What Was Heard, Seen, and Touched^(A)

1 That ^(B)which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have ^(C)seen with our eyes, ^(D)which we have looked upon, and ^(E)our hands have handled, concerning the ^(F)Word of life— ^2 (G)the life ^(H)was manifested, and we have seen, ^(I)and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was ^(J)with the Father and was manifested to us— ³ that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is ^(K)with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And these things we write to you ^(L)that ^[a]your joy may be full.

Fellowship with Him and One Another

^5 (M)This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that ^(N)God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. ^6 (O)If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we ^(P)walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and ^(Q)the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we ^(R)confess our sins, He is ^(S)faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to ^(T)cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we ^(U)make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

The Test of Knowing Christ

2 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, ^(V)we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ² And ^(W)He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but ^(X)also for the whole world.

The Test of Knowing Him

³ Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. ⁴ He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a ^(Y)liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵ But ^(Z)whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God ^[b]is perfected ^(AA)in him. By this we know that we are in Him. ^6 (AB)He who says he abides in Him ^(AC)ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

^7 [c]Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had ^(AD)from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard ^[d]from the beginning. ⁸ Again, ^(AE)a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, ^(AF)because the darkness is passing away, and ^(AG)the true light is already shining.

^9 (AH)He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. ^10 (AI)He who loves his brother abides in the light, and ^(AJ)there is no cause for stumbling in him. ¹¹ But he who ^(AK)hates his brother is in darkness and ^(AL)walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Their Spiritual State

Do Not Love the World

^15 (AQ)Do not love the world or the things in the world. ^(AR)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, ^(AS)the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. ¹⁷ And ^(AT)the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Deceptions of the Last Hour

^18 (AU)Little children, ^(AV)it is the last hour; and as you have heard that ^(AW)the^[e] Antichrist is coming, ^(AX)even now many antichrists have come, by which we know ^(AY)that it is the last hour. ^19 (AZ)They went out from us, but they were not of us; for ^(BA)if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out ^(BB)that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

²⁰ But ^(BC)you have an anointing ^(BD)from the Holy One, and ^(BE)you^[f] know all things. ²¹ I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

^22 (BF)Who is a liar but he who denies that ^(BG)Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. ^23 (BH)Whoever denies the Son does not have the ^(BI)Father either; ^(BJ)he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

Let Truth Abide in You

²⁴ Therefore let that abide in you ^(BK)which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, ^(BL)you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. ^25 (BM)And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.

²⁶ These things I have written to you concerning those who try to ^[g]deceive you. ²⁷ But the ^(BN)anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and ^(BO)you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing ^(BP)teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you ^[h]will abide in Him.

The Children of God

²⁸ And now, little children, abide in Him, that ^[i]when He appears, we may have ^(BQ)confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. ^29 (BR)If you know that He is righteous, you know that ^(BS)everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

The Command to Love

3 Behold ^(BT)what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that ^(BU)we should be called children of ^[j]God! Therefore the world does not know ^[k]us, ^(BV)because it did not know Him. ² Beloved, ^(BW)now we are children of God; and ^(BX)it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, ^(BY)we shall be like Him, for ^(BZ)we shall see Him as He is. ^3 (CA)And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

Sin and the Child of God

⁴ Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and ^(CB)sin is lawlessness. ⁵ And you know ^(CC)that He was manifested ^(CD)to take away our sins, and ^(CE)in Him there is no sin. ⁶ Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.

⁷ Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. ^8 (CF)He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, ^(CG)that He might destroy the works of the devil. ⁹ Whoever has been ^(CH)born of God does not sin, for ^(CI)His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.

The Imperative of Love^(CJ)

¹⁰ In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. ¹¹ For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, ^(CK)that we should love one another, ¹² not as ^(CL)Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.

¹³ Do not marvel, my brethren, if ^(CM)the world hates you. ¹⁴ We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love ^[l]his brother abides in death. ^15 (CN)Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that ^(CO)no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

The Outworking of Love

^16 (CP)By this we know love, ^(CQ)because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. ¹⁷ But ^(CR)whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

¹⁸ My little children, ^(CS)let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. ¹⁹ And by this we ^[m]know ^(CT)that we are of the truth, and shall ^[n]assure our hearts before Him. ^20 (CU)For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. ²¹ Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, ^(CV)we have confidence toward God. ²² And ^(CW)whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments ^(CX)and do those 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 ^(CY)and love one another, as He gave ^[o]us commandment.

The Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error

²⁴ Now ^(CZ)he who keeps His commandments ^(DA)abides in Him, and He in him. And ^(DB)by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.