REVELATION 21

The New Heaven and Earth

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away (vanished), and there is no longer anysea.

2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, arrayed like a bride adorned for her husband;

3 and then I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “See! The tabernacle of God is among men, and He will live among them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them[as their God,]

4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be death; there will no longer be sorrowandanguish, or crying, or pain; for theformer order of things has passed away.”

5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true [they are accurate, incorruptible, and trustworthy].”

6 And He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the one who thirsts I will give [water] from the fountain of the water of life without cost.

7 He who overcomes [the world by adhering faithfully to Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior] will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.

8 But as for the cowards and unbelieving and abominable [who are devoid of character and personal integrity and practice or tolerate immorality], and murderers, and sorcerers [with intoxicating drugs], and idolatersandoccultists [who practice and teach false religions], and all the liars [who knowingly deceive and twist truth], their part will be in the lake that blazes with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem

9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven final plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a vast and lofty mountain, and showed me the holy (sanctified) city of Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God,

11 having God’s glory [filled with His radiant light]. The brilliance of it resembled a rareandvery precious jewel, likejasper, shiningandclear as crystal.

12 It had a massive and high wall, with twelve [large] gates, and at the gates [were stationed] twelve angels; and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were written.

13 On the east side [there were] three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.

14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb (Christ).

15 The one who was speaking with me had a gold measuring rod to measure the city, and its gates and its wall.

16 The city is laid out as a square, its length being the same as its width; and he measured the city with his rod–twelve thousand stadia (about 1,400 miles); its length and width and height are equal.

17 He measured its wall also–a hundred forty-four cubits (about 200 feet),according toman’s measurements, which are [also] angelic [measurements].

18 The wall was built of jasper; and the city was pure gold, transparent like clear crystal.

19 The foundation stones of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation stone was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third,chalcedony; the fourth, emerald;

20 the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite (yellow topaz); the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst.

21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each separate gate was of one single pearl. And the street (broad way) of the city was pure gold, like transparent crystal.

22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty [the Omnipotent, the Ruler of all] and the Lamb are its temple.

23 And the city has no need of the sun nor of the moon to give light to it, for the glory (splendor, radiance) of God has illumined it, and the Lamb is its lampandlight.

24 The nations [the redeemed people from the earth] will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring into it their glory.

25 By day (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed [in fear of evil];

26 and they will bring the glory (splendor, majesty) and the honor of the nations into it;

27 and nothing that defilesorprofanesoris unwashed will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices abominations [detestable, morally repugnant things] and lying, but only those [will be admitted] whose names have been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

REVELATION 22

The Perfect Life

1 Then the angel showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Christ),

2 in the middle of its street. On either side of the river was the tree of life, bearing twelvekinds offruit, yielding its fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

3 There will no longer exist anything that is cursed [because sin and illness and death are gone]; and the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and His bond-servants will serveandworship Him [with great awe and joy and loving devotion];

4 they will [be privileged to] see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.

5 And there will no longer be night; they have no need for lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign [as kings] forever and ever.

You Are Invited to be Blessed

6 Then he said to me, “These words are faithful and true.” And the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, has sent His angel [as a representative] to show His bond-servants the things that must soon take place.

7 “And behold, I am coming quickly.Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) is the one who heedsandtakes to heartandremembers the words of the prophecy[that is, the predictions, consolations, and warnings]contained in this book (scroll).”

8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.

9 But he said to me, “Do not do that. I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets and with those who heedandremember [the truths contained in] the words of this book. Worship God.”

10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time [of their fulfillment] isnear.

11 Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy (vile, impure), still be filthy; and the one who is righteous (just, upright), still be righteous; and the one who is holy, still be holy.”

12 “Behold, I (Jesus) am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me,to give to each oneaccording to the merit of his deeds (earthly works, faithfulness).

13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End[the Eternal One].”

