1 John 4:20 (KJV)

Passage

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

Nearby Context

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

1 John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

1 John 4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "love God", "hateth", "brother", "liar", "loveth", "hath", and "seen". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "love God" and "hateth", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 19's "We love him because he first loved..." into verse 21's "And this commandment have we from him...", so "love God" and "hateth" 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 "love God" and "hateth" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.