The Hatred of the World

^18 (A)“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. ^19 (B)If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because ^(C)you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

God's Wrath on Unrighteousness

¹⁸ For ^(A)the wrath of God ^(B)is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. ¹⁹ For what can be ^(C)known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, ^(D)have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,^[a] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. ²¹ For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they ^(E)became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ^22 (F)Claiming to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and ^(G)exchanged the glory of ^(H)the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

¹² We should not be like ^(A)Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? ^(B)Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. ¹³ Do not be surprised, brothers,^{[a] (C)}that the world hates you.

¹² Indeed, all who desire to ^(A)live a godly life in Christ Jesus ^(B)will be persecuted, ¹³ while ^(C)evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and ^(D)being deceived.