The First Epistle General of John

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 3 -

Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.

Beloved, we are now children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when Christ appears,(a) we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is.

And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as Christ is pure.(b)

Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness.(c)

But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.

No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.

Little children,(d) let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.(e)

The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.

Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

Love One Another

(John 13:31–35; Romans 12:9–13)

This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another.

Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.

So do not be surprised, brothers, if the world hates you.

We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. The one who does not love remains in death.

Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that eternal life does not reside in a murderer.

By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?

Little children, let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth.

And by this we will know that we belong to the truth, and will assure our hearts in His presence:

Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things.

Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God,

and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.

And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we should love one another just as He commanded us.

Whoever keeps His commandments remains in God, and God in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.

Footnotes

(a)3:2 Literally when He appears or when it appears

(b)3:3 Literally just as He is pure

(d)3:7 NA Young children in training

(e)3:7 Literally He is righteous

See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him.

Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him just as he is.

Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.

You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and no sin is in him.

Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him and doesn’t know him.

Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Whoever is born of God doesn’t commit sin, because his seed remains in him, and he can’t sin, because he is born of God.

In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother.

Love One Another

(John 13:31–35; Romans 12:9–13)

For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another—

unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

Don’t be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.

We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn’t love his brother remains in death.

Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.

By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him?

My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.

And by this we know that we are of the truth and persuade our hearts before him,

because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God;

so whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.

This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded.

He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.