Fellowship with God

⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light,^(A) and there is absolutely no darkness in him.^{(B) 6} If we say, “We have fellowship^(C) with him,” and yet we walk in darkness,^(D) we are lying and are not practicing the truth.^{(E) 7} If we walk in the light^(F) as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus^(G) his Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we say, “We have no sin,”^(H) we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive^(I) us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word^(J) is not in us.^(K)

Truth and Deception

⁴ I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth,^(A) in keeping with a command we have received from the Father. ⁵ So now I ask you, dear lady—not as if I were writing you a new command, but one we have had from the beginning—that we love one another.^{(B) 6} This is love:^(C) that we walk according to his commands.^(D) This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: that you walk in love.^[a]

⁷ Many deceivers have gone out into the world; they do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh.^(E) This is the deceiver and the antichrist.^{(F) 8} Watch yourselves so that you don’t lose what we^[b] have worked for, but that you may receive a full reward.^{(G) 9} Anyone who does not remain in Christ’s teaching^(H) but goes beyond it does not have God.^(I) The one who remains^(J) in that teaching, this one has both the Father^(K) and the Son.^{(L) 10} If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive^(M) him into your home, and do not greet him; ¹¹ for the one who greets him shares^(N) in his evil works.^(O)

Greeting

¹ The elder:^(A)

To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.^(B)

² Dear friend, I pray that you are prospering in every way and are in good health,^(C) just as your whole life is going well.^{[a] 3} For I was very glad when fellow believers came and testified^(D) to your fidelity to the truth—how you are walking in truth.^{(E) 4} I have no greater joy^(F) than this: to hear that my children^(G) are walking in truth.

Gaius Commended

⁵ Dear friend, you are acting faithfully in whatever you do for the brothers and sisters, especially when they are strangers. ⁶ They have testified to your love before the church.^(H) You will do well to send them on their journey^(I) in a manner worthy of God,^{(J) 7} since they set out for the sake of the Name,^(K) accepting nothing from pagans.^{[b](L) 8} Therefore, we ought to support such people so that we can be coworkers with the truth.

¹⁰ Give to him, and don’t have a stingy heart^[a] when you give, and because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you do.^{[b] 11} For there will never cease to be poor people in the land;^(A) that is why I am commanding you, ‘Open your hand willingly to your poor and needy brother in your land.’

Psalm 15

A Description of the Godly

A psalm of David.

The Primary Commands

³⁴ When^(A) the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. ³⁵ And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test him:^{(B) 36} “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?”

³⁷ He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.^{[a](C) 38} This is the greatest and most important^[b] command. ³⁹ The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.^{[c](D) 40} All the Law and the Prophets depend^[d] on these two commands.”^(E)