1 John · Chapter 3 · God's Love

1 John 3:1 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context

Read this verse slowly. Let it settle before you move on.

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Topics #god's love

Read in chapter context · 1 John 3

Both translations, side by side

WEB · World English Bible

"See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him."

KJV · King James Version

"Behold1492, what manner4217 of love26 the Father3962 hath bestowed1325 upon us2254, that2443 we should be called2564 the sons5043 of God2316: therefore1223 5124 the world2889 knoweth1097 us2248 not3756, because3754 it knew1097 him846 not3756."

How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses behold, what, manner, hath, while the WEB renders these as see, how, great, has. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.

In context

1 John 3:1 in 1 John 3

A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is 1 John 3:1 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of 1 John 3. Read the full chapter →

v.1 See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him.
v.2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is.
v.3 Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

Book background

About the Book of 1 John

Testament: New Testament
Genre: General epistle
Author: John the apostle
Date written: c. 85–95 AD
Audience: Churches threatened by early proto-gnostic heresy
Chapters: 5

1 John writes to believers shaken by early proto-gnostic teaching denying that Christ came in the flesh. He gives three running tests of authentic Christian life: belief in Jesus, obedience, and love. The famous declaration "God is love" (4:8) and the assurance that "you may know that you have eternal life" (5:13) are at its core.

Setting: Written from Ephesus late in John's life.

Key themes: love · truth · assurance · fellowship · eternal life

Read 1 John from the beginning →

Memorisation aid

How to memorise 1 John 3:1

1 John 3:1 contains 32 words in 3 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.

1

See how great a love the Father has given to us

SHGALT
2

that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us

TWSBCC
3

because it didn’t know him.

BIDKH

Frequently asked

FAQ about 1 John 3:1

What does 1 John 3:1 say?

1 John 3:1 reads: "See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him." — from the New Testament, 1 John (General epistle). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.

What book of the Bible is 1 John 3:1 in?

1 John 3:1 is in the book of 1 John, traditionally attributed to John the apostle and written around c. 85–95 AD. 1 John is general epistle in the New Testament, originally addressed to Churches threatened by early proto-gnostic heresy. Best known for "God is love" and assurance of eternal life.

What is 1 John 3:1 about?

1 John 3:1 is primarily a Bible verse about God's Love. Within 1 John, 1 John writes to believers shaken by early proto-gnostic teaching denying that Christ came in the flesh. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.

What is the difference between 1 John 3:1 in WEB and KJV?

1 John 3:1 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him.". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "Behold1492, what manner4217 of love26 the Father3962 hath bestowed1325 upon us2254, that2443 we should be called2564 the sons5043 of God2316: therefore1223 5124 the world2889 knoweth1097 us2248 not3756, because3754 it knew1097 him846 not3756.". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.

How long is 1 John 3:1?

1 John 3:1 is 32 words in the WEB translation (160 characters), broken into 3 clauses. It is a longer verse, often broken into smaller phrases for memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 10 seconds.

How can I memorise 1 John 3:1?

To memorise 1 John 3:1, split it into its 3 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.

Why does 1 John 3:1 matter in 1 John?

How can I apply 1 John 3:1 today?

Many readers use 1 John 3:1 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download 1 John 3:1 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.

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