1 John

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life. 2 For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us. 3 That which we have seen and heard, we declare unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us. And truly our fellowship is with the Father; our Adonai, Yeshua the Messiah! 4 And these things we write unto you, that your joy may be full. 5 This then is the message, which we have heard of Him, and declare unto you; that Elohim is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not know truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship, one with another, and the blood of Messiah Yeshua, Adonai, cleans 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 confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

1 My teknion, these things write I unto you so that you sin not. And if anyone sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Messiah Yeshua the Righteous: 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. 3 And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. (Matt 22:37–40) 4 Those that claim to know Him, but does not keep His commandments, are liars, and the truth is not in them. 5 But who so keeps His word, in them verily, is the Love of Elohim perfected; hereby we know that we are in Him! 6 Those that say He abides in them, should also to walk, even as He walked. 7 I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment, which you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word, which you have heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in Him and in you; because the darkness is past, and the true light now shines. 9 He that says he is in the light, and hates another, is in darkness even until now. 10 Those that Love others, abides in the light, and there is no occasion of stumbling in them. 11 But those that hate others, are in darkness, and walk in darkness, and do not know where they go, because that darkness has blinded their eyes. 12 I write unto you, my teknion, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. 13 I write unto you, fathers, because you have known Him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because you have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you all, my teknion, because you have known the Father. 14 I have written to you fathers, because you have known Him that is from the beginning. I have written to you young men, because you are strong, and the word of Elohim abides in you, and you have overcome the wicked one. 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the Love of the Father is not in them. 16 For all that is in the world; the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passes away, and the lust thereof; but those that do the will of Elohim, will abide forever! 18 My teknion, in the last time, and as you have heard that the Anti–Messiah shall come, even now there are many anti-Messiahs, where by we know that it is the last time. 19 They went out from us, but were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. But they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. 20 But, you have unction from the Holy One, and you know all things! 21 I have not written unto you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar but those that deny that Yeshua is the Messiah? They are anti-Messiah, whoever denies the Father as the Son. 23 Whoever denies the Son, the same has not the Father, but those that acknowledge the Son has the Father also. 24 Let that therefore abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning. If that which you have heard from the beginning, shall remain in you, you also shall continue in the Son, as in the Father. 25 And this is the promise that He has promised us, even eternal life. 26 These things I have written unto you, concerning them that seduce you. 27 But the anointing, which you have received of Him, abides in you, and you need not that anyone teach you, but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, so you shall abide in Him! 28 And now my teknion, abide in Him, so that when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone that does righteousness is born of Him!

1 Behold, what manner of Love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of Elohim, therefore the world knows us not, because it knew Him not. 2 Beloved, now we are the sons of Elohim, and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone that has this hope in Him, purifies themselves, even as He is pure. 4 Whoever commits sin transgresses also the Torah, for sin is the transgression of the Torah. 5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him, sin's not; whoever sin's has not seen Him, neither known Him. 7 My teknion, let no one deceive you; those that do righteousness, is righteous, even as He is righteous! 8 Those that commit sin, is of the devil, for the devil sins from the beginning! For this purpose, the Son of Elohim was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever is born of Elohim does not commit sin; for His seed remains in them, and they cannot sin because they are born of Elohim. 10 In this the children of Elohim are manifest, and the children of the devil; whoever does not righteousness is not of Elohim, neither those that do not Love others. 11 For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should Love one another. 12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his own brother. And why did he slew him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. 13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we Love one another. He that does not Love one another, abides in death. 15 Whoever hates another is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 Hereby we perceive the Love of Elohim, because He laid down His life for us all, and so we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 17 But who so has this world's goods, and sees another having need, and shuts up their bowels of compassion from them; how does the Love of Elohim abide in them? 18 My teknion, let us not Love in word, or with talk; but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, Elohim is greater than our heart, and knows all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemns us not, then we have confidence toward Elohim. 22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. 23 And this is His commandment: That we should believe on the name of Adonai, Messiah Yeshua, and Love one another, as He gave us commandment. 24 Those that keep His commandments, dwell in Him, and He in them; hereby we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit, which He has given us. (John 6:53–58; 14:15–18; Gal 5:13–14; Rom 8:9–11)

