Worsley - I John

Chapter 1

1:1  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have contemplated, and our very hands have felt concerning the Word of life,

1:2  (for this Life was manifested, and we saw it; and we testify and declare unto you that eternal Life, which was with the Father,

1:3  and was manifested unto us) what we have seen and heard we declare unto you, that ye also may have communion with us: and our communion is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.

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

1:5  Now this we have heard from Him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

1:6  If we say that we have communion with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practise the truth:

1:7  but if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have communion with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth 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  but if we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Chapter 2

2:1  My little children, I write these things unto you, that ye may not sin. 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 ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

2:3  And by this we know that we have known Him, if we keep his commandments.

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

2:5  But whosoever keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: and by this we know that we are in Him.

2:6  He that saith, he abideth in Him, ought himself also so to walk even as He walked.

2:7  Brethren, I write not a new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning: the old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning:

2:8  though I write it again as a new commandment, which is truth in Him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

2:9  Now he that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is still in darkness:

2:10  whereas, he that loveth his brother, abideth in the light, and is in no danger of stumbling.

2:11  But he, that hateth his brother, is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not where he goeth, because the darkness hath blinded his eyes.

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

2:13  I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning: and I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. Yea I have written to you, little children, because ye have known the Father:

2:14  I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known Him that is from the beginning: and I have written to you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one---

2:15  Love not the world, nor the things that are in the world; for if any one love the world to excess, the love of the Father is not in him.

2:16  For all that is in the world, the desire of the flesh, and the desire of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the world.

2:17  And the world passeth away, and the desire of it: but he, that doth the will of God, abideth for ever.

2:18  Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that an antichrist will come, there are even now 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 indeed of us, they would have continued with us; but this was done that they might be made manifest, because all, that are with us, are not indeed of us.

2:20  And ye have an unction from the holy One, and know all.

2:21  I have not therefore written to you, because ye know not the truth; but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

2:22  Who is a liar, if not he who denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, that denieth the Father as well as the Son;

2:23  for whosoever denieth the Son, hath not the Father: but he that confesseth the Son acknowledgeth the Father also.

2:24  Let that therefore, which ye have heard from the beginning, abide in you: for if that, which ye heard from the beginning, remain in you, ye also will remain in the Son and in the Father.

2:25  And this is the promise which He hath promised us, even eternal life.

2:26  These things have I written unto you concerning those who would seduce you.

2:27  But the unction, which ye have received from Him, abideth in you; and therefore ye have no need that any should teach you: since this very unction teacheth you concerning all things, and is truth and not falshood; even as that hath taught you, abide in Him.

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

2:29  If ye know that He is righteous, ye know that every one, who practiseth righteousness, is born of Him.

Chapter 3

3:1  Behold then what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God: though for this reason the world knoweth us not, because it knew not Him.

3:2  Beloved, we are now the children of God, but it doth not yet appear what we shall be: we know however, that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.

3:3  And every one, that hath this hope in Him, purifieth himself, even as He is pure.

3:4  Every one that committeth sin, transgresseth the law; for sin is the violation of the law.

3:5  And ye know that He was manifested, to take away our sins: and in Him there is no sin.

3:6  Whosoever abideth in Him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him, nor known Him.

3:7  Little children, let no one deceive you: he that practiseth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous:

3:8  he, that makes a practise of sin, is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. And for this the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

3:9  Whosoever is born of God doth not practise sin, because his seed remaineth 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 doth not practise righteousness, and he who loveth not his brother, is not of God:

3:11  for this is the injunction which ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another: not as Cain who was of the evil one, and slew his brother;

3:12  and why did he slay him? because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

3:13  Wonder not then, my brethren, if the world hate you:

3:14  since we know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren: he, that loveth not his brother, remaineth in death.

3:15  Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

3:16  In this we know his love, that He laid down his life for us: and we should be ready to lay down our lives for the brethren.

3:17  But if any one, who hath the good things of the world, seeth his brother in want, and shutteth up his bowels from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

3:18  My little children, let us not love in word, or in tongue only, 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 still greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.

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

3:22  and whatsoever we ask, we receive from Him, because we keep his commandments, and do the things that are pleasing in his sight.

3:23  And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as He hath given us a charge to do.

3:24  And he, that keepeth his commandments, abideth in Him, and He in him: and hereby we know that He abideth in us, even by the Spirit which He hath given us.

Chapter 4

4:1  Beloved, believe not every Spirit, but try the spirits, whether they be of God: for many false prophets are gone out into the world.

4:2  By this ye may know the Spirit of God: every Spirit that confesseth Jesus Christ, who is come in the flesh, is of God:

4:3  and every spirit that doth not confess Jesus Christ, who is come in the flesh, is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, which ye have heard was coming, and is already in the world.

4:4  Ye 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 they speak as men of the world, and the world heareth them.

4:6  We are of God: he, that knoweth God, heareth us; but he, who is not of God, heareth not us. By this we know the Spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.

4:7  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is from God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

4:8  He, that loveth not, knoweth not God: for God is love.

4:9  In this was the love of God manifested towards us, that God sent his only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

4:10  Herein is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins.

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

4:12  No one hath ever seen God: but if we love one another, God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us.

4:13  By this we know that we are in Him, and He in us; because He hath given us of his Spirit.

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

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

4:16  And we have known and believed the love which God hath towards us: for God is love; and he, that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him.

4:17  Herein is love perfected with us, that we may have boldness in the day of judgement; for as He is, we also are in this world.

4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear; because fear hath torment; but he that feareth is not perfected in love.

4:19  We love Him, because He first loved us. If any one say,

4:20  I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for how can he, that loveth not his brother, whom he hath seen, love God whom he hath not seen?

4:21  And we have this commandment from Him, that he, who loveth God, should love his brother also.

Chapter 5

5:1  Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one, that loveth Him that begat, loveth Him also that is begotten of Him:

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

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

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

5:5  Who then is he that overcometh the world, but he who believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

5:6  This is He that came by water and by blood, even Jesus the Messiah; not with water only, but with water and blood: and of this the Spirit beareth witness, for the Spirit is truth.

5:7  Yea there are three that bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood:

5:8  and these three agree in one.

5:9  Now if we admit the testimony of men, sure the testimony of God is greater: and this is the testimony of God, which He hath testified concerning his Son.

5:10  He, that believeth on the Son of God, hath the witness in himself: he, that believeth not God, hath in effect made Him a liar, because he believed not the testimony which God hath testified of his Son.

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

5:12  He that hath the Son hath life: he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

5:13  These things have I written to you, who believe on the name of the son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may the more firmly believe on the name of the Son of God.

5:14  And this is the confidence, which we have towards Him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, He heareth us:

5:15  and if we know that He heareth us in whatsoever we ask; we know that we shall have the petitions, which we have requested of Him.

5:16  If any one see his brother commit a sin which is not unto death, let him pray for him, and God will give him life, that is for them that do not sin unto death. There is a sin unto death: and for that I do not say that he should pray.

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

5:18  We know that whosoever is born of God, doth not practise sin: but keepeth himself from it, and the wicked one doth not touch him.

5:19  We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth under the wicked one.

5:20  But we know that the son of God is come, and hath given us understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, and in his son Jesus Christ: He is the true God, and eternal life.

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