1 John 3:16 (GNV)

Passage

Hereby haue we perceiued loue, that he layde downe his life for vs: therefore we ought also to lay downe our liues for the brethren.

Nearby Context

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.

1 John 3:15 Whosoeuer hateth his brother, is a manslayer: and ye know that no manslayer hath eternall life abiding in him.

1 John 3:16 Hereby haue we perceiued loue, that he layde downe his life for vs: therefore we ought also to lay downe our liues for the brethren.

1 John 3:17 And whosoeuer hath this worlds good, and seeth his brother haue neede, and shutteth vp his compassion from him, howe dwelleth the loue of God in him?

1 John 3:18 My litle children, let vs not loue in worde, neither in tongue onely, but in deede and in trueth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "hereby", "haue", "perceiued", "loue", "layde", "downe", "life", and "therefore". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "hereby" and "haue", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 15's "Whosoeuer hateth his brother is a manslayer..." into verse 17's "And whosoeuer hath this worlds good and...", so "hereby" and "haue" 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 "hereby" and "haue" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.