1 John 3:21

New Living Translation

Dear friends, if we don't feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.

Parallel Translations

Easy-to-Read Version
My dear friends, if we don't feel that we are doing wrong, we can be without fear when we come to God.

Revised Standard Version
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God;

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Beloved yf oure hertes condempne vs not then have we trust to god warde:

Hebrew Names Version
Beloved, if our hearts don't condemn us, we have boldness toward God;

New American Standard Bible
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;

New Century Version
My dear friends, if our hearts do not make us feel guilty, we can come without fear into God's presence.

Update Bible Version
Beloved, if our heart doesn't condemn us, we have boldness toward God;

Webster's Bible Translation
Beloved, if our heart doth not condemn us, [then] have we confidence towards God.

World English Bible
Beloved, if our hearts don't condemn us, we have boldness toward God;

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

Weymouth's New Testament
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have perfect confidence towards God;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Moost dere britheren, if oure herte repreueth not vs, we han trust to God;

English Revised Version
Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God;

Berean Standard Bible
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God,

Contemporary English Version
Dear friends, if we feel at ease in the presence of God, we will have the courage to come near him.

Amplified Bible
Beloved, if our heart does not convict us [of guilt], we have confidence [complete assurance and boldness] before God;

American Standard Version
Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God;

Bible in Basic English
My loved ones, if our heart does not say that we have done wrong, we have no fear before him;

Complete Jewish Bible
Dear friends, if our hearts know nothing against us, we have confidence in approaching God;

Darby Translation
Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness towards God,

International Standard Version
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God.Job 1:22:26; Hebrews 10:22; 1 John 2:28; 4:17;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
My beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have openness of face before Aloha.

Murdock Translation
My beloved, if our heart condemneth us not, we have open countenances before God.

King James Version (1611)
Beloued, if our heart condemne vs not, then haue wee confidence towards God.

New Life Bible
Dear friends, if our heart does not say that we are wrong, we will have no fear as we stand before Him.

New Revised Standard
Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God;

English Standard Version
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;

Geneva Bible (1587)
Beloued, if our heart condemne vs not, then haue we boldnes toward God.

George Lamsa Translation
My beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, then we have confidence before God.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Beloved! if our heart be not condemning us, boldness, have we, towards God;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Dearly beloved, if our heart do not reprehend us, we have confidence towards God.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Dearely beloued, yf our heart condempne vs not, then haue we boldnesse towarde God.

Good News Translation
And so, my dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have courage in God's presence.

Christian Standard Bible®
Dear friends, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have confidence before God

King James Version
Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

Lexham English Bible
Dear friends, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God,

Literal Translation
Beloved, if our heart does not accuse us, we have confidence with God.

Young's Literal Translation
Beloved, if our heart may not condemn us, we have boldness toward God,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Dearly beloued, yf oure hert condemne vs not, then haue we a fre boldnes to God warde.

Mace New Testament (1729)
beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we may securely confide in God.

THE MESSAGE
And friends, once that's taken care of and we're no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we're bold and free before God! We're able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we're doing what he said, doing what pleases him. Again, this is God's command: to believe in his personally named Son, Jesus Christ. He told us to love each other, in line with the original command. As we keep his commands, we live deeply and surely in him, and he lives in us. And this is how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us: by the Spirit he gave us.

New English Translation
Dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God,

New King James Version
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Cowboys, guilt keeps us away from God. You can't be bold and feel guilty at the same time.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God;

Contextual Overview

²⁰ Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. ²¹ Dear friends, if we don't feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. ²² And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

1 John 2:28, 1 John 4:17, Job 22:26, Job 27:6, Psalms 7:3-5, Psalms 101:2, 1 Corinthians 4:4, 2 Corinthians 1:12, 1 Timothy 2:8, Hebrews 4:16, Hebrews 10:22

