(17)Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the lawless, ye fall from your own steadfastness. (18)But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, both now and forever.
Amen.
THE FIRST GENERAL LETTER OF JOHN.
I.
THAT which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we looked upon, and our hands handled, concerning the Word of life; (2)(and the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and report to you the eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested to us;) (3)that which we have seen and have heard we report to you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (4)And these things we write to you, that your joy may be full.
(5)And this is the message which we have heard from him, and announce to you, That G.o.d is light, and in him there is no darkness.
(6)If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth; (7)but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ[1:7] his Son cleanses us from all sin.
(8)If we say that we have not sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9)If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, that he may forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10)If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
II.
MY little children, these things I write to you, that ye may not sin.
And if any one have sinned, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (2)And he is a propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.
(3)And in this we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
(4)He that says, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (5)But whoever keeps his word, of a truth in him the love of G.o.d is perfected. In this we know that we are in him. (6)He that says he abides in him ought, as he walked, himself also so to walk.
(7)Beloved, I write not to you a new commandment, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye heard from the beginning[2:7]. (8)Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in him and in you; because the darkness is pa.s.sing away, and the true light now shines.
(9)He that says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in the darkness until now. (10)He that loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in him. (11)But he that hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness, and knows not where he goes, because the darkness blinded his eyes.
(12)I write to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for his name"s sake. (13)I write to you, fathers, because ye know him that was from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil one.
I wrote to you, little children, because ye know the Father. (14)I wrote to you, fathers, because ye know him that was from the beginning. I wrote to you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of G.o.d abides in you, and ye have overcome the evil one.
(15)Love not the world, neither the things in the world. If any one loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16)Because all that is in the world, the l.u.s.t of the flesh, and the l.u.s.t of the eyes, and the empty pomp of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
(17)And the world is pa.s.sing away, and the l.u.s.t thereof; but he that does the will of G.o.d abides forever.
(18)Little children, it is the last time; and as ye heard that antichrist should come, even now many antichrists have arisen; from whence we know that it is the last time. (19)They went out from among us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but it was in order that they might be made manifest, that all are not of us.
(20)And ye have an anointing from the Holy One, and know all things.
(21)I wrote not to you because ye do not know the truth, but because ye know it, and because no lie is of the truth. (22)Who is the liar, but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, who denies the Father and the Son. (23)Every one that denies the Son, the same has not the Father; he that acknowledges the Son has also the Father.
(24)What ye heard from the beginning, let it abide in you. If what ye heard from the beginning shall abide in you, ye also will abide in the Son, and in the Father. (25)And this is the promise which he himself promised to us, the life eternal.
(26)These things I wrote to you concerning those who seduce you.
(27)And the anointing which ye received from him abides in you, and ye have no need that any one teach you; but, as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is truth, and is not a lie, and even as it taught you, abide in him.
(28)And now, little children, abide in him; that, if he should be manifested, we may have confidence, and not turn away from him with shame at his coming. (29)If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that does righteousness has been begotten of him.
III.
BEHOLD what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of G.o.d. For this cause the world knows not us, because it knew not him. (2)Beloved, now are we the children of G.o.d, and it was never yet manifested what we shall be. We know that if it shall be manifested, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. (3)And every one, that has this hope on him, purifies himself even as he is pure. (4)Every one that commits sin also commits transgression of law; and sin is transgression of law. (5)And ye know that he was manifested that he might take away our[3:5] sins; and in him is no sin. (6)Every one that abides in him sins not; whoever sins has not seen him, neither has known him. (7)Little children, let no one deceive you. He that does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. (8)He that commits sin is of the Devil; because the Devil sins from the beginning. To this end the Son of G.o.d was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the Devil. (9)Whoever has been begotten of G.o.d does not commit sin; because his seed abides in him; and he can not sin, because he has been begotten of G.o.d.
(10)In this are manifest the children of G.o.d, and the children of the Devil. Every one that does not righteousness is not of G.o.d, neither he that loves not his brother; (11)because this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another (12)Not as Cain was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And wherefore did he slay him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother"s righteous. (13)Wonder not, brethren, if the world hates you.
