jn 3:11 and 1Jn 1:5 are the only NT uses of aggelia. There is a lot that could be said on the meaning of these words. Picking up in the middle of Paul’s description, “having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work.” (1 Timothy 5:10 ESV) The point I want to make is that we are not talking about people who claim to be Christians but have shown themselves to be Christians. 3) What does Jesus mean when he said in John 3:12 “I have spoken to you of earthly things”? We are keeping his commands and do things that are pleasing to God. John speaks of the evidence of love in 1 Jn 3:14–15, and sandwiching those verses on either side comes John's teaching about the essence of love. Used in the Septuagint 11x - 1Sa 4:19; 2Sa 4:4; 2Ki 19:7; Pr 12:25; 25:25; 26:16; Isa 28:9; 37:7; Ezek 7:26; 21:7; Nah 3:19. It is always about what others are doing for them, never about what they can do for others. After all of this discussion about helping others, why does John say "His command" is "to believe in the name of His Son?" 'For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.' (3:11) It's amazing that we Christians need to hear the message, the command, of love so often -- and still we don't get it. 1 John 3:11-12 - NIV: For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. The readers heard it from the beginning, since it was among the first things inculcated in their hearts as believers, and not only so but it had been constantly repeated. By coincidence, I was reading a commentary on this exact passage earlier today. Compassion will lead to action. And then and only then will we be free to forget about ourselves in order to genuinely love someone else. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit who guided the apostles into all truth, who wrote the mystery down so that when we read we can understand God’s will (cf. Perhaps some have thought that because Christians talk about a “personal relationship with Jesus Christ” that it is only us and Jesus who matter. John says we have "heard from the beginning" the message that we should love one another. John is not talking about the guy looking for a handout so he can buy beer. Marvin Vincent on message - “announcement,” as of something good; not a mere command, as the law. They were infatuated with newness. The gospel not only saves men but unites them to Christ and this produces in them that love which is essential in His character, was manifested by Him, embraces all the other qualities of the fruit of the spirit, and fulfills the law of God. Even after we have done these things, we will sometimes have days where our hearts still condemn us. 1Jn 3:23; 4:7; 11–12; 2John 1:5; John 13:34; 15:12, 17)." Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. If a brother or sister in Christ is found to be in true need, we as individuals are to do something about it. We can feel guilt from our sins even though we have come to Jesus and asked for forgiveness. (Exalting Jesus in 1, 2, 3 John (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary), William Barclay adds "We can tell what a tree is by its fruits, and similarly we can tell what a man or woman is by that person’s conduct. Supremely these moral responses are to be ones of love. Jerome informs us that toward the close of the apostle’s life, after he had become too infirm to preach, he still continued constantly to give the exhortation, “Little children, love one another.” He tells us how he remarked. What are some of the signs of genuine saving faith? How we treat each other and deal with each reveals where we stand in our salvation. You know that you have truly moved from the realm of darkness and sin to the realm of light and righteousness when we love each other. John concludes this paragraph by encouraging our hearts and giving us further hope. We must clean out the filth in our lives and stop practicing sins because we see the amazing love the Father has given us so that we can be called children of God. Commentary on 1 John 3:11-15 (Read 1 John 3:11-15) We should love the Lord Jesus, value his love, and therefore love all our brethren in Christ. If we do not love one another, we are murderers. I do not want to take the teeth out of this passage, but I think we need to make some observations about what John is saying. 1 John 3:2 Or when it is made known; 1 John 3:13 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 16. Cain murdered his brother Abel, as recorded in Genesis 4. It is a love of esteem and approbation. Children of the devil are self-consumed. We know what love looks like when we look at Jesus. What is the lust of the eyes? Here John is referring to "the beginning of Jesus’ self-revelation to his disciples in the course of his earthly life and ministry." Whenever you encounter a conjunction used as a term of explanation, pause and ask "What is the writer explaining?" As John Calvin said "John reminds us that he was teaching nothing but what had been heard by the faithful concerning love from the beginning and had become old through long usage. What does 1 John 3:11 mean? The other uses are found in John 13:34; 15:12, 17; Ro 13:8; 1Th 4:9; 1Pe 1:22. Love acts. "For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another." God knows us and forgives us even we seem to be unable to forgive ourselves. Commentators have debated who “We” is in this passage. We have the full, complete revealed word of God that tells us what