Berean Study Bible Testing the SpiritsJohn addresses his readers with the affection of a spiritual father who desires their protection and perseverance. God’s children are deeply loved by Him, and faithful shepherds reflect that love by guarding believers from error. 3Jn 1:2 Beloved, I pray that in every way you may prosper… do not believe every spirit, Claims of spiritual authority must not be accepted merely because they are persuasive, emotional, or religious. Behind teaching and prophecy stands either the Spirit of God or a deceiving influence opposed to Christ. 1Co 12:10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy,… but test the spirits Believers are responsible to examine teaching by the truth God has revealed. The Bereans modeled such discernment by searching the Scriptures to assess even apostolic preaching (Acts 17:11). Spiritual maturity requires both openness to God’s Word and vigilance against deception. Act 17:11 Now the Bereans were more noble-minded… to see whether they are from God. God never contradicts His own revelation. Teaching that comes from Him honors Jesus Christ, submits to the apostolic gospel, and accords with the Scriptures He has given. Jhn 7:17 If anyone desires to do His will, he will know… For many false prophets have gone out into the world. False teachers were already active among the churches, spreading messages that denied or distorted the truth about Christ. Jesus warned that many false prophets would arise and deceive many (Matthew 24:11), making discernment an enduring necessity for the church. Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets. They come to you… By this you will know the Spirit of God: John gives believers a necessary test because not every spiritual claim comes from God. False teachers had arisen within the church and were seeking to lead believers away from the apostolic witness concerning Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit never contradicts the truth God has revealed about His Son. 1Jn 3:24 Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God,… Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh True teaching openly acknowledges that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, truly became man. He did not merely appear human, nor did He temporarily inhabit a human body. Born of Mary, Jesus possessed a real human nature while remaining fully God. His incarnation made possible His obedient life, atoning death, bodily resurrection, and continuing ministry as the one Mediator between God and men. John’s warning confronts the early forms of false teaching that denied or diminished Christ’s real humanity. 2Jn 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world,… is from God, A confession faithful to the incarnate Christ bears the mark of the Holy Spirit’s work. God’s Spirit leads His people to receive the apostolic testimony, honor the Son, and remain rooted in the gospel delivered from the beginning. 1Jn 5:19 We know that we are of God, and that the whole world… and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. Every teaching claiming spiritual authority must be tested by its confession of the true Jesus Christ, the eternal Son who came in the flesh, died for sin, and rose again. False teachers in John’s day denied Christ’s incarnation or separated His divine identity from His humanity. Such denial rejects the gospel itself, for salvation rests upon faith in Jesus as Lord and risen Savior (Romans 10:9). 2Jn 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world,… This is the spirit of the antichrist, Opposition to the truth about Christ reveals the animating influence of antichrist. John identifies antichrist not merely with a future deceiver but with every religious rebellion that rejects Christ’s person, authority, and saving work. The final Antichrist will embody this hostility, but the same spiritual opposition was already active through false teachers. 1Jn 2:22 Who is the liar, if it is not the one who denies… which you have heard is coming Believers had received apostolic warning that deception and open opposition to Christ would increase. Jesus warned of false prophets who would seek to mislead many, and Paul foretold a coming rebellion against God’s truth (Matthew 24:24; 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4). 1Jn 2:18 Children, it is the last hour; and just as you have heard… and which is already in the world at this time. The anticipated conflict had already begun within the first-century church as deceivers spread doctrines contrary to apostolic teaching. Christians must therefore remain grounded in the revealed Christ of Scripture, discerning every message by whether it honors Him as He truly is. 2Th 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work,… You, little children, John addresses his readers as beloved members of God’s family, expressing the tender care of a spiritual father. Their need for discernment does not diminish their standing as those loved and kept by God. 1Jn 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you…… are from God Believers belong to God through the new birth and bear His life within them. Their identity does not arise from the world’s approval, human wisdom, or spiritual achievement, but from God’s saving work in Christ. 