14 Blessed (happy, prosperous, to be admired) are those who wash their robes [in the blood of Christ by believing and trusting in Him–the righteous who do His commandments], so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.

15 Outside are the dogs [the godless, the impure, those of low moral character] and the sorcerers [with their intoxicating drugs, and magic arts], and the immoral persons [the perverted, the molesters, and the adulterers], and the murderers, and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying (deception, cheating).

The Final Invitation

16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to youandto give you assurance of these things for the churches. I am the Root (the Source, the Life) and the Offspring of David, the radiantandbright Morning Star.”

17 The [Holy] Spirit and the bride (the church, believers) say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes takeanddrink the water of life without cost.

18 I testifyandwarn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book [its predictions, consolations, and admonitions]: if anyone adds [anything] to them, God will add to him the plagues (afflictions, calamities) which are written in this book;

19 and if anyone takes away fromordistorts the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away [from that one] his share from the tree of life and from the holy city (new Jerusalem), which are written in this book.

20 He who testifiesandaffirms these things says,“Yes, I am coming quickly.”Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

21 The grace of the Lord Jesus (the Christ, the Messiah) be with all [the saints–all believers, those set apart for God]. Amen.

JUDE 1

The Warnings of History to the Ungodly

1 Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ, andbrother ofJames, [writes this letter],

To those who are the called (God’s chosen ones, the elect), dearly loved by God the Father, and kept [secure and set apart] for Jesus Christ:

2 May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you [filling your heart with the spiritual well-being and serenity experienced by those who walk closely with God].

3 Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I was compelled to write to you [urgently] appealing that youfight strenuously for [the defense of] the faith which was once for allhanded down to the saints [the faith that is the sum of Christian belief that was given verbally to believers].

4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed [just as if they were sneaking in by a side door]. They are ungodly persons whose condemnation was predicted long ago, for they distort the grace of our God into decadenceandimmoral freedom [viewing it as an opportunity to do whatever they want], and denyanddisown our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.

5 Now I want to remind you, although you are fully informed once for all, thatthe Lord, after saving a people out of the land of Egypt, subsequently destroyed those who did not believe [who refused to trust and obey and rely on Him].

6 And angels who did not keep their own designated place of power, but abandoned their proper dwelling place, [these] He has kept in eternal chains under [the thick gloom of utter] darkness for the judgment of the great day,

7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the adjacent cities, since they in the same way as theseangelsindulged in gross immoral freedomandunnatural vice and sensual perversity. They are exhibited [in plain sight] as an example in undergoing the punishment of everlasting fire.

8 Nevertheless in the same way, these dreamers [who are dreaming that God will not punish them] also defile the body, and reject [legitimate] authority, and revileandmock angelic majesties.

9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil (Satan), andarguing about the body of Moses, did not dare bring an abusive condemnation against him, but [simply] said, “The Lord rebuke you!”

10 But these men sneer at anything which they do not understand; and whatever they do know by [mere] instinct, like unreasoningandirrational beasts–by these things they are destroyed.

11 Woe to them! For they have gone the [defiant] way of Cain, and for profit they have run headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of [mutinous] Korah.

12 These men are hidden reefs [elements of great danger to others] in yourlove feasts when they feast together with you without fear, looking after [only] themselves; [they are like] clouds without water, swept along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprootedandlifeless;

13 wild waves of the sea, flinging up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of deep darkness has been reserved forever.

14 It was about these people thatEnoch, in the seventhgenerationfrom Adam, prophesied, when he said, “Look, the Lord came withmyriads of His holy ones

15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all theungodly of all the ungodly deeds they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harshandcruel things ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

16 Thesepeopleare [habitual] murmurers, gripingandcomplaining, following after their own desires [controlled by passion]; they speak arrogantly, [pretending admiration and] flattering people togain anadvantage.

Keep Yourselves in the Love of God

17 But as for you, beloved, remember the [prophetic] words spoken by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ.

