Regard our Lord's forbearance as your one hope of Salvation. This is what our dear Brother Paul wrote to you, with the wisdom that God gave him.

That is what he says in all his letters, when speaking in them of these things. In those letters there are some statements hard to understand, which ill-taught and unprincipled people pervert, just as they do the rest of the Scriptures, to their own ruin.

What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life

(the Life has appeared; we saw it, we testify to it, we bring you word of that eternal Life which existed with the Father and was disclosed to us) ??3 it is of what we heard and saw that we bring you word, so that you may share our fellowship; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

what we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that ye also may have fellowship with us. Even also our fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

This, then, is the message that we have heard from him, and are announcing to you, that God is light, and no darkness what ever is in him.

And here is how we can be assured that we know Jesus [i.e., that we are saved]: [It is] by obeying what He commands us.

The person who says, "I have come to know Him," but does not obey what He commands, is lying [by such a profession], and the truth [about the matter] is not in his heart.

But the person who obeys what His teaching requires, truly in this person love for God has been made complete. This is [another way] to be sure that we are in [fellowship with] Him:

Do not love the world or what is in the world. If anyone loves the world, there is no love for the Father in his heart,

for what the world is so full of, sensuality, avarice, and pride, is not deriv'd from the creator, but is the offspring of a vicious world.

And the world, with its [physical and material] desires, is passing away, but the person who does what God wants will continue to live forever.

I have not sent you this letter because you have no knowledge of what is true, but because you have knowledge, and because that which is false has nothing in common with that which is true.

Whoever denies the Son, the same has not the Father; but he who confesses the Son has the Father also. As for you, let what you have heard from the beginning abide in you.

Therefore ye, let what ye heard from the beginning abide in you. If what ye heard from the beginning abides in you, ye also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

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

but as the unction which ye have received from him, abides in you, you don't need any instruction: being then fully instructed by his unction, which is true and not fallacious, adhere to what that has taught you.

If you know that He is righteous, you know this as well: Everyone who does what is right has been born of Him.

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Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and'such we are. For this cause the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Beloved, now are we children of God, and it is not yet made manifest what we shall be. We know that, if he shall be manifested, we shall be like him; for we shall see him even as he is.

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].

Little children, let no one deceive you! The one who does what is right is righteous, just as He is righteous.

The person who practices sin belongs to the evil one, because the Devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason that the Son of God was revealed was to destroy what the Devil has been doing.

This is how God’s children—and the Devil’s children—are made evident.

Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother.

Not just as, Cain, was, of the wicked one, and slew his brother! And, for what cause, slew he him? Because, his works, were, wicked, whereas, those of his brother, were, righteous.

In this we see what love is, because he gave his life for us; and it is right for us to give our lives for the brothers.

Little children [i.e., dear ones], we should not [merely] claim to love [people], or [even just] talk about it, but [we should love] by what we do [for them] in a genuine way.

and we obtain from Him whatever we ask for, because we practice obedience to His commands and do what pleases Him.

Now this is what he commands, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another as he has commanded us to do;

They are children of the world; this is why they speak what the world inspires, and why the world listens to them.

We are God's children. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not a child of God will not listen to us. In this way we can tell what is inspired by truth from what is inspired by error.

and what heightens his love, was this, that it was not we who first loved God, but it was he that first loved us, and sent his son to expiate our sins.

Here is what a complete love will do for us: It will give us boldness in [facing] the judgment day, because the way Jesus acts [regarding love] is the way we should act [while] in this world.

This is [one] way we know that we love God's [spiritually reborn] children: [It is] when we love God and obey what He commands us to do.

For this is what love for God is: to keep His commands. Now His commands are not a burden,

The person who [sincerely] believes in God's Son has the evidence [of it] within his heart, [confirming God's testimony]. The person who does not believe God [i.e., what He says about Jesus], accuses Him of lying, because he has not accepted the [irrefutable] testimony of God concerning [the identity and mission of] His Son.

Now what is testified, is this, that God has given to us eternal life: and this life is by his son.

And if we know that he is listening to us in what ever we are asking, we know that we obtain the petitions which we have made to him.

I, a ruler in the church, send word to the noble sister who is of God's selection, and to her children, for whom I have true love; and not only I, but all who have knowledge of what is true;

And now I beseech thee, lady, not as writing a new commandment to thee, but what we had from the beginning, that we would love each other.

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

Watch yourselves, so that we may not lose what we have wrought, but may receive a full reward.

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 who continues to remain in the teaching [of Christ does have God], he has both the Father and the Son.

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

I wish, my beloved, you may be as prosperous with regard to your health and other circumstances, as in what concerns your soul.

Dearly beloved, you are acting faithfully in doing what you can for the brothers, especially as they are strangers.

I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say.

So, if I come, I will remind you of what he is doing, how with malicious insinuations he is talking about me. Not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers himself, he interferes with those who want to do so, and tries to put them out of the church.

Do not imitate what is evil, beloved, but that which is good. He who does good is of God; he who does evil has never gazed on God.

Demetrius has the approval of all men and of what is true: and we give the same witness, and you are certain that our witness is true.

