1 John 3:12 (GNV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

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.

1 John 3:14 We know that we are translated from death vnto life, because we loue the brethren: he that loueth not his brother, abideth in death.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "cain", "wicked", "slewe", "brother", "wherefore", "owne", and "workes". 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 "Marueile not my brethren though this 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.