18 They used to say to you, “In the last days there will be scoffers, following after their own ungodly passions.”

19 These are the ones who are [agitators] causing divisions–worldly-minded [secular, unspiritual, carnal, merely sensual–unsaved], devoid of the Spirit.

20 But you, beloved, build yourselves up on [the foundation of] your most holy faith [continually progress, rise like an edifice higher and higher], pray in the Holy Spirit,

21 and keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiouslyandlooking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ [which will bring you] to eternal life.

22 And have mercy on some, who are doubting;

23 save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy but with fear, loathing even the clothing spottedandpolluted by their shameless immoral freedom.

24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumblingorfalling into sin, and to present you unblemished [blameless and faultless] in the presence of His glory with triumphant joyandunspeakable delight,

25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and power, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

3 JOHN 1

You Walk in the Truth

1 The elder [of the church addresses this letter] to the belovedandesteemed Gaius, whom I love in truth.

2 Beloved, I pray that in every way you may succeedandprosper and be in good health [physically], just as [I know] your soul prospers [spiritually].

3 For I was greatly pleased when [some of the] brothers came [from time to time] and testified to your [faithfulness to the] truth [of the gospel message],that is,how you are walking in truth.

4 I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my [spiritual] children are living [their lives] in the truth.

5 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in what you are providing for the brothers, and especiallywhen they arestrangers;

6 and they have testified before the church of your loveandfriendship. You will do well to [assist them and] send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.

7 For these [traveling missionaries] went out for the sake of the Name [of Christ], accepting nothing [in the way of assistance] from the Gentiles.

8 So we ought to support such people [welcoming them as guests and providing for them], so that we may be fellow workers for the truth [that is, for the gospel message of salvation].

9 I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to put himself first, does not accept what we sayandrefuses to recognize my authority.

10 For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, unjustly accusing us with wicked wordsandunjustified charges. And not satisfied with this, he refuses to receive the [missionary] brothers himself, and also forbids those who want to [welcome them] and putsthemout of the church.

11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but [imitate] what is good. The one who practices good [exhibiting godly character, moral courage and personal integrity] is of God; the one who practices [or permits or tolerates] evil has not seen God [he has no personal experience with Him and does not know Him at all].

12 Demetrius has received agoodtestimonyandcommendation from everyone–and from the truth [the standard of God’s word] itself; and we add our testimonyandspeak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.

13 I had many things [to say when I began] to write to you, but I prefer not to put it down with pen (reed) andblack (ink);

14 but I hope to see you soon, and we will speakface to face.

15 Peace be to you. The friends [here] greet you. Greet the friends [personally] by name.

2 JOHN 1

Walk According to His Commandments

1 The elder [of the church addresses this letter] to the elect (chosen)lady and her children, whom I love in truth–and not only I, but also all who knowandunderstand the truth–

2 because of the truth which lives in our hearts and will be with us forever:

3 Grace, mercy, and peace (inner calm, a sense of spiritual well-being) will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, in truth and love.

4 I was greatly delighted to findsomeof your children walking in truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father.

5 Now I ask you, lady, not as ifI werewriting to you a new commandment, but [simply reminding you of] the one which we have had from the beginning, that weloveandunselfishly seek the best for one another.

6 And this is love: that we walk in accordance with His commandmentsandare guided continually by His precepts. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should [always] walk in love.

7 For many deceivers [heretics, posing as Christians] have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledgeandconfess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh (bodily form). This [person, the kind who does this] is the deceiver and theantichrist [that is, the antagonist of Christ].

8 Watch yourselves, so that you do not lose what we have accomplished together, but that you may receive a fullandperfect reward [when He grants rewards to faithful believers].

9 Anyone who runs on ahead and does not remain in the doctrine of Christ [that is, one who is not content with what He taught], does not have God; but the one whocontinuesto remain in the teaching [of Christ does have God], he has both the Father and the Son.

