1 John

The Prologue to the Letter

1:1 This is what we proclaim to you:1 what was from the beginning,2 what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and our hands have touched (concerning the word of life-- 1:2 and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and announce3 to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us).4 1:3 What we have seen and heard we announce5 to you too, so that6 you may have fellowship7 with us (and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ). 1:4 Thus8 we are writing these things so that9 our10 joy may be complete.11

God Is Light, So We Must Walk in the Light

1:5 Now1 this is the gospel2 message3 we have heard from him4 and announce to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.5 1:6 If we say we have fellowship with him and yet keep on walking6 in the darkness, we are lying and not practicing7 the truth. 1:7 But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses8 us from all sin.9 1:8 If we say we do not bear the guilt of sin,10 we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 1:9 But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous,11 forgiving12 us our sins and cleansing13 us from all unrighteousness. 1:10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us. 2:1 (My little children,14 I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin.15) But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate16 with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous One,17 2:2 and he himself is the atoning sacrifice18 for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the whole world.19

Keeping God's Commandments

2:3 Now20 by this we know that we have come to know God:21 if we keep his commandments. 2:4 The one who says "I have come to know God"22 and yet does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in such a person. 2:5 But whoever obeys his23 word, truly in this person24 the love of God has been perfected. By this we know that we are in him. 2:6 The one who says he resides25 in God26 ought himself to walk27 just as Jesus28 walked.

2:7 Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning.29 The old commandment is the word that you have already30 heard. 2:8 On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you which is true in him31 and in you, because32 the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.33 2:9 The one who says he is in the light but still hates34 his fellow Christian35 is still in the darkness. 2:10 The one who loves his fellow Christian36 resides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.37 2:11 But the one who hates his fellow Christian38 is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.39

Words of Reassurance

2:12 I am writing to you,40 little children, that41 your sins have been forgiven because of his42 name. 2:13 I am writing to you, fathers, that43 you have known him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, that44 you have conquered the evil one.45 2:14 I have written to you, children, that46 you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, that47 you have known him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young people, that48 you are strong, and the word of God resides in you, and you have conquered the evil one.

2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 2:16 because all that is in the world (the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance produced by material possessions)49 is not from the Father, but is from the world. 2:17 And the world is passing away with all its desires, but the person who does the will of God remains50 forever.

Warning About False Teachers

2:18 Children, it is the last hour, and just as you heard that the antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists51 have appeared. We know from this that it is the last hour. 2:19 They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us, because if they had belonged to us, they would have remained52 with us. But53 they went out from us54 to demonstrate55 that all of them do not belong to us.56

2:20 Nevertheless you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.57 2:21 I have not written to you that58 you do not know the truth, but that59 you do know it, and that60 no lie is of the truth. 2:22 Who is the liar but the person who denies that Jesus is the Christ61? This one is the antichrist: the person who denies the Father and the Son. 2:23 Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father either. The person who confesses the Son has the Father also.62

2:24 As for you, what you have heard from the beginning must remain63 in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. 2:25 Now this64 is the promise that he65 himself made to66 us: eternal life.67 2:26 These things I have written to you about those who are trying to deceive you.68

2:27 Now as for you, the anointing69 that you received from him70 resides71 in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But as his72 anointing teaches you about all things, it is true and is not a lie. Just as73 it74 has taught you, you reside75 in him.

Children of God

2:28 And now, little children, remain76 in him,77 so that when78 he appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame when he comes back.79 2:29 If you know that he is righteous, you also know80 that everyone who practices righteousness is fathered81 by him.

3:1 (See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that1 we should be called God's children--and indeed2 we are!3 For this reason4 the world does not know us: because it did not know him.5 3:2 Dear friends, we are God's children now, and what we will be6 has not yet been revealed. We7 know that8 whenever9 it10 is revealed11 we will be like him, because12 we will see him just as he is.13 3:3 And everyone who has this hope focused14 on him purifies15 himself, just as Jesus16 is pure).17

3:4 Everyone who practices sin18 also practices lawlessness;19 indeed,20 sin is lawlessness. 3:5 And you know that Jesus21 was revealed to take away22 sins, and in him there is no sin. 3:6 Everyone who resides23 in him does not sin;24 everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him. 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you: the one who practices righteousness25 is righteous, just as Jesus26 is righteous. 3:8 The one who practices sin is of the devil,27 because the devil has been sinning28 from the beginning. For this purpose29 the Son of God was revealed: to destroy30 the works of the devil. 3:9 Everyone who is fathered31 by God does not practice sin,32 because33 God's34 seed35 resides in him, and thus36 he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered by God. 3:10 By this37 the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: everyone who does not practice righteousness38--the one who does not love his fellow Christian39--is not of God.

God Is Love, So We Must Love One Another

3:11 For40 this is the gospel41 message42 that you have heard from the beginning: that we should love one another,43 3:12 not like Cain44 who was of the evil one and brutally45 murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, but his brother's were righteous.

3:13 Therefore do not be surprised, brothers and sisters,46 if the world hates you.47 3:14 We know that48 we have crossed over49 from death to life50 because51 we love our fellow Christians.52 The one who does not love remains in death.53 3:15 Everyone who hates his fellow Christian54 is a murderer,55 and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing56 in him. 3:16 We have come to know love by this:57 that Jesus58 laid down59 his life for us; thus we ought to lay down our lives for our fellow Christians. 3:17 But whoever has the world's possessions60 and sees his fellow Christian61 in need and shuts off his compassion against him, how can the love of God62 reside63 in such a person?64

3:18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth.65 3:19 And by this66 we will know that we are of the truth and will convince67 our conscience68 in his presence,69 3:20 that70 if our conscience condemns71 us, that72 God is greater than our conscience and knows all things. 3:21 Dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God, 3:22 and73 whatever we ask we receive from him, because74 we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing to him. 3:23 Now75 this is his commandment:76 that we believe77 in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he gave78 us the commandment. 3:24 And the person who keeps his commandments resides79 in God,80 and God81 in him. Now by this82 we know that God83 resides in us: by the Spirit he has given us.

Testing the Spirits

4:1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit,1 but test2 the spirits3 to determine4 if they are from God, because many false prophets5 have gone out into the world. 4:2 By this6 you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses7 Jesus as the Christ8 who has come in the flesh is from God, 4:3 but9 every spirit that does not confess10 Jesus11 is not from God, and this is the spirit12 of the antichrist, that you have heard is coming, and now is already in the world.

4:4 You are from God, little children, and have conquered them,13 because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 4:5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world's perspective and the world listens to them. 4:6 We are from God; the person who knows God listens to us, but14 whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this15 we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.16

God is Love

4:7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because17 love is from God, and everyone who loves18 is fathered19 by God and knows God. 4:8 The person who does not love does not know God, because God is love.20 4:9 By this21 the love of God22 is revealed in us:23 that God has sent his one and only24 Son into the world so that we may live through him. 4:10 In this25 is love: not that26 we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice27 for our sins.

4:11 Dear friends, if God so loved us, then28 we also ought to love one another.29 4:12 No one has seen God at any time.30 If we love one another, God resides31 in us, and his love is perfected in us.32 4:13 By this33 we know that we reside in God34 and he in us: in that he has given us of his Spirit.35 4:14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior36 of the world.

4:15 If anyone37 confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides38 in him and he in God. 4:16 And we have come to know and to believe39 the love that God has in us.40 God is love, and the one who resides41 in love resides in God, and God resides in him. 4:17 By this42 love is perfected with43 us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as Jesus44 is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, 4:18 but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.45 The46 one who fears punishment47 has not been perfected in love. 4:19 We love48 because he loved us first.

4:20 If anyone says1 "I love God" and yet2 hates his fellow Christian,3 he is a liar, because the one who does not love his fellow Christian4 whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.5 4:21 And the commandment we have from him is this: that6 the one who loves God should love his fellow Christian7 too. 5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ8 is fathered9 by God, and everyone who loves the father10 loves the child fathered by him.11 5:2 By this12 we know that we love the children of God: whenever we love God and obey his commandments. 5:3 For13 this is the love of God:14 that we keep his commandments.15 And his commandments do not weigh us down, 5:4 because16 everyone17 who is fathered by God18 conquers19 the world.20

Testimony About the Son

This21 is the conquering power22 that has conquered23 the world: our faith. 5:5 Now who is the person who has conquered the world except the one who believes that24 Jesus is the Son of God? 5:6 Jesus Christ is the one who came by water and blood--not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because25 the Spirit is the truth. 5:7 For26 there are three that testify,27 5:8 the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three are in agreement.

5:9 If we accept the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, because28 this29 is the testimony of God that30 he has testified concerning his Son. 5:10 (The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning his Son.)31 5:11 And this is the testimony: God32 has given us eternal life,33 and this life is in his Son. 5:12 The one who has the Son34 has this35 eternal36 life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this37 eternal38 life.

Assurance of Eternal Life

5:13 I have written these things39 to you who believe40 in the name of the Son of God so that41 you may know that you have eternal life.

5:14 And this is the confidence that we have before him: that42 whenever43 we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 5:15 And if we know44 that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, then we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him. 5:16 If45 anyone sees his fellow Christian46 committing a sin not resulting in death,47 he should ask, and God48 will grant49 life to the person who commits a sin not resulting in death.50 There is a sin resulting in death.51 I do not say that he should ask about that. 5:17 All unrighteousness52 is sin, but there is sin not resulting in death.53

5:18 We know that everyone fathered54 by God does not sin, but God55 protects56 the one he has fathered and the evil one cannot touch him. 5:19 We know that we are from God,57 and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us insight to know58 him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This one59 is the true God and eternal life. 5:21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols.60