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Welcome to the Hope Bible School verse-by-verse Bible study of 1 John. This is Jeff M Newman. Get a new lesson every other week on Mondays at 12:00 PM Eastern.

In Lesson 32, we are going to study 1 John 2:9.

Let’s read our verse.

1 John 2:9 If anyone claims to be in the light but hates a fellow believer, is still in the darkness.

Let’s start by focusing on the first part of the verse: If anyone claims to be in the light…

Claims (3004. legó) means to say, to bring a message to closure, or to lay an argument to rest. (HELPS Word-Studies)

Light (5457. phós) means the radiance of God or divine illumination to reveal and impart life, through Christ. (HELPS Word-Studies)

This is speaking about a person that is claiming, or laying an argument to rest, that they are living in the light, or living in the radiance of God and have eternal life through Christ.

They are claiming to be in fellowship with God and walking in the light.

Walking in the light means to live in a way that aligns with God’s truth and righteousness and is living in accordance to God’s commandments.

In Lesson 31 we studied that Jesus commands us to love others as He loved us, to love others by being willing to lay down our lives for others, and to love our brothers and sisters in Christ by walking in the light.

In 1 John 1:7, we read that when we walk in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. (See Lesson 16.)

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.

Now, let’s focus on the next part of the verse: but hates a fellow believer…

Hates (846. autos) means to detest, to esteem less, dislike intensely, or feel extreme hostility toward. (Dictionary.com)

A fellow believer (80. adelphos) means a member of the same religious community, especially a fellow Christian.

This is speaking about a person that claims to be walking in the light with Christ, but detests, dislikes intensely or has extreme hostility towards a fellow Christian.

In Titus 3:3, we read that before were are living in the light with Christ, there was hatred in our lives.

Titus 3:3 For at one time we too were foolish, disobedient, misled, and enslaved to all sorts of desires and pleasures—living in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

Let’s focus on the final part of the verse: is still in the darkness.

Is still in the darkness (2193. heós) (4653. skotia) means still in spiritual obscurity or blocking the light of God.

If someone clai