16
Byἐνthisτούτῳwe have come to knowἐγνώκαμενlove:τὴν ἀγάπηνthatὅτιheἐκεῖνοςlaid downἔθηκενhis lifeτὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦforὑπὲρus;ἡμῶνandκαὶweἡμεῖςoughtὀφείλομενto lay downθεῖναιour livesτὰς ψυχὰςforὑπὲρthe brothers.τῶν ἀδελφῶν
1 John 3:16
Study it in the app“By this we have come to know love: that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”
To love is to give your life and help the needy, in deed and not just wordLove
With the Greek beneath
1 John 3:16, word by word
- we have come to knowἐγνώκαμενegnōkamen
know
To be truly acquainted with someone, or grasp something fully.
Where else “egnōkamen” appears- loveἀγάπηνagapēn
love
Love that gives itself, seeking the other's good, like God's.
Where else “agapēn” appears- laid downἔθηκενethēken
lay down
To give one's life for others.
Where else “ethēken” appears- his lifeψυχὴνpsychēn
life
Literally "soul": one's being alive, which can be saved, lost or given.
Where else “psychēn” appears- oughtὀφείλομενopheilomen
ought
To be under obligation to do something.
Where else “opheilomen” appears- the brothersἀδελφῶνadelphōn
brother in faith
A believer, of the same family of God through the Messiah.
Where else “adelphōn” appears
The context
15Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.
16 · This verse (above)
17But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God remain in him?
To study 1 John 3 in a group
1. What it says
What does verse 1 say the Father has given us, and what does it say we will be when he appears (v. 1-2)?
2. What it means
John says not to love "in word or with the tongue, but in deed and truth" (v. 18). What does that contrast show?
3. How I live it
What concrete act of love could you do today for someone in need (v. 17-18)?