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I John


1:1 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 (o. logos) of life;

1:2 (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;)

1:3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that all of you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

1:4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.

1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word (o. logos) is not in us.

2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that all of you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

2:4 He that says, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

2:5 But whoso keeps his word, (o. logos) in him verily is the love (o. agape) of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

2:6 He that says he abides in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

2:7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which all of you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word (o. logos) which all of you have heard from the beginning.

2:8 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.

2:9 He that says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness even until now.

2:10 He that loves his brother abides in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

2:11 But he that hates his brother is in darkness, and walks in darkness, and knows not where he goes, because that darkness has blinded his eyes.

2:12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.

2:13 I write unto you, fathers, because all of you have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because all of you have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because all of you have known the Father.

2:14 I have written unto you, fathers, because all of you have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because all of you are strong, and the word (o. logos) of God abides in you, and all of you have overcome the wicked one.

2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love (o. agape) of the Father is not in him.

2:16 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.

2:17 And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that does the will of God abides for ever.

2:18 Little children, it is the last time: and as all of you have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

2:19 They went out from us, but they 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.

2:20 But all of you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know all things.

2:21 I have not written unto you because all of you know not the truth, but because all of you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

2:22 Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denies the Father and the Son.

2:23 Whosoever denies the Son, the same has not the Father: he that acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

2:24 Let that therefore abide in you, which all of you have heard from the beginning. If that which all of you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, all of you also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

2:25 And this is the promise that he has promised us, even eternal life.

2:26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

2:27 But the anointing which all of you have received of him abides in you, and all of you need not that any man 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, all of you shall abide in him.

2:28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

2:29 If all of you know that he is righteous, all of you know that every one that does righteousness is born of him.

3:1 Behold, what manner of love (o. agape) the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knows us not, because it knew him not.

3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, 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.

3:3 And every man that has this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

3:4 Whosoever commits sin trangresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

3:5 And all of you know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.

3:6 Whosoever abides in him sins not: whosoever sins has not seen him, neither known him.

3:7 Little children, let no man deceive you: he that does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

3:8 He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

3:9 Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

3:10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever does not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loves not his brother.

3:11 For this is the message that all of you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

3:12 Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

3:13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loves not his brother abides in death.

3:15 Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer: and all of you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

3:16 Hereby perceive we the love (o. agape) of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

3:17 But whoso has this world's good, and sees his brother have need, and shuts up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwells the love (o. agape) of God in him?

3:18 My little children, let us not love in word, (o. logos) neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

3:19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

3:20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

3:21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

3:24 And he that keeps his commandments dwells in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit (o. pneuma) which he has given us.

4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, (o. pneuma) but try the spirits (o. pneuma) whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

4:2 Hereby know all of you the Spirit (o. pneuma) of God: Every spirit (o. pneuma) that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God:

4:3 And every spirit (o. pneuma) that confesses not that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof all of you have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

4:4 All of 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.

4:5 They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world hears them.

4:6 We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby know we the spirit (o. pneuma) of truth, and the spirit (o. pneuma) of error.

4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love (o. agape) is of God; and every one that loves is born of God, and knows God.

4:8 He that loves not knows not God; for God is love. (o. agape)

4:9 In this was manifested the love (o. agape) of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

4:10 Herein is love, (o. agape) not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

4:12 No man has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwells in us, and his love (o. agape) is perfected in us.

4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. (o. pneuma)

4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwells in him, and he in God.

4:16 And we have known and believed the love (o. agape) that God has to us. God is love; (o. agape) and he that dwells in love (o. agape) dwells in God, and God in him.

4:17 Herein is our love (o. agape) made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

4:18 There is no fear in love; (o. agape) but perfect love (o. agape) casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love. (o. agape)

4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar: for he that loves not his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?

4:21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loves God love his brother also.

5:1 Whosoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loves him that brings forth loves him also that is begotten of him.

5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.

5:3 For this is the love (o. agape) of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcomes the world: and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith.

5:5 Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

5:6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit (o. pneuma) that bears witness, because the Spirit (o. pneuma) is truth.

5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, (o. logos) and the Holy Spirit: (o. pneuma) and these three are one.

5:8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, (o. pneuma) and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

5:9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he has testified of his Son.

5:10 He that believes on the Son of God has the witness in himself: he that believes not God has made him a liar; because he believes not the record that God gave of his Son.

5:11 And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

5:12 He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life.

5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that all of you may know that all of you have eternal life, and that all of you may believe on the name of the Son of God.

5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us:

5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

5:17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

5:18 We know that whosoever is born of God sins not; but he that is begotten of God keeps himself, and that wicked one touches him not.

5:19 And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in wickedness.

5:20 And we know that the Son of God 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 his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.

5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Charles Henderson

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The Rev. Charles P. Henderson is a Presbyterian minister and Executive Director of
  CrossCurrents.
He is the author of God and Science (John Knox Press, 1986).  
A revised and expanded version of the book is appearing here.
God and Science (Hypertext Edition, 2005).
He is also editor of a new book, featuring articles by world class scientists and theologians, and illustrating the leading views on the relationship between science and religion:
Faith, Science and the Future (CrossCurrents Press, 2007).

Charles also tracks the boundry between the virtual and the real at his blog: Next World Design, focusing on the mediation of art, science and spirituality in the metaverse.  

For more information about Charles Henderson.