1 John 3:23 kjv

And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

1 John 3:23 nkjv

And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.

1 John 3:23 niv

And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

1 John 3:23 esv

And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.

1 John 3:23 nlt

And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.

1 John 3 verses

1 John 3 23 Meaning

This verse encapsulates the core of God's commandment to believers: to trust fully in the person, authority, and saving work of His Son, Jesus Christ, and simultaneously to practice self-sacrificial love towards fellow believers, fulfilling the directive originally given by Christ Himself. These two aspects are presented as a singular, unified command, emphasizing their inseparable nature in genuine Christian living.

1 John 3 23 Context

1 John chapter 3 vividly contrasts the children of God with the children of the devil, focusing on righteousness and love as distinguishing marks. Verses 1-3 highlight the amazing identity of believers as children of God, implying a call to live righteously in hope. Verses 4-10 then draw a sharp distinction: those born of God do not "practice" sin, as Christ appeared to take away sins and is Himself without sin. Conversely, anyone who practices sin belongs to the devil. Building on this, verses 11-18 shift to the absolute necessity of love within the Christian community, illustrating it with the example of Cain's hate leading to murder, contrasting it with Christ's self-sacrificial love as the pattern for believers. It is within this framework of authentic Christian identity marked by righteousness and love, leading to assurance and answered prayer (1 Jn 3:19-22), that verse 23 defines the specific commandment from God that underpins this way of life. It explicitly clarifies what God expects, particularly in the face of contemporary false teachers who likely downplayed the need for both sound doctrine (Christ's true identity) and ethical love for fellow believers. The verse, therefore, acts as a foundational statement, countering the dualistic thought or libertinism that might have pervaded the Johannine community.

1 John 3 23 Word analysis

• And: Connects the previous thought of obtaining from God what is asked (1 Jn 3:22) to the specifics of His command, implying that obedience to this command is key to divine responsiveness.
• this: Points forward to the precise details of the commandment that immediately follow.
• is: Simple declarative, emphasizing that the stated aspects fundamentally constitute the singular commandment.
• his commandment: (Greek: ἐντολή, entolē - singular) Refers to God the Father's overarching divine decree. The singular form stresses that while it has two major facets, it is a single, unified demand from God, not two separate ones that can be disconnected. It signifies divine authority and obligation.
• to believe: (Greek: πιστεύειν, pisteuein) An infinitive, implying an ongoing, active disposition of trust, reliance, and commitment. It signifies more than intellectual assent; it involves entrusting oneself completely to.
• in the name: (Greek: ὄνομα, onoma) In biblical thought, "name" embodies the full person, character, authority, reputation, and nature of the one named. Believing "in the name" means believing in all that Jesus is and all He represents as the divine Son and Christ.
• of his Son Jesus Christ: Crucially specific. "His Son" points to divine relationship and deity. "Jesus" affirms His humanity and earthly ministry. "Christ" identifies Him as the promised Messiah and Anointed One. This precise identification strongly combats any proto-Gnostic tendencies of the time that sought to separate the divine Christ from the human Jesus, or deny His full divinity or humanity. It requires acceptance of His full biblical identity and saving work.
• and to love: (Greek: ἀγαπᾶν, agapan) An infinitive, indicating a continuous, active commitment to agape love – a divine, self-sacrificial, and intentional love, rather than merely an emotional affection.
• one another: Refers specifically to fellow believers within the community, though it doesn't preclude love for others; it prioritizes the community as the primary sphere of its practice and evidence.
• just as: (Greek: καθώς, kathōs) Meaning "even as," or "in the same way that." It sets a precise standard or model. The love among believers is to mirror the love Christ exemplified and commanded.
• he commanded us: Refers back to Jesus Christ Himself (e.g., in Jn 13:34-35; 15:12, 17). It roots this essential command firmly in the words and authority of the Lord Jesus, establishing consistency with His direct teaching and underscoring its enduring divine mandate.

Words-group analysis

• And this is his commandment: Emphasizes that what follows is the fundamental and authoritative divine will for God's children. The singularity of "commandment" unifies the two subsequent clauses.
• to believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ: This clause represents the vertical dimension of the single commandment—faith in Jesus. It is about rightly understanding and embracing the identity and work of Christ, which is foundational to salvation and true worship. This doctrinal confession is critical for distinguishing true believers from false teachers.
• and to love one another: This clause forms the horizontal dimension—the ethical outcome of true faith. It signifies the practical expression of spiritual life, serving as the primary visible evidence and fruit of believing in Jesus Christ. This "love" is the defining characteristic of the children of God.
• just as he commanded us: This phrase underlines the continuity and authority of the commandment, linking it directly to Christ's original teaching. It means this love should be lived out according to the standard and example set by Christ Himself.

1 John 3 23 Bonus section

This pivotal verse functions as a concise theological summary for the entire letter of 1 John. The entire epistle develops these two fundamental truths: the necessity of believing rightly about Jesus Christ (orthodoxy) and the requirement to love genuinely (orthopraxy). John argues that these are not merely human ethics or good ideas, but direct commands from God, fulfilling Christ's own new commandment (Jn 13:34-35). Thus, assurance before God (as discussed in 1 Jn 3:19-22) is tied to fulfilling this integrated commandment. Disobedience in either aspect (denying Christ's true identity or failing to love fellow believers) indicates a spiritual disconnection from God, leading to a lack of assurance. The verse implicitly addresses the tendency, then as now, to compartmentalize faith (belief in doctrine) from actions (how one lives and loves). John's argument is that true Christian life integrates both seamlessly: saving faith in Jesus Christ inherently expresses itself through obedience, of which love for God's children is a primary, undeniable evidence.

1 John 3 23 Commentary

First John 3:23 is a profound summation of the Christian life, presented as a singular yet twofold commandment from God the Father. It declares that the essence of obedience lies in both faithful devotion to Jesus Christ and sacrificial love for fellow believers. These two elements are not separate, selectable options but inseparable facets of true spiritual vitality. Believing "in the name" of Jesus Christ implies complete trust and adherence to all that He is—fully God and fully man, the promised Messiah and Savior. This genuine faith, far from being mere intellectual assent, fundamentally transforms the individual, leading naturally to the second component: active, self-sacrificial agape love for the Christian community. John underscores this connection because for the early church, true belief and ethical love were crucial differentiators against Gnostic errors that often divorced intellectual "knowledge" from moral conduct or denied the true incarnation of Christ. Therefore, authentic faith manifests in love, and genuine love stems from faith in Christ's saving work and person. This verse serves as a crucial identifier of who genuinely belongs to God, guiding believers in both their doctrinal convictions and their communal behavior.