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Christ Our Advocate

¹ My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, ^(a)we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ^2 (b)He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but ^(c)also for the sins of the whole world. ³ And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we ^(d)keep his commandments. ⁴ Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments ^(e)is a liar, and ^(f)the truth is not in him, ⁵ but whoever ^(g)keeps his word, in him truly ^(h)the love of God is perfected. ⁽ⁱ⁾By this we may know that we are in him: ⁶ whoever says he ^(j)abides in him ^(k)ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

The New Commandment

⁷ Beloved, I am writing you ^(l)no new commandment, but ^(m)an old commandment ⁽ⁿ⁾that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. ⁸ At the same time, it is ^(o)a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because^{[a] (p)}the darkness is passing away and ^(q)the true light is already shining. ⁹ Whoever says he is in the light and ^(r)hates his brother is still in darkness. ¹⁰ Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him^[b] there is no ^(s)cause for stumbling. ¹¹ But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and ^(t)walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Do Not Love the World

^15 (aa)Do not love the world or the things in the world. ^(ab)If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—^(ac)the desires of the flesh and ^(ad)the desires of the eyes and pride of life^[c]—is not from the Father but is from the world. ¹⁷ And ^(ae)the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

Warning Concerning Antichrists

¹⁸ Children, ^(af)it is the last hour, and as you have heard that ^(ag)antichrist is coming, so now ^(ah)many antichrists have come. ^(ai)Therefore we know that it is the last hour. ^19 (aj)They went out from us, but they were not of us; for ^(ak)if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, ^(al)that it might become plain that they all are not of us. ²⁰ But you have been ^(am)anointed by ^(an)the Holy One, and ^(ao)you all have knowledge.^{[d] 21} I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth. ²² Who is the liar but ^(ap)he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is ^(aq)the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. ^23 (ar)No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. ²⁴ Let ^(as)what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then ^(at)you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. ²⁵ And this is the promise that he made to us^[e]—^(au)eternal life.

²⁶ I write these things to you about ^(av)those who are trying to deceive you. ²⁷ But ^(aw)the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and ^(ax)you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and ^(ay)is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

Children of God

²⁸ And now, little children, abide in him, so that ^(az)when he appears ^(ba)we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his ^(bb)coming. ²⁹ If you know that ^(bc)he is righteous, you may be sure that ^(bd)everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.