Chapter 1
Prologue
An Authentic Communion of Life
1 This is what we proclaim to you:
what existed from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our own eyes,
what we have looked at
and touched with our hands—
we are speaking of the Word of life.
2 That life was made visible;
we have seen it and bear witness,
proclaiming to you the eternal life
that was with the Father
and was revealed to us.
3 What we have seen and heard
we declare to you
so that you may have fellowship with us.
For our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son Jesus Christ.
4 We are writing this
so that our joy may be complete.
Walk in the Light
God Is Light
5 This is the message
that we have heard from him
and that we declare to you:
God is light,
and there is no darkness at all in him.
6 If we claim that we have fellowship with him
while we continue to live in darkness,
we are lying and do not live in the truth.
7 However, if we live in the light
as he himself is in the light,
then we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus his Son
purifies us from all sin.
Deliverance from Sin
8 If we claim that we are sinless,
we are only deceiving ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.
9 However, if we confess our sins,
he who is faithful and just
will forgive our sins
and cleanse us from all wrongdoing.
10 If we say that we have never sinned,
we make him out to be a liar,
and his word is not in us.
Footnotes
- 1 John 1:1
- 1 John 1:1
- 1 John 1:2
- 1 John 1:3
- 1 John 1:5
- 1 John 1:5
- 1 John 1:8
