1 John 3:12 (KJV)

Passage

Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

Nearby Context

1 John 3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother.

1 John 3:11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

1 John 3:12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

1 John 3:13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "cain", "wicked", "slew", "brother", "wherefore", "works", and "evil". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "cain" and "wicked", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "For this is the message that ye..." into verse 13's "Marvel not my brethren if the world...", so "cain" and "wicked" belong inside that flow. In 1 John context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "cain" and "wicked" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.