1 John 3
New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel
1 John chapter 3 is given here in full, verse by verse, in the English Majority Text Version (EMTV), with the Byzantine Majority Text set beneath each verse. The text follows the Byzantine textual tradition used in the Orthodox Church.
25 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint Augustine of Hippo.
1 John 3
1Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! On account of this the world does not know you, because it did not know Him.ἴδετε ποταπὴν ἀγάπην δέδωκεν ἡμῖν ὁ πατήρ, ἵνα τέκνα Θεοῦ κληθῶμεν. διὰ τοῦτο ὁ κόσμος οὐ γινώσκει ὑμᾶς, ὅτι οὐκ ἔγνω αὐτόν.
2Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.ἀγαπητοί, νῦν τέκνα Θεοῦ ἐσμεν, καὶ οὔπω ἐφανερώθη τί ἐσόμεθα· οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι ἐὰν φανερωθῇ, ὅμοιοι αὐτῷ ἐσόμεθα, ὅτι ὀψόμεθα αὐτὸν καθώς ἐστι.
3And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἔχων τὴν ἐλπίδα ταύτην ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ ἁγνίζει ἑαυτόν, καθὼς ἐκεῖνος ἁγνός ἐστι.
4Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.Πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ τὴν ἀνομίαν ποιεῖ, καὶ ἡ ἁμαρτία ἐστὶν ἡ ἀνομία.
5And you know that He appeared that He might take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin.καὶ οἴδατε ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ἐφανερώθη ἵνα τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν ἄρῃ, καὶ ἁμαρτία ἐν αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστι.
6Everyone who abides in Him does not sin; everyone who sins has not seen Him nor has he known Him.πᾶς ὁ ἐν αὐτῷ μένων οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει· πᾶς ὁ ἁμαρτάνων οὐχ ἑώρακεν αὐτὸν οὐδὲ ἔγνωκεν αὐτόν.
7Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.τεκνία, μηδεὶς πλανάτω ὑμᾶς· ὁ ποιῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην δίκαιός ἐστι, καθὼς ἐκεῖνος δίκαιός ἐστιν·
8He who practices sin is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this reason the Son of God appeared, that He might destroy the works of the devil.ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐκ τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστίν, ὅτι ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς ὁ διάβολος ἁμαρτάνει. εἰς τοῦτο ἐφανερώθη ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα λύσῃ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ διαβόλου.
9No one who has been born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God.πᾶς ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἁμαρτίαν οὐ ποιεῖ, ὅτι σπέρμα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ μένει· καὶ οὐ δύναται ἁμαρτάνειν, ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ γεγέννηται.
10By this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Everyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.ἐν τούτῳ φανερά ἐστι τὰ τέκνα τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τὰ τέκνα τοῦ διαβόλου· πᾶς ὁ μὴ ποιῶν δικαιοσύνην οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ.
11Because this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,Ὅτι αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγγελία ἣν ἠκούσατε ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς, ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους,
12not as Cain who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his works were evil and the works of his brother were righteous.οὐ καθὼς Κάϊν ἐκ τοῦ πονηροῦ ἦν καὶ ἔσφαξε τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ· καὶ χάριν τίνος ἔσφαξεν αὐτόν; ὅτι τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ πονηρὰ ἦν, τὰ δὲ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ δίκαια.
13Do not marvel, my brothers, if the world hates you.μὴ θαυμάζετε, ἀδελφοί μου, εἰ μισεῖ ὑμᾶς ὁ κόσμος.
14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brothers. He who does not love his brother abides in death.ἡμεῖς οἴδαμεν ὅτι μεταβεβήκαμεν ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου εἰς τὴν ζωήν, ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν τοὺς ἀδελφούς. ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν μένει ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ.
15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.πᾶς ὁ μισῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἐστί, καὶ οἴδατε ὅτι πᾶς ἀνθρωποκτόνος οὐκ ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἐν ἑαυτῷ μένουσαν.
16By this we have come to know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives on behalf of our brothers.Ἐν τούτῳ ἐγνώκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην, ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἔθηκε· καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τὰς ψυχὰς τιθέναι.
17But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother having need, and shuts off his compassion towards him, how does the love of God abide in him?ὃς δ᾽ ἂν ἔχῃ τὸν βίον τοῦ κόσμου καὶ θεωρῇ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ χρείαν ἔχοντα καὶ κλείσῃ τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ, πῶς ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Θεοῦ μένει ἐν αὐτῷ;
18My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.τεκνία μου, μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν λόγῳ μηδὲ τῇ γλώσσῃ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ.
