1 John 3:11 (YLT)

Passage

because this is the message that ye did hear from the beginning, that we may love one another,

Nearby Context

1 John 3:9 every one who hath been begotten of God, sin he doth not, because his seed in him doth remain, and he is not able to sin, because of God he hath been begotten.

1 John 3:10 In this manifest are the children of God, and the children of the devil; every one who is not doing righteousness, is not of God, and he who is not loving his brother,

1 John 3:11 because this is the message that ye did hear from the beginning, that we may love one another,

1 John 3:12 not as Cain--of the evil one he was, and he did slay his brother, and wherefore did he slay him? because his works were evil, and those of his brother righteous.

1 John 3:13 Do not wonder, my brethren, if the world doth hate you;

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 10's "In this manifest are the children of..." into verse 12's "not as Cain--of the evil one he...", so "message" and "hear" 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 "hear" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.