Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. New Living Translation See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. English Standard Version See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Berean Standard Bible Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Berean Literal Bible See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God—and we are! Because of this, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. King James Bible Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. New King James Version Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. New American Standard Bible See how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God; and in fact we are. For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know Him. NASB 1995 See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. NASB 1977 See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Legacy Standard Bible See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we would be called children of God; and we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Amplified Bible See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Berean Annotated Bible Behold what manner of love {agapēn} the Father {Patēr} has given to us, that we should be called children of God {Theou}. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Christian Standard Bible See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him. Holman Christian Standard Bible Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children. And we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know Him. American Standard Version Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this cause the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Contemporary English Version Think how much the Father loves us. He loves us so much that he lets us be called his children, as we truly are. But since the people of this world did not know who Christ is, they don't know who we are. English Revised Version Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God: and such we are. For this cause the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. GOD'S WORD® Translation Consider this: The Father has given us his love. He loves us so much that we are actually called God's dear children. And that's what we are. For this reason the world doesn't recognize us, and it didn't recognize him either. Good News Translation See how much the Father has loved us! His love is so great that we are called God's children--and so, in fact, we are. This is why the world does not know us: it has not known God. International Standard Version See what kind of love the Father has given us: We are called God's children—and that is what we are! For this reason the world does not recognize us, because it did not recognize him, either. NET Bible (See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called God's children--and indeed we are! For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know him. New Heart English Bible See what kind of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God; and we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know him. Webster's Bible Translation Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Weymouth New Testament See what marvellous love the Father has bestowed upon us--that we should be called God's children: and that is what we are. For this reason the world does not recognize us--because it has not known Him. Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleBehold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. The reason the world does not know you is that it did not know Him. World English Bible See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionSee what love the Father has given to us, that we may be called children of God; because of this the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Berean Literal Bible See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God—and we are! Because of this, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Young's Literal Translation See ye what love the Father hath given to us, that children of God we may be called; because of this the world doth not know us, because it did not know Him; Smith's Literal Translation See ye, what kind of love the Father has given us, that we should be called the children of God: for this the world knows us not, for it knew him not. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleBehold what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called, and should be the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth not us, because it knew not him. Catholic Public Domain Version See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we would be called, and would become, the sons of God. Because of this, the world does not know us, for it did not know him. New American Bible See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. New Revised Standard Version See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleSEE how abundant the love of the Fa ther is toward us, for he has called us sons and made us: therefore the world does not know us because it did not know him. Aramaic Bible in Plain English And behold how much the love of The Father abounds to us, that he has called us and also has made us children; because of this, the world does not know us, because it does not know him. NT Translations Anderson New TestamentBehold, how great love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the children of God! For this reason, the world knows us not, because it knew him not. Godbey New Testament Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God; and we are. And on this account the world does not know us, because it did not know him. Haweis New Testament BEHOLD, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God! therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Mace New Testament Consider what proof the father has given us of his love, in allowing us to be called the sons of God: therefore the world does not know us, because it knew him not. Weymouth New Testament See what marvellous love the Father has bestowed upon us--that we should be called God's children: and that is what we are. For this reason the world does not recognize us--because it has not known Him. Worrell New Testament Behold what manner of love the Father hath given to us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this cause the world knows us not, because it knew Him not. Worsley New Testament Behold then what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God: though for this reason the world knoweth us not, because it knew not Him. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Children of God1Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. 2Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.… Cross References Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, 1 John 4:9-10 This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. / And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. Ephesians 1:4-5 For He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless in His presence. In love / He predestined us for adoption as His sons through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will, that we should be called children of God. John 1:12 But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— Galatians 3:26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption to sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” And that is what we are! Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. / And if we are children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him. Galatians 4:6-7 And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” / So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God. 1 John 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves those born of Him. The reason the world does not know us John 17:14 I have given them Your word and the world has hated them. For they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. John 15:18-19 If the world hates you, understand that it hated Me first. / If you were of the world, it would love you as its own. Instead, the world hates you, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. 