19And in this we know that we are from the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.Καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐσμὲν καὶ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ πείσομεν τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν,
20Because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and He knows all things.ὅτι ἐὰν καταγινώσκῃ ἡμῶν ἡ καρδία, ὅτι μείζων ἐστὶν ὁ Θεὸς τῆς καρδίας ἡμῶν καὶ γινώσκει πάντα.
21Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.ἀγαπητοί, ἐὰν ἡ καρδία ἡμῶν μὴ καταγινώσκῃ ἡμῶν, παρρησίαν ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν,
22And whatever we should ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and we do the things pleasing before Him.καὶ ὃ ἐὰν αἰτῶμεν λαμβάνομεν παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηροῦμεν καὶ τὰ ἀρεστὰ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ποιοῦμεν.
23And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and should love one another, just as He gave commandment.καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐντολὴ αὐτοῦ, ἵνα πιστεύσωμεν τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους, καθὼς ἔδωκεν ἐντολήν.
24And whoever keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, from the Spirit whom He gave us.καὶ ὁ τηρῶν τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ μένει, καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν αὐτῷ. καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι μένει ἐν ἡμῖν, ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματος οὗ ἡμῖν ἔδωκεν.
The Fathers on 1 John 3
Saint Augustine of Hippo comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On 1 John 3:27–28Saint Augustine of Hippo“And it is true,” namely, this same unction; i.e. the very Spirit of the Lord which teaches men, cannot lie: “and is not false. Even as it has taught you, abide ye in the same. And now, little children, abide ye in Him, that when He shall be manifested, we may have boldness in His sight, that we be not put to shame by...
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On 1 John 3:1Saint Augustine of HippoHear. “Behold what manner of love the Father has given us, that we should be called sons of God, and be 1 John 3:1 (such).” prodest illis nomen? [The very words of this passage.] Verum hic loquitur de nomine quod a Deo tribuitur: hic non est discrimen inter dici et esse. [Which looks rather like an expression of...
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On 1 John 3:1Saint Augustine of HippoWhat then shall “we” be, when we shall see this? What is promised to us? “We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” The tongue has done what it could, has sounded the words: let the rest be thought by the heart. For what has even John himself said in comparison of That which Is, or what can be said by us...
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On 1 John 3:1Saint Augustine of Hippo“And every one that has this hope in Him.” You see how he has set us our place, in “hope.” You see how the Apostle Paul agrees with his fellow- apostle, “By hope we are saved. But hope that is seen, is not hope: for what a man sees, why does he hope for? For if what we see not, we hope for, by patience we wait for...
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On 1 John 3:5Saint Augustine of Hippo“Every one that does sin, does also iniquity.” Let no man say, Sin is one thing, iniquity another: let no man say, I am a sinful man, but not a doer of iniquity. For, “Every one that does sin, does also iniquity. Sin is iniquity.” Well then, what are we to do concerning sins and iniquities? Hear what He says: “And ye...
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On 1 John 3:8Saint Augustine of Hippo“He that does sin, is of the devil, because the devil sins from the beginning.” 1 John 3:8 “Is of the devil:” ye know what he means: by imitating the devil. For the devil made no man, begot no man, created no man: but whoever imitates the devil, that person, as if begotten of him, becomes a child of the devil; by...
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On 1 John 3:8Saint Augustine of Hippo“Unto this end was the Son of God manifested.” Now then, brethren, mark! All sinners are begotten of the devil, as sinners. Adam was made by God: but when he consented to the devil, he was begotten of the devil; and he begot all men such as he was himself. With lust itself we were born; even before we add our sins,...
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On 1 John 3:9Saint Augustine of HippoHear intently, I do beseech you, because it is no small matter that we have to cope withal: and I doubt not, because you were intent upon it yesterday, that you have with even greater intentness of purpose come together today. For it is no slight question, how he says in this Epistle, “Whosoever is born of God, sins...
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On 1 John 3:9Saint Augustine of HippoMark now these words. As yet, I am urging it upon you, what straits we are put to that by putting your minds on the stretch, that is, by your praying for us and for yourselves, God may make enlargement, and give us an outlet: lest some man find in His word an occasion of his own perdition, that word which was preached...
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On 1 John 3:9Saint Augustine of HippoMark well, brethren; we have brought forward somewhat in which, to them that have good understanding, the question is solved. But do we only walk in the way with them that run more swiftly? Those that walk more slowly must not be left behind. Let us turn the matter every way, in such words as we can, in order that it...
