The Incarnation of the Word of Life

1 That which was from the beginning,^(A) which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes,^(B) which we have looked at and our hands have touched^(C)—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ² The life appeared;^(D) we have seen it and testify to it,^(E) and we proclaim to you the eternal life,^(F) which was with the Father and has appeared to us. ³ We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard,^(G) so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.^{(H) 4} We write this^(I) to make our^[a] joy complete.^(J)

Light and Darkness, Sin and Forgiveness

⁵ This is the message we have heard^(K) from him and declare to you: God is light;^(L) in him there is no darkness at all.

⁸ Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.^{(A) 9} This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son^(B) into the world that we might live through him.^{(C) 10} This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us^(D) and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.^(E)

³ And they were calling to one another:

⁷ maintaining love to thousands,^(A) and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.^(B) Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished;^(C) he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”^(D)