we must do to be pleasing to God. Previous: 1 John 2:28-3:10, A Purifying Hope The world is going to hate us because we are walking in the light and exposing darkness. His example, John says, is not at all to be followed by Christians. Love is the denial of self for another’s gain. John 15:12 "is itself a restatement of the “new commandment” of John 13:34." This is the kind of love that John is talking about. What we need, which is what his readers needed, is to go back to what we have heard from the beginning. Doctrine is of the essence of the gospel--doctrine about the character of God; about human sin; about the mediator, Jesus Christ, who is the God-man; about his life, death and resurrection to forgive the sins of his people and give them eternal life; about the need for personal response of faith to appropriate the work of Christ into one's own life. God is greater than our guilty feelings. Answer: 1. John wants us to know this precious truth. But it is equally true that the essence of the gospel includes the moral imperatives of repentance and of a new life of love lived under the Lordship of Christ and empowered by his Spirit. Our love for one another is demanded by the character of God, but it is also empowered by the brightness of the God who is light and love, with whom there is no small print. Evil has a jealous hatred for good. It is a very close parallel (almost word for word) with I John 1:5. Love is sacrificing ourselves for the gain of others. Abel’s heart was right which led to obedience. Read 1 John 3:23-24. (Harris) Earlier John had said, Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. I just want to focus on two things. God is greater than our hearts. “It is the Lord’s command, and if this is done, it is enough.”. (1) We believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ. (1John 2:7-note). 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. The reason why Cain killed Abel was because his own actions were evil while Abel’s actions were righteous. Loving others means we deny ourselves from the good and gain of others. They would argue that instead the phrase means what it later means in 1 John 2:7, 2:24, and 3:11, namely, the beginning of the gospel. Book of 1 John - Bible Survey Who was John the Apostle in the Bible? That is Jesus Christ, whose example of self-sacrificial love is to be imitated and followed by us as his disciples." They were the ones with the new revelations. "The beginning" likely refers to when his readers first heard the gospel message. John provides three markers of the Divine parentage. Date of Writing: The Book of 1 John was likely written between A.D. 85-95. So let's delve with him! (Collected Writings), John Piper explains that " The for at the beginning of this verse shows that in John's mind 1Jn 3:11 is the ground or the reason for 1Jn 3:10, or more specifically the reason for why he can shift from righteousness in general as a test of divine sonship to the specific test of love for the brethren. Rather than see their own wickedness and repent, they hate those who expose their evil ways. The gospel is incomplete unless it includes both doctrine and ethics. As he now fills in his preliminary sketch, he uses no colours but black and white. … (2)We love one another, just as our Lord commanded us and showed us. Our practice proclaims who and what we are. Jesus denied himself so that we all could gain. 1 Jn 1:5. I. (1 John 3 Commentary), John Piper: "The wording of 1Jn 3:11 is striking. We are striving to be pleasing to God and therefore we confidently pray to God. We are living with Christ, but are living in darkness, separated from God. Third, and the easiest to detect, God’s children love each other (1 John 3:11-24—Social). The reason he can make that shift is that the command to love one another was what his readers had heard from the beginning. You and I as individuals are responsible to share our goods with our brothers and sisters who experience true need. John provides us a simple explanation concerning Cain’s sacrifice and subsequent actions that are so widely speculated. There are many who are refusing to participate in these groups and I want to impress upon your heart why these are important gatherings. 10b-11) • Why can John say what he does at the end of verse 10? Ephesians 3:3-5; 2 Peter 1:20-21). As in this case, it will usually force you to examine the context. We are killing our spouses, our children, our parents, and our brethren when we fail to love them with godly, sacrifice love. John's command in 1Jn 2:24 applies to us in terms of ethics as well as doctrine 'Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you.'" We know that we have not loved like we ought to have loved. THE BEGINNING MESSAGE A. Love not just in what you say but in how you act. John concludes that obviously murderers do not have eternal life. Only here in John… What manner of (ποταπὴν) The word is of infrequent occurrence in the New Testament, but is found in all the Synoptists and in 2 Peter 3:11. “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” (Matthew 5:21–22 ESV). We are a nondenominational congregation of Christians located in West Palm Beach aiming to be faithful in every way to Jesus Christ. 