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1 John 1-5
New American Standard Bible

The Incarnate Word

1 What was (A)from the beginning, what we have (B)heard, what we have (C)seen with our eyes, what we (D)have looked at and (E)touched with our hands, concerning the (F)Word of Life— 2 and (G)the life was revealed, and we have (H)seen and (I)testify and proclaim to you (J)the eternal life, which was (K)with the Father and was (L)revealed to us— 3 what we have (M)seen and (N)heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our (O)fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 (P)These things we write, so that our (Q)joy may be made complete.

God Is Light

5 (R)This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that (S)God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 (T)If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we (U)lie and (V)do not practice the truth; 7 but if we (W)walk in the Light as (X)He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and (Y)the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 (Z)If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the (AA)truth is not in us. 9 (AB)If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and (AC)cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 (AD)If we say that we have not sinned, we (AE)make Him a liar and (AF)His word is not in us.

Christ Is Our Advocate

2 (AG)My little children, I am (AH)writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, (AI)we have an [a](AJ)Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2 and He Himself is (AK)the [b]propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also (AL)for the sins of the whole world.

3 (AM)By this we know that we have come to (AN)know Him, if we (AO)keep His commandments. 4 The one who says, “(AP)I have come to (AQ)know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a (AR)liar, and (AS)the truth is not in him; 5 but whoever (AT)follows His word, in him the (AU)love of God has truly been perfected. (AV)By this we know that we are in Him: 6 the one who says that he (AW)remains in Him (AX)ought, himself also, walk just as He walked.

7 (AY)Beloved, I am (AZ)not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had (BA)from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. 8 [c]On the other hand, I am writing (BB)a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because (BC)the darkness is passing away and (BD)the true Light is already shining. 9 The one who says that he is in the Light and yet (BE)hates his (BF)brother or sister is in the darkness until now. 10 (BG)The one who loves his brother and sister remains in the Light, and there is nothing in him to cause stumbling. 11 But the one who (BH)hates his brother or sister is in the darkness and (BI)walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has (BJ)blinded his eyes.

12 I am writing to you, (BK)little children, because (BL)your sins have been forgiven you on account of His name. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him (BM)who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because (BN)you have overcome (BO)the evil one. I have written to you, children, because (BP)you know the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him (BQ)who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are (BR)strong, and the (BS)word of God remains in you, and (BT)you have overcome the evil one.

Do Not Love the World

15 Do not love (BU)the world nor the things in the world. (BV)If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, (BW)the lust of the flesh and (BX)the lust of the eyes and (BY)the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 (BZ)The world is passing away and also its lusts; but the one who (CA)does the will of God continues to live forever.

18 Children, (CB)it is the last hour; and just as you heard that (CC)antichrist is coming, (CD)even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. 19 (CE)They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, (CF)so that [d]it would be evident that they all are not of us. 20 [e]But you have an (CG)anointing from (CH)the Holy One, and (CI)you all know. 21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but (CJ)because you do know it, and [f]because no lie is (CK)of the truth. 22 Who is the liar except (CL)the one who denies that Jesus is the [g]Christ? This is (CM)the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23 (CN)Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24 As for you, see that what you heard (CO)from the beginning remains in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also (CP)will remain in the Son and in the Father.

The Promise Is Eternal Life

25 (CQ)This is the promise which He Himself [h]made to us: eternal life.

26 These things I have written to you concerning those who are trying to (CR)deceive you. 27 And as for you, the (CS)anointing which you received from Him remains in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing (CT)teaches you about all things, and is (CU)true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, [i]you remain in Him.

28 Now, (CV)little children, remain in Him, so that when He (CW)appears, we may have (CX)confidence and (CY)not [j]draw back from Him in shame [k]at His (CZ)coming. 29 If you know that (DA)He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness also (DB)has been born of Him.

Children of God Love One Another

3 See [l](DC)how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called (DD)children of God; and in fact we are. For this reason the world does not know us: because (DE)it did not know Him. 2 (DF)Beloved, now we are (DG)children of God, and (DH)it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He (DI)appears, we will be (DJ)like Him, because we will (DK)see Him just as He is. 3 And everyone who has this (DL)hope set on Him (DM)purifies himself, just as He is pure.

4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and (DN)sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that He (DO)appeared in order to (DP)take away sins; and (DQ)in Him there is no sin. 6 No one who remains in Him (DR)sins continually; no one who sins continually has seen Him or [m](DS)knows Him. 7 (DT)Little children, make sure no one (DU)deceives you; (DV)the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; 8 the one who practices sin is (DW)of the devil; for the devil [n]has been sinning from the beginning. (DX)The Son of God (DY)appeared for this purpose, (DZ)to destroy the works of the devil. 9 No one who has been (EA)born of God practices sin, because His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin continually, because he has been born of God. 10 By this the (EB)children of God and the (EC)children of the devil are obvious: [o]anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who (ED)does not love his (EE)brother and sister.

11 (EF)For this is the message (EG)which you have heard from the beginning, (EH)that we are to love one another; 12 not as (EI)Cain, who was of (EJ)the evil one and murdered his brother. And for what reason did he murder him? Because (EK)his own deeds were evil, but his brother’s were righteous.

13 Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if (EL)the world hates you. 14 We know that we have (EM)passed out of death into life, (EN)because we love the brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who (EO)hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that (EP)no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. 16 We know love by this, that (EQ)He laid down His life for us; and (ER)we ought to lay down our lives for the (ES)brothers and sisters. 17 But (ET)whoever has worldly goods and sees his brother or sister in need, and (EU)closes his [p]heart [q]against him, (EV)how does the love of God remain in him? 18 (EW)Little children, let’s not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and (EX)truth. 19 We will know by this that we are (EY)of the truth, and will set our heart at ease before Him, 20 that if our heart condemns us, that God is greater than our heart, and He knows all things. 21 (EZ)Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have (FA)confidence [r]before God; 22 and (FB)whatever we ask, we receive from Him, because we (FC)keep His commandments and do (FD)the things that are pleasing in His sight.

23 This is His commandment, that we [s](FE)believe in (FF)the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as (FG)He [t]commanded us. 24 The one who (FH)keeps His commandments (FI)remains in Him, and He in him. (FJ)We know by this that (FK)He remains in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.

Testing the Spirits

4 (FL)Beloved, do not believe every (FM)spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because (FN)many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: (FO)every spirit that (FP)confesses that (FQ)Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that (FR)does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the (FS)antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and (FT)now it is already in the world. 4 You are from God, (FU)little children, and (FV)have overcome them; because (FW)greater is He who is in you than (FX)he who is in the world. 5 (FY)They are from the world, therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 (FZ)We are from God. (GA)The one who knows God listens to us; (GB)the one who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know (GC)the spirit of truth and (GD)the spirit of error.

God Is Love

7 (GE)Beloved, let’s (GF)love one another; for love is from God, and (GG)everyone who loves has been (GH)born of God and (GI)knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because (GJ)God is love. 9 By this the love of God was revealed [u](GK)in us, that (GL)God has sent His only Son into the world so that we may live through Him. 10 In this is love, (GM)not that we loved God, but that (GN)He loved us and sent His Son to be (GO)the [v]propitiation for our sins. 11 (GP)Beloved, if God so loved us, (GQ)we also ought to love one another. 12 (GR)No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God remains in us, and His (GS)love is perfected in us. 13 (GT)By this we know that we remain in Him and He in us, because He has given to us of His Spirit. 14 We have seen and (GU)testify that the Father has (GV)sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

15 (GW)Whoever confesses that (GX)Jesus is the Son of God, God (GY)remains in him, and he in God. 16 (GZ)We have come to know and have believed the love which God has [w](HA)for us. (HB)God is love, and the one who (HC)remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. 17 By this, (HD)love is perfected with us, so that we may have (HE)confidence in (HF)the day of judgment; because (HG)as He is, we also are in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but (HH)perfect love drives out fear, because fear [x]involves punishment, and the one who fears is not (HI)perfected in love. 19 (HJ)We love, because He first loved us. 20 (HK)If someone says, “I love God,” and yet he (HL)hates his brother or sister, he is a (HM)liar; for (HN)the one who does not love his brother and sister whom he has seen, (HO)cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And (HP)this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God (HQ)must also love his brother and sister.

Overcoming the World

5 (HR)Everyone who believes that Jesus is the [y]Christ has been (HS)born of God, and everyone who loves the [z]Father (HT)loves the child born of Him. 2 (HU)By this we know that (HV)we love the children of God, when we love God and [aa]follow His commandments. 3 For (HW)this is the love of God, that we (HX)keep His commandments; and (HY)His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For [ab]whoever has been (HZ)born of God (IA)overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.

5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but the one who (IB)believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is the One who came (IC)by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not [ac]with the water only, but [ad]with the water and [ae]with the blood. It is (ID)the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are (IE)three that testify: 8 [af]the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are [ag]in agreement. 9 (IF)If we receive the testimony of people, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that (IG)He has testified concerning His Son. 10 The one who believes in the Son of God (IH)has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has (II)made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. 11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us (IJ)eternal life, and (IK)this life is in His Son. 12 (IL)The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

This Is Written That You May Know

13 (IM)These things I have written to you who (IN)believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have (IO)eternal life. 14 This is (IP)the confidence which we have [ah]before Him, that, (IQ)if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, (IR)we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

16 If anyone sees his brother or sister [ai]committing a sin not leading to death, (IS)he shall ask and [aj]God will, for him, give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. (IT)There is sin leading to death; (IU)I am not saying that he should ask about that. 17 (IV)All unrighteousness is sin, and (IW)there is sin not leading to death.

18 (IX)We know that (IY)no one who has been born of God [ak]sins; but He who was born of God (IZ)keeps him, and (JA)the evil one does not (JB)touch him. 19 (JC)We know that (JD)we are of God, and that (JE)the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And (JF)we know that (JG)the Son of God has come, and has (JH)given us understanding so that we may know (JI)Him who is true; and we (JJ)are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. (JK)This is the true God and (JL)eternal life.

21 (JM)Little children, guard yourselves from (JN)idols.

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 2:1 Or Intercessor
  2. 1 John 2:2 I.e., means of reconciliation with God by atoning for sins; or sin-offering
  3. 1 John 2:8 Lit Again
  4. 1 John 2:19 Lit they would be revealed
  5. 1 John 2:20 Lit And
  6. 1 John 2:21 Or you know that no lie
  7. 1 John 2:22 I.e., Messiah
  8. 1 John 2:25 Lit promised us
  9. 1 John 2:27 Or remain in Him (a command)
  10. 1 John 2:28 Lit be put to shame from Him
  11. 1 John 2:28 Or in His presence
  12. 1 John 3:1 Lit what kind of love
  13. 1 John 3:6 Or has known
  14. 1 John 3:8 Lit sins
  15. 1 John 3:10 Lit everyone
  16. 1 John 3:17 Lit inward parts
  17. 1 John 3:17 Lit from
  18. 1 John 3:21 Lit toward
  19. 1 John 3:23 Or believe the name
  20. 1 John 3:23 Lit gave us a commandment
  21. 1 John 4:9 Or among us; or in our case
  22. 1 John 4:10 I.e., means of reconciliation with God by atoning for sins; or sin-offering
  23. 1 John 4:16 Lit in
  24. 1 John 4:18 Lit has
  25. 1 John 5:1 I.e., Messiah
  26. 1 John 5:1 Lit one who has fathered
  27. 1 John 5:2 Lit do
  28. 1 John 5:4 Lit everything that
  29. 1 John 5:6 Lit in
  30. 1 John 5:6 Lit in
  31. 1 John 5:6 Lit in
  32. 1 John 5:8 A few late mss add ...in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. And there are three that testify on earth, the Spirit
  33. 1 John 5:8 Lit for the one thing
  34. 1 John 5:14 Lit toward
  35. 1 John 5:16 Lit sinning
  36. 1 John 5:16 Or God will give him life, that is, to those who...
  37. 1 John 5:18 Or sins continually
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1 John 1-5
New International Version

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. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness,(M) we lie and do not live out the truth.(N) 7 But if we walk in the light,(O) as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.(P)

8 If we claim to be without sin,(Q) we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.(R) 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins(S) and purify us from all unrighteousness.(T) 10 If we claim we have not sinned,(U) we make him out to be a liar(V) and his word is not in us.(W)

2 My dear children,(X) I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate(Y) with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,(Z) and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.(AA)

Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers

3 We know(AB) that we have come to know him(AC) if we keep his commands.(AD) 4 Whoever says, “I know him,”(AE) but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.(AF) 5 But if anyone obeys his word,(AG) love for God[c] is truly made complete in them.(AH) This is how we know(AI) we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.(AJ)

7 Dear friends,(AK) I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning.(AL) This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command;(AM) its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing(AN) and the true light(AO) is already shining.(AP)

9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister[d](AQ) is still in the darkness.(AR) 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister[e] lives in the light,(AS) and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.(AT) 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister(AU) is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness.(AV) They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.(AW)

Reasons for Writing

12 I am writing to you, dear children,(AX)
    because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.(AY)
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.(AZ)
I am writing to you, young men,
    because you have overcome(BA) the evil one.(BB)

14 I write to you, dear children,(BC)
    because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.(BD)
I write to you, young men,
    because you are strong,(BE)
    and the word of God(BF) lives in you,(BG)
    and you have overcome the evil one.(BH)

On Not Loving the World

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world.(BI) If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[f] is not in them.(BJ) 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh,(BK) the lust of the eyes,(BL) and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away,(BM) but whoever does the will of God(BN) lives forever.

Warnings Against Denying the Son

18 Dear children, this is the last hour;(BO) and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming,(BP) even now many antichrists have come.(BQ) This is how we know it is the last hour. 19 They went out from us,(BR) but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.(BS)

20 But you have an anointing(BT) from the Holy One,(BU) and all of you know the truth.[g](BV) 21 I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it(BW) and because no lie comes from the truth. 22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.(BX) 23 No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.(BY)

24 As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginning(BZ) remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.(CA) 25 And this is what he promised us—eternal life.(CB)

26 I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.(CC) 27 As for you, the anointing(CD) you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things(CE) and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.(CF)

God’s Children and Sin

28 And now, dear children,(CG) continue in him, so that when he appears(CH) we may be confident(CI) and unashamed before him at his coming.(CJ)

29 If you know that he is righteous,(CK) you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.(CL)

3 See what great love(CM) the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!(CN) And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.(CO) 2 Dear friends,(CP) now we are children of God,(CQ) and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[h](CR) we shall be like him,(CS) for we shall see him as he is.(CT) 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves,(CU) just as he is pure.(CV)

4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.(CW) 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.(CX) And in him is no sin.(CY) 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.(CZ) No one who continues to sin has either seen him(DA) or known him.(DB)

7 Dear children,(DC) do not let anyone lead you astray.(DD) The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.(DE) 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil,(DF) because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God(DG) appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.(DH) 9 No one who is born of God(DI) will continue to sin,(DJ) because God’s seed(DK) remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God(DL) are and who the children of the devil(DM) are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love(DN) their brother and sister.(DO)

More on Love and Hatred

11 For this is the message you heard(DP) from the beginning:(DQ) We should love one another.(DR) 12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one(DS) and murdered his brother.(DT) And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.(DU) 13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters,[i] if the world hates you.(DV) 14 We know that we have passed from death to life,(DW) because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.(DX) 15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister(DY) is a murderer,(DZ) and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.(EA)

16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.(EB) And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.(EC) 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them,(ED) how can the love of God be in that person?(EE) 18 Dear children,(EF) let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.(EG)

19 This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20 If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends,(EH) if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God(EI) 22 and receive from him anything we ask,(EJ) because we keep his commands(EK) and do what pleases him.(EL) 23 And this is his command: to believe(EM) in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,(EN) and to love one another as he commanded us.(EO) 24 The one who keeps God’s commands(EP) lives in him,(EQ) and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.(ER)

On Denying the Incarnation

4 Dear friends,(ES) do not believe every spirit,(ET) but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.(EU) 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh(EV) is from God,(EW) 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,(EX) which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.(EY)

4 You, dear children,(EZ) are from God and have overcome them,(FA) because the one who is in you(FB) is greater than the one who is in the world.(FC) 5 They are from the world(FD) and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.(FE) This is how we recognize the Spirit[j] of truth(FF) and the spirit of falsehood.(FG)

God’s Love and Ours

7 Dear friends, let us love one another,(FH) for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God(FI) and knows God.(FJ) 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.(FK) 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son(FL) into the world that we might live through him.(FM) 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us(FN) and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.(FO) 11 Dear friends,(FP) since God so loved us,(FQ) we also ought to love one another.(FR) 12 No one has ever seen God;(FS) but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.(FT)

13 This is how we know(FU) that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.(FV) 14 And we have seen and testify(FW) that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.(FX) 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,(FY) God lives in them and they in God.(FZ) 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love.(GA) Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.(GB) 17 This is how love is made complete(GC) among us so that we will have confidence(GD) on the day of judgment:(GE) In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,(GF) because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19 We love because he first loved us.(GG) 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister(GH) is a liar.(GI) For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen,(GJ) cannot love God, whom they have not seen.(GK) 21 And he has given us this command:(GL) Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.(GM)

Faith in the Incarnate Son of God

5 Everyone who believes(GN) that Jesus is the Christ(GO) is born of God,(GP) and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.(GQ) 2 This is how we know(GR) that we love the children of God:(GS) by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.(GT) And his commands are not burdensome,(GU) 4 for everyone born of God(GV) overcomes(GW) the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.(GX)

6 This is the one who came by water and blood(GY)—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.(GZ) 7 For there are three(HA) that testify: 8 the[k] Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9 We accept human testimony,(HB) but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God,(HC) which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony.(HD) Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar,(HE) because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life,(HF) and this life is in his Son.(HG) 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.(HH)

Concluding Affirmations

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God(HI) so that you may know that you have eternal life.(HJ) 14 This is the confidence(HK) we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.(HL) 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know(HM) that we have what we asked of him.(HN)

16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life.(HO) I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death.(HP) I am not saying that you should pray about that.(HQ) 17 All wrongdoing is sin,(HR) and there is sin that does not lead to death.(HS)

18 We know that anyone born of God(HT) does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one(HU) cannot harm them.(HV) 19 We know that we are children of God,(HW) and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.(HX) 20 We know also that the Son of God has come(HY) and has given us understanding,(HZ) so that we may know him who is true.(IA) And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.(IB)

21 Dear children,(IC) keep yourselves from idols.(ID)

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 1:4 Some manuscripts your
  2. 1 John 1:7 Or every
  3. 1 John 2:5 Or word, God’s love
  4. 1 John 2:9 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in verse 11; and in 3:15, 17; 4:20; 5:16.
  5. 1 John 2:10 The Greek word for brother and sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in 3:10; 4:20, 21.
  6. 1 John 2:15 Or world, the Father’s love
  7. 1 John 2:20 Some manuscripts and you know all things
  8. 1 John 3:2 Or when it is made known
  9. 1 John 3:13 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 16.
  10. 1 John 4:6 Or spirit
  11. 1 John 5:8 Late manuscripts of the Vulgate testify in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. 8 And there are three that testify on earth: the (not found in any Greek manuscript before the fourteenth century)
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