know the truth; but because you know it, and because no kind 22 of falsehood is of the truth. Who is the liar; but he who denieth

that Jesus is the Christ? He is the Antichrist who denieth the 23 Father and the Son: whosoever denieth the Son, hath not the 24 Father. As for you, therefore, let that which you have heard from the beginning abide in you. If that which you have heard from the beginning abide in you, then you will abide in 25 the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise which he hath promised us, even the life which is everlasting. These 26 things I have written to you with a view to them who are sc27 ducing you. As for you, the unction which you have received from him abideth in you, and you have no need that any one should teach you. As then this unction itself teacheth you concerning all, and is true, and is not a falsity; abide ye 28 in him as it hath taught you. And now, children, abide in him, that when he shall appear we may have confidence, and 29 not be made ashamed by him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you know that every one who practiseth righteousness is born of him.

III. Behold what a love the Father hath shewn us, that we should be called children of God: on this account the world 2 doth not know us, because it did not know him. Beloved, we are now children of God. Though it hath not yet been manifested what we shall be, yet we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him: that we shall see him as he is. 3 Now, every one who hath this hope in him purifieth himself 4 as he is pure. Whosoever committeth sin, committeth a vi5 olation of law; for sin is a violation of law. Now, you know

that he was manifested to take away our sins, and there 6 is no sin in him. Whosoever abideth in him doth not sin : 7 whosoever continueth to sin hath not seen him, nor known him. Children, let no one deceive you. He who practiseth right8 cousness is righteous, as he is righteous. He who practiseth sin is of the devil, because the devil sinneth from the beginning; for this [purpose] the son of God was manifested, that he 9 might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not practise sin, because his secd abideth in him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God. By this the children 10 of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. Whosoever doth not practise righteousness is not of God, nor

11 he who doth not love his brother. For this is the message 12 which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, and not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And why did he slay him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

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Wonder not, my brethren, if the world hate you. We 14 know that we have passed from death to life, because we love 15 the brethren. He who loveth not his brother abideth in death.

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer; and you know 16 that no murderer hath everlasting life abiding in him. By this we know the love of God. Because he laid down his life for us, therefore we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 Whosoever hath worldly substance, and seeth his brother in want, and shutteth up his compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

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My children, let us not love in word, and with the 19 tongue, but in deed, and in truth. When we know by this that 20 we are of the truth, let us in his presence persuade our

hearts, in respect to what things soever our heart condemneth us, that God is greater than our hearts, and that he know21 eth all things. Beloved, if our heart doth not condemn us, we 22 have confidence towards God, and whatever we ask we obtain from him, because we keep his commandments, and do the 23 things which are pleasing in his sight. Now this is his com

mandment, that we believe in the name of his son Jesus Christ, 24 and love one another, as he hath commanded us. And he

IV.

who keepeth his commandments will abide in him, and he will abide in that man. And by this we know that he abideth in us, even by the spirit which he hath given us.

Beloved, trust not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they be of God; for many false teachers, are gone forth 2 into the world. By this you know the spirit of God-every spirit which acknowledgeth Jesus Christ come in flesh, is of 3 God. And every spirit which doth not acknowledge Jesus Christ come in flesh, is not of God. This indeed is that of Antichrist which you have heard is coming, and is now already in the world: You, children, are of God, and have overcome them, 4 because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the 5 world. They are of the world, therefore they speak suitably

to the world, and the world hearkeneth to them. We are of 6 God. He who knoweth God, hearkeneth to us. He who is not of God doth not hearken to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

7

Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and 8 every one who loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He 9 who doth not love hath not known God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested among us, because God sent his only begotten son into the world, that we may live by 10 him. In this is the love; not that we loved God, but that he

loved us, and sent his son to be an atonement for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us; we surely ought to love one an12 other. No one hath ever seen God. If we love one another, 13 God abideth in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we

know that we abide in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his spirit; and we have seen, and do testify, that 14 the Father hath sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever will confess that Jesus is the son of God, God 16 abideth in him, and he in God. Now we have known and be

lieved this love which God hath for us. God is love; and he who abideth in this love abideth in God, and God in him. 17 Love is by this perfected among us that we may have confi18 dence in the day of judgment, because in this world we are as

he is. There is no fear in this love. This perfect love excludeth fear. Because fear is accompanied with torment, therefore he who feareth is not perfect in love. As for us we love 19 him because he first loved us. If any one saith, I love God, 20 and hateth his brother, he is a liar. For how can he who doth

not love his brother whom he hath seen, love God, whom he 21 hath not seen? Besides, we have this commandment from him, That he who loveth God, love his brother also: Whosoe

V.

