1 John 3:13

Listen, my friends. There are people in this world that are just like Cain. They hate people that live God’s way, so they will hate you too. Don’t be shocked about that.

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

In Context

12Remember that old story in God’s book, about Cain and Abel. They were brothers. Cain belonged to the devil, and he did bad things. But Abel lived God’s way. So Cain hated Abel, and he killed him. But we can’t be like that. We can’t hate people or kill people.

14But we are not like those people. You see, God gave us new life. It’s like our spirits used to be dead, but now they are alive. We know that we have new life because we love other Christians. That shows that our spirits are alive. But if anyone does not love other Christians, that shows that their spirit is still dead.

Read all of 1 John 3

Cross References

Mark 13:13And everybody will know that you follow me, so they will hate you. But if you stay strong and don’t give up, God will save you.”

John 7:7The people of this world don’t hate you. But they hate me. I keep on telling them that the things they do are really bad. That is the reason why they hate me.

John 16:2After I go away, the Jewish leaders will not let you into their meeting houses to pray to God with them. And a time is coming when people will kill you, and they will think that God wants them to do that.

John 17:14I told them your message, and they listened to me, and they believed me. They don’t belong here in this world, just like I don’t belong here. So the people that belong to this world hate them.

Matthew Henry on 1 John 3:12-14

Brotherly Love. ( a. d. 80.) 11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. 13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. The apostle, having intimated that one mark of the devil's children is hatred of the brethren, takes occasion thence, I. To recommend fraternal Christian love, and that from the excellence,… Read the whole commentary →

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