John 15:23 kjv
He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
John 15:23 nkjv
He who hates Me hates My Father also.
John 15:23 niv
Whoever hates me hates my Father as well.
John 15:23 esv
Whoever hates me hates my Father also.
John 15:23 nlt
Anyone who hates me also hates my Father.
John 15 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 10:30 | "I and the Father are one." | The ultimate unity and shared essence of the Godhead. |
| Jn 14:7 | "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also..." | Knowing Jesus equals knowing the Father. |
| Jn 14:9 | "He who has seen Me has seen the Father..." | Jesus is the perfect revelation of the Father. |
| Col 1:15 | "He is the image of the invisible God..." | Jesus perfectly mirrors God's invisible attributes. |
| Heb 1:3 | "He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation..." | Jesus perfectly reveals God's nature. |
| 1 Jn 2:23 | "Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father..." | Denial of the Son severs one's relationship with the Father. |
| Lk 10:16 | "He who hears you hears Me; and he who rejects you rejects Me..." | Rejecting Jesus' representatives is rejecting Jesus and God. |
| 1 Sam 8:7 | "...they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me..." | God's perspective on human rejection of His chosen ones. |
| Ps 2:2-3 | "...against the Lord and against His Anointed." | Prophecy of earthly powers opposing God and the Messiah. |
| Is 53:3 | "He was despised and forsaken of men..." | Prophetic word about the Messiah's rejection. |
| Jn 3:19 | "...men loved the darkness rather than the Light..." | The underlying reason for rejecting Jesus is spiritual preference. |
| 2 Cor 4:4 | "...the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving..." | Spiritual blindness hinders acceptance of Jesus. |
| Jn 9:41 | "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now that you say..." | Rejecting Jesus after seeing truth incurs greater guilt. |
| Jn 3:36 | "He who disobeys the Son will not see life..." | Dire consequences for those who reject Jesus' authority. |
| Matt 10:32-33 | "Everyone who confesses Me... I will also confess Him..." | Acknowledgment or denial of Jesus before others. |
| Matt 25:41 | "Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire..." | Final judgment for rejecting the Lord's invitation. |
| Heb 10:29 | "How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God?" | Emphasizes the severity of rejecting Christ. |
| 2 Thes 1:8-9 | "who do not know God and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus." | Judgment for those who reject God's revelation in Christ. |
| Rom 1:20-21 | "...so that they are without excuse." | Accountability for rejecting revealed truth about God. |
| Jn 8:42 | "If God were your Father, you would love Me..." | Love for God should naturally result in love for Jesus. |
| Jn 12:45 | "He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me." | Reinforces Jesus' identity with the Father. |
| 1 Jn 4:1-3 | "...the spirit of antichrist, of which you have heard..." | The spirit of antichrist denies Jesus Christ's person. |
John 15 verses
John 15 23 Meaning
John 15:23 declares the inseparable unity of Jesus Christ and God the Father in the context of human response to Jesus. It signifies that active rejection, hostility, or animosity towards Jesus is simultaneously an act of rejection, hostility, and animosity towards God the Father. One cannot claim to honor or love God the Father while at the same time hating or rejecting His Son, Jesus. To despise Jesus is to despise the very nature and will of God revealed in Him.
John 15 23 Context
This verse is part of Jesus' Farewell Discourse to His disciples (John 13-17) on the eve of His crucifixion. Specifically, it is embedded within a section where Jesus warns His disciples about the "world's" (κόσμος - kosmos, humanity hostile to God) hatred for them, just as it hated Him (Jn 15:18-25). Jesus is preparing them for persecution, emphasizing that this animosity is not because of any wrongdoing on their part, but precisely because they are united with Him. Verses 21-22 explain that this hatred is without excuse, for the world had both witnessed Jesus' works and heard His words. Therefore, their hatred is not due to ignorance, but willful rejection, directly establishing their guilt before God. Verse 23 deepens this point by showing that this rejection of Jesus is intrinsically a rejection of the Father Himself, underlining the profound and direct theological implications of the world's animosity.
John 15 23 Word analysis
- He who (Ὁ - Ho): A definite article acting as a pronoun, specifying a singular individual or type of person: "the one who." It highlights personal accountability for one's actions and disposition.
- hates (μισῶν - misōn): A present active participle from μισέω (miseō), signifying an ongoing state of active animosity, ill-will, or abhorrence. It implies not just a lack of love, but a positive, often active, rejection or antagonism, distinguishing it from mere indifference. This is an active and sustained disposition, not a fleeting emotion.
- Me (ἐμὲ - eme): Refers directly and emphatically to Jesus. This pronoun highlights the object of hatred: His person, His teachings, His claims, and His very being as the Son of God.
- hates (μισῶν - misōn): Repeated for emphasis. The continuous action and disposition of hatred are carried through to the second clause.
- My Father (τὸν Πατέρα μου - ton Patera mou): Explicitly names God the Father, to whom Jesus stands in a unique, filial relationship. This emphasizes the divine nature of the one who is hated when Jesus is hated, and links the rejection directly to the supreme Divine authority.
- also (καὶ - kai): A strong connective, often meaning "and" or "even," here indicating a direct and unavoidable consequence or accompaniment. It conveys that hatred for Jesus is not merely associated with hatred for the Father but is inextricably bound to it; one necessarily entails the other. There is no middle ground or separation in this act of rejection.
Words-group analysis:
- He who hates Me: Identifies the specific individual and their destructive spiritual disposition towards Jesus. This is not about passive disinterest but an active, hostile posture against the divine person and revelation of Christ.
- hates My Father also: Directly reveals the profound theological truth: any hatred or rejection directed toward Jesus automatically and fundamentally extends to God the Father. This unbreakable link underscores the unity of the Father and the Son, where acceptance or rejection of one is equally applied to the other.
John 15 23 Bonus section
- Irrevocable Divine Identification: This verse serves as a crucial point of Christological identification, clearly indicating Jesus' divinity and His essential oneness with God the Father, where the response to one is the response to the other.
- Rejection as Active Disobedience: The "hates" is not merely indifference, but a deliberate stance of active disobedience and rebellion against God's plan and self-revelation. It implies an entrenched antagonism, revealing a deeper spiritual brokenness.
- No Dual Allegiance: The statement implies there can be no legitimate spiritual framework that allows for honoring God while simultaneously dismissing or rejecting Jesus. Any such attempt is shown to be self-deceiving.
- Forewarning to Disciples: Jesus communicates this to His disciples as a means of preparation and comfort. Their future experiences of hatred and persecution will not be arbitrary but will stem from the world's original hatred of Christ and, by extension, God the Father.
John 15 23 Commentary
John 15:23 is a succinct yet profound declaration from Jesus, establishing the inseparable unity between Himself and the Father in the context of human response. The hatred directed at Jesus is not merely a personal offense but a direct affront to God the Father. This hatred is characterized not as simple dislike but as active, sustained hostility, arising from the "world's" inherent rebellion against the divine light and truth that Jesus embodies. By asserting that hating Him means hating the Father "also," Jesus dismisses any pretense of devotion to God that excludes or rejects His Son. This principle highlights that Jesus is the singular, non-negotiable gateway to a relationship with God. Those who saw His works and heard His words yet chose rejection, bear profound guilt, having despised God's ultimate revelation. Practically, it means true worship of God must acknowledge and embrace Jesus, for to spurn the Son is to spurn the Father who sent Him.