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 20:1 - What have 1 Samuel 24:5 - David's heart 2 Samuel 24:10 - David's heart 2 Kings 20:3 - in truth Psalms 17:1 - Hear Psalms 99:7 - kept Psalms 119:6 - shall I Isaiah 38:3 - I have Isaiah 58:9 - shalt thou Jeremiah 12:3 - knowest Matthew 7:21 - that Luke 11:28 - General John 9:31 - and doeth John 15:10 - ye keep Romans 8:27 - according Romans 14:22 - Happy 1 Corinthians 11:28 - let a 2 Corinthians 13:5 - Examine 1 Thessalonians 1:3 - in the 1 Thessalonians 3:13 - he may 1 John 3:19 - shall 1 John 5:14 - this

Cross-References

Genesis 3:2
"Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden," the woman replied.

Genesis 3:3
"It's only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.'"

Genesis 3:7
At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

Isaiah 61:10
I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.

Romans 3:22
We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

2 Corinthians 5:21
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Beloved, if our heart condemn us not,.... Which must be understood, not of a stupidity of mind, as is in unregenerate men, who have no sense of sin, no sorrow for it, or remorse of conscience on account of it; or as is in them who are past feeling; having their consciences seared as with a red hot iron; such cannot be entitled to the advantages that follow; nor is it of persons the apostle speaks, but of himself, and Christians, the beloved of the Lord, and one another, who had an experience of the grace of God upon their souls, and made a profession of religion: nor does it design such a purity of heart and life in believers, as that their hearts do not smite, reproach, and condemn them for sin at any time, for such a state of perfection is not to be attained to and expected in this life; but rather a conscience purged by the blood of Christ, or an heart sprinkled from an evil conscience by that blood, which speaks peace and pardon, so that there is no more conscience of sin, for the removal of which that is applied; and this gives boldness and confidence at the throne of grace: though it is best of all to confine it to the case of brotherly love; for the sense is not, if our heart condemn us not of anything but of the want of brotherly love, or insincerity in it,

[then] have we confidence towards God; or with him, at the throne of his grace: such can draw nigh to him, and stand before him with an holy and humble confidence, when such as hate the brethren, as Cain did, in whom the apostle instances, and those that go in his way, cannot; whose heart condemned him, his conscience smote him, and he went from the presence of the Lord; but those that love the brethren have confidence of their relation to God; by this they know their regeneration, and by that their adoption, and so that they are the children of God; and can therefore draw nigh to God as their Father, and call him so; they can come with an holy boldness and intrepidity of mind before him, and use a παρρησια, "freedom of speech", with him; can tell him all their mind, pour out their souls unto him, and lay before him their case and wants; they have confidence of his power, faithfulness, and willingness to supply their need, and fulfil all his promises to them, and that their prayers will be heard, answered, and regarded by him in his own time.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Beloved, if our heart condemn us not - If we so live as to have an approving conscience - that is, if we indulge in no secret sin; if we discharge faithfully every known duty; if we submit without complaining to all the allotments of Divine Providence.

Then have we confidence toward God - Compare the 1 John 3:19; 1 John 2:28 notes; Acts 24:16 note. The apostle evidently does not mean that we have confidence toward God on the ground of what we do, as if it were meritorious, or as if it constituted a claim to his favor; but that we may so live as to have evidence of personal piety, and that we may look forward with a confident hope that we shall be accepted of him in the great day. The word here rendered “confidence” - παῤῥησίαν parrēsian - means properly “boldness;” usually boldness or openness in speaking our sentiments. See the notes at 1 John 2:28. The confidence or boldness which we have toward our Maker is founded solely on the evidence that he will graciously accept us as pardoned sinners; not in the belief that we deserve his favor.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 21. If our heart condemn us not — If we be conscious to ourselves of our own sincerity, that we practise not deceit, and use no mask, then have we confidence toward God-we can appeal to him for our sincerity, and we can come with boldness to the throne of grace, to obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. And therefore says the apostle,