10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching [but diminishes or adds to the doctrine of Christ], do not receiveorwelcome him into your house, and do not give him a greetingorany encouragement;

11 for the one who gives him a greeting [who encourages him or wishes him success, unwittingly] participates in his evil deeds.

12 I have many things to write to you, but I prefer not to do so with paper (papyrus) and black (ink); but I hope to come to you and speak with youface to face, so thatyour joy may be complete.

13 The children of your elect (chosen) sister greet you.

1 JOHN 1

Introduction, The Incarnate Word

1 [I am writing about] what existed from the beginning, whatwe have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life [the One who existed even before the beginning of the world, Christ]–

2 and the Life [an aspect of His being] was manifested, and we have seen [it as eyewitnesses] and testify and declare to you [the Life], the eternal Life who was [already existing] with the Father and was [actually] made visible to us [His followers]–

3 what we have seen and heard we also proclaim to you, so that you too may have fellowship [as partners] with us. And indeed our fellowship [which is a distinguishing mark of born-again believers] is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.

4 We are writing these things to you so that our joy [in seeing you included] may be made complete [by having you share in the joy of salvation].

God Is Light

5 This is the message [of God’s promised revelation] which we have heard from Him and now announce to you, that God is Light [He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness], and in Him there is no darkness at all [no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection].

6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness [of sin], we lie and do not practice the truth;

7 but if we [really] walk in the Light [that is, live each and every day in conformity with the precepts of God], as He Himself is in the Light, we have [true, unbroken] fellowship with one another [He with us, and we with Him], and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin [by erasing the stain of sin, keeping us cleansed from sin in all its forms and manifestations].

8 If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude ourselves and the truth is not in us. [His word does not live in our hearts.]

9 If we [freely] admit that we have sinnedandconfess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse uscontinuallyfrom all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].

10 If we say that we have not sinned [refusing to admit acts of sin], we make Him [out to be] a liar [by contradicting Him] and His word is not in us.

1 JOHN 2

Christ Is Our Advocate

1 My little children (believers, dear ones), I am writing you these things so that you will not sinandviolate God’s law. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate [who will intercede for us] with the Father: Jesus Christ the righteous [the upright, the just One, who conforms to the Father’s will in every way–purpose, thought, and action].

2 And He [that same Jesus] is the propitiation for our sins [the atoning sacrifice that holds back the wrath of God that would otherwise be directed at us because of our sinful nature–our worldliness, our lifestyle]; and not for ours alone, but also for [the sins of all believers throughout] the whole world.

3 And this is how we know [daily, by experience] that we have come to know Him [to understand Him and be more deeply acquainted with Him]: if wehabituallykeep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments (teachings).

4 Whoever says, “I have come to know Him,” but does nothabituallykeep [focused on His precepts and obey] His commandments (teachings), is a liar, and the truth [of the divine word] is not in him.

5 But whoeverhabituallykeeps His wordandobeys His precepts [and treasures His message in its entirety], in him the love of God has truly been perfected [it is completed and has reached maturity]. By this we know [for certain] that we are in Him:

6 whoever says he lives in Christ [that is, whoever says he has accepted Him as God and Savior] ought [as a moral obligation] to walkandconduct himself just as He walkedandconducted Himself.

7 Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the message which you have heard [before from us].

8 On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is trueandrealized in Christ and in you, because the darkness [of moral blindness] is clearing away and the true Light [the revelation of God in Christ] is already shining.

9 The one who says he is in the Light [in consistent fellowship with Christ] and yethabituallyhates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is in the darkness until now.

10 The one wholovesandunselfishly seeks the best for his [believing] brother lives in the Light, and in him there is no occasion for stumblingoroffense [he does not hurt the cause of Christ or lead others to sin].

11 But the one whohabituallyhates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is in [spiritual] darkness and is walking in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

12 I am writing to you, little children (believers, dear ones), because your sins have been forgiven for His name’s sake [you have been pardoned and released from spiritual debt through His name because you have confessed His name, believing in Him as Savior].

