The First Epistle of John

• Who Wrote: The Apostle John
• Where Written: Ephesus, or near
• When Written: c. 98 C.E.

CHAPTER 1

Word of Life

1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life– ² the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us– ³ that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship[1] with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

Walking In the Light

⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him. ⁶ If we say we have fellowship with him and yet we are walking in the darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth; ⁷ but if we are walking in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Fellowship with God

⁸ If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

CHAPTER 2

The Propitiatory Sacrifice

2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not commit a sin.[2] But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one; ² and he is the propitiation[3] for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Observing God’s Commandments

³ And by this we know that we have come to know him if we keep his commandments. ⁴ The one who says, “I have come to know him,” and does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; ⁵ but whoever keeps his word, truly in this one the love of God has been perfected. By this we know that we are in him: ⁶ the one who says he remains in him ought himself to walk in the same manner as he walked.

Old and New Commandment

⁷ Beloved ones, I am writing you, not a new commandment, but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word that you heard. ⁸ Again, I am writing you a new commandment, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. ⁹ The one who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness until now. ¹⁰ The one who loves his brother remains in the light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. ¹¹ But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Reasons for Writing

¹² I am writing you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for the sake of his name. ¹³ I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father. ¹⁴ I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God remains in you, and you have overcome the wicked one.

Do Not Love the World

¹⁵ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. ¹⁷ The world is passing away, and its lusts; but the one who does the will of God remains forever.

Warning Against the Antichrist

¹⁸ Little children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist[4] is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen; whereby we know that it is the last hour. 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, so that they would be revealed that they all are not of us. ²⁰ But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. ²¹ I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth. ²² Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ?  This is the antichrist, even the one who denies the Father and the Son. ²³ Everyone who denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. ²⁴ As for you, let that remain[5] in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.

The Promise Is Eternal Life

²⁵ And this is the promise which he himself promised us: eternal life.

²⁶ These things I have written to you concerning the ones who are trying to deceive you. ²⁷ As for you, the anointing which you received from him remains in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as his anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you remain in him.

²⁸ And now, little children, remain in him, so that when he appears, we may have confidence[6] and not be ashamed before him at his coming. ²⁹ If you know that he is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born from him.

CHAPTER 3

We Are Children of God

3 See what sort of love the Father has given us, so that we should be called children of God; and such we are. That is why the world does not know us, because it did not know him. ² Beloved ones, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when he appears, we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is. ³ And everyone who has this hope set upon him purifies himself, just as that one is pure.

Children of God Versus Children of Devil

⁴ Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. ⁵ And you know, too, that one was revealed in order that he might take away sins; and in him there is no sin. ⁶ No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. ⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous; ⁸ the one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed remains in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. ¹⁰ By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

¹¹ For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; ¹² not as Cain, who was of the wicked one and violently slaughtered his brother. And for what reason did he slaughter him? Because his deeds were evil, and the ones of his brother were righteous.

Love One Another

¹³ Do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you. ¹⁴ We know that we have passed over from death to life because we love the brothers. The one who does not love remains in death. ¹⁵ Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. ¹⁶ By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷ But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart[7] against[8] him, how does the love of God remain in him? ¹⁸ Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

 God Is Greater Than Our Heart

¹⁹ By this we know that we are of the truth and will persuade[9] our heart before him, ²⁰ in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things. ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence[10] toward God; ²² and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. ²³ And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. ²⁴ And the one who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. And by this we know that he resides in us: by the Spirit whom he has given to us.

CHAPTER 4

Testing the Spirits

4 Beloved ones, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ as having come in the flesh is from God; ³ and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist,[11] of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is in the world already. ⁴ You are from God, little children, and have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. ⁵ They are from the world; therefore, they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. ⁶ We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

God Is Love

⁷ Beloved ones, let us love one another, for love is from God; and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. ⁹ In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, so that we might live through him. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved ones, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God remains in us and his love is perfected in us. ¹³ By this we know that we are remaining in him and he in us, because he has given his Spirit to us. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

No Fear In Love

¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God. ¹⁶ We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. ¹⁷ By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence[12] in the day of judgment; because as he is, so also are we in this world. ¹⁸ There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear has to do with punishment,[13] and the one who fears is not perfected in love. ¹⁹ We love because he first loved us. ²⁰ If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. ²¹ And this commandment we have from him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

CHAPTER 5

Conquer the World

5 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the one[14] loves whoever has been born of him. ² By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and do his commandments. ³ For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, ⁴ because everyone who[15] has been born from God conquers the world. And this is the conquest that has conquered the world, our faith.

⁵ Who is the one who conquers the world, but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? ⁶ This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. ⁷ For there are three that testify:[16] ⁸ the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. ⁹ If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; because this is the testimony of God that he has testified concerning his Son. ¹⁰ The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning his Son. ¹¹ And this is the testimony, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

The Power of Prayer

¹³ These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life. ¹⁴ And this is the confidence that we have before[17] him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from him.

