John 13:35 (GNV)

Passage

By this shall all men knowe that ye are my disciples, if ye haue loue one to another.

Nearby Context

John 13:33 Litle children, yet a litle while am I with you: ye shall seeke me, but as I sayde vnto the Iewes, Whither I goe, can ye not come: also to you say I nowe,

John 13:34 A newe commandement giue I vnto you, that ye loue one another: as I haue loued you, that ye also loue one another.

John 13:35 By this shall all men knowe that ye are my disciples, if ye haue loue one to another.

John 13:36 Simon Peter said vnto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Iesus answered him, Whither I goe, thou canst not follow me nowe: but thou shalt follow me afterward.

John 13:37 Peter sayd vnto him, Lord, why can I not follow thee now? I will lay downe my life for thy sake.

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 34's "A newe commandement giue I vnto you..." into verse 36's "Simon Peter said vnto him Lord whither...", so "shall" and "knowe" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "shall" and "knowe" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.