Chapter I

CHRIST THE LIFE, GOD IS LIGHT, WALKING WITH HIM, FALSE TEACHERS, ETC.

1 [1:1]THAT which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld and our hands felt, concerning the Word of life,-- [1:2]and the life was made manifest, and we have seen, and testify, and declare to you the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested to us,-- [1:3]that which we have seen and heard, we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. [1:4]And these things we write to you, that your joy may be complete.

2 [1:5]And this is the message which we have heard from him and declare to you, That God is light, and with him there is no darkness. [1:6]If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie and observe not the truth; [1:7]but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. [1:8]If we say we have not sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [1:9]If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all wickedness. [1:10]If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

3 [2:1]My little children, these things I write to you that you may not sin. But if any one has sinned, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, [2:2]and he is a propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but for all the world. [2:3]And by this we know that we have known him, if we keep his commandments. [2:4]He that says, I have known him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; [2:5]but whoever keeps his word, in him truly is the love of God perfected. By this we know that we are in him. [2:6]He that says he continues in him, ought also himself so to walk as he walked.

4 [2:7]Beloved, I write not a new commandment to you, but an old commandment, which you had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you heard. [2:8]Again, a new commandment I write you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is past and the true light now appears. [2:9]He that says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness till now. [2:10] He that loves his brother continues in the light, and there is no offense in him; [2:11]but he that hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness, and knows not where he goes, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

5 [2:12]I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven on account of his name. [2:13]I write to you, fathers, because you have known him that is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I wrote to you, little children, because you have known the Father. [2:14]I wrote to you, fathers, because you have known him that is from the beginning. I wrote to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God continues in you, and you have overcome the evil one. [2:15]Love not the world, nor the things in the world. If any one loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; [2:16]for all that is in the world, the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. [2:17]And the world passes away, and its desires; but he that does the will of God continues for ever.

6 [2:18]Little children, it is the last time; and as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many have become anti-christs; whence we know that it is the last time. [2:19]They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us they would have continued with us; but [they went out from us] that they might be manifest that they are not all of us. [2:20]And you have an anointing from the Holy One, and know all things. [2:21]I have not written to you because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. [2:22]Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the anti-christ, [the man that] denies the Father and the Son. [2:23]No one that denies the Son has the Father; he that confesses the Son has the Father also. [2:24]Let that which you heard from the beginning continue in you. If that which you heard from the beginning continues in you, you also shall continue in the Son and in the Father. [2:25]And this is the promise which he promised us, the eternal life.

7 [2:26]I have written these things to you concerning those who deceive you. [2:27]And the anointing which you received from him continues in you, and you have no need that any one should teach you; but as his anointing teaches you of all things, and is true and is not a lie, even as it has taught you, continue in him.

8 [2:28]And now, little children, continue in him, that when he shall appear we may have boldness, and not be put to shame by him at his coming. [2:29]If you know that he is righteous, you know that every one who does righteousness has been born of him.

9 [3:1]See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God. The world therefore knows us not, because it knew him not.

10 [3:2]Beloved, now are we children of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be. We know, that if he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. [3:3]And every one that has this hope in him purifies himself, as he is pure. [3:4]Every one that commits sin commits also wickedness, and sin is wickedness. [3:5]And we know that he was manifested to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. [3:6]No one that continues in him sins; no one that sins has seen him, or known him.

11 [3:7]Little children, let no one deceive you. He that does righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous; [3:8]he that commits sin is of the devil, for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this was the Son of God manifested, to destroy the works of the devil. [3:9]No one that has been born of God commits sin, for his seed continues in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. [3:10]By this are the children of God manifest, and the children of the devil; no one that does not righteousness is of God, and no one that loves not his brother. [3:11]For this is the message which you heard from the beginning; that we should love one another; [3:12]not as Cain was of the evil one and killed his brother; and why did he kill him? because his works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

12 [3:13]Wonder not, brothers, if the world hates you. [3:14]We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brothers; he that loves not, continues in death. [3:15]Every one that hates his brother is a murderer; and we know that no murderer has eternal life continuing in him. [3:16]By this we have known love, because he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. [3:17]And whoever has the goods of the world and sees his brother have need, and withholds his compassions from him, how continues the love of God in him?

13 [3:18]My little children, let us not love in word nor tongue, but in work and truth. [3:19]And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him; [3:20]for if our minds condemn us, God is greater than our minds and knows all things.

14 [3:21]Beloved, if our minds do not condemn us, we have boldness before God, [3:22]and what we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things which are pleasing in his sight. [3:23]And this is his commandment; that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as he gave commandment. [3:24]And he that keeps his commandments continues in him and he in him; and by this we know that he continues in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.