Biblically speaking, is having hatred for your 'brother' the same as murdering him?

Question

I was just watching a documentary and this was quoted in context to scripture, I was just wondering if it was true or not. Of course the term 'brother' means neighbor, family, colleague, fellow man, that sort. 

But the quote was that hatred for somebody, was as much of a sin as killing them. 

I was just curious because I see the word "hate" a little too much around these forums. I have honestly tried to strip it from my verbal vocabulary for quite some time, because the literal definition means that you wish whatever you "hate" to not exist, so I can see that there maybe some truth to this afterall.

Charity · Accepted Answer

Per 1 John 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

Anonymous · Answer

I'm not sure what the context of the documentary was, but perhaps the point being made was that all sin is equal. In God's eyes, there is no "bad" sin or "really bad" sin or "okay" sin. It is all simply sin. Therefore, hatred and murder are both simply seen as sin in God's eyes. The earthly consequence may not be the same, but they are both sin.

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Biblically speaking, is having hatred for your 'brother' the same as murdering him?

2 Answers