1 John 3
Expanded Bible
We Are God’s Children
3 ·The Father has loved us so much [L See what sort of love the Father has given us…!] that we are called children of God. ·And we really are his children [L And we are!]. The reason ·the people in the world do [L the world does] not know us is that they have not known him. 2 ·Dear friends [L Beloved], now we are children of God, and ·we have not yet been shown [it has not yet been revealed] what we will be in the future. But we know that when ·Christ comes again [L he/it is revealed], we will be like him, because we will see him as he really is. 3 And all who have this hope in ·Christ [L him] keep themselves pure, just as ·Christ [L he] is pure.
4 ·The person [L Everyone] who ·sins [commits sin] ·breaks God’s law [commits lawlessness/iniquity; C referring to the false teachers; 2:19–20]. Yes, sin is ·living against God’s law [lawlessness; iniquity]. 5 You know that ·Christ came [L he has appeared/was revealed] to take away sins and that there is no sin in ·Christ [L him]. 6 So anyone who ·lives [abides; remains] in ·Christ [L him] does not ·go on sinning [or sin; C the Christian ideal, an implicit call to avoid sin]. Anyone who ·goes on sinning [or sins] has ·never really understood Christ and has never known him [L neither seen him nor known him].
7 Dear children [2:1], do not let anyone ·lead you the wrong way [deceive you]. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as ·Christ [L he] is righteous. 8 Anyone who ·continues to sin [or sins] belongs to the devil [John 8:44], because the devil has been sinning since the beginning. The Son of God ·came [was revealed; appeared] for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s work [Matt. 4:1–11; 12:25–29; Luke 10:18; John 12:31; Rev. 12:7–12; 20:1–3].
9 ·Those [L All] who are ·God’s children [L born of/begotten by God; 2:29] do not ·continue sinning [or sin], because ·the new life from God [or God’s message; or God’s Spirit; L his seed/sperm] ·remains [abides] in them. They are not able to ·go on sinning [or sin], because they ·have become children of God [L are born of/begotten by God]. 10 ·So we can see [L In this way it is apparent/revealed/evident] who God’s children are and who the devil’s children are: Those who do not ·do what is right [practice righteousness] are not ·God’s children [L from/of God], and those who do not love their brothers and sisters are not ·God’s children [L from/of God].
We Must Love Each Other
11 This is the ·teaching [message] you have heard from the beginning: We must love each other [C as Jesus himself taught: John 13:34–35; 15:12]. 12 Do not be like Cain who belonged to the Evil One and ·killed [murdered] his brother [Gen. 4; John 8:44]. And why did he ·kill [murder] him? Because the things Cain did were evil, and the things his brother did were ·good [righteous; just].
13 Brothers and sisters [C fellow believers], do not ·be surprised [be amazed; wonder] ·when [or that; or if] ·the people of the world hate [L the world hates] you. 14 We know we have ·left death and have come into life [passed/crossed from death to life; John 5:24] because we love ·each other [L the brothers and sisters]. Whoever does not love ·is still dead [abides/remains/continues in death]. 15 Everyone who hates a brother or sister [C fellow believer] is a murderer [C because they have killed that person in their heart; Matt. 5:21–26], and you know that no murderers have eternal life [L abiding; remaining] in them. 16 This is how we know what real love is: ·Jesus [L he] ·gave [laid down] his life for us [John 15:13]. So we should ·give [lay down] our lives for our brothers and sisters [C fellow believers; John 15:12]. 17 Suppose someone has ·enough to live [L the world’s possessions/goods] and sees a brother or sister [C fellow believer] in need, but ·does not help [L closes off his heart/compassion from him]. ·Then God’s love is not living in that person [L How does God’s love abide/remain in him?]. 18 My children [2:1], we should love people not only ·with words and talk [L in word and tongue], but ·by our actions and true caring [or by showing true love through our actions; L in deed and truth].
1 John 3
Revised Geneva Translation
3 Behold, what love the Father has given to us, that we should be called the sons of God! For this reason, this world does not know you: because it does not know Him.
2 Dearly beloved, we are now the sons of God. But what we shall be is yet to be revealed. And we know that when He shall be revealed, we shall be like Him. For we shall see Him as He is.
3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purges himself, just as He is pure.
4 Whoever commits sin, also transgresses the Law. For sin is the transgression of the Law.
5 And you know that He was revealed so that He might take away our sins. And no sin is in Him.
6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous (as He is righteous).
8 Whoever commits sin is of the devil. For the devil sins from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: that He might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whoever is born of God does not sin. For His seed remains in him. Nor can he sin, because he is born of God.
10 In this are the children of God and the children of the devil known. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.
11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning: that we should love one another;
12 not as Cain, who was of the wicked one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own works were evil and his brother’s good.
13 Do not marvel, my brothers, though this world hates you.
14 We know that we have passed over from death to life because we love the brothers. The one who does not love his brother remains in death.
15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer. And you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
16 By this we have perceived love: that He laid down His life for us. Therefore, we also ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
17 And whoever has this world’s goods and sees his brother has need and shuts up his compassion from him, how does the love of God dwell in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue only, but in deed and in truth.
19 For by this we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before Him.
20 For if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, then we have boldness toward God.
22 And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His Commandments and do those things which are pleasing in His sight.
23 This, then, is His Commandment: that we believe in the Name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as He commanded.
24 For the one who keeps His Commandments dwells in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us: by that Spirit which He has given us.
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