Book of Common Prayer

The singular love of God toward us. How we in response ought to love one another.

3 Behold what love the Father has shown on us, that we should be called the children of God. Because of this, the world does not know you: because it does not know him. ² Dearly beloveds, now we are the children of God. And yet it does not appear what we will be. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him. For we shall see him as he is. ³ And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

  ⁴ Whoever commits sin, commits unrighteousness also. For sin is unrighteousness. ⁵ And you know that he appeared to take away our sins, and in him is no sin. ⁶ As many as abide in him do not sin. Whoever sins has not seen him, neither has known him.

⁷ Babes, let no one deceive you. He who does righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous. ⁸ He who commits sin is of the devil. For the devil has sinned since the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God appeared: to destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ Whosoever is born of God does not sin, for his seed remains in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. ¹⁰ In this are the children of God known, and the children of the devil. Whoever does not work righteousness is not of God, neither he who does not love his brother.

¹⁵ And as the people were in expectation, and all musing in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ, ¹⁶ John answered and said to them all, I baptize you with water, but one stronger than I is coming after me, whose shoe latchet I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. ¹⁷ He has his fan in his hand, and will purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn with fire that never shall be quenched.

¹⁸ And with many other exhortations, John preached to the people.

¹⁹ Then Herod the tetrarch (when he was rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils that Herod had done) ²⁰ added this above all, and shut up John in prison.

²¹ And it came to pass, as all the people were receiving baptism, and when Jesus was baptized and did pray, that heaven was opened, ²² and the Holy Spirit came down in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven saying, You are my dear Son; in you I do delight.