(14)We know that we have pa.s.sed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He that loves not his brother[3:14] abides in death. (15)Every one that hates his brother is a murderer[3:15]; and ye know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. (16)In this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (17)But whoever has the world"s sustenance, and sees his brother having need, and shuts up his pity from him, how abides the love of G.o.d in him?
(18)Little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. (19)And in this we shall know that we are of the truth, and shall a.s.sure our hearts before him. (20)Because if our heart accuse us, G.o.d is greater than our heart, and knows all things[3:20]. (21)Beloved, if our heart accuse us not, we have confidence toward G.o.d. (22)And whatever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. (23)And this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and should love one another, as he gave us commandment. (24)And he that keeps his commandments abides in him, and he in him. And in this we know that he abides in us, from the Spirit which he gave us.
IV.
BELOVED, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of G.o.d; because many false prophets have gone forth into the world. (2)In this ye know the Spirit of G.o.d: (3)Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of G.o.d; and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus, is not of G.o.d; and this is that of the antichrist, of which ye have heard that it should come; and now, it is already in the world.
(4)Ye are of G.o.d, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is he who is in you, than he who is in the world. (5)They are of the world; for this cause they speak of the world, and the world hears them. (6)We are of G.o.d; he that knows G.o.d, hears us; he that is not of G.o.d, hears us not. From this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
(7)Beloved, let us love one another; because love is of G.o.d, and every one that loves has been begotten of G.o.d, and knows G.o.d. (8)He that loves not, knew not G.o.d; because G.o.d is love. (9)In this was manifested the love of G.o.d in respect to us, that G.o.d has sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
(10)Herein is love, not that we loved G.o.d, but that he loved us, and sent his Son, a propitiation for our sins.
(11)Beloved, if G.o.d so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
(12)No man has ever seen G.o.d. If we love one another, G.o.d abides in us, and the love of him is perfected in us. (13)In this we know that we abide in him, and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
(14)And we have seen, and bear witness, that the Father has sent forth the Son, a Savior of the world. (15)Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of G.o.d, G.o.d abides in him, and he in G.o.d. (16)And we have known, and have believed, the love that G.o.d has in respect to us. G.o.d is love; and he that abides in love abides in G.o.d, and G.o.d in him.
(17)In this has love been perfected with us[4:17], that we have confidence in the day of judgment; because as he is, we also are in this world. (18)There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has torment[4:18]; and he that fears is not made perfect in love. (19)We love, because he first loved us. (20)If any one say, I love G.o.d, and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love G.o.d whom he has not seen? (21)And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves G.o.d love also his brother.
V.
EVERY one who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten of G.o.d; and every one that loves him who begot, loves also him that has been begotten of him. (2)In this we know that we love the children of G.o.d, when we love G.o.d, and do his commandments. (3)For this is the love of G.o.d, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome; (4)because all that is begotten of G.o.d overcomes the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith.
(5)Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of G.o.d?
(6)This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus the Christ; not in the water only, but in the water and in the blood. And the Spirit is that which bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. (7)For there are three who bear witness; the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; (8)and the three agree in the one[5:8]. (9)If we receive the witness of men, the witness of G.o.d is greater; for this is the witness of G.o.d, that he has borne witness concerning his Son. (10)He that believes on the Son of G.o.d has the witness in himself; he that believes not G.o.d has made him a liar; because he has not believed in the witness which G.o.d has borne concerning his Son. (11)And this is the witness, that G.o.d gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (12)He that has the Son has the life; he that has not the Son of G.o.d has not the life.
(13)These things I wrote to you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, who believe on the name of the Son of G.o.d.
(14)And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. (15)And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the pet.i.tions which we have asked of him.
(16)If any one see his brother sin a sin not unto death, he shall ask, and he will give him life,--to those who sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death; for that I do not say that he shall pray.
(17)All unrighteousness is sin; and there is a sin not unto death.
(18)We know that every one who has been begotten of G.o.d sins not; but he that was begotten of G.o.d keeps himself; and the evil one touches him not.
(19)We know that we are of G.o.d, and the whole world is lying in the evil one. (20)And we know that the Son of G.o.d is come, and has given us understanding, that we may know the True one; and we are in the True One, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true G.o.d, and eternal life.