3

ver believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God; and every one who loveth him who begat, loveth him also who is begot2 ten of him; by this we know that we love the children of God. While we love God, we keep his commandments; for this is the love of God that we keep his commandments. 4 Now his commandments are not grievous, because whatever is born of God overcometh the world, and the victory 5 which overcometh the world is our faith. Who is he that over

cometh the world, but he who believeth that Jesus is the son of 6 God? This Jesus is the Christ, whose coming was pointed

out by water and by blood,* not by the water only, but by the 7 water and the blood; and the spirit is testifying this. Because 8 the spirit is the truth, because there are three that bear wit

ness, the Spirit, and the Water, and the Blood, and these three 9 are to one and the same thing, if we admit the testimony of men the testimony of God is greater.† For this is the testi

* Literally, he is the one who was to come by water and blood, Jesus the Christ.

V. 6, 7, 8. Literally as in my copy. This Jesus is the Christ who was to come (or who was coming) by water and by blood, not by the water only but by the water and the blood, and the spirit is testifying this. Because the spirit is the truth-because there are three that bear witness [in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one: and there are three that bear witness on the earth] the Spirit and the Water and the Blood; and these three are for one and the same thing.

The authenticity of the words inclosed in brackets has been a subject of great doubt and dispute.

As the sense is complete, and the connection with what goes before and what follows is more clear, and better preserved without them; and as the words in dispute, supposing them to be genuine, are not applicable to the doctrine of the trinity; for as Beza on the passage justly remarks-"These three, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, are one in consent, as if they were only one witness; but concerning their unity in substance, that, as it appears to me, is not treated of in this place." And to the same purpose Calvin says, "The apostle in declaring these three are one does not refer to their essence, but to their consent, as if he should say, the Father, his eternal word, and the Spirit, with one consenting voice, do equally bear testimony to Christ; and there is no doubt but that the Father, Word, and Spirit, are said to be one in the same sense in which it is afterwards said that the blood, water and spirit are one;" and as, besides this, there are some internal and incidental marks, which render the words very much suspected; I cannot, therefore, but agree with Luther, Zuinglius, Bullinger and Erasmus, that the words in the brackets ought not to be admitted into the text, more especially as they are not found in any of the ancient Greek manuscripts, except only one which is of doubtful authority.

10 mony of God, which he hath testified concerning his son. He who believeth in the son of God hath this testimony in himself: he who doth not believe God, impeacheth his veracity, because he believeth not the testimony which God hath given 11 concerning his son. Now this is the testimony, that God hath 12 given us everlasting life, and this life is by his son: he who hath the son hath this life: he who hath not the son of God hath not this life.

13

These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have 14 everlasting life; and that you may believe in the name of the son of God: this also is the confidence which we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will he hearkeneth to 15 us. Now, if we know that he hearkeneth to us in whatever we may ask; we know that we obtain from him the petitions which we have asked. If any one see his brother committing 16 a sin not unto death, let him ask, and he will give him life for them who do not sin unto death: there is a sin unto death, 17 with respect to this I do not say that he should make petition. 18 Every act of unrighteousness is a sin; and there is a sin not

unto death, and we know that every one who is born of God doth not sin; he indeed who is born of God guardeth him19 self and the wicked one doth not cling to him. We know that we are of God and that the whole world is laid prostrate by 20 the wicked one; and we know that the son of God is come, and

21

hath given us understanding that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, and in his son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and the life eternal.

Dear children, keep yourselves from the idols. Amen.