1 John 3 · Verse 14

1 John 3:14

We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

1 John 3:14, King James Version

1 John 3:14 in other translations

BSB	We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.
WEB	We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn’t love his brother remains in death.
ASV	We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not abideth in death.
YLT	we--we have known that we have passed out of the death to the life, because we love the brethren; he who is not loving the brother doth remain in the death.
DARBY	We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.
BBE	We are conscious that we have come out of death into life because of our love for the brothers. He who has no love is still in death.
Webster	We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother, abideth in death.

What does 1 John 3:14 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

14. We--emphatical; hated though we be by the world, we know what the world knows not. know--as an assured fact. passed--changed our state. Col 1:13, "from the power of darkness ... translated into the kingdom of His dear Son." from death unto life--literally, "out of the death (which enthrals the unregenerate) into the life (of the regenerate)." A palpable coincidence of language and thought, the beloved disciple adopting his Lord's words. because we love the brethren--the ground, not of our passing over out of death into life, but of our knowing that we have so. Love, on our part, is the evidence of our justification and regeneration, not the cause of them. "Let each go to his own heart; if he find there love to the brethren, let him feel assured that he has passed from death unto life. Let him not mind that his glory is only hidden; when the Lord shall come, then shall he appear in glory. For he has vital energy, but it is still wintertime; the root has vigor, but the branches are as it were dry; within there is marrow which is vigorous, within are leaves, within fruits, but they must wait for summer" [Augustine]. He that loveth not--Most of the oldest manuscripts omit "his brother," which makes the statement more general. abideth--still. in death--"in the (spiritual) death" (ending in eternal death) which is the state of all by nature. His want of love evidences that no saving change has passed over him.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Barnes' Notes

Verse 14. We know that we have passed from death unto life. From spiritual death (Eph 2:1) to spiritual life; that is, that we are true Christians. Because we love the brethren. The sentiment here is, that it is an infallible evidence of true piety if we love the followers of Christ as such. See this sentiment illustrated in the Jn 13:35. But how easy it would seem to be to apply such a test of piety as this! Who cannot judge accurately of his own feelings, and determine whether he loves a Christian because he bears the name and image of the Saviour--loves him the more just in proportion as he bears that image? Who cannot, if he chooses, look beyond the narrow bounds of his own sect, and determine whether he is pleased with the true Christian character wherever it may be found, and whether he would prefer to find his friends among those who bear the name and the image of the Son of God, than among the people of the world ? The Saviour meant that his followers should be known by this badge of discipleship all over the world, Jn 13:34,35. John says, in carrying out the sentiment, that Christians, by this test, may know among themselves whether they have any true religion.

He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. He remains dead in sins; that is, he has never been converted. 1Jn 3:6. As love to the Christian brotherhood is essential to true piety, it follows that he who has not that remains unconverted, or is in a state of spiritual death. He is by nature dead in sin, and unless he has evidence that he is brought out of that state, he remains or abides in it.

(d) "He that loveth" 1Jn 2:9,11

Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life - Death and life are represented here as two distinct territories, states, or kingdoms, to either of which the inhabitants of either may be removed. This is implied in the term μεταβεβηκαμεν, from μετα, denoting change of place, and βαινω, I go. It is the same figure which St. Paul uses, Col 1:13 : Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love. The believers to whom St. John writes had been once in the region and shadow of death, in the place where sin and death reigned, whose subjects they were; but they had left that kingdom of oppression, wretchedness, and wo, and had come over to the kingdom of life, whose king was the Prince and Author of life; where all was liberty, prosperity, and happiness; where life and love were universally prevalent, and death and hatred could not enter. We know, therefore, says the apostle, that we are passed over from the territory of death to the kingdom of life, because we love the brethren, which those who continue in the old kingdom - under the old covenant, can never do; for he that loveth not his brother abideth in death. He has never changed his original residence. He is still an unconverted, unrenewed sinner.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 John 3:11-15

We should love the Lord Jesus, value his love, and therefore love all our brethren in Christ. This love is the special fruit of our faith, and a certain sign of our being born again. But none who rightly know the heart of man, can wonder at the contempt and enmity of ungodly people against the children of God. We know that we are passed from death to life: we may know it by the evidences of our faith in Christ, of…

Read the full comment on 1 John 3:11-15 →

1 John 3:14 in the original Greek

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

ἡμεῖςhēmeisWe ourselvesG3165

οἴδαμενoidamenknow

ὅτιhotithatG3754

μεταβεβήκαμενmetabebēkamenwe have passedG3327

ἐκekfromG1537

τοῦtou<the>G3588

θανάτουthanatoudeathG2288

εἰςeistoG1519

τὴνtēn<the>G3588

ζωήν,zōēnlife,G2222

ὅτιhotibecauseG3754

ἀγαπῶμενagapōmenwe loveG25

τοὺςtous<the>G3588

ἀδελφούς·adelphous[our] brothers;G80

ὁhoThe [one]G3588

μὴmēnotG3361

ἀγαπῶνagapōnlovingG25

τὸνtontheG3588

ἀδελφόνadelphonbrotherG80

μένειmeneiabidesG3306

ἐνeninG1722

τῷtō<the>G3588

θανάτῳ.thanatōdeath.G2288

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 John 3:14

1 John 5:2
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
John 13:35
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
John 5:24
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
1 John 4:20-21
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
1 Thessalonians 4:9
But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
1 John 4:7-8
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Hebrews 13:1
Let brotherly love continue.
1 Peter 1:22
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
John 15:12
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Colossians 1:4
Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints,
1 John 4:12
No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
Matthew 25:40
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

We know.
2:3; 5:2,13,19,20; 2Co 5:1
we have.
Lu 15:24,32; Joh 5:24; Eph 2:1,5
because.
2:10; 3:23; 4:7,8,12,21; 5:2; Ps 16:3; Mt 25:40; Joh 13:35; 15:12,17
Ga 5:22; Eph 1:15; Col 1:4; 1Th 4:9; Heb 6:10,11; 13:1; 1Pe 1:22
1Pe 3:8; 2Pe 1:7
that loveth.
2:9,11; 4:20; Pr 21:16

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

1 John 3:13
Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
1 John 3:14
We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.
1 John 3:15
Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

Read all of 1 John 3

1 John 3:14 in other languages

Spanish Reina-Valera 1909	Nosotros sabemos que hemos pasado de muerte á vida, en que amamos á los hermanos. El que no ama á su hermano, está en muerte.
French Bible J.N. Darby 1885	Nous, nous savons que nous sommes passés de la mort à la vie, parce que nous aimons les frères; celui qui n’aime pas son frère demeure dans la mort.
German Elberfelder 1871	Wir wissen, daß wir aus dem Tode in das Leben übergegangen sind, weil wir die Brüder lieben; wer den Bruder nicht liebt, bleibt in dem Tode.
Latin Clementine Vulgate	Nos scimus quoniam translati sumus de morte ad vitam, quoniam diligimus fratres. Qui non diligit, manet in morte: