1 Corinthians 8:3 Meaning: Known by God
But anyone who loves God is known by him.
But if any man love God, the same is known of him.
but if any man loveth God, the same is known by him.
and if any one doth love God, this one hath been known by Him.
But if any one love God, he is known of him):
Meaning in one sentence
What does it mean to be 'known by God' in 1 Corinthians 8:3? Paul contrasts love that builds up with knowledge that puffs up, pointing to a deeper truth.
Context
Paul is writing to a church divided over a practical question: is it right to eat meat that has been offered to idols? Some believers had enough knowledge to know that an idol is nothing at all, so the meat was just meat. They felt free. But others, still shaped by their past in paganism, saw that meat as tainted and their consciences were wounded. Paul steps into the middle of this quarrel and shifts the ground entirely. He says that knowledge by itself puffs a person up, makes them proud and careless toward others. What builds up the church is love. Verse 3 lands like a quiet anchor: the person who loves God is the one who is known by Him. All the arguing about who knows more misses the point. What matters is not how much you know but whether you love, and whether you are held in God's own knowledge.
Key Words
Two Greek words carry the weight of this verse. The verb for love is agapaō, the same word Jesus used when He asked Peter, "Do you love me?" It means to cherish, to welcome, to hold someone dear. It is not a passing feeling but a committed orientation of the heart. Paul uses it here to describe the one person who is truly on solid ground: not the one with the most arguments, but the one whose heart is turned toward God.
The second word is even more striking. Paul does not say that the person who loves God knows God. He says that person is known by God. The Greek verb ginōskō is in the perfect tense, "has been known", a state that continues. In the Scriptures, when God knows someone, it means He sets His affection on them, chooses them, enters into covenant with them. Think of Psalm 1: "Yahweh knows the way of the righteous." That is not information. That is relationship. So the verse turns our usual thinking upside down: our security is not in our knowledge of God but in God's knowledge of us.
How Christians Read This Verse
Across Christian traditions, this verse is read as a gentle re-centering of what matters before God. Protestant commentators like Matthew Henry and Albert Barnes emphasize that true knowledge is inseparable from love, and that being known by God means being approved by Him, counted among His own, not merely informed about. The Reformed tradition, following Calvin, sees in this verse a reminder that without the Spirit of regeneration, nothing else we possess has lasting value in God's sight. Catholic readers would hear in this verse a parallel to the great commandment: love of God is the source of all right action, and being known by God is a gift of grace that calls for a loving response. Eastern Orthodox tradition, with its emphasis on theosis, might see here the intimate communion with God that transforms the believer. What unites these readings is the conviction that love, not knowledge, is the bond that holds us to God, and that God's knowing us is a gift, not an achievement.
A common misunderstanding
Some read this verse and think: "If I love God, then God will know about me, He'll be aware of my existence." But the word 'known' in Scripture is far richer than mere awareness. In fact, God already knows everything about every person. The biblical sense of 'knowing' is covenantal and personal. It means God sets His love on someone, chooses them, and holds them in an enduring relationship. Paul isn't saying that loving God gets God's attention. He is saying that love opens us to the deepest reality there is: that we belong to Him.
Living This Out
This week, you will likely find yourself in a conversation where someone is certain they are right, about a doctrine, a political view, a church practice. Maybe you will be that person. Before you speak, Paul's words offer a quiet question: Is this coming from knowledge that puffs up, or from love that builds up? You do not need to have the best answer. You need to love God, and trust that you are held in His knowing. That is enough. Let that knowledge free you to listen, to yield, to put the other person's conscience before your own liberty.
Main takeaway: Our deepest security is not that we know God, but that God knows us with a knowing that is love.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
God knows everything about you, your name, your voice, what makes you happy or sad. When you love God, He is happy to call you His own. You are known and loved.
For ages 9, 12
Some people think being a Christian is about knowing more facts or being right all the time. But Paul says the most important thing is to love God. And here is the surprise: the Bible doesn't say we know God perfectly, it says God knows us. That means we are safe, not because we are smart enough, but because God holds us close. When you feel unsure about your faith, remember that you are known by God.
Questions People Ask
Does 1 Corinthians 8:3 mean that only people who love God are known by Him?
The verse is not making a claim about who God knows in the abstract. In Scripture, 'knowing' someone often means choosing them in a covenant relationship. So Paul is saying that love for God is the mark of those whom God has taken into His family. God knows all people, but He knows His own with a special, saving knowledge.
Why does Paul bring up love in a discussion about eating meat offered to idols?
The Corinthians were arguing about whether it was okay to eat meat that had been used in pagan sacrifices. Some thought their knowledge about idols being worthless gave them the right to eat anywhere. Paul warns that knowledge without love becomes pride. Love for God and neighbor should guide their choices, not just what they know.
How is 'being known by God' different from God simply knowing about me?
In the Bible, when God 'knows' someone, it means He enters into a personal relationship with them. He sets His affection on them, watches over them, and keeps them safe. Psalm 1 says 'Yahweh knows the way of the righteous,' meaning He guides, protects, and approves. It is a deep, personal bond, not a database entry.
Does this verse mean that knowledge is bad?
No. Paul values knowledge throughout his letters. But he contrasts the kind of knowledge that makes people arrogant with the love that builds others up. The Corinthians had knowledge that led them to act carelessly toward weaker believers. Knowledge is good, but it must be governed by love. God cares more about how you treat your brother than how much you know.
What does 'the same is known of him' mean in 1 Corinthians 8:3?
The phrase means that the person who loves God is personally and intimately known by God. The verb tense (perfect passive) suggests a state that has already happened and continues, 'has been known and remains known.' It is God's prior action of setting His love on someone. Our love for God is a response to being known by Him.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study