1 John 3:16
The James Method Verse Mapping
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1 John 3:16 (NIV, 1984 version):
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
Here’s the concept map I created for these verses:
Here is an image of my verse map for 1 John 3:16. I will also type out what I have written for easier reading.
Keep in mind that a lot of my writing is shorthand or bullet points rather than complete thoughts or sentences due to limited space in the journal. That shorthand is reflected in the content I have typed out.
1 John 3:16 (NIV 1984)
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
Translations (key differences bolded)
NIV 2011: This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.
KJV: Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
NKJV: By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
NLT: We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.
ESV: By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
NET: We have come to know love by this: that Jesus laid down his life for us; thus we ought to lay down our lives for our fellow Christians.
NASB20: We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers and sisters.
Context
Author: John
Date: Between 85-90 AD, from Ephesus
Audience: Gentile Christians, all believers everywhere
Purpose: Continued exhortation to love one another
Key Words
I’m studying Greek, so I’ve included the Greek terms for each key word.
Know
Greek: γινωσκω (ginosko)
Definition: to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of
Love
Greek: αγαπη (agape)
Definition: affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love
Lay down
Greek: τιθημι (tithemi)
Definition: to put down, lay down, to lay aside
*Life
Greek: φνχη (psyche)
Definition: breath of life, vital force that animates the body and shows itself in breathing, the soul
*note that “life” in verse 14 (passed from death to life) is different than the life in verse 16 (laid down his life).
verse 14 = ζωη = fullness of life that belongs to God
verse 16 = φνχη = breath of life, living being
Brothers
Greek: αδελφος (adelphos)
Definition: belonging to the same people, fellow believer
Ought
Greek: οφειλω (opheilo)
Definition: be in debt for, goodwill due
**note that in Greek, the word translated Jesus Christ in this verse is “he.”
Cross References
John 10:15: just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Jesus and God know each other, and Jesus laid down his life for us.
John 15:13: Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
The greatest love is to lay your life down for someone.
Romans 5:8: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God demonstrated his love when Christ died for us.
1 John 4:9-11: 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
God showed his love by sending Jesus as a sacrifice for our sins. Because God showed his love to us, we should also love others.
1 John 3:14: We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.
We know we pass from death to life when we love others.
Matthew 12:46-50: 46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”
48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Those who do God’s will are brothers and sisters in Christ - it’s not necessarily about blood family.
View of God
One of God’s most amazing characteristics is love. This isn’t just some vague emotional feeling. God’s love is active—we see God’s love in sending his Son to willingly lay down his life to save us from sin and transform us.
View of Man/Self
God has given humans a mind that is capable of knowing and understanding. The greatest knowledge we can know is that because of love, Jesus died for us. We then should mimic Jesus by being willing to lay down our lives for others.
Reflection and Application
If we are ever in doubt of God’s love for us, all we have to do is look at the cross. God sent Jesus to earth for the specific purpose of laying down his life to pay the penalty for our sins. This is the greatest act of love. If we accept this gift for ourselves, we also have the responsibility to pass that gift on to others—to share the gospel and to lay down our lives for them if that is what God calls us to do.
Prayer
God, thank you for demonstrating your love in such a powerful way. I know your heart was broken when Jesus was on the cross, but you knew the outcome was worth the pain. Help me to be willing to go to those lengths to bring the news of the gospel to those around me.