1Jn 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ… and have overcome them, The readers had already prevailed over the false prophets by refusing their denial of the true Christ and remaining in the apostolic gospel. Victory over deception comes through faithfulness to the truth God has revealed, not through superior intellect or personal strength. 1Jn 2:13-14 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him… because greater is He who is in you The Holy Spirit dwells in every true believer and supplies discernment, strength, and perseverance. God’s presence within His people assures them that error will not finally conquer those who abide in Christ. 1Co 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple… than he who is in the world. Satan energizes the spirit of antichrist and works through false teaching, yet his power is limited and subordinate to God. Christ has overcome the world, and those united to Him share in His victory. 1Jn 5:19 We know that we are of God, and that the whole world… They are of the world. The false prophets addressed by John belong to the fallen order of humanity that resists God’s rule. Though they may use religious language, their loyalties, standards, and aims arise from a society under the influence of the evil one (1 John 5:19). Jesus taught that His disciples are not of the world because He chose them out of it, and for that reason the world hates them (John 15:19). Jhn 15:19 If you were of the world, it would love you as its own… That is why they speak from the world’s perspective, Their teaching reflects human wisdom, self-exaltation, moral compromise, and denial of the truth revealed in Christ. John had already warned believers that many false prophets had gone out into the world and that the decisive test concerns their confession of Jesus Christ come in the flesh (1 John 4:1–3). Messages shaped by the world may appear attractive because they accommodate sinful desires and lessen the offense of the gospel.. Jhn 3:31 The One who comes from above is above all.… and the world listens to them. People who remain devoted to the world readily receive teaching that confirms their rebellion against God. Jesus likewise said that the world listens to those who speak as its own, while those who belong to God hear the apostolic witness (John 8:47; 1 John 4:6). Popular acceptance does not establish spiritual truth; faithfulness to the incarnate, crucified, and risen Christ does. 2Ti 4:3-4 For the time will come when men will not tolerate… We are from God. John speaks as an apostle commissioned by Jesus Christ and as a witness to the incarnate Son of God. The apostolic message did not arise from human speculation but from Christ’s revelation, His saving work, and the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Those born of God belong to Him and are called to remain in the truth delivered through Christ’s appointed witnesses. 1Jn 5:19 We know that we are of God, and that the whole world… Whoever knows God listens to us; Genuine knowledge of God produces submission to the teaching of the apostles, whose testimony became the foundation of the New Testament church. Jesus taught that His sheep hear His voice, and His voice continues through the authoritative witness of those He sent. Love for God cannot be separated from faithfulness to the gospel they proclaimed concerning Jesus Christ come in the flesh. Jhn 8:47 Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God.… whoever is not from God does not listen to us. Rejection of apostolic truth exposes a refusal to receive God’s own testimony about His Son. False teachers were troubling the churches by denying essential truth about Christ and leading believers away from obedience. Spiritual rebellion often presents itself as religious insight, but it refuses the Christ-centered message entrusted to the apostles. 1Co 2:14 The natural man does not accept the things that… That is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception. The Holy Spirit leads God’s people to confess the true Christ and receive the apostolic gospel, while deceiving spirits promote teaching that contradicts Christ’s person and work. Discernment is therefore not based on charisma, novelty, or spiritual claims, but on conformity to the truth God has revealed. Jhn 14:17 The world cannot receive Him, because it neither sees Him…
Love Comes from GodJohn addresses fellow believers with the affection of a spiritual father and brother. The church is a family formed by faith in Christ, bound together by the love the Father displayed when He called Jesus His beloved Son (Matthew 3:17). 1Pe 2:11 Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles,… let us love one another, Love among Christians is Christ’s command and a visible testimony to His lordship (John 13:34–35). Such love seeks another’s good through service, forgiveness, truthfulness, generosity, and sacrificial care, crossing the social, ethnic, and economic divisions common in the ancient world and still present today. Jhn 13:34-35 A new commandment I give you: Love one another.