⁹ Whoever says, “I am in the light,” while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness.^(A)

²⁰ Those who say, “I love God,” and hate a brother or sister are liars, for those who do not love a brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.^(A)

¹¹ But whoever hates a brother or sister is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness.^(A)

⁹ For anyone who lacks these things is blind, suffering from eye disease, forgetful of the cleansing of past sins.^(A)

¹³ Do not be astonished, brothers and sisters, that the world hates you.^{(A) 14} We know that we have passed from death to life because we love the brothers and sisters. Whoever does not love abides in death.^{(B) 15} All who hate a brother or sister are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life abiding in them.^{(C) 16} We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters.^{(D) 17} How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?^(E)

⁴ Whoever says, “I have come to know him,” but does not obey his commandments is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist;

The Gift of Love

13 If I speak in the tongues of humans and of angels but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. ² And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.^{(A) 3} If I give away all my possessions and if I hand over my body so that I may boast^[a] but do not have love, I gain nothing.^(B)

⁶ If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true;

¹⁸ and know his will and determine what really matters because you are instructed in the law, ¹⁹ and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, ²⁰ a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth,^{(A) 21} you, then, who teach others, will you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal?^(B)