Thy Strong Word — 1 John 3:11-24: Hate is Murder, So Love One Another

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The apostle John confronts us with a startling truth: hatred equals murder in God’s eyes. Through the story of Cain and Abel, John exposes the deadly nature of hatred while revealing how Christ’s sacrificial love transforms God’s children from murderers into bearers of divine love. God’s Word cuts through our comfortable assumptions about what it means to be Christian, showing us there is no middle ground between love and hate.

The Rev. Delwyn Campbell, pastor of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lansing, MI, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 John 3:11-24.

In these epistles, John defends the truth of Jesus Christ against false teachings, calling believers to remain steadfast in their faith and grounded in the apostolic witness. He emphasizes the essential connection between truth, love, and fellowship, urging Christians to walk in the light, love one another, and reject anything that denies the person and work of Jesus.

Through 1 John, we explore the assurance of salvation, the battle between light and darkness, and the call to abide in Christ. In 2 John, we are reminded of the importance of holding fast to the truth while guarding against deceivers. Finally, in 3 John, we see a personal glimpse into the challenges of church leadership, hospitality, and Christian unity.

Together, these letters challenge us to live faithfully as God’s children in a world that opposes His truth.

Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Thy Strong Word is graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation. Through the mission gifts of people like you, LHF translates, publishes, distributes and introduces books that are Bible-based, Christ-centered and Reformation-driven. Learn more at lhfmissions.org.

1 John 3:11-24

Love One Another

11 For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers,[a] that the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

16 By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. 24 Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God,[b] and God[c] in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

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Footnotes

1 John 3:13 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 14, 16

1 John 3:24 Greek him

1 John 3:24 Greek he

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. esv.org