1 John 3:11 - 15

This morning we pick again in 3:10 - 15.

Last time we covered the COG’s and COD’s and what each does as a manner of life. John made the point that COD’s do not practice righteous living and the don’t Agape or Love their Christian Family.

Today we are going to pick up from there with the interesting topic of Cain and Abel.

First for context let’s read 10 -15:

10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, 12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.

13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother[fn] abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

V 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,

We saw this back in and we saw that he was referring to “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

Beginning in Greek is archē, meaning the origin of Jesus Christ’s message to us; and that is that we ought or should be continuously loving or christian family.

V 12 not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.

Here we get John’s commentary on the story of Cain and Abel. Here John is placing Cain definitively in the COD category, of the wicked one. Why? He murdered his brother.

And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.

Let’s look at the original story in Genesis.

2 Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3 And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the LORD. 4 Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the LORD respected Abel and his offering, 5 but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.

6 So the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”

8 Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”

He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

10 And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground. 11 So now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth.”

Not as Cain: As a negative example, John presents Cain, who was not right with God (his works were evil) and who hated his brother. When there are two children of God who are both right with God, there will be love.

Who was of the wicked one: Cain is a good example of the failure to love.

The topic of Cain bring up many issues that confront us all.

Jealousy

Disappointment

Submission to God’s way

Faith

works righteousness

Guzik gives the following insight:

i. We can presume that Cain had a godly upbringing that should have equipped him to love, but he chose not to.

ii. Cain’s disobedience came from a lack of faith ( which resulted in first disobedience, then hatred.

iii. Cain’s disobedience and hatred was based in pride ().

iv. Cain’s disobedience and hatred made him miserable ().

v. Cain refused the warning God gave him, and gave into the sin of hatred ().

vi. Cain’s sin of hatred led to action against the one he hated ().

vii. Cain was evasive about his sin of hatred, and tried to hide it. But God found him out ().

Hand out

Now John continues: 13 Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

The word marvel in Verse 13 is haumazō and means to wonder. This is and imperative meaning a command, don’t lose your mind if the world hates you. (Because they do!) Just have a conversation with a liberal globalist.

He goes on to say, Verse 14, We continue to know (intuitively know) that we are Christians, because we continue to Love (agape) the brethren. Love is the identifying mark of a Christ follower.

If we do not love we remain in death thanatos.

the brethern.

the death of the body

that separation (whether natural or violent) of the soul and the body by which the life on earth is ended

with the implied idea of future misery in hell

the power of death

since the nether world, the abode of the dead, was conceived as being very dark, it is equivalent to the region of thickest darkness i.e. figuratively, a region enveloped in the darkness of ignorance and sin

metaph., the loss of that life which alone is worthy of the name,

the misery of the soul arising from sin, which begins on earth but lasts and increases after the death of the body in hell

the miserable state of the wicked dead in hell

in the widest sense, death comprising all the miseries arising from sin, as well physical death as the loss of a life consecrated to God and blessed in him on earth, to be followed by wretchedness in hell

V15 murderer is anthrōpoktonos, meaning man killer.

anthrōpoktonos

Read in Greek word order

Everyone that continually hates brother his a murderer is he is (continually) and you know that all murderers not have life eternal in him remaining.