1 John 4:20
“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →To claim love for God while hating a brother is a lie, for love for the unseen God shows in love for the seen brother.
What Does 1 John 4:20 Mean?
John exposes a contradiction. If anyone says he loves God yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For the one who does not love the brother he has seen cannot love the God he has not seen.
Love for God and love for people cannot be separated. The visible brother is the testing ground of our claimed love for the invisible God. To hate the one we see while professing to love the One we do not is self-deceiving. John makes love practical and inescapable. Our treatment of others reveals the truth of our love for God. The two are bound together, and genuine love embraces both.