1 John 2–5

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, ^awe have an ^badvocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: ²and ^che is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but ^dalso for the sins of the whole world. ³And hereby we do know that we know him, if we ^ekeep his commandments. ^4fHe that saith, ^gI know him, and ^ekeepeth not his commandments, ^his a liar, and ⁱthe truth is not in him. ⁵But whoso ^jkeepeth his word, ^kin him verily is the love of God perfected: ^lhereby know we that we are in him. ⁶He that saith he ^mabideth in him ⁿought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. ⁷Brethren, ^oI write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment ^opwhich ye had from the beginning. ^qThe old commandment is the word ^pwhich ye have heard from the beginning. ⁸Again, ^ra new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true ^rrin him and in you: because the ^sdarkness ^tis past, and ^uthe true light now shineth. ⁹He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, ^vis in darkness even until now. ^10wHe that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and ^xthere is none occasion of stumbling in him. ¹¹But he that hateth his brother ^vis in darkness, and ^ywalketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that ^vdarkness hath blinded his eyes.

¹²I write unto you, little children, because ^zyour sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. ¹³I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known ^ahim that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because you have overcome ^bthe wicked one. I write unto you, ^clittle children, because ye have known the Father. ¹⁴I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known ^ahim that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ^dye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome ^bthe wicked one. ^15eLove not the world, neither the things that are in the world. ^fIf any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶For all that is in the world, ^gthe lust of the flesh, and ^hthe lust of the eyes, and ⁱthe pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. ¹⁷And ^kthe world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth ^lthe will of God abideth for ever. ^18cLittle children, ^mit is the last time: and as ye have heard that ⁿantichrist shall come, even now are there ^omany antichrists; whereby we know ^mthat it is the last time. ^19pThey went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, ^qthey would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, ^rthat they might be made manifest that they were not ^sall of us. ²⁰But ye have ^tan unction from ^uthe Holy One, and ^vye know all things. ²¹I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ^xye know it, and that no lie is of the truth. ²²Who is a liar but ^yhe that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is ⁿantichrist, that ^zdenieth the Father and the Son. ^23aWhosoever ^zdenieth the Son, the same ^bhath not the Father: [but] ^che that acknowledgeth the Son ^bhath the Father also. ²⁴Let that therefore abide in you, ^dwhich ye have heard from the beginning. If that ^dwhich ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ^eye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. ²⁵And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even ^feternal life. ²⁶These things have I written unto you concerning ^gthem that seduce you. ²⁷But ^hthe anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ⁱye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing ^hjteacheth you of all things, and ^kis truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ^lye shall abide in him. ²⁸And now, little children, abide in him; that, ^mwhen he shall appear, ⁿwe may have confidence, and ^onot be ashamed ^pbefore him ^qat his coming. ²⁹If ye know that ^rhe is righteous, ye know that ^severy one which doeth righteousness is born of him.

