1 John 2:3 (KJV)

What does 1 John 2:3 mean?

1 John 2:3 says that keeping God’s commandments gives people a way to know that they truly know him. The verse connects knowing him with a response to what he has commanded, rather than treating knowledge as a matter of words alone.

The writer includes himself and his readers by saying “we.” After speaking of Jesus Christ in verse 2, he turns to the question of how “we do know” that we know him.

The Greek behind 1 John 2:3

• “know” — γινώσκω (ginōskō): This word can mean to know or come to know. In the Greek sentence, the first “know” describes present awareness, while the second points to a knowledge of him that has been established.
• “keep” — τηρέω (tēreō): This word can carry the sense of observing or paying careful attention to something. Here it describes how people treat “his commandments,” not merely whether they can name them.

Why 1 John 2:3 matters

• The verse connects its test with a claim someone might make. The next verse speaks of a person who says, “I know him,” but does not keep his commandments.
• The passage gives love a central place in explaining the commandments. A few verses later, the writer speaks of an old commandment and then addresses the question of loving or hating a brother.