1 John 2:11 11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
John returns to the negative again and gives the opposite of verse 10 while restating the key idea of verse 9. Each verse gets longer, with verse 9 having one verbal clause, verse 10 two clauses, and verse 11 having three. This sequence intensifies the importance and central theme of love and clarifies any confusion the reader might have. Each negative statement functions as a warning against sin and an invitation to confess and repent. In case the readers were still confused, John repeats his warning about hating one’s brother or sister.
Hatred is the absence of love, just as darkness is the absence of light. Darkness represents a lifestyle of sin, rebellion, and ignorance. In English, the word has a forceful connotation. However, hatred can be passive, shown through neglect or rejection. John will use this word several more times in this letter (3:13, 15; 4:20). Hatred is the result of darkness. Walking in darkness produces hatred. Not loving others keeps one or forces one into darkness, where a person stumbles and falls into sin. John will give other warnings about sin throughout the letter. Sin is especially evident when hatred is present.
The world is all about self. People fight for survival, position, and power. This fight often requires that putting others down or preserving the “goods” for ourselves instead of giving to those in need or building them up. This fight also leads to emptiness and futility, which is one of the cautions of the book of Ecclesiastes. When we walk in the darkness, we do not know where we are going and may stumble and fall. We can be easily led astray into trouble or be deceived by the lures of immorality. This verse offers a strong warning to avoid the darkness and the hatred that characterize it.