13 I am writing to you, fathers [those believers who are spiritually mature], because you know Him who has existed from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men [those believers who are growing in spiritual maturity], because you have been victoriousandhave overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children [those who are new believers, those spiritually immature], because you have come to know the Father.

14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has existed from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strongandvigorous, and the word of God remains [always] in you, and you have been victorious over the evil one [by accepting Jesus as Savior].

Do Not Love the World

15 Do not love the world [of sin that opposes God and His precepts], nor the things that are 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 lustandsensual craving of the flesh and the lustandlonging of the eyes and the boastful pride of life [pretentious confidence in one’s resources or in the stability of earthly things]–these do not come from the Father, but are from the world.

17 The world is passing away, and with it its lusts [the shameful pursuits and ungodly longings]; but the one who does the will of Godandcarries out His purposes lives forever.

18 Children, it is the last hour [the end of this age]; and just as you heard that the antichrist is coming [the one who will oppose Christ and attempt to replace Him], even now many antichrists (false teachers) have appeared, which confirms our belief that it is the last hour.

19 They went out from us [seeming at first to be Christians], but they were notreallyof us [because they were not truly born again and spiritually transformed]; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; butthey went out[teaching false doctrine], so that it would be clearly shown that none of them are of us.

20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One [you have been set apart, specially gifted and prepared by the Holy Spirit], and all of you know [the truth because He teaches us, illuminates our minds, and guards us from error].

21 I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie [nothing false, no deception] is of the truth.

22 Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed)? This is the antichrist [the enemy and antagonist of Christ], the one who deniesandconsistently refuses to acknowledge the Father and the Son.

23 Whoever deniesandrepudiates the Son does not have the Father; the one who confessesandacknowledges the Son has the Father also.

24 As for you, let that remain in you [keeping in your hearts that message of salvation] which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning remains in you, you too will remain in the Son and in the Father [forever].

The Promise Is Eternal Life

25 This is the promise which He Himself promised us–eternal life.

26 These things I have written to you with reference to those who are trying to deceive you [seducing you and leading you away from the truth and sound doctrine].

27 As for you, the anointing [the special gift, the preparation] which you received from Him remains [permanently] in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But just as His anointing teaches you [giving you insight through the presence of the Holy Spirit] about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as His anointing has taught you,you must remain in Him [being rooted in Him, knit to Him].

28 Now, little children (believers, dear ones), remain in Him [with unwavering faith], so that when He appears [at His return], we may have [perfect] confidence and not be ashamed and shrink away from Him at His coming.

29 If you know that He isabsolutelyrighteous, you know [for certain] that everyone who practices righteousness [doing what is right and conforming to God’s will] has been born of Him.

1 JOHN 3

Children of God Love One Another

1 See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would [be permitted to] be namedandcalledandcounted the children of God! And so we are! For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

2 Beloved, we are [even here and] now children of God, and it is not yet made clear what we will be [after His coming]. We know that when He comesandis revealed, we will [as His children] be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is [in all His glory].

3 And everyone who has this hope [confidently placed] in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure (holy, undefiled, guiltless).

4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness [ignoring God’s law by action or neglect or by tolerating wrongdoing–being unrestrained by His commands and His will].

5 You know that He appeared [in visible form as a man] in order to take away sins; and in Him there is [absolutely] no sin [for He has neither the sin nature nor has He committed sin or acts worthy of blame].

6 No one who abides in Him [who remains united in fellowship with Him–deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin. No one whohabituallysins has seen Him or known Him.

7 Little children (believers, dear ones), do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who practices righteousness [the one who strives to live a consistently honorable life–in private as well as in public–and to conform to God’s precepts] is righteous, just as He is righteous.

