Focused Passage

1 John 3:4-10

Children of God, Practicing Righteousness, and Loving One Another

The chapter moves from the Father’s love in making believers children of God to the family resemblance of righteousness, love, confidence before God, and Spirit-confirmed abiding.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

4Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness.

5But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.

6No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.

7Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.

8The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.

9Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

10By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 4

Original words

EveryoneΠᾶςG3956Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularwhoG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularpracticesποιῶνG4160Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularsinἁμαρτίανG266Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularpracticesποιεῖG4160Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularlawlessnessἀνομίανG458Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularas wellκαὶG2532ConjunctionIndeedκαὶG2532Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularsinἁμαρτίαG266Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularisἐστὶνG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularlawlessnessἀνομίαG458Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular

BSB notes

  • Or is violation of the Law
Verse 5

Original words

[But]καὶG2532Conjunctionyou knowοἴδατεG1492Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralthatὅτιG3754Conjunction[Christ]ἐκεῖνοςG1565Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine SingularappearedἐφανερώθηG5319Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingulartoἵναG2443Conjunctiontake awayἄρῃG142Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person Singular-τὰςG3588Article - Accusative Feminine PluralsinsἁμαρτίαςG266Noun - Accusative Feminine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctioninἐνG1722PrepositionHimαὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singularthere isἔστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularnoοὐκG3756AdverbsinἁμαρτίαG266Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Verse 6

Original words

No oneπᾶςG3956Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular. . .οὐχG3756AdverbwhoG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularremainsμένωνG3306Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionHimαὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singularkeeps on sinningἁμαρτάνειG264Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularNo oneπᾶςG3956Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular. . .οὐχG3756AdverbwhoG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singularcontinues to sinἁμαρτάνωνG264Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singularhas seenἑώρακενG3708Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularHimαὐτὸνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular[or]οὐδὲG3761ConjunctionknownἔγνωκενG1097Verb - Perfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularHimαὐτόνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Verse 7

Original words

Little childrenΤεκνίαG5040Noun - Vocative Neuter Plural{let} no oneμηδεὶςG3367Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingulardeceiveπλανάτωG4105Verb - Present Imperative Active - 3rd Person SingularyouὑμᾶςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person PluralThe [one who]G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularpracticesποιῶνG4160Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularrighteousnessδικαιοσύνηνG1343Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularrighteousδίκαιόςG1342Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singularjust asκαθὼςG2531Adverb[Christ]ἐκεῖνοςG1565Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine SingularisἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularrighteousδίκαιόςG1342Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular

BSB notes

  • NA Young children in training
  • Literally He is righteous
Verse 8

Original words

The [one who]G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularpracticesποιῶνG4160Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine SingularsinἁμαρτίανG266Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularisἐστίνG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularofἐκG1537PrepositiontheτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingulardevilδιαβόλουG1228Adjective - Genitive Masculine SingularbecauseὅτιG3754ConjunctiontheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingulardevilδιάβολοςG1228Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singularhas been sinningἁμαρτάνειG264Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularfromἀπ’G575Preposition[the] very startἀρχῆςG746Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularThis is whyεἰςG1519Preposition. . .τοῦτοG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter SingulartheG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularSonΥἱὸςG5207Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularwas revealedἐφανερώθηG5319Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingulartoἵναG2443ConjunctiondestroyλύσῃG3089Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person SingulartheτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralworksἔργαG2041Noun - Accusative Neuter Pluralof theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingulardevilδιαβόλουG1228Adjective - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 9

Original words

AnyoneΠᾶςG3956Adjective - Nominative Masculine Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularbornγεγεννημένοςG1080Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine SingularofἐκG1537Preposition-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularGodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularvvvοὐG3756Adverbrefuses to practiceποιεῖG4160Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularsinἁμαρτίανG266Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularbecauseὅτιG3754Conjunction[God’s]αὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person SingularseedσπέρμαG4690Noun - Nominative Neuter SingularabidesμένειG3306Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularinἐνG1722PrepositionhimαὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Singular-καὶG2532ConjunctionvvvοὐG3756Adverbhe cannotδύναταιG1410Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singulargo on sinningἁμαρτάνεινG264Verb - Present Infinitive ActivebecauseὅτιG3754Conjunctionhe has been bornγεγέννηταιG1080Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingularofἐκG1537Preposition-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularGodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 10

Original words

ByἐνG1722PrepositionthisτούτῳG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Neuter SingulartheτὰG3588Article - Nominative Neuter PluralchildrenτέκναG5043Noun - Nominative Neuter Plural-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Singularof GodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularareἐστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulardistinguishedφανεράG5318Adjective - Nominative Neuter Plural-καὶG2532Conjunction[from] theτὰG3588Article - Nominative Neuter PluralchildrenτέκναG5043Noun - Nominative Neuter Pluralof theτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingulardevilδιαβόλουG1228Adjective - Genitive Masculine SingularAnyoneπᾶςG3956Adjective - Nominative Masculine SingularwhoG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularvvvμὴG3361Adverbdoes not practiceποιῶνG4160Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularrighteousnessδικαιοσύνηνG1343Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularisἔστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularnotοὐκG3756AdverbofἐκG1537Preposition-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Masculine SingularGodΘεοῦG2316Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular[nor is]καὶG2532Conjunctionanyone whoG3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularvvvμὴG3361Adverbdoes not loveἀγαπῶνG25Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularhisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularbrotherἀδελφὸνG80Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.