1 John 3:11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another:. A MARK OF THE CHILD OF GOD, Westcott sums up 1John 3:10-18 - "Life reveals the children of God!" We are to lay down our lives for one another. Because of this the adjective “gospel” is included in the English translation (The NET Bible = "the gospel message"). If we do not love each other, then we are murderers. Being precedes doing, but all Christian doing must be based on being, that is, on who we are in Christ. First John 3:11 stands as the thesis for this paragraph: “This is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.”. And I would add specifically "Life in the family (love of the brethren)! (Love: A Matter of Life and Death). In the gospel of John, the apostle quotes the Lord Jesus declaring love as … The quality of this love is determined by the character of the one who loves, and that of the object loved." But God is greater than our hearts. Both doctrine and ethics are at the heart of the gospel because they are so inextricably linked. This hope is the motivation for our purification. We are not listening to ourselves, to the world, or to Satan. First John 3:11–18 describes the contrast between hate and love, and how love ought to be seen in the life of a Christian believer. But how we treat others - how we love one another - really matters before God. We speak that we do know. The religious leaders taught that if you murdered you would be liable to judgment. Footnotes. John uses this term, ajgaphtoiv (agaphtoi) elsewhere in his letters – the plural form occurs in 1 John 3:2, 21; 4:1, 7, 11 and the singular in 3 John 1, 2, 5, 11. 1John 1:5 And this is the message (aggelia) we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. Now in our verse today (1 Jn 3:11) the message they had heard from the beginning was equally foundational, but now not in the realm of doctrine, but of ethics. 1. Only when we see and believe and cherish the brightness of God will we be free to entrust ourselves and our futures into his hands. “We should love one another.” 1 John 3:11 “Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you.” 1 John 3:13 “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. John is not speaking about the people standing in the median who will not work. When we mistreat each other, are not kind to each other, cause problems, are not sacrificing for each other, and putting others ahead of ourselves, we are showing that we are remaining in spiritual death. NET Note - The word aggelia occurs only twice in the NT, 1Jn 1:5 and in 1 John 3:11. Cain did not offer what God required in sacrifice and then killed his brother Abel because Cain was evil and Abel was righteous. Our hope is in Jesus and we follow him alone. (Love: A Matter of Life and Death), Choose Book of Bible to StudyGenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SolomonIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Search Wikipedia using spiritual discretion, Exalting Jesus in 1, 2, 3 John (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary. John lays it down that anyone who does not do what is right is by that fact shown not to be of God." When he appears, we shall be like him and we will see him as he is. 12 We must not be like Cain who was from the evil one and murdered his brother. As the writer of Hebrews declared, we stir each other up to love and good works when we are gathering together (Hebrews 10:24-25). In the last 3 verses of this passage John speaks of right relationship between ourselves and other Christians. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (John 15:12–15 ESV). (The Letters of John by John R. W. Stott). The world is going to hate you because your actions are righteous and their actions are not. The message here instructs us as to our duty one to another. Jesus taught if you were angry with your brother you were liable to the judgment. We know that we have fallen short. We know that we are murderers because we have not sacrificed ourselves for each other. The practical example John gives is of a Christian who has material possessions, sees a brother in Christ in true need, and does not do anything about it. Home >> Bible Studies >> 1, 2, and 3 John Studies >> 1 John 3:11-24 These small group studies of 1 John contain outlines, cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, and applications. The moral imperative for Christians to love one another was at the heart of the apostolic Gospel. God knows everything. 2:9-11). In these verses we are reminded once again that our love for one another is evidence of genuine faith in our hearts. And why did he murder him? It is a very close parallel (almost word for word) with 1 John 1:5. The Incarnation of the Word of Life. We feel bad about our sins and failures. Jesus now discloses to the henceforth silent Nicodemus, in growing excitement of feeling, the source of his ignorance, namely, his unbelief in what He testifies, and which yet is derived from His own knowledge and intuition. ; John 4:35; John 19:26, John 19:27. This is the great commandment of God. Perhaps we think John is exaggerating or going a little overboard. 