Paragraph 3:11–12

Read 3:11–12 in both Berean Standard Bible and Good News Translation. Compare the two versions.

Paragraph Theme: These verses link what John has just said about living pure lives to what he is going to say in 3:13–18 about the importance of loving one another.

3:11a

(Revised Standard Version) For: (Logical Relationship) Although John is moving on to a new topic, Christian love, this verse is closely tied to the last one. In the Greek, verse 11 starts with “Because/For,” as it gives the reason why we know that anyone who does not love his fellow Christians cannot be a child of God. When translating this verse, it will be necessary to consider whether a linking word is needed in order to make this connection to verse 10 clear (as in New English Bible, Revised Standard Version, King James Version, Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English, Living Bible) or whether the new unit (3:11–12) requires that there be no linking word (as in Berean Standard Bible, New International Version (2011 Revision), Good News Translation).

the message…beginning: (Meaning) This means that the command to love one another was a main point in the Christian instruction which they received when they first became believers.

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible. BSB is produced in cooperation with Bible Hub, Discovery Bible, OpenBible.com, and the Berean Bible Translation Committee.