Jesus’ Commandment Is Love

¹² “This is ^(A)My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.

¹⁷ This ^(A)I command you, that you love one another.

^7 (A)Beloved, I am ^(B)not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had ^(C)from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. ^8 [a]On the other hand, I am writing ^(D)a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because ^(E)the darkness is passing away and ^(F)the true Light is already shining. ⁹ The one who says he is in the Light and yet ^(G)hates his ^(H)brother is in the darkness until now. ^10 (I)The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. ¹¹ But the one who ^(J)hates his brother is in the darkness and ^(K)walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness ^(L)blinded his eyes.

¹² I am writing to you, ^(M)little children, because ^(N)your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. ¹³ I am writing to you, fathers, because you have known Him ^(O)who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because ^(P)you have overcome ^(Q)the evil one. I have written to you, children, because ^[b](R)you have known the Father. ¹⁴ I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him ^(S)who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are ^(T)strong, and the ^(U)word of God abides in you, and ^(V)you have overcome the evil one.

Do Not Love the World

¹⁵ Do not love ^(W)the world nor the things in the world. ^(X)If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world, ^(Y)the lust of the flesh and ^(Z)the lust of the eyes and ^(AA)the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. ^17 (AB)And the world is passing away, and also its lusts, but the one who ^(AC)does the will of God abides forever.

¹⁸ Children, ^(AD)it is the last hour; and just as you heard that ^(AE)antichrist is coming, ^(AF)even now many antichrists have appeared. From this we know that it is the last hour. ^19 (AG)They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they were of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, ^(AH)so that ^[c]it would be manifested that they all are not of us. ^20 [d]But you have an ^(AI)anointing from ^(AJ)the Holy One, and ^(AK)you all know. ²¹ I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but ^(AL)because you do know it, and ^[e]because no lie is ^(AM)of the truth. ²² Who is the liar but ^(AN)the one who denies that Jesus is the ^[f]Christ? This is ^(AO)the ^[g]antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. ^23 (AP)Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. ²⁴ As for you, let that which you heard ^(AQ)from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also ^(AR)will abide in the Son and in the Father. ^25 (AS)And this is the promise which He Himself ^[h]made to us: eternal life.

²⁶ These things I have written to you about those who are trying to ^(AT)deceive you. ²⁷ And as for you, the ^(AU)anointing whom you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But as His anointing ^(AV)teaches you about all things, and is ^(AW)true and is not a lie, and just as He has taught you, ^[i]abide in Him.

²⁸ And now, ^(AX)little children, abide in Him, so that when He ^(AY)is manifested, we may have ^(AZ)confidence and ^(BA)not ^[j]shrink away from Him in shame ^[k]at His ^(BB)coming. ²⁹ If you know that ^(BC)He is righteous, you know that everyone also who does righteousness ^(BD)has been ^[l]born of Him.

^11 (A)For this is the message ^(B)which you have heard from the beginning, ^(C)that we should love one another;

²³ And this is His commandment, that we ^[a](A)believe in ^(B)the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as ^(C)He gave a commandment to us.

⁵ Now I ask you, lady, ^(A)not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had ^(B)from the beginning, that we ^(C)love one another.