8 The one who practices sin [separating himself from God, and offending Him by acts of disobedience, indifference, or rebellion] is of the devil [and takes his inner character and moral values from him, not God]; for the devil has sinnedandviolated God’s law from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

9 No one who is born of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, becauseGod’s seed [His principle of life, the essence of His righteous character] remains [permanently] in him [who is born again–who is reborn from above–spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose]; and he [who is born again] cannothabitually[live a life characterized by] sin, because he is born of Godandlongs to please Him.

10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are clearly identified: anyone who does not practice righteousness [who does not seek God’s will in thought, action, and purpose] is not of God, nor is the one who does not [unselfishly]love his [believing] brother.

11 For this is the message which you [believers] have heard from the beginning [of your relationship with Christ], that we should [unselfishly] loveandseek the best for one another;

12 and not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother [Abel]. And why did he murder him? Because Cain’s deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.

13 Do not be surprised, believers, if the world hates you.

14 We know that we have passed out of death into Life, because we love the brothers and sisters. He who does not love remains in [spiritual] death.

15 Everyone who hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is [at heart] a murderer [by God’s standards]; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

16 By this we know [and have come to understand the depth and essence of His precious] love: that He [willingly] laid down His life for us [because He loved us]. And we ought to lay down our lives for the believers.

17 But whoever has theworld’s goods (adequate resources), and sees his brother in need, but has no compassion for him, how does the love of God live in him?

18 Little children (believers, dear ones), let us not love [merely in theory] with word or with tongue [giving lip service to compassion], but in action and in truth [in practice and in sincerity, because practical acts of love are more than words].

19 By this we will know [without any doubt] that we are of the truth, and will assure our heartandquiet our conscience before Him

20 whenever our heart convicts us [in guilt]; for God is greater than our heart and He knows all things [nothing is hidden from Him because we are in His hands].

21 Beloved, if our heart does not convict us [of guilt], we have confidence [complete assurance and boldness] before God;

22 and we receive from Him whatever we ask because we [carefully and consistently] keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight [habitually seeking to follow His plan for us].

23 This is His commandment, that we believe [with personal faith and confident trust] in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and [that we unselfishly] loveandseek the best for one another, just as He commanded us.

24 The one whohabituallykeeps His commandments [obeying His word and following His precepts, abides and] remains in Him, and He in him. By this we knowandhave the proof that He [really] abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us [as a gift].

1 JOHN 4

Testing the Spirits

1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit [speaking through a self-proclaimed prophet]; instead test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophetsandteachers have gone out into the world.

2 By this you knowandrecognize the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledgesandconfesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ has [actually] come in the flesh [as a man] is from God [God is its source];

3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus [acknowledging that He has come in the flesh, but would deny any of the Son’s true nature] is not of God; this is thespiritof the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and is now already in the world.

4 Little children (believers, dear ones), you are of Godandyou belong to Him and have [already] overcome them [the agents of the antichrist]; because He who is in you is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world [of sinful mankind].

5 They [who teach twisted doctrine] are of the worldandbelong to it; therefore they speak from the [viewpoint of the] world [with its immoral freedom and baseless theories–demanding compliance with their opinions and ridiculing the values of the upright], and the [gullible one of the] world listens closelyandpays attention to them.

6 We [who teach God’s word] are from God [energized by the Holy Spirit], and whoever knows God [through personal experience] listens to us [and has a deeper understanding of Him]. Whoever is not of God does not listen to us. By this we know [without any doubt] the spirit of truth [motivated by God] and the spirit of error [motivated by Satan].

God Is Love

7 Beloved, let us [unselfishly]loveandseek the best for one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves [others] is born of God and knows God [through personal experience].

8 The one who does not love has not become acquainted with God [does not and never did know Him], for God is love. [He is the originator of love, and it is an enduring attribute of His nature.]

9 By this the love of God was displayed in us, in that God has sent His [One and] only begotten Son [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind] 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 [that is, the atoning sacrifice, and the satisfying offering] for our sins [fulfilling God’s requirement for justice against sin and placating His wrath].

