The Meaning of 1 John 2:10 Explained

1 John 2:10

KJV: He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

YLT: he who is loving his brother, in the light he doth remain, and a stumbling-block in him there is not;

Darby: He that loves his brother abides in light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him.

ASV: He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

He that loveth  his  brother  abideth  in  the light,  and  there is  none  occasion of stumbling  in  him. 

What does 1 John 2:10 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The cause of stumbling is hatred in the heart. Hatred causes the hater to stumble in his or her walk with God.
". . . whoever loves his brother remains in the light; and being in the light he can both see where he is going, and therefore avoid yielding constantly to temptation, and also (as a result) avoid causing others to fall." [1]
"Want of love is the most prolific source of offenses." [2]

Context Summary

1 John 2:1-11 - Keeping His Commandment Of Love
It is clearly possible to be kept from known and presumptuous sin. We shall be tempted, for that is an inevitable experience of life in this world; but we may be perfectly kept by the indwelling Spirit. Yet if we should be overtaken by some sudden gust of temptation, let us not despair; our Advocate ever makes intercession for us. The evidence that we have a saving knowledge of our Savior is obtained, not by the memory of a rapturous experience, but because we are conscious of doing, for His sake, things which we should otherwise evade. Let us continue to do such things, because by the path of patient obedience we shall enter into the Paradise of perfect, love. The outer walk is the best evidence to ourselves and others that there is an abiding union between us and Jesus. Light involves love; and love, light. Love and you are in light. Indulge hatred or ill-will and you begin to grope in darkness. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 John 2

1  He comforts them against the sins of infirmity
3  Rightly to know God is to keep his commandments;
9  to love our brothers;
15  and not to love the world
18  We must beware of antichrists;
20  from whose deceits the godly are safe, preserved by perseverance in faith, and holiness of life

Greek Commentary for 1 John 2:10

Abideth [μενει]
Present active indicative, continues in the light and so does not interrupt the light by hating his brother. [source]
Occasion of stumbling [σκανδαλον]
See note on Matthew 13:41; and note on Matthew 16:23 for this interesting word. It is a stumbling block or trap either in the way of others (its usual sense), as in Matthew 18:7, or in one‘s own way, as is true of προσκοπτω — proskoptō in John 11:9 and in 1 John 2:11 here. But, as Westcott argues, John may very well have the usual meaning here and the other in 1 John 2:11. [source]
Abideth [μένει]
See on 1 John 2:6. Compare 1 John 2:9, is in. [source]
Occasion of stumbling [σκάνδαλον]
See on offend, Matthew 5:29. For the image in John, see John 6:61; John 11:9; John 16:1; Revelation 2:14. The meaning is not that he gives no occasion of stumbling to others, but that there is none in his own way. See John 11:9, John 11:10. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 John 2:10

John 16:1 That ye should not be made to stumble [ινα μη σκανδαλιστητε]
Purpose clause with negative μη — mē and first aorist passive of σκανδαλιζω — skandalizō common verb in the Synoptics (Matthew 13:21) “the σκανδαλα — skandala of faith, the stumblingblocks which trip up a disciple” (Bernard), in John only John 6:61 and here (cf. 1 John 2:10). [source]
Colossians 1:12 In light [ἐν τῷ φωτί]
Connect with inheritance: the inheritance which is in light. This need not be limited to future glory. The children of God walk in light on earth. See John 3:21; John 11:9; John 12:36; Ephesians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 5:5; 1 John 1:7; 1 John 2:10. [source]
1 John 2:9 His brother [τὸν ἀδελφόν]
His fellow-Christian. The singular, brother, is characteristic of this Epistle. See 1 John 2:10, 1 John 2:11; 1 John 3:10, 1 John 3:15, 1 John 3:17; 1 John 4:20, 1 John 4:21; 1 John 5:16. Christians are called in the New Testament, Christians (Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16), mainly by those outside of the Christian circle. Disciples, applied to all followers of Christ (John 2:11; John 6:61) and strictly to the twelve (John 13:5sqq.). In Acts 19:1, to those who had received only John's baptism. Not found in John's Epistles nor in Revelation. Brethren. The first title given to the body of believers after the Ascension (Acts 1:15, where the true reading is ἀδελφῶν brethrenfor μαθητῶν disciples). See Acts 9:30; Acts 10:23; Acts 11:29; 1 Thessalonians 4:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:26; 1 John 3:14; 3 John 1:5, 3 John 1:10; John 21:23. Peter has ἡ ἀδελφότης thebrotherhood (1 Peter 2:17; 1 Peter 5:9). The believers. Under three forms: The believers ( οἱ πιστοί ; Acts 10:45; 1 Timothy 4:12); they that believe ( οἱ πιστεύοντες ; 1 Peter 2:7; 1 Thessalonians 1:7; Ephesians 1:19); they that believed ( οἱ πιστεύσαντες ; Acts 2:44; Acts 4:32; Hebrews 4:3). The saints ( οἱ ἅγιοι ); characteristic of Paul and Revelation. Four times in the Acts (Acts 9:13, Acts 9:32, Acts 9:41; Acts 26:10), and once in Jude (Judges 1:3). Also Hebrews 6:10; Hebrews 13:24. In Paul, 1 Corinthians 6:1; 1 Corinthians 14:33; Ephesians 1:1, Ephesians 1:15, etc. In Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:3, Revelation 8:4; Revelation 11:18, etc.|Until now ( ἕως ἄρτι )|Though the light has been increasing, and though he may claim that he has been in the light from the first. The phrase occurs in John 2:10; John 5:17; John 16:24; and is used by Paul, 1 Corinthians 4:13; 1 Corinthians 8:7; 1 Corinthians 15:6.| [source]

What do the individual words in 1 John 2:10 mean?

The [one] loving the brother of him in the light abides and cause for stumbling him not there is
ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ φωτὶ μένει καὶ σκάνδαλον αὐτῷ οὐκ ἔστιν

  The  [one] 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἀγαπῶν  loving 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀγαπάω  
Sense: of persons.
ἀδελφὸν  brother 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀδελφός  
Sense: a brother, whether born of the same two parents or only of the same father or mother.
αὐτοῦ  of  him 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
φωτὶ  light 
Parse: Noun, Dative Neuter Singular
Root: φῶς  
Sense: light.
μένει  abides 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: μένω  
Sense: to remain, abide.
σκάνδαλον  cause  for  stumbling 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: σκάνδαλον  
Sense: the movable stick or trigger of a trap, a trap stick.
ἔστιν  there  is 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.