THAT which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we beheld and our hands felt, concerning the Word of life,??2 and the life was made manifest, and we have seen, and testify, and declare to you the eternal life, which was 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 our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

And this is the message which we have heard from him and declare to you, That God is light, and with him there is no darkness.

If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie and observe not the truth;

but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

If we say we have not sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

My little children, these things I write to you that you may not sin. But if any one has sinned, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous,

And by this we know that we have known him, if we keep his commandments.

He that says, I have known him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;

I write to you, fathers, because you have known him that is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I wrote to you, little children, because you have known the Father.

I wrote to you, fathers, because you have known him that is from the beginning. I wrote to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God continues in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Little children, it is the last time; and as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many have become anti-christs; whence we know that it is the last time.

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us they would have continued with us; but [they went out from us] that they might be manifest that they are not all of us.

And you have an anointing from the Holy One, and know all things.

I have not written to you because you know not the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.

I have written these things to you concerning those who deceive you.

And the anointing which you received from him continues in you, and you have no need that any one should teach you; but as his anointing teaches you of all things, and is true and is not a lie, even as it has taught you, continue in him.

And now, little children, continue in him, that when he shall appear we may have boldness, and not be put to shame by him at his coming.

We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brothers; he that loves not, continues in death.

By this we have known love, because he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

And whoever has the goods of the world and sees his brother have need, and withholds his compassions from him, how continues the love of God in him?

Beloved, if our minds do not condemn us, we have boldness before God,

BELOVED, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God. And this is the [spirit] of anti-christ, of which you have heard that he is coming, and he is now in the world already.

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son, the Saviour of the world.

And we have known and believed the love which God has for us. God is love; and he that continues in love continues in God and God in him.

By this is love perfected with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, that as he is we also are in this world.

And we have this commandment from him, that he who loves God should also love his brother.

These things have I written to you, that you who believe in the name of the Son of God may know that you have eternal life.

And this is the confidence which we have in respect to him, that if we ask any thing according to his will he hears us.

And if we know that he hears us whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.