1 John 3:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: 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.

NIV: And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

NASB: This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.

CSB: Now this is his command: that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he commanded us.

NLT: And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.

KJV: And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

NKJV: And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

Two important commandments are given in this verse. First is the essential gospel message of belief in Christ. John 3:16 offers a similar teaching from Jesus Himself. Rather than a list of hundreds of commandments no one could adequately fulfill, Jesus said, first and foremost, we are to believe in His name. This confident trust in Jesus is not only a requirement for salvation (Ephesians 2:8–9), it is necessary for prayer to be effective (John 14:12–14).

Second, John teaches the importance of Jesus' marching orders to all believers, to "love one another, just as he has commanded us." This is found in John 13:34, as well as John 15:12 and John 15:17. These are not new ideas, or something John has come to conclude after many years. This is a fundamental teaching of Christianity, something which was part of the faith from the very beginning, as shown in verse 11.

First John 3:19–24 concludes chapter three by connecting our confidence in prayer with our obedience to God. While God's love is unconditional, and His salvation is secure, His approval is based on whether or not we obey Him. Feelings of conviction are not only a sign that we are truly His children, they give us opportunity to correct our behavior. As mentioned earlier in the chapter, love is not only a primary command, it is a key sign of Christian belief.

The third chapter of 1 John focuses mostly on the concept of love. Because of His love, God not only calls us His children, He actually makes us His children. John also explains how sin, including hate, is never the result of a proper relationship with God. Christians, in contrast to the world, are supposed to do more than simply ''feel'' love; we are to act on it, as well

Chapters 1 and 2 introduced the stark differences between those who truly have fellowship with Christ, as opposed to those who are ''in darkness.'' Chapter 3 continues this discussion, with a particular emphasis on love. This serves as a bridge, between John's descriptions of lives lived abiding either in darkness or light, to an explanation of how God's faithfulness gives us confidence as Christian believers.

First John seems to assume that the reader is familiar with the gospel. Rather than re-state these facts, John is concerned with building confidence in Christian believers. At the same time, his words encourage believers to examine their own lives for signs of their relationship with Christ. This letter also challenges false teachers and their incorrect claims about Jesus. Many themes are shared with the Gospel of John.

Accessed 5/2/2024 12:04:41 AM