1 John 4:20 (DBY)

Passage

If any one say, I love God, and hate his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?

Nearby Context

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has torment, and he that fears has not been made perfect in love.

1 John 4:19 *We* love because *he* has first loved us.

1 John 4:20 If any one say, I love God, and hate his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?

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

Study Lenses

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

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