For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

1 JOHN 3:11KJV
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1 John 3:11 (KJV)

What does 1 John 3:11 mean?

1 John 3:11 says that the main message believers have heard from the very start is that they should love one another. This verse sums up a core teaching that has been consistent since the beginning of the Christian faith.

The apostle John is writing to early Christians, reminding them of a teaching they already know well. The situation is one where some people in the community may be causing division or acting without love, so John points back to this foundational command. The verse highlights that loving others is not a new idea but a central, original message for followers of Jesus.

The Greek behind 1 John 3:11

  • ἀγάπην (agapēn, “love”): This word refers to a selfless, committed kind of love, not just affection or friendship. The use of this word here emphasizes that the love Christians are called to show is active, sacrificial, and for the good of others.
  • ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς (ap’ archēs, “from the beginning”): This phrase means that the message to love one another is not a later addition but has been there since the start of the Christian message. It stresses continuity and the unchanging nature of this teaching.
  • ἀλλήλους (allēlous, “one another”): This word points to mutual love within the community, not just a one-way action. It highlights that everyone is called to participate in loving each other, making it a shared responsibility.

Why 1 John 3:11 matters

  • 1 John 3:11 clarifies that loving others is not an optional or secondary teaching, but the foundational message Christians are meant to live by.
  • The verse connects back to Jesus’ own teachings, showing that the call to love is consistent with what he taught his followers from the beginning.
  • This reminder helps address any confusion or division in the community, pointing everyone back to the simple but challenging command to love each other as the heart of Christian life.

Where else these words appear

“beginning” Greek G746 · used in 56 verses

  • Matthew 19:4 And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,
  • John 16:4 But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.
  • Hebrews 2:3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

“another” Greek G240 · used in 94 verses

  • Matthew 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
  • Acts 2:7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?
  • Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

“love” Greek G25 · used in 109 verses

  • Matthew 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
  • John 15:9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
  • 2 Thessalonians 2:16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,