11 Beloved, if God so loved us [in this incredible way], we also ought to love one another.

12 No one has seen God at any time. But if we love one another [with unselfish concern], God abides in us, and His love [the love that is His essence abides in us and] is completedandperfected in us.

13 By this we know [with confident assurance] that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given to us His [Holy] Spirit.

14 We [who were with Him in person] have seen and testify [as eye-witnesses] that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

15 Whoever confessesandacknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

16 We have come to know [by personal observation and experience], and have believed [with deep, consistent faith] the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abidescontinuallyin him.

17 In this [union and fellowship with Him], love is completedandperfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him]; because as He is, so are we in this world.

18 There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love].

19 We love, becauseHe first loved us.

20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates (works against) his [Christian] brother he is a liar; for the one 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 also [unselfishly] love his brotherandseek the best for him.

1 JOHN 5

Overcoming the World

1 Everyone who believes [with a deep, abiding trust in the fact] that Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed) is born of God [that is, reborn from above–spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose], and everyone who loves the Father also lovesthechildborn of Him.

2 By this we know [without any doubt] that we love the children of God: [expressing that love] when we love God and obey His commandments.

3 For the [true] love of God is this: that wehabituallykeep His commandmentsandremain focused on His precepts. And His commandmentsandHis precepts are not difficult [to obey].

4 Foreveryone born of God is victoriousandovercomes the world; and this is the victory that has conqueredandovercome the world–our [continuing, persistent] faith [in Jesus the Son of God].

5 Who is the one who is victoriousandovercomes the world? It is the one who believesandrecognizes the fact that Jesus is the Son of God.

6 This is He who came through water and blood [His baptism and death], Jesus Christ–not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. It is the [Holy] Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. [He is the essence and origin of truth itself.]

7 For there are three witnesses:

8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three are in agreement [their testimony is perfectly consistent].

9 If we accept [as we do] the testimony of men [that is, if we are willing to take the sworn statements of fallible humans as evidence], the testimony of God is greater [far more authoritative]; for this is the testimony of God, that He has testified regarding His Son.

10 The one who believes in the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies confidently on Him as Savior] has the testimony within himself [because he can speak authoritatively about Christ from his own personal experience]. The one who does not believe God [in this way] has made Him [out to be] a liar, because he has not believed in the evidence that God has given regarding His Son.

11 And the testimony is this: God has given us eternal life [we already possess it], and this life is in His Son [resulting in our spiritual completeness, and eternal companionship with Him].

12 He who has the Son [by accepting Him as Lord and Savior] has the life [that is eternal]; he who does not have the Son of God [by personal faith] does not have the life.

This Is Written That You May Know

13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God [which represents all that Jesus Christ is and does], so that you will know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have eternal life.

14 This is the [remarkable degree of] confidence which we [as believers are entitled to] have before Him: thatif we ask anything according to His will, [that is, consistent with His plan and purpose] He hears us.

15 And if we know [for a fact, as indeed we do] that He hearsandlistens to us in whatever we ask, we [also] know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted to us] the requests which we have asked from Him.

16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin that does notleadto death, he will prayandask [on the believer’s behalf] andGodwill for him give life to those whose sin is notleadingto death. There is a sinthat leadsto death; I do not say that one should pray for this [kind of sin].

17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does notleadto death [one can repent of it and be forgiven].

18 We know [with confidence] that anyone born of God does nothabituallysin; but He (Jesus) who was born of God [carefully] keepsandprotects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

19 We know [for a fact] that we are of God, and the whole world [around us] lies in the power of the evil one [opposing God and His precepts].

20 And we [have seen and] know [by personal experience] that the Son of God has [actually] come [to this world], and has given us understandingandinsight so that we may [progressively and personally] 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 (believers, dear ones), guard yourselves from idols–[false teachings, moral compromises, and anything that would take God’s place in your heart].