Letters to the Churches

That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we did behold, and our hands did handle, concerning the Word of the Life--

and the Life was manifested, and we have seen, and do testify, and declare to you the Life, the age-during, which was with the Father, and was manifested to us--

that which we have seen and heard declare we to you, that ye also may have fellowship with us, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ;

and these things we write to you, that your joy may be full.

And this is the message that we have heard from Him, and announce to you, that God is light, and darkness in Him is not at all;

if we may say--`we have fellowship with Him,' and in the darkness may walk--we lie, and do not the truth;

and if in the light we may walk, as He is in the light--we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son doth cleanse us from every sin;

if we may say--`we have not sin,' ourselves we lead astray, and the truth is not in us;

if we may confess our sins, stedfast He is and righteous that He may forgive us the sins, and may cleanse us from every unrighteousness;

if we may say--`we have not sinned,' a liar we make Him, and His word is not in us.

My little children, these things I write to you, that ye may not sin: and if any one may sin, an advocate we have with the Father, Jesus Christ, a righteous one,

and he--he is a propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world,

and in this we know that we have known him, if his commands we may keep;

he who is saying, `I have known him,' and his command is not keeping, a liar he is, and in him the truth is not;

and whoever may keep his word, truly in him the love of God hath been perfected; in this we know that in him we are.

He who is saying in him he doth remain, ought according as he walked also himself so to walk.

Brethren, a new command I write not to you, but an old command, that ye had from the beginning--the old command is the word that ye heard from the beginning;

again, a new command I write to you, which thing is true in him and in you, because the darkness doth pass away, and the true light doth now shine;

he who is saying, in the light he is, and his brother is hating, in the darkness he is till now;

he who is loving his brother, in the light he doth remain, and a stumbling-block in him there is not;

and he who is hating his brother, in the darkness he is, and in the darkness he doth walk, and he hath not known whither he doth go, because the darkness did blind his eyes.

I write to you, little children, because the sins have been forgiven you through his name;

I write to you, fathers, because ye have known him who is from the beginning; I write to you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil. I write to you, little youths, because ye have known the Father:

I did write to you, fathers, because ye have known him who is from the beginning; I did write to you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God in you doth remain, and ye have overcome the evil.

Love not ye the world, nor the things in the world; if any one doth love the world, the love of the Father is not in him,