1 John 3:1 kjv
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.
1 John 3:1 nkjv
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.
1 John 3:1 niv
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.
1 John 3:1 esv
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.
1 John 3:1 nlt
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.
1 John 3 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 1:12 | But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God… | Receiving Christ makes one God's child |
| Rom 8:14 | For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. | Being led by Spirit shows sonship |
| Rom 8:15 | For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" | Spirit testifies to adoption |
| Gal 3:26 | For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. | Sonship through faith in Christ |
| Gal 4:4-7 | ...but when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son... so that we might receive adoption as sons... | Redemption leads to adoption |
| Eph 1:5 | He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will. | Predestined for adoption |
| Eph 2:4-5 | But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— | God's great love for the dead |
| Jn 3:16 | For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son... | Source of God's love |
| Rom 5:8 | But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. | Proof of God's love |
| 1 Pet 1:23 | since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God... | Born again into God's family |
| Jas 1:18 | Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. | Born of God's will and word |
| 1 Jn 4:7 | Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. | Love as a sign of being God's child |
| Mt 7:23 | And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' | Not knowing can mean rejection |
| Jn 1:10 | He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. | World's ignorance of Christ |
| Jn 15:18 | "If the world hates you, know that it hated me before it hated you." | World's hostility to believers |
| Jn 17:25 | O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. | World's ignorance of God the Father |
| 1 Cor 2:14 | The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. | Unspiritual cannot understand God |
| Col 3:4 | When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. | Future appearance of Christ & believers |
| 2 Cor 3:18 | And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. | Transformation into His likeness |
| Rom 8:29 | For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. | Conformed to Christ's image |
| 1 Jn 2:28 | And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. | Readiness for Christ's appearing |
| 1 Jn 3:2 | Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. | Continuation on our identity & future |
1 John 3 verses
1 John 3 1 Meaning
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God; and that is what we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.This verse reveals the immeasurable and astounding quality of God's love for believers. Through His gracious act, He grants us the exalted status of His own children, a status not merely nominal but truly actual. This profound spiritual reality contrasts sharply with the world's inability to recognize us, stemming directly from its fundamental ignorance of God Himself.
1 John 3 1 Context
First John is written by the Apostle John primarily to assure believers of their salvation, provide marks of true faith (righteousness, love, belief in Jesus as God incarnate), and warn against false teachers (antichrists) who deny the humanity and divinity of Christ. Chapter 3 begins a section emphasizing the ethical implications of being "born of God." Immediately preceding this verse, John distinguishes between the children of God and children of the devil through their practice of righteousness and sin (1 Jn 2:29). This verse serves as a foundational truth that enables righteous living and love, by reminding believers of their ultimate identity and the source of that identity—God's profound love. It grounds their ethical responsibilities in their new, divine parentage.
1 John 3 1 Word analysis
- "Behold" (Gr. Ide): An imperative, commanding attention. It draws the reader's focus to something remarkable, profound, and worthy of contemplation, emphasizing the amazing truth that follows.
- "What manner of love" (Gr. Potapēn agapēn): Potapēn implies wonder and astonishment, not just "how much" but "what sort" or "what kind" of extraordinary, magnificent, and unfathomable love. It highlights the unique quality and vastness of divine love that elevates humanity so profoundly.
- "the Father" (Gr. Ho Patēr): Explicitly identifies God in His role as the originating and caring parent. This emphasizes the personal and intimate relationship established.
- "has bestowed" (Gr. Dedōken): From didōmi, meaning "to give." The perfect active indicative tense indicates a completed action in the past with ongoing, continuing results and present reality. This gift of love is not temporary; its effects endure.
- "on us" (Gr. Hēmin): Refers to believers in Christ. The blessing is specifically for those who have responded to God's grace.
- "that we should be called" (Gr. Hina klēthōmen): Hina is a purpose clause, indicating the result or intention. Klēthōmen (from kaleō, "to call") suggests a formal recognition and an actual impartation of status. It's not just a name but a conferred reality.
- "children of God" (Gr. Tekna Theou): Tekna emphasizes being a genuine offspring, reflecting the very nature and family characteristics of the parent. This highlights a spiritual rebirth and intrinsic relationship, as opposed to just legal adoption (though adoption is also a biblical concept, tekna stresses the inherent nature). We are partakers of His divine nature.
- "and that is what we are" (Gr. Kai esmen): A powerful affirmation by John. It underscores that "children of God" is not merely a title or a hope, but a present, tangible reality for believers. This combats any notion that it's only a future promise or a polite address; it is our fundamental spiritual identity.
- "The reason why" (Gr. Dia touto): Introduces the consequence or explanation for the world's ignorance.
- "the world" (Gr. Ho Kosmos): Here refers to humanity estranged from God, in its state of rebellion and darkness. It represents the human system that opposes God and divine truth.
- "does not know us" (Gr. Ou ginōskei hēmas): Ginōskei (from ginōskō, "to know") signifies an experiential, intimate, and recognizing knowledge. The world does not comprehend or recognize the true nature and identity of God's children.
- "is that it did not know Him" (Gr. Hoti ouk egnō auton): Egnō (from ginōskō, aorist tense) refers to a past act of not knowing or recognizing God. The world's inability to recognize believers flows directly from its prior, fundamental ignorance of God Himself. As believers bear God's spiritual image and nature, those who are blind to God will inevitably be blind to His children.
1 John 3 1 Bonus section
The Greek word teknon (children), used here, emphasizes shared life and origin with the Father, reflecting a spiritual birth (being "born of God"). This distinguishes it slightly from huios (son), which often highlights legal standing, inheritance, and maturity. While often used interchangeably in broader contexts, teknon here accentuates the intimate, familial nature of the relationship, reinforcing that believers truly bear the divine "DNA" of their Heavenly Father. The Father's bestowal of love and the resulting sonship is a profound act of grace, demonstrating His active desire for relationship. This divine fatherhood forms the foundation for all subsequent commands and exhortations in John's epistle regarding righteous living and brotherly love, making Christian ethics flow directly from our new identity and relationship with God.
1 John 3 1 Commentary
First John 3:1 is a breathtaking declaration of the believer's identity in Christ, rooted in the astounding love of God the Father. John urges believers to "behold" this love, compelling them to ponder its incomprehensible quality. It is a love so vast that it takes those once alienated and makes them genuine children of the divine, bestowing a status of ultimate dignity and intimacy. The perfect tense of "has bestowed" assures us this is an irreversible and enduring gift. Our identity as "children of God" is not just a polite title but a profound reality—we truly are what we are called. This divine relationship means we partake in His nature, becoming light in the world. However, this profound identity also clarifies the tension between believers and the fallen world. The world's spiritual blindness prevents it from recognizing God, and consequently, it fails to understand or accept His children, who bear His mark. This lack of recognition or even hostility from the world is thus a natural consequence of its separation from God, serving as an unintended validation of our genuine relationship with Him. We are aliens to the world because we belong to another Kingdom, manifesting the life of the Father whom the world has rejected.