(1) Pairs of words/ideas with opposite meanings:
a. love vs does not love v.14 hates v.13 murder v.12, 15
b. we know that we have crossed over from death to life because we love our fellow Christian v.14 vs Cain...of the evil one and murdered v.12, the world hates you v.13, the one who does not love reamins in death v.14, no murderer has eternal life residing in him v.15
(NET)...the relationship between loving one’s fellow Christian (Grk “brother”) and possessing eternal life goes beyond a proof or external test. Our love for our fellow Christians is in fact a form of God’s love for us because as far as the author of 1 John is concerned, all love comes from God (cf. 4:7–11). Therefore he can add the next line of 3:14, “the one who does not love remains in death.” Why? Because such a person does not have God’s love residing in them at all. Rather, this person can be described as a “murderer”... Note also that the author’s description here of the person who does not love as remaining in death is another way of describing a person who remains in darkness, which is a description of unbelievers in John 12:46.
(2) Why does loving one another make such a big difference?
3:16 We have come to know love by this: that Jesus laid down his life for us; thus we ought to lay down our lives for our fellow Christians.3:17 But whoever has the world’s possessions and sees his fellow Christian in need and shuts off his compassion against him, how can the love of God reside in such a person?
Note, our relationship with Jesus affects our relationship with our fellow Christians v.16. If we really are under Jesus' love we will show that in our love to others. Or we can say that only those who love other believers really understand Jesus' love to them. Same principle can also be seen in v.17, we will help the physical needs of fellow Christian because it is out of our love (not only to that fellow Christian) to God.
(3) Reflection:
If hatred to our fellow Christians reflects that we are of the world and not of Christ, how careful we need to be with that. Scriptures are so serious about this because if anyone claims to be a believer they ought to know how Jesus loves them. If that is only in our head and never affects how we treat others then we do not really understand. Are we like that? Do we only have head knowledge of how Jesus loves us and never loves others?
If hatred to our fellow Christians reflects that we are of the world and not of Christ, how careful we need to be with that. Scriptures are so serious about this because if anyone claims to be a believer they ought to know how Jesus loves them. If that is only in our head and never affects how we treat others then we do not really understand. Are we like that? Do we only have head knowledge of how Jesus loves us and never loves others?
Love is not just a warm fizzy feeling. Scriptures give us a concrete example-to provide physical needs to our brothers. Have you ever helped other Christians financially? Do we have a compassionate heart to Christians who are in need? Lately, I am too caught up by the difference between the different views of vaccines/pandemic among Christians. To the point that I even doubt if I should pray for people who got Covid if they refused to get the vaccine. This passage reminds me that I should still pray for them because we are fellow Christians. I can pray that God will open their eyes to see the appropriate medical treatments, but I should not be cold to their needs. Do you have a similar struggle with Christians who share different political social views than yours?
Audrey
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