¹⁶ If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will for him give life, to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this. ¹⁷ All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.

Guard Against the Wicked World

¹⁸ We know that the one who is born of God does not keep on sinning,[18] but the one who was born of God is keeping him, and the wicked one is not touching him. ¹⁹ We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the wicked one. ²⁰ And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding,[19] so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

²¹ Little children, guard yourselves from idols.

[1] Or a sharing

[2] The Greek verb (ἁμάρτητε hamartete) is in the aorist subjunctive; therefore, the time of the action is punctiliar, or momentary, which means one act of sinning.

[3] Or an atoning sacrifice; a means of appeasement

[4] Antichrist: (ἀντίχριστος antichristos) The term “Antichrist,” occurs in the NT five times. From those five times, we gather this entity is “against” (i.e., denies Christ) or “instead of” (i.e., false Christs) Jesus Christ. Many antichrists began back in the apostle John’s day and will continue up unto Jesus’ second coming. (1 John 2:18) The antichrist is referred to as a number of individuals taken together, i.e., collectively. (2 John 1;7) Persons who deny Jesus Christ are the antichrist. (1 John 2:22) All who deny the divinity of Jesus Christ as the One and Only Son of God is the antichrist. (1 John 2:22; John 10:36; Lu 9:35) Some antichrists are apostates who left the faith and are now in opposition to the truth. (1 John 2:18-19) Those who oppose the true followers of Jesus are the antichrist. (John 15:20-21) Antichrists are individuals or nations opposing Jesus or trying to supplant his kingly authority. – Ps. 2:2; Matt. 24:24; Rev. 17:3, 12-14; 19:11-21.

[5] Remain; Stay; Abide: (μένω menō) It can mean to remain or stay in one place over some time. It also means to continue a certain state, condition, or activity. We remain in union with Jesus and remain in the Father’s love by having an enduring continued faith and loving obedience to both the Father and the Son. Personal study of God’s Word, heartfelt prayer, teaching and making disciples, preparing for, and worshiping at Christian meetings will enable Christians to remain. – John 15:4-7, 9-10; 1 John 2:24, 27-28.

[6] The Greek word (παρρησία parrēsia) literally means freedom of speech or outspokenness. The sense is boldness in being willing to undertake activities that involve risk or danger, primarily being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech.

[7] Lit inward parts

[8] Lit from

[9] Or assure; convince

[10] The Greek word (παρρησία parrēsia) literally means freedom of speech or outspokenness. The sense is boldness in being willing to undertake activities that involve risk or danger, primarily being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech.

[11] Antichrist: (ἀντίχριστος antichristos) The term “Antichrist,” occurs in the NT five times. From those five times, we gather this entity is “against” (i.e., denies Christ) or “instead of” (i.e., false Christs) Jesus Christ. Many antichrists began back in the apostle John’s day and will continue up unto Jesus’ second coming. (1 John 2:18) The antichrist is referred to as a number of individuals taken together, i.e., collectively. (2 John 1;7) Persons who deny Jesus Christ are the antichrist. (1 John 2:22) All who deny the divinity of Jesus Christ as the One and Only Son of God is the antichrist. (1 John 2:22; John 10:36; Lu 9:35) Some antichrists are apostates who left the faith and are now in opposition to the truth. (1 John 2:18-19) Those who oppose the true followers of Jesus are the antichrist. (John 15:20-21) Antichrists are individuals or nations opposing Jesus or trying to supplant his kingly authority. – Ps. 2:2; Matt. 24:24; Rev. 17:3, 12-14; 19:11-21.

[12] The Greek word (παρρησία parrēsia) literally means freedom of speech or outspokenness. The sense is boldness in being willing to undertake activities that involve risk or danger, primarily being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech.

[13] The Greek word (κόλασις kolasis) literally means lopping off or cutting off. The punishment is the fear of being cut off, i.e., not remaining in God’s love on judgment day.

[14] That is, the Father

[15] Lit everything that

[16] The earliest and best manuscripts (א A B (Ψ) Maj syr cop arm eth it) do not contain this spurious interpolation. Only eight late Greek manuscripts add “… in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. ⁸ And there are three that testify on earth, the Spirit.” If this passage had been in the original, there is no good reason why it would have been removed either accidentally or intentionally. None of the Greek church fathers quote this passage, which they certainly would have during the Trinitarian controversy. (Sabellian and Arian). This interpolation is not in any of the ancient versions, such as Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, Ethiopic, Arabic, Slavonic, and the Old Latin in its early form, or Jerome’s Latin Vulgate. Intrinsically, the interpolation “makes an awkward break in the sense” as Metzger points out.

[17] Lit toward

[18] The Greek literally reads, “not he is sinning” (ἁμαρτάνει, present active indicative). The UASV and ESV correctly renders this “does not keep on sinning,” as the present tense often carries with it a durative or progressive sense. The Greek here brings out that there is a difference between committing a sin and willfully living in sin.

[19] Or insight; mental perception; intellectual capacity