… because love comes from God. God is the source and perfect pattern of holy love. He demonstrated that love supremely by sending His Son into the world to save sinners (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9–10). Christian love does not arise merely from natural affection or shared interests; it is produced by God’s work in those who belong to Him. 1Jn 3:1 Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us,… Everyone who loves has been born of God New birth brings a person into God’s family and imparts a new disposition shaped by His character. The Holy Spirit bears the fruit of love in believers, enabling them to reflect Christ’s self-giving life (Galatians 5:22). 1Jn 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life… and knows God. Knowing God involves a real and obedient relationship with Him, not only correct information about Him. Love for God’s people provides evidence that a person has come to know the God whose nature is love. 1Jn 2:3-4 By this we can be sure that we have come to know Him… Whoever does not love A settled pattern of lovelessness contradicts the new life God gives to His children. John addresses believers facing teachers who claimed fellowship with God while disregarding obedience, truth, and care for fellow Christians. Christlike love is not mere sentiment but practical self-giving, seen supremely in Jesus laying down His life for sinners and reflected in believers who meet one another’s needs. 1Jn 3:14 We know that we have passed from death to life… does not know God, Genuine knowledge of God is personal and transforming. Those brought into covenant fellowship with Him increasingly reflect His character through obedience and love. A profession of faith without love is empty, for no one can rightly claim intimacy with the God who gave His Son for the undeserving. 2Th 1:8 in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance… because God is love. Love belongs to God’s eternal nature and governs His saving work. His holy love was displayed in sending Jesus Christ as the atoning sacrifice for sin, so that sinners might be reconciled to Him. Christian love does not create God’s love or earn His favor; it is the fruit of receiving the love God has shown in Christ. Jhn 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son… This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God’s love entered human history in the person of Jesus Christ. John wrote to believers troubled by false teachers who denied the truth about Christ, grounding them again in the visible, historical revelation of God’s saving love. The incarnation fulfilled the witness of John 1:14: the eternal Word became flesh and dwelt among humanity. Tit 3:4-5 But when the kindness of God our Savior… God sent His one and only Son into the world, The Father sent Jesus, His unique and eternal Son, not merely as a teacher or example but as the Savior. Jesus came into a world darkened by sin, fulfilling God’s promises through the prophets and accomplishing the mission foretold in Scripture. God’s love is shown in His initiative: He gave His Son for those who could not save themselves. Jhn 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son… so that we might live through Him. Jesus gives spiritual life now and eternal life beyond death to all who trust in Him. Through His atoning death and victorious resurrection, believers are delivered from sin’s condemnation and united with the risen Christ. Life through Him is the abundant and enduring life that sin had forfeited, received by faith and sustained by fellowship with the Son. 1Jn 5:11-12 And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life,… And love consists in this: God defines love by His holy, saving action rather than by human feeling or achievement. Love is revealed in the giving of Himself for those who could not rescue themselves. 1Jn 3:16 By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down… not that we loved God, Sinful humanity did not initiate reconciliation with God. Apart from His grace, people resist His rule and fail to seek Him as they ought. Rom 5:6 For at just the right time, while we were still powerless… but that He loved us God’s love moved toward sinners in mercy while they were still alienated from Him. His faithfulness fulfills the pattern of covenant grace displayed throughout Scripture. Jhn 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son… and sent His Son The Father sent the eternal Son into the world through the incarnation, fulfilling God’s promise to provide a Savior. Jesus came willingly to accomplish the Father’s redemptive purpose. Jhn 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world… as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Christ’s death satisfied the righteous judgment sin deserves and removed the guilt of all who trust in Him. The sacrifices of the old covenant pointed forward to His once-for-all offering, by which sinners are reconciled to God. Rom 3:25 God presented Him as an atoning sacrifice… Beloved, John addresses believers as members of God’s family, joined by faith in Jesus Christ and bound together by His love. The apostle’s pastoral affection reflects the new covenant community formed through the gospel. 1Jn 3:2 Beloved, we are now children of God… if God so loved us, God’s love was displayed in sending His only Son into the world and making Him the atoning sacrifice for sin (1 John 4:9–10). Christ’s death fulfilled God’s redemptive purpose foretold in Scripture, including the suffering servant who bore the sins of many (Isaiah 53:4–6). The certainty of such divine love becomes the foundation for every Christian relationship. Jhn 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son… we also ought to love one another. Believers have a moral responsibility to extend toward one another the self-giving love they have received from God. Jesus gave the same command on the night before His crucifixion, calling His disciples to love one another as He loved them (John 13:34–35). Such love takes visible form in forgiveness, service, generosity, patience, and faithful care, bearing witness that God’s life is at work among His people. 1Jn 3:11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning:… No one has ever seen God; God in His unveiled majesty is beyond the sight and capacity of fallen humanity. Moses was permitted to see only the aftermath of God’s passing, for no man could see God’s face and live (Exodus 33:20–23). Yet the invisible God has made Himself known through His Son, Jesus Christ, who perfectly reveals the Father (John 1:18; Colossians 1:15). Jhn 1:18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son… but if we love one another, Love among believers gives visible evidence of the God whom the world cannot see. Such love follows Christ’s command and crosses barriers of status, background, and personal preference. It is expressed through service, forgiveness, generosity, truth, and concern for the spiritual good of others. 1Jn 3:11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning:… God remains in us, God makes His dwelling among His people through the Holy Spirit. Under the new covenant, believers together form God’s temple, no longer defined by a physical sanctuary but by His living presence in those redeemed by Christ (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). Loving obedience displays the reality of that abiding relationship. 1Jn 3:24 Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God,… and His love is perfected in us. God’s love reaches its intended result as it is received from Him and expressed through His people. The love God showed in sending His Son produces a transformed community that reflects His character. As believers grow in Christlike love, God’s unseen presence becomes evident to the world. 1Jn 2:5 But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God… By this we know that we remain in Him, Believers possess assurance of fellowship with God through the continuing evidence of His saving work within them. Remaining in Christ involves persevering faith, obedience to His commands, love for fellow believers, and dependence upon Him. Jesus taught that His disciples abide in Him as branches abide in the vine, receiving life and bearing fruit through union with Him (John 15:4–7). 1Jn 2:24 As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning… and He in us: God’s relationship with His people is mutual and personal. Through Christ, the believer is brought into covenant fellowship with the Father, while God makes His dwelling in the believer. This fulfills the promise that God would write His law on the hearts of His people and be their God (Jeremiah 31:33). Such indwelling produces a transformed life rather than merely an outward profession of faith. 2Co 6:16 What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols… He has given us of His Spirit. The Holy Spirit is God’s gift to every true believer and the abiding evidence of salvation. Promised under the New Covenant (Ezekiel 36:26–27), the Spirit was poured out at Pentecost and continues to dwell in Christ’s people. He assures believers of their adoption, teaches truth, strengthens obedience, produces godly character, and seals them for their promised inheritance (Ephesians 1:13–14). 1Jn 3:24 Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God,… And we have seen and testify John speaks as an eyewitness of the incarnate Son and as one joined to the apostolic witness. Jesus was not a spiritual appearance or a religious idea; He was seen, heard, touched, and known in His earthly ministry. Their testimony carries the solemn character of a public witness, establishing the truth against teachers who denied that the eternal Son truly came in flesh. Jhn 19:35 The one who saw it has testified to this, and his testimony…… that the Father has sent His Son The Father’s sending reveals the Son’s preexistence and the divine purpose of His incarnation. Jesus came from the Father in willing obedience, accomplishing the mission foretold in Scripture: the promised Child given to rule and redeem, the Servant who would bring light beyond Israel. The Father’s love stands behind Christ’s coming, and the Son’s work makes the Father known. Jhn 3:17 For God did not send His Son into the world… to be the Savior of the world. Jesus saves people from sin, judgment, and death through His sacrificial death and victorious resurrection. His saving mission extends to every nation, fulfilling God’s promise that His salvation would reach the ends of the earth. The world does not mean that every person is saved apart from faith, but that no race, nation, or class stands outside the reach of Christ’s offered salvation. Jhn 4:42 They said to the woman, “We now believe… If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, Genuine faith openly acknowledges Jesus as the eternal Son, fully divine and uniquely one with the Father. Such confession rests on believing His incarnation, atoning death, bodily resurrection, and present lordship. In John’s day, false teachers denied or distorted Christ’s true identity; therefore, confession of the Son marked those who received the apostolic gospel. Peter gave the same confession when he declared, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jhn 11:27 “Yes, Lord,” she answered, “I believe that You are… God abides in him, God makes His dwelling in everyone who truly believes in His Son. The promised Holy Spirit indwells the believer, bringing assurance of salvation, power for obedience, and fellowship with the Father. What the tabernacle and temple pictured under the old covenant becomes a personal reality in the people redeemed by Christ. 1Jn 3:24 Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God,… and he in God. Believers belong to God and live in continual dependence upon Him. Union with Christ produces a life of growing obedience, love, and spiritual fruit. Jesus illustrated this abiding relationship through the vine and branches: only those who remain in Him receive the life necessary to bear fruit (John 15:4–5). Jhn 17:21 that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me… And we have come to know and believe the love that God has for us. God’s love is not an abstract idea but was revealed decisively in the sending of His Son as the atoning sacrifice for sin (1 John 4:9–10). The apostles had witnessed Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, and believers receive this same assurance through the gospel. Knowledge of God’s love grows through fellowship with Him, while faith rests in His unchanging character and promises. Even amid opposition and suffering, Christians may stand secure in the love displayed at the cross (Romans 5:8). Jhn 17:26 And I have made Your name known to them,… God is love; Love belongs to God’s essential nature and governs all His works without setting aside His holiness, righteousness, or justice. The Father’s love is eternally shared with the Son and the Holy Spirit, and it has been made known in the person and work of Jesus Christ. God’s love does not excuse sin; it provides redemption through Christ, who bore sin’s judgment for all who believe. Exo 34:6 Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out:… whoever abides in love abides in God, A life marked by love for God and for fellow believers gives evidence of genuine fellowship with God. Such love is not mere affection or tolerance, but obedience to Christ, sacrificial care for others, and commitment to the truth. Jesus (“Yahweh saves”) taught that His disciples remain in His love by keeping His commandments, especially the command to love one another (John [“Yahweh is gracious”] 15:9–12). Jhn 15:9-10 As the Father has loved Me, so have I loved you.… and God in him. God makes His dwelling with those who belong to Christ through the Holy Spirit. His presence assures believers of their adoption, strengthens them for obedience, and forms Christlike love within the church. This mutual fellowship is both God’s gift and the foundation for a faithful life in a hostile world. 1Jn 3:24 Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God,… In this way, love has been perfected among us, God’s love reaches its intended work as believers receive His saving love and express it toward one another. The surrounding context grounds that love in the Father’s sending of His Son as the atoning sacrifice for sin. A community marked by sacrificial love displays the life of the God who abides in it. 1Jn 2:5 But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God… so that we may have confidence on the day of judgment; Those who belong to Christ need not face God’s final judgment in dread. Their confidence rests on Christ’s atoning work and is confirmed by a life shaped by obedience and love. The coming judgment is certain, yet condemnation has been removed from those who are in Christ. 1Jn 3:19-21 And by this we will know that we belong to the truth,… for in this world we are just like Him. Believers remain in a world opposed to God, but they are called to reflect the character of Christ within it. As Christ walked in love, righteousness, and obedience to the Father, His people are to live in the same manner. Such likeness does not mean sinless equality with Christ, but a genuine sharing in His life that bears visible fruit. 1Jn 3:2 Beloved, we are now children of God… There is no fear in love, God’s love gives believers confidence before Him because it rests on His saving work rather than human merit. Those adopted through Christ need not approach the Father as condemned enemies, for they have received the Spirit of adoption and may cry, “Abba, Father” (Romans 8:15). 2Ti 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power… but perfect love drives out fear, God’s love reaches its intended work in the believer as faith becomes settled in His character, promises, and atoning grace. The love displayed at the cross assures God’s people that judgment has been borne by Christ and that nothing can separate them from His love (Romans 8:38–39). Heb 2:14-15 Now since the children have flesh and blood,… because fear involves punishment. Fear of final judgment remains where a person expects condemnation. Christ’s sacrifice satisfies God’s righteous judgment against sin, and “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Believers may still reverence God and grieve over sin, but they need not live under dread of eternal punishment. Heb 10:26-27 If we deliberately go on sinning after we have received… The one who fears has not been perfected in love. Ongoing fear of condemnation reveals a need for deeper assurance in God’s redeeming love. Growth in holiness includes learning to rest more fully in the Father’s grace, trusting that He disciplines His children in love and will complete the work He began in them. 1Jn 2:5 But if anyone keeps His word, the love of God… We love Love in the believer’s life is the response to God’s saving work and the visible evidence of abiding in Him. Jesus made love for fellow disciples the distinguishing mark of those who belong to Him (John 13:34–35). Such love seeks another’s good, forgives offenses, serves sacrificially, and reflects the character of the Father in a hostile world. 1Jn 3:16 By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down… because He first loved us. God’s love did not begin as a response to human devotion; He loved sinners while they were alienated from Him and gave His Son as the atoning sacrifice for their sins (1 John 4:10; Romans 5:8). Christ’s death reveals both the depth of God’s holiness and the greatness of His mercy. Those who have received that undeserved love are called to extend it to their brothers and sisters in Christ. Deu 7:7-8 The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you… If anyone says, “I love God,” Love for God is proved by obedience, devotion, and a life shaped by His commands, not by verbal profession alone. The command to love God with the whole person stands at the center of covenant faithfulness (Deuteronomy 6:4–5; John 14:15). Mat 15:8 These people honor Me with their lips,… but hates his brother, A believer’s treatment of fellow Christians reveals the reality of his relationship with God. Christ commanded His disciples to love one another, and such love identifies them before the world (John 13:34–35). Hatred contradicts the new life God gives through Christ. 1Jn 2:9-11 If anyone claims to be in the light but hates his brother… he is a liar. A claim of fellowship with God is false when it is joined to persistent hatred toward God’s children. John repeatedly exposes professions that deny the moral character of God, who is light and love (1 John 1:6; 2:4). 1Jn 2:4 If anyone says, “I know Him,” but does not keep His… For anyone who does not love his brother, Love within the church fulfills God’s will and preserves the unity purchased by Christ. John has already contrasted the murderous hatred of Cain with the self-giving love of Christ, who laid down His life for His people (1 John 3:11–18). 1Jn 3:10 By this the children of God are distinguished… whom he has seen, Fellow believers are the visible objects of practical love through forgiveness, service, generosity, and care in daily life. Neglect of those near at hand exposes a heart unmoved by God’s mercy. Jas 2:15-16 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes… cannot love God, Love for the unseen God necessarily bears visible fruit in love for those made in His image and redeemed by His Son. The two greatest commandments are inseparably joined: love for God produces love for neighbor (Matthew 22:37–39). Jhn 5:42 but I know you, that you do not have the love… whom he has not seen. God is known by faith, yet His love becomes evident in the conduct of His people. Those who have received God’s love in Christ are called to display that love before a watching world. 1Ti 6:16 He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light.… And we have this commandment from Him: God Himself has bound love for Him to love for fellow believers. The command carries the authority of Christ, who taught His disciples to love one another as He had loved them (John 13:34–35). John writes as one who heard Jesus’ teaching and witnessed His self-giving love at the cross. 1Jn 3:23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe… Whoever loves God Love for God involves devoted obedience, fulfilling the command given to Israel to love the Lord with all the heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5). A claim to know and love God cannot remain isolated from one’s conduct toward those made new by His grace. 1Co 8:3 But the one who loves God is known by God. must love his brother as well. Love for fellow Christians is the necessary evidence of genuine love for the Father. Believers share one Savior, one Spirit, and one family relationship in Christ. Such love sustained the early church through persecution, hardship, and false teaching, and it remains essential to the church’s unity, fellowship, and witness before the world. 1Jn 3:10 By this the children of God are distinguished… This is a draft of the Berean Study Bible. Please send all comments and recommendations to bereanstudybible@aol.com. Bible Hub |
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