I wish to remind you of what you already know right well, that although the Lord once saved a people out of the land of Egypt, he afterward destroyed those who did not believe;

Now the very archangel Michael, when he disputed the body of Moses with Satan, did not dare to condemn him with scoffs; what he said was, The Lord rebuke you!

But these rail at whatsoever things they know not: and what they understand naturally, like the creatures without reason, in these things are they destroyed.

Woe to them! they go the road of Cain, rush into Balaam's error for what it brings them, and perish in Korah's rebellion.

These men are always murmuring, and complaining of their lot; they follow where their passions lead them; they have arrogant words upon their lips; and they flatter men for the sake of what they can get from them.

As for you, my beloved, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ have formerly told you.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ that God gave him to show his bondmen what must happen quickly. And he signified it, having sent by his agent to his bondman John

who testifies to what he saw, the message of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Blessed is he who reads, and they who hear the words of the prophecy, and keep what is written in it. For the crisis is at hand.

saying, What thou seest, write in a book and send it to the seven churches: unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamum, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

And I turned to see what voice spake to me. And when I turned round I saw seven lamps of gold;

So write what you have seen, what is and what is to take place hereafter.

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: "This is what the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand says, the one who walks in the midst of the seven gold lampstands:

"I know what you have done; your hard work and patient endurance; that you cannot tolerate wicked persons; that you have tested those who claimed to be apostles although they were not, and have found them to be imposters,

"But, this is what I have against you, that you have forsaken your first love [i.e., love for Christ and His church].

So remember the heights from which you have fallen, and repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, your sinful behavior—seek God’s will] and do the works you did at first [when you first knew Me]; otherwise, I will visit you and remove your lampstand (the church, its impact) from its place—unless you repent.

But you have it to your credit that you hate what the Nicolaitans are doing, as I do too.

Let him that hath ears hear, what the spirit saith unto the congregations. To him that overcometh, will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.'

"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: "This is what the first and the last says, who was dead and came to life:

Fear not what you are about to suffer! Behold, the devil is indeed going to put some of you in prison, that you may be tested, and you will have persecution for ten days. Be faithful even unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Let him that hath ears hear, what the spirit saith to the congregations: He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.'

"And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: "This is what the one who has the sharp double-edged sword says:

Yet I have a few things against you, because you have with you some that cling to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling-block in the way of the descendants of Israel--to eat what had been sacrificed to idols, and commit fornication.

Let him that hath ears hear what the spirit sayth unto the congregations: To him that overcometh will I give to eat Manna that is hid, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it.'

"And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: "This is what the Son of God says, the one who has his eyes like a fiery flame and his feet like fine bronze:

"I know what you are doing, I know your love and faithfulness, your service and patient endurance, and I know that you are now working harder than you did at first.

Yet I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and by her teaching leads astray My servants, so that they commit fornication and eat what has been sacrificed to idols.

and I will surely strike her children dead. So all the churches will know that I am He who searches men's inmost hearts, and that I will repay each of you for exactly what you have done.

but I say to the rest that are in Thyatira, who do not follow this doctrine, and have not been initiated in the depths, as they are called, of satan, I will put upon you no other burden, but what you have:

But hold firm what ye have until I come.

"And to the person who has victory [in the Christian life], and who continues to do what I want until the end [of his life], I will give him authority over the nations [Note: This probably refers to a spiritual reign with Christ during the Christian age. See 20:4].

Let him that hath ears hear what the spirit says to the congregations.'

"To the messenger of the church at Sardis write: 'The One who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars speaks as follows: "I know what you are doing; you have the reputation of being alive, but in reality you are dead.

Wake up, and strengthen what is left, although it is on the very point of dying, for I have not found a thing that you have done complete in the sight of God.

Remember, therefore, how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If you shalt not watch, I will come on you as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

Let him that hath ears hear what the spirit saith unto the congregations.'

And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, write, "THESE things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth what no man can shut; and shutteth what no man can open:

"I know what you are doing. See! I have put before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have but little strength, and yet you have obeyed my message and you have not disowned my name.

See, I will make those of the Synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews, and are not, but say what is false; I will make them come and give worship before your feet, and see my love for you.

Because you have kept in mind the message of what I endured, I also will keep you safe in the time of testing that is going to come upon the whole world, to test the inhabitants of the earth.

I come quickly, hold firm what thou have, so that none may take thy crown.

Let him that hath ears, hear what the spirit saith unto the congregations.'

"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: "This is what the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator of God's creation, says:

"I know what you are doing, and that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot.

Let him that hath ears, hear what the spirit saith unto the congregations.'"

After these things I looked, and behold, a door opened in heaven, and the first voice that I heard like a trumpet, speaking with me, saying, Come up here, and I will show thee what must happen after these things.

and in front of the throne there was something like a sea or large expanse of glass, like [the clearest] crystal. In the center and around the throne were four living creatures who were full of eyes in front and behind [seeing everything and knowing everything that is around them].

And no one in heaven, or on the earth, or under the earth, was able to get the book open, or to see what was in it.

And I was very sad, because there was no one able to get the book open or to see what was in it.

And I looked, and heard what seemed to be the voices of countless angels on every side of the throne, and of the living creatures and the Elders. Their number was myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands,