Book of Common Prayer

We Are Announcing To You What We Have Personally Witnessed Concerning The Word of Life

1 That-which^[a] was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we looked-at and our hands touched, concerning the word^[b] of life— ² indeed^[c] life^[d] was made-known! And we have seen and are testifying and are announcing to you the eternal life^[e] which was with the Father and was made-known to us!— ³ That-which^[f] we have seen and heard we are announcing also to you so that you also may have fellowship^[g] with us. And indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And we are writing these things in order that our joy may be full.

The Message We Heard Is That God Is Light

⁵ And this is the message which we have heard from Him and are declaring to you: that God is light, and there is not any darkness in Him.

If We Walk In The Light And Confess Our Sins, Jesus Cleanses And Forgives Us

⁶ If we claim that we have fellowship with Him and are walking in the darkness, we are lying and not doing the truth. ⁷ But if we are walking in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. ⁸ If we claim that we do not have^[h] sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we are confessing^[i] our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we claim that we have not sinned, we are making Him a liar and His word is not in us.

While Passing On, Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

9 And while passing on, He saw a man blind from birth. ² And His disciples asked Him, saying “Rabbi, who sinned— this one or his parents, that he should be born blind?” ³ Jesus answered, “Neither this one sinned nor his parents, but it was in order that the works of God might be made-visible in him. ⁴ We must be working the works of the One having sent Me while it is day. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ When I am in the world, I am the light of the world”. ⁶ Having said these things, He spat on the ground and made mud from the saliva, and smeared its mud on the eyes, ⁷ and said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated “Sent”^[a]). So he went away and washed, and came^[b] [back] seeing. ⁸ Then the neighbors, and the ones seeing him formerly— because^[c] he was a beggar— were saying “Is not this the one sitting and begging?” ⁹ Others were saying that “This is he”. Others were saying, “No, but he is like him”. That one was saying that “I am he”. ¹⁰ So they were saying to him, “How then were your eyes opened?” ¹¹ That one answered, “The man being called Jesus made mud and smeared it on my eyes, and said to me ‘Go to Siloam and wash’. So having gone away and washed, I received-sight”. ¹² And they said to him, “Where is that One?” He says, “I do not know”.

The Pharisees Were Divided Over This Sign, Because It Was Done On a Sabbath

¹³ They bring him to the Pharisees— the formerly blind one. ¹⁴ Now it was a Sabbath on the day Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. ¹⁵ Therefore the Pharisees also were asking him again how he received-sight. And the one said to them, “He put mud on my eyes, and I washed, and I see”. ¹⁶ Then some of the Pharisees were saying, “This man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath”. But others were saying, “How is a sinful man able to do such signs?” And there was a division among them. ¹⁷ So they say to the blind one again, “What do you say about Him, seeing-that He opened your eyes?” And the one said that “He is a prophet”.