1 John 3:11 (GNV)

Passage

For this is the message, that ye heard from the beginning, that we should loue one another,

Nearby Context

1 John 3:9 Whosoeuer is borne of God, sinneth not: for his seede remaineth in him, neither can hee sinne, because he is borne of God.

1 John 3:10 In this are the children of God knowen, and the children of the deuil: whosoeuer doeth not righteousnesse, is not of God, neither he that loueth not his brother.

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

1 John 3:12 Not as Cain which was of that wicked one, and slewe his brother: and wherefore slewe he him? because his owne workes were euill, and his brothers good.

1 John 3:13 Marueile not, my brethren, though this world hate you.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "message", "heard", "beginning", "should", "loue", and "another". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "message" and "heard", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "In this are the children of God..." into verse 12's "Not as Cain which was of that...", so "message" and "heard" 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 "message" and "heard" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.