1st John Chapter 3 verse 16 Holy Bible
Hereby know we love, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
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In this we see what love is, because he gave his life for us; and it is right for us to give our lives for the brothers.
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Hereby we have known love, because *he* has laid down his life for us; and *we* ought for the brethren to lay down [our] lives.
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Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
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By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
read chapter 3 in WEB
in this we have known the love, because he for us his life did lay down, and we ought for the brethren the lives to lay down;
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1st John 3 : 16 Bible Verse Songs
Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerses 16, 17. - The nature of love as shown by Christ, and its obligation on Christians. Love has been declared the criterion for distinguishing the children of God from the children of the devil. It remains to show what love is; and this is best seen in a concrete example. "The Eternal Word, incarnate and dying for the truth, inspires St. John to guard it with apostolic chivalry; but also this revelation of the heart of God melts him into tenderness towards the race which Jesus has loved so well. To St. John a lack of love for men seems sheer dishonour to the love of Christ" (Liddon). Verse 16. - In this (verse 10; 1 John 2:3)we have come to know (have acquired and possess the knowledge of) love (what love is), in that he laid down his life for us. This is better than "We have come to know love as consisting in this, that he laid down his life for us," which would have been ἐν τούτῳ οϋσαν. Cain is the type of hate; Christ, of love. Cain took his brother's life to benefit himself; Christ laid down his own life to benefit his enemies (see on John 10:12). This realized ideal of love we must imitate; ready to sacrifice ourselves, and even our lives, for the good of others. The effacement of another's rights and perhaps existence for one's own sake is the essence of hatred; the effacement of one's self for another's sake is the essence of love. Christ died for those who hated him; and the Christian must confront the hatred of the world with a love that is ready even to die for the haters. This shows that the "brethren" here and in verse 14, though used primarily of Christians, does not exclude unbelievers; otherwise the parallel with Christ would be spoiled (see on verse 10).
