Bible Study: 1 John 3:16-20 – What Loving Our Brother Really Means

Young Man Studying Bible by Bakh World — Photo by Bakh World

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 1 John 3:16-20 (NIV)

Christ laid down his life for us, not only to redeem us, but to show us how we should lay down our lives for our brothers.

Discussion Questions

1. Is there anyone in this world you would willingly give your life for?
2. What about fellow believers in your church, would you give your life for them?
3. John lays out a broad command–we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers–and then talks about specific action. How does he describe this specific action?
4. What does John mean when he refers to our “brother”?
5. In what way do our actions affirm our standing with God?
6. Do you ever struggle with doubts about your salvation?

Translation

16 ?? ????? ????????? ??? ?????? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ????????? ???? ??? ??????? ??? ????? ???????
17 ?? ? ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ??? ??????? ????? ?????? ?????? ??? ?????? ?? ???????? ????? ?? ????? ??? ? ????? ??? ???? ????? ?? ????
18 ?????? ??? ?? ???????? ???? ???? ?? ?????? ??? ?? ???? ??? ???????
19 ??? ?? ????? ?????????? ??? ?? ??? ???????? ????? ??? ????????? ????? ???????? ??? ??????? ????
20 ??? ??? ??????????? ???? ? ?????? ??? ?????? ????? ? ???? ??? ??????? ???? ??? ???????? ?????

Verse 16 “By this we know love, that he gave his life for us. And we also ought to give our lives for the brethren.”

Verse 17 “But whoever has worldly means and sees his brother in need and shuts off his compassion for him, how does the love of God abide in him?”

Verse 18 “My beloved children, let us not love with word or with speech, but in deed and in truth.”

Verse 19 “For in this we know that we are of the truth and assure our hearts before Him.”

Verse 20 “Because whenever our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts and knows all things.”

Observation – What does the text say?

????????? – “egnokamen,” – “we know” from experience

??? ????? – “ten psuchen,” – “breath, life”

?????? – “etheken,” – “set, place, lay down,” a conscious, deliberative act

????????? – “opheilomen,” – “we ought, we should,” referring to an obligation we have

??? ???? ??? ?????? – “ton bion toou kosmou,” literally, “the life of the world,” the ability to thrive in this world

??? ??????? – “ton adelphon” – “the brethren,” fellow believers. We are members of a covenant community and have sworn an oath in communion to love each other as Christ has loved us.

?????? – “chreian” – “need, business,” ought

?????? – “echonta,” “have,”

?????? ?? ???????? ????? – “kleise to splagchna autou,” lit. “shuts up his guts,” shows a lack of compassion

???? ???? ?? ?????? – “logo mede te glossei,” “neither word or tongue” Don’t just talk about it or simply discuss it.

???????? – “peisomen,” “assure, persuade, have confidence.”

??? ??? ??????????? ???? ? ?????? – “hoti ean kataginoske hemon he kardia,” “if in the case that our heart (i.e., conscience) condemns us.”

Interpretation – What did the text mean to the original audience in their context?

The Apostles taught their disciples that they were to be known for the way they loved. John, especially, emphasis this truth in his first epistle. God is love and he has proved his love by giving us his most precious possession to die for us. God did this, not only to redeem us from sin, but also to show us how to love ourselves. So John’s readers, too, were to die for each other.

But giving their lives for each other was not just to be a hypothetical ideal, but a daily reality as they sacrificed for the real, concrete needs of their brothers and sisters in Christ.

Application – What does the text mean to our audience in its context?

Pastors, you are responsible, not just for the spiritual wellbeing of your church members, but for their total wellbeing. And you are responsible for passing this ethic down to your people. All of us, as members of the body of Christ, are responsible for each other. We are to bear our own burdens and we are to bear each other’s burdens. The love of Christ demands this.

Christ died for us. That historical act is our standard for how we treat others in our fellowship. This standard mandates ultimate sacrifice. But the standard is not just an ideal. It is also to be lived out in smaller acts of sacrifice for each other. The temptation is to simply give lip service to the love of Christ. In reality, we are to sacrifice for each other on a regular basis. The presence of ongoing need in the church is an indication that the body of Christ is not taking the love of Christ seriously.

Teach – How can we communicate these truths in a way that our audience understands them, remembers them and responds to them appropriately?

Perhaps the best way to teach this passage is to identify specific examples in your congregation and community where there are ongoing needs that are not being met. Take a moment to review your congregation and ask yourself who the neediest people are. Then ask whether their needs are being met by people in your church. Now go outside your congregation and do the same thing. Help your people think concretely about the love of Christ because that is what this passage is teaching: Christ’s love always addresses real needs.