1 John 3:12
“Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Cain is the warning against hatred: he killed his brother because his own works were evil.
What Does 1 John 3:12 Mean?
John offers Cain as a dark example. Cain was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. The reason is telling: his own works were evil, while his brother's were righteous. Hatred sprang from a guilty heart.
The story of Cain shows where hostility toward a righteous brother can lead. Evil resents the good, and that resentment can grow into violence. This is the opposite of the love John commands. He sets Cain before his readers as a warning: do not let the world of hatred shape you. Where Cain's way leads to death, the way of love leads to life, and John calls his readers to choose love.