1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of Elohim. Because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 Here is how you know the Spirit of Elohim: Every spirit that confesses that Messiah Yeshua came in the flesh, is of Elohim, 3 but every spirit that confesses not, that Messiah Yeshua came in the flesh, is not of Elohim; this is that spirit of anti-Messiah, whereof you have heard that should come, and even now, is already in the world. 4 You are of Elohim, my teknion, and have overcome them, because greater is He that is in you, than those that are of the world. 5 They are of the world, therefore they speak of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of Elohim; those that know Elohim, hear us; those that are not of Elohim, do not hear us. Hereby we know the Spirit of truth from the spirits of error. 7 Beloved, let us Love one another, for Love is of Elohim, and everyone that Loves is born of Elohim and knows Him. 8 He that Loves not, knows not Elohim, for Elohim is Love! 9 In this, was manifested the Love of Elohim toward us; because Elohim sent His only begotten Adon into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 Herein is Love; not that we Loved Elohim, but that He Loved us and sent Adonai to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if Elohim so Loved us, we ought also to Love one another. 12 No one has seen Elohim at any time! If we Love one another, Elohim dwells in us, and His Love is perfected in us! 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever shall confess that Yeshua is the Son of Elohim, He dwells in them and they in Elohim. 16 And we have known and believed the Love that Elohim has to us. Elohim is Love, and those that dwell in Love, dwell in Elohim, and Elohim in them. 17 Herein is our Love made perfect; that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment, because as He is, so are we in this world. (1Co 6:2–3) 18 There is no fear in Love, but perfect Love will cast out all fear, because fear has torment. Those that fear are not made perfect in Love. 19 We Love Him, because He first Loved us! 20 If anyone says: I Love Elohim! But hates another, they are a liar, for those who do not Love those they have seen, how can they Love Elohim whom they have never seen? 21 This commandment we have from Him; that those who Love Elohim will Love one another also.

1 Whoever believes that Yeshua is the Messiah, is born of Elohim, and everyone that Loves Him that begot, Loves those also that are begotten of Him. 2 By this we know that we Love the children of Elohim, when we Love Elohim, and keep His commandments. 3 For this is the Love of Elohim; that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous. (Matt 11:28–30) 4 For whatsoever is born of Elohim overcomes the world, and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. 5 Who are those that overcome the world, but those that believe that Yeshua is the Son of Elohim? 6 This is He that came by water and blood, even Messiah Yeshua: Not by water only, but by water and blood! (John 3:5) And it is the Spirit that bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. 7 For there are three that bear record [In Heaven; the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one; 8 and there are three that bear witness on earth **]: the Spirit and the water and the blood; all three are necessary. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of Elohim is greater, for this is the witness of Elohim, which He has testified of Adonai our Elohim. 10 Those that believe on the Son of Elohim, has the witness within themselves; those that believe not, Elohim has made Him a liar, because those do not believe the record that Elohim gave of Adonai. 11 And this is the record; that Elohim has given unto us, eternal life, and this life is in Adonai. 12 Those that have the Son, have life, but those that do not have the Son of Elohim, has not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of Elohim; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of Elohim. 14 And this is the confidence that we have in Him; that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him. 16 If anyone sees another sin a sin which is not unto death, we shall ask, and He shall give them life, for those that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death; I do not say that we shall pray for it. 17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin, not unto death. 18 We know that whoever is born of Elohim, sin's not; but those that are begotten of Elohim, keeps themselves, and that wicked one cannot touch them. 19 And we know that we are of Elohim, and the whole world lies in wickedness. 20 We know that the Son of Elohim has come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in Adonai, Yeshua our Messiah. This is the true El, and thus eternal life. 21 My teknion, keep yourselves from idols. Amen!
[A sermon written by Saint John the Apostle, son of Zebedee, who also wrote the Gospel of John and Revelations.] (Back)