Jesus Our Advocate

1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you might not sin. And if anyone should sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous One. 2And He is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.

3And by this we know that we have come to know Him, if we should keep His commandments. 4The one saying, “I have known Him,” and not keeping His commandments, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But whoever may keep His word, truly in him the love of God has been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: 6The one claiming to abide in Him ought also walk just as in the same way that He walked.

A New Commandment

7Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment, which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8Again, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light already shines.

9The one claiming to be in the light and hating his brother is in the darkness even until now. 10The one loving his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11But the one hating his brother is in the darkness, and walks in the darkness; and he knows not where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

12I am writing to you, little children, because the sins have been forgiven you for the sake of His name.

13I am writing to you, fathers because you have known Him who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.

I have written to you, little children, because you know the Father.

14I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who is from the beginning.

I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Do Not Love the World

15Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone should love the world, the love of the Father is not in him, 16because all that is in the world, the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the vaunting of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17And the world is passing away, and its desire; but the one doing the will of God abides to the age.

Beware of Antichrists

18Little children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen, whereby we know that it is the last hour. 19They 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 is so that it might be made manifest that they are not all of us.

20And you have the anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know.a 21I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because any lie is not of the truth. 22Who is the liar, except the one denying that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one denying the Father and the Son. 23Everyone denying the Son does not have the Father. The one confessing the Son has the Father also.

Continue in Him

24You, let what you have heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you have heard from the beginning should abide in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. 25And this is the promise that He promised us: eternal life.

26I have written these things to you concerning those leading you astray. 27And you, the anointing that you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But just as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things and is true and is no lie, and just as it has taught you, you shall abide in Him.

28And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears we might have boldness and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.

29If you know that He is righteous, you know also that everyone practicing righteousness has been begotten of Him.