1 John 3:15

15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that every murderer does not have eternal life residing in him.

1 John 3:15 Meaning and Commentary

1 John 3:15

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer
A soul murderer, as the Ethiopic version renders it; not only of himself, for every sinner, by sinning, wrongs and destroys his own soul; but of his brother whom he hates: he is a murderer of him in his heart, even as he that lusts after a woman hath committed adultery with her in his heart, out of which arise murders, as well as adulteries; it is not only taking away life, but also causeless anger, malice, and hatred, that is a breach of the sixth command; see ( Matthew 5:21 Matthew 5:22 Matthew 5:28 ) ( 15:19 ) ;

and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him;
he has not the grace of life, or the beginning of eternal life in him; he has no meetness for it, being unregenerate; and no right unto it, being unrighteous; nor has he the earnest and pledge of it, being destitute of the Spirit of God; all which a regenerate man has, and has them abiding in him: not but that the sin of murder may be forgiven; a man guilty of it may truly repent, and have pardoning grace applied unto him, and enjoy eternal life, through the grace of the Spirit, and the blood and righteousness of Christ; but without these he is so far from having eternal life, that he is not only punishable with a corporeal death, according to the laws of God and man; but he is exposed unto, and will die the second, or an eternal death.

1 John 3:15 In-Context

13 Do not marvel, brothers, if the world hates you.

14 We know that we have passed over from death to life because we love the brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.

15 Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that every murderer does not have eternal life residing in him.

16 We have come to know love by this: that {he} laid down his life on behalf of us, and we ought to lay down our lives on behalf of the brothers.

17 But whoever has the world's material possessions and observes his brother {in need} and shuts his heart against him, how does the love of God reside in him?