11 Most assuredly, Jesus used “most assuredly” three times during this important dialogue with Nicodemus, showing with unequivocal force the importance of being born again. Message (31)(aggelia related to aggelos = messenger; our English "Angel") means tidings, news, message, report. An essential part of that message was that we should love one another (cf. Never forget Paul’s words when we talk about helping others: “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8 ESV) John is not speaking about those claiming to be Christians but refuse to work at all or work enough to take care of their own needs. This is a frightening application to the body of believers. Our love for one another is demanded by the character of God but it is also empowered by the brightness of the God who is light and love, with whom there is no small print. John has been teaching his readers about the hope they have in Christ. John teaches that if we open our hearts (and our wallets) to those in need, God will open His wallet to us.) If we are not loving each other, then quite simply we are not cutting it. There the message which John's readers had heard was a doctrinal one, the theological foundation for their faith that rests in the character of God. 1Jn 1:3–4), and (2) it relates to the salvation of the hearers/readers, since the purpose of this proclamation is to bring them into fellowship with God and with the apostolic witnesses (1Jn 1:3). BROTHERLY LOVE: Read 1 John 3:11-12. This is the hope of those who are born of God. Elsewhere the plural is used of something actually visible (Galatians 6:11). Biblically speaking doctrine and ethics always go together. God knows that you are seeking him. John returns to the important topic of loving one another as a sign that we are living our lives in Christ. Love One Another 1 John 3:11-24 In the eleventh verse of this chapter, John reminds his fellow disciples in the beloved community love is the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why do we need to confess our sins in they have already been forgiven (1 John 1:9)? KING JAMES VERSION (KJV) TRANSLATION, MEANING, CONTEXT. 4236 Haverhill Road, West Palm Beach Florida, 33417, 2018 Lectureship Series (A New View of Life), 2016 Lectureship Series (Growing In Godliness), 2015 Lectureship Series (Following The Followers of Jesus), 2012 Lectureship Series (Escaping Ordinary), 2011 Lectureship Series (Refreshed: Revive Your Faith), 2010 Lectureship Series (He Still Moves Stones), 2009 Lectureship Series (Building Character from Bible Characters), 2008 Lectureship Series (A Closer Look at Romans 12), 2007 Lectureship Series (Drawing Closer to God), 2006 Lectureship Series (Building Proven Character). We know that we have passed from spiritual death to spiritual life when we love our brethren. Every contemporaneous and collateral witness adds to this assurance. This most likely refers to John 15:12 where Jesus said “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you." We cannot say we love. Those who abide in Christ have confidence and will not shrink back when Christ returns. Author: 1, 2, and 3 John have from earliest times been attributed to the apostle John, who also wrote the Gospel of John. In the New Testament the world also appears as a hostile environment. John begins the next section of his letter with his central theme -- love: "This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another." We must show we love (cf. If our heart does not condemn us, then that is not a bad thing if we are walking in the light. We beat ourselves up for not doing better. The doctrinal foundation that God is light and the moral, ethical foundation of love for one another are both at the heart of the apostolic gospel. Love is the denial of self for another’s gain. The world, ungodly people, cannot receive the things of God (John 14:17,22; 16:8-9 ; cf. In contrast to the wicked act of Cain, John turns our attention to the perfect display of love found in Jesus. What does it mean that God is light? And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” 1 John 3:16 It springs from an apprehension of the preciousness of an object. John 3:11. We must be around each other to love each other. 1 John 3:1) and is not even worthy of the people of faith who live among them (Hebrews 11:38). In Jesus' time the world hated him (John 7:7) and will hate his followers (John 15:18-19). John has already told us in 1 John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. He knows your repentance. In reminding them of this message to love one another, John himself was remembering the command of Jesus in John 13:34 - "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. Children of the devil do not give of themselves to others but always take. An Old Command for ALL Christians (vv. (Wuest), Guzik - The basic Christian message has not changed. In 1 John 1:8, the grammar indicates John is speaking about occasional acts of sin. Both doctrine and ethics are at the heart of the gospel because they are so inextricably linked. Aggelia is closely equivalent to euaggelion: (1) it refers to the proclamation of the eyewitness testimony about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ as proclaimed by the author and the rest of the apostolic witnesses (prologue, esp. John turns to the example of Cain and Abel to teach why we must love one another. Therefore, do not be surprised that the world hates you. But according to John that isn't what we need at all. Next: 1 John 4:1-6, Tested, West Palm Beach church of Christ4236 Haverhill RoadWest Palm Beach, FL 33417, Sunday  Services9:30 am / 10:30 am & 6:30 pm. If our hearts are closed against our brother in need and we do not act to help, how can we think that God’s love is remaining with us? Them some new truth or something he had `` invented. have loved who does not do what the. 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