1 Peter 4:4 Because of this, they consider it strange of you not to plunge with them into the same flood of reckless indiscretion, and they heap abuse on you. is that it did not know Him. John 1:10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. John 16:3 They will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me. John 14:7 If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.” Romans 8:14-17 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. / For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption to sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” / The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. … Treasury of Scripture Behold, what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew him not. what. 1 John 4:9,10 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him… 2 Samuel 7:19 And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord GOD; but thou hast spoken also of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord GOD? Psalm 31:19 Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! that. Jeremiah 3:19 But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me. Hosea 1:10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: the world. John 15:18,19 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you… John 16:3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. John 17:25 O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. Jump to Previous Bestowed Cause Children God's Great Love Manner Marvellous Naming Reason Recognize WorldJump to Next Bestowed Cause Children God's Great Love Manner Marvellous Naming Reason Recognize World1 John 3 1. He declares the singular love of God toward us, in making us his sons;3. who therefore ought obediently to keep his commandments; 11. as also to love one another as brothers. Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us This phrase invites the reader to pause and reflect on the extraordinary nature of God's love. The term "behold" is a call to attention, emphasizing the importance of understanding the depth and quality of divine love. The love of the Father is not earned but given, highlighting the grace and generosity inherent in God's nature. This love is reminiscent of the covenantal love God showed Israel, as seen in Deuteronomy 7:7-8, where God's choice of Israel is based on His love and faithfulness, not their merit. that we should be called children of God And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him Persons / Places / Events 1. John the ApostleThe author of the epistle, one of Jesus' closest disciples, known for his emphasis on love and truth. 2. God the Father The source of the love bestowed upon believers, calling them His children. 3. Children of God Refers to believers who have received God's love and are identified as His children. 4. The World Represents those who do not recognize or understand the identity and relationship believers have with God. 5. Jesus Christ Implied in the text as the one whom the world did not know, leading to their lack of understanding of believers. Teaching Points The Magnitude of God's LoveReflect on the depth and quality of God's love that allows us to be called His children. This love is not earned but freely given. Identity in Christ Embrace and live out the identity of being a child of God. This identity should shape our actions, thoughts, and interactions with others. The World's Misunderstanding Understand that the world may not recognize or understand our identity in Christ because it does not know Him. This should not deter us from living out our faith. Assurance of Belonging Find assurance and comfort in the fact that we are indeed God's children, as stated emphatically in the scripture. Living as God's Children Consider how being a child of God influences our daily lives, decisions, and how we relate to others, both believers and non-believers. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of 1 John 3:1?2. How does 1 John 3:1 deepen your understanding of God's love for us? 3. What does being called "children of God" imply about our identity in Christ? 4. How can you live daily as a "child of God" in today's world? 5. Connect 1 John 3:1 with John 1:12 on becoming God's children. 6. How should God's love in 1 John 3:1 influence your interactions with others? 7. How does 1 John 3:1 define God's love for humanity? 8. What does "children of God" mean in 1 John 3:1? 9. How does 1 John 3:1 challenge our understanding of identity? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from 1 John 3? 11. In 1 John 3:1, how can the claim that believers are “children of God” be reconciled with human evolution? 12. What does the Bible say about child custody issues? 13. What defines being a child of God? 14. What is the main message of 2 John? What Does 1 John 3:1 Mean Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us• John’s opening word, “Behold,” is an invitation to pause and stare in amazement. Scripture repeatedly calls us to marvel at God’s love, not treat it as common (cf. Psalm 103:11; John 3:16). • “The Father” anchors love in God’s own character. As James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” • The gift is present and personal—love given “to us.” Romans 5:8 affirms, “God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”. • This love is not abstract; it is demonstrated in the sending of His Son (1 John 4:9-10) and in the daily mercies that surround believers (Lamentations 3:22-23). That we should be called children of God • The phrase signals adoption into God’s household. John 1:12 says, “To all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.” • Being “called” children is legal language—God publicly declares our new status. Galatians 4:5-7 explains that we have received “adoption as sons,” crying, “Abba, Father.” • Practical implications: – Identity: our worth flows from belonging to God, not from performance (Ephesians 1:5-6). – Family resemblance: children grow to reflect their Father’s character (Matthew 5:48; 1 Peter 1:15-16). – Inheritance: “If children, then heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (Romans 8:17). And that is what we are! • John moves from title to reality. God’s declaration is fact, not wishful thinking (cf. Numbers 23:19). • Assurance flows from God’s completed work: “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:16). • Present-tense certainty steadies us when feelings fluctuate. 1 John 5:13 echoes the purpose: “I have written to you who believe… so that you may know that you have eternal life.” • This confidence fuels holy living (1 John 3:3) and bold prayer (Hebrews 4:16). The reason the world does not know us • “The world” refers to the system opposed to God (1 John 2:15-17). • Because believers bear God’s family likeness, they seem foreign to a world walking in darkness (John 15:18-19). • Practical fallout: misunderstanding, marginalization, even persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). • Perspective: our obscurity on earth highlights our citizenship in heaven (Philippians 3:20). Is that it did not know Him • The root issue is spiritual blindness toward God Himself. John 1:10-11 records, “He was in the world… yet the world did not recognize Him.” • Unbelief is moral as much as intellectual; light is rejected because deeds are evil (John 3:19-20). • 2 Corinthians 4:4 explains that “the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers.” • For believers, sharing Christ means expecting the same treatment He received (John 15:20) while praying that God opens blind eyes (Acts 26:18). summary John 3:1 invites us to marvel: the Father’s extraordinary love has legally and actually made us His children. This present reality grants assurance, shapes identity, and guarantees inheritance. Yet the very adoption that delights us sets us at odds with a world that does not recognize its Creator. Our calling, therefore, is to rest in the certainty of God’s love, reflect His character, and remain faithful even when misunderstood, knowing that our unseen status is eternally secure. Verse 1-1 John 5:12. - 3. SECOND MAIN DIVISION. God is Love. Verses 1-24. - (1) The evidence of sonship. Righteousness. Verses 1-3. - The Divine birth is the outcome of the Divine love. Verse 1. - Behold what manner of love! Ποταπός; literally, "of what country," in the New Testament always implies amazement (Matthew 8:27; Mark 13:1; Luke 1:29; Luke 7:39; 2 Peter 3:11); but, as the original meaning leads us to expect, it implies marvelous quality rather than marvelous size. Love must be taken literally: the Divine love itself, and not a mere proof of it, has been given. Ποταπὴν ἀγάπην strikes the key-note of the whole section. "And the goal of this love ἵνα is that once for all (aorist) we have received the title 'children of God.'" And, whatever cavilers may say, the title is rightfully ours. (The words, "and (such) we are," are quite rightly inserted in the Revised Version after "children of God.") This is shown by the fact that the world does not recognize us as such, because from the first it did not recognize God. Had it known the Father, it would have known the children, Διὰ τοῦτο in St. John refers to what precedes (John 5:16, 18; John 7:22; John 8:47; John 10:17; John 12:18, 27, 39); it does not merely anticipate the ὅτι which follows it. In logical phraseology we have here first the major premise, then the conclusion introduced by διὰ τοῦτο, then (to clench the argument) the minor premise introduced by ὅτι, - Therefore For |
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