1 John 3:12 (LSB)

Passage

not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.

Nearby Context

1 John 3:10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifested: everyone who does not do righteousness is not of God, as well as the one who does not love his brother.

1 John 3:11 For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;

1 John 3:12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.

1 John 3:13 Do not marvel, brothers, if the world hates you.

1 John 3:14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. The one who does not love abides in death.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "cain", "evil", "slew", "brother", "reason", "slay", and "deeds". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "cain" and "evil", 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 which you..." into verse 13's "Do not marvel brothers if the world...", so "cain" and "evil" 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 "evil" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.