1 John 4:20

if anyone may say, “I love God,” and may hate his brother, he is a liar; for he who is not loving his brother whom he has seen, how is he able to love God whom he has not seen?

Literal Standard Version

In The King James Version

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?

In Context

19we love Him, because He first loved us;

21And this [is] the command we have from Him, that he who is loving God, may also love his brother.

Read all of 1 John 4

Cross References

1 Peter 1:8whom, having not seen, you love, in whom, now believing [although] not seeing, you are glad with unspeakable joy and have been filled with glory,

1 John 2:4he who is saying, “I have known Him,” and is not keeping His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;

1 John 2:11but he who is hating his brother, he is in the darkness, and he walks in the darkness, and he has not known where he goes, because the darkness blinded his eyes.

1 John 4:12no one has ever seen God; if we may love one another, God remains in us, and His love is having been perfected in us;

Matthew Henry on 1 John 4:18-21

The Divine Love. ( a. d. 80.) 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 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? 21 And this… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study 1 John 4:20