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On 1 John 3:9Saint Augustine of HippoCharity therefore we commend; charity this Epistle commends. The Lord, after His resurrection, what question put He to Peter, but, “Do you love me?” John 21:15-17 And it was not enough to ask it once; a second time also He put none other question, a third time also none other. Although when it came to the third time,...
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On 1 John 3:9Saint Augustine of HippoAnd that you may know that it is this perfect charity which that man violates not, and against which that man sins not, who is born of God; this is what the Lord says to Peter; “Peter do you love me?” And he answers, “I love.” He says not, If you love me, show kindness to me. For when the Lord was in mortal flesh, He...
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On 1 John 3:9Saint Augustine of HippoBut this, as we have said, brethren, is perfect charity. He that is born of God has it. Mark, my beloved, see what I say. Behold, a man has received the Sacrament of that birth, being baptized; he has the Sacrament, and a great Sacrament, divine, holy, ineffable. Consider what a Sacrament! To make him a new man by...
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On 1 John 3:10–11Saint Augustine of Hippo“Whosoever is not righteous is not of God, neither he that loves not his brother.” 1 John 3:10-11 “For this is the message:” mark how he confirms it: “For this is the message which we heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.” He has made it manifest to us that it is of this he speaks; whoever acts...
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On 1 John 3:14Saint Augustine of Hippo“If the world hate us: we know”— What do we know?— “that we have passed from death unto life” — How do we know? “Because we love the brethren.” 1 John 3:14 Let none ask man: let each return to his own heart: if he find there brotherly love, let him set his mind at rest, because he is “passed from death unto life.”...
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On 1 John 3:16Saint Augustine of Hippo“In this know we love:” 1 John 3:16 he means, perfection of love, that perfection which we have bidden you lay to heart: “In this know we love, that He laid down His life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” Lo here, whence that came: “Peter, do you love me? Feed My sheep.” John 21:15-19 For,...
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On 1 John 3:17Saint Augustine of HippoWhence begins charity, brethren? Attend a little: to what it is perfected, you have heard; the very end of it, and the very measure of it is what the Lord has put before us in the Gospel: “Greater love has no man,” says He, “than that one lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13 Its perfection, therefore, He has...
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On 1 John 3:17Saint Augustine of HippoI suppose the thing is now made manifest to you my brethren: this great and most concerning secret and mystery. What is the force of charity, all Scripture does set forth; but I know not whether any where it be more largely set forth than in this Epistle. We pray you and beseech you in the Lord, that both what you...
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On 1 John 3:18–20Saint Augustine of HippoIf ye remember, brethren, yesterday we closed our sermon at this sentence, 1 John 3:18-20 which without doubt behooved and does behoove to abide in your heart, seeing it was the last ye heard. “My little children, let us not love only in word and in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” Then he goes on: “And herein we...
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On 1 John 3:18–20Saint Augustine of HippoBut, because many such things are done by men who seek other objects, and who love not the brethren; let us come back to the tes timony of conscience. How do we prove that many such things are done by men who love not the brethren? How many in heresies and schisms call themselves martyrs! They seem to themselves to...
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On 1 John 3:19Saint Augustine of HippoThis it is then that he enforces here. “In this we know that we are of the truth, when in deed and in truth” we love, “not only in words and in tongue: and assure our heart before Him.” 1 John 3:19 What means, “before Him?” Where He sees. Whence the Lord Himself in the Gospel says: “Take heed that you do not your...
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On 1 John 3:21Saint Augustine of Hippo“Beloved, if our heart think not ill of us, we have confidence towards God:” 1 John 3:21 — What means, “If our heart think not ill”? If it make true answer to us, that we love and that there is genuine love in us: not feigned but sincere; seeking a brother's salvation, expecting no emolument from a brother, but only...
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On 1 John 3:23Saint Augustine of HippoAgreeably with this, we ought to understand that God, though He give not to our will, does give for our salvation. For sup pose the thing you have asked be to your hurt, and the Physician knows that it is to your hurt; what then? It is not to be said that the physician does not give ear to you, when, perhaps, you ask...
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On 1 John 3:23Saint Augustine of HippoIn the earliest times, “the Holy Ghost fell upon them that believed: and they spoke with tongues,” which they had not learned, “as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:4 These were signs adapted to the time. For there behooved to be that betokening of the Holy Spirit in all tongues, to show that the Gospel of God...
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On 1 John 3:2Open 1 John 3 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint Augustine of HippoSee, brethren, how many things we pass, in which is not the end. These we use as by the way; we take as it were our refreshment at the halting places on our journey, and pass on. Where then is the end? “Beloved, we are sons of God, and it has not yet appeared what we shall be;” 1 John 3:2 here is this said, in this...
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