III.Behold, ^awhat manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that ^bwe should be called ^cthe sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because ^dit knew him not. ²Beloved, ^enow are we ^cthe sons of God, and ^fit doth not yet appear what we shall be: but ^gwe know that, ^hwhen he shall appear, ⁱwe shall be like him; for ^kwe shall ^lsee him as he is. ³And every man ^mthat hath this hope in him ⁿpurifieth himself, ^oeven as he is pure. ⁴Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for ^psin is the transgression of the law. ⁵And ye know that ^qrhe was manifested ^rsto take away our sins; and ^tin him is no sin. ⁶Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth ^uhath not seen him, ^vneither known him. ⁷Little children, ^wlet no man deceive you: ^xhe that doeth righteousness is righteous, ^oeven as he is righteous. ^8yHe that committeth sin is of the devil; for ^zthe devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, ^athat he might ^bdestroy the works of the devil. ^9cWhosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for ^dhis seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because ^ehe is born of God. ¹⁰In this ^fthe children of God are manifest, and ^gthe children of the devil: ^hwhosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither ⁱhe that loveth not his brother. ¹¹For ^kthis is the message ^lthat ye heard from the beginning, ^mthat we should love one another. ¹²Not as ⁿCain, who was of ^othat wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? ^pBecause his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. ¹³Marvel not, my brethren, if ^qthe world hate you. ^14rWe know that ^swe have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. ^15tWhosoever hateth his brother is ^ua murderer: and ye know that ^vno murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. ^16wxHereby perceive we the love of God, because ^xhe laid down his life for us: and ^ywe ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ¹⁷But ^zwhoso hath this world’s ^agood, and seeth his brother hath need, and ^bshutteth up ^chis bowels of compassion from him, ^dhow dwelleth the love of God in him? ¹⁸My little children, ^elet us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and ^eein truth. ¹⁹And hereby we know that we are ^fof the truth, and ^gshall assure our hearts before him. ²⁰For ^hif our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. ²¹Beloved, ⁱif our heart condemn us not, then ^jhave we confidence ^ktowards God. ²²And ^lwhatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we ^mkeep his commandments, and do ⁿthose things that are pleasing in his sight. ²³And this is his commandment, ^oThat we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and ^plove one another, ^qas he gave us commandment. ²⁴And he that ^mkeepeth his commandments ^rdwelleth in him, and ^rshe in him. And ^thereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

IV.Beloved, ^abelieve not every spirit, but ^btry ^cthe spirits whether they are of God: because ^dmany ^efalse prophets are gone out into the world. ²Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: ^fEvery spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ ^gis come in the flesh is of God: ³and every spirit ^hthat confesseth not that Jesus Christ ^gis come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of ⁱantichrist, whereof you have heard that it should come; and even ^jnow already is it in the world. ^4kYe are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because ^lgreater is he that is in you, than ^mhe that is in the world. ⁵ⁿThey are of the world, therefore speak they of the world, and ^othe world heareth them. ⁶We are of God: ^phe that knoweth God heareth us; ^phe that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we ^qthe spirit of truth, and ^qqthe spirit of error. ⁷Beloved, ^rlet us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. ^8sHe that loveth not, ^tknoweth not God; for ^uGod is love. ^9vIn this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that ^wGod sent his only begotten Son into the world, ^xthat we might live through him. ¹⁰Herein is love, ^ynot that we loved God, but ^zthat he loved us, and sent his Son to be ^athe propitiation for our sins. ¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, ^bwe ought also to love one another. ^12cNo man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, ^dGod dwelleth in us, and ^ehis love is perfected in us. ^13fHereby know we that ^gwe ^ddwell in him, and he in us, ^gbecause he hath given us of his Spirit.

¹⁴And ^hwe have seen and ⁱdo testify that ^jthe Father sent the Son to be ^kthe Saviour of the world. ^15lWhosoever shall confess ^mthat Jesus is the Son of God, ^dGod dwelleth in him, and he in God. ¹⁶And we have known and believed ⁿthe love that God hath to us. ^oGod is love; and he that dwelleth in love ^ddwelleth in God, and God in him. ^17eHerein is our love made perfect, that ^pwe may have boldness ^qin the day of judgment: because ^ras he is, so are we in this world. ¹⁸There is no fear in love; but ^sperfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth ^eis not made perfect in love. ^19tWe love him, because he first loved us. ^20uIf a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, ^whe is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God ^cxwhom he hath not seen? ²¹And ^ythis commandment have we from him, ^zThat he who loveth God love his brother also.

V.Whosoever ^abelieveth that ^bJesus is the Christ is ^cborn of God: and ^devery one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. ²By this we know that we love ^ethe children of God, when we love God, and ^fkeep his commandments. ³For ^gthis is the love of God, that we ^fkeep his commandments: and ^hhis commandments are not grievous. ⁴For whatsoever is born of God ⁱovercometh the world: and ^jthis is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. ⁵Who is he that ⁱovercometh the world, but ^jhe that believeth ^kthat Jesus is the Son of God? ⁶This is he that came ^lby water and ^lblood, …