3:12 Cain's murder of Abel evidenced control by Satan rather than by God. Cain was jealous because of Abel's greater righteousness, and this motivated him to kill his brother (Gen. 4:2-7; cf. John 8:40, 42, 44). Often our pride tempts us to dislike those who are more righteous than we are because they make us feel guilty by comparison. This is the only Old Testament reference in John's epistles and the only proper name, except for names of God, in 1 John. Love and hatred are typical forms of righteousness and sin respectively.131
3:13 If we feel loving concern for one another, it should not surprise us if unrighteous people hate us for being more righteous than they are. Christians are to the world what Abel was to Cain, so we should not be surprised if the world hates us. Sometimes unbelievers who become angry with us, for example, are reacting more against God in us than they are reacting against us personally.
"Of central importance for victory when a Christian is subjected to the world's hatred is the recognition that hatred is the natural response of the sinful world toward righteousness."132
"The author does not say that the world always hates believers. It did not always hate Jesus. But whenever the community of faith acts so as to expose the greed, the avarice, the hatred, and the wickedness of the world, it must expect rejection; and if it should go so far as to interfere with its evil practices, as Jesus did in the temple, it may expect suffering and brutal death (cf. John 15:18-19, 25; 17:14)."133
3:14 Love for other Christians shows the presence of new life in us. "Death"and "life"are two vastly different spheres of existence. The contrast shows the great change that has taken place in the believer's life. The one who does not love at all is the person who is abiding in death rather than in eternal life. John made the case extreme to make his point clear. His contrasts are death and life, hatred and love, darkness and light.
3:15 "Every one"includes Christians. Murder is the ultimate outward expression of hatred (cf. Matt. 5:21-22). The key to the apparently inconsistent statement that concludes this verse is the words "abiding in him."John evidently meant that no Christian whose eternal life (i.e., Jesus Christ; 1:2) has control of him, who is walking in fellowship with God, will commit murder. Obviously some believers have committed murder, but they are non-abiding believers.
