1My dear children, I’m writing this to you so that you will not sin. But suppose someone does sin. Then we have a friend who speaks to the Father for us. He is Jesus Christ, the Blameless One. 2He gave his life to pay for our sins. But he not only paid for our sins. He also paid for the sins of the whole world.
Instructions About Loving and Hating Other Believers
3We know that we have come to know God if we obey his commands. 4Suppose someone says, “I know him.” But suppose this person does not do what God commands. Then this person is a liar and is not telling the truth. 5But if anyone obeys God’s word, then that person truly loves God. Here is how we know we belong to him. 6Those who claim to belong to him must live just as Jesus did.
7Dear friends, I’m not writing you a new command. Instead, I’m writing one you have heard before. You have had it since the beginning. 8But I am writing what amounts to a new command. Its truth was shown in how Jesus lived. It is also shown in how you live. That’s because the darkness is passing away. And the true light is already shining.
9Suppose someone claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister. Then they are still in the darkness. 10Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light. There is nothing in them to make them fall into sin. 11But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness. They walk around in the darkness. They don’t know where they are going. The darkness has made them blind.
Reasons for Writing
12Dear children, I’m writing to you
because your sins have been forgiven.
They have been forgiven because of what Jesus has done.
13Fathers, I’m writing to you
because you know the one who is from the beginning.
Young men, I’m writing to you
because you have won the battle over the evil one.
14Dear children, I’m writing to you
because you know the Father.
Fathers, I’m writing to you
because you know the one who is from the beginning.
Young men, I’m writing to you
because you are strong.
God’s word lives in you.
You have won the battle over the evil one.
Do Not Love the World
15Do not love the world or anything in it. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16Here is what people who belong to this world do. They try to satisfy what their sinful desires want to do. They long for what their sinful eyes look at. They take pride in what they have and what they do. All of this comes from the world. None of it comes from the Father. 17The world and its evil desires are passing away. But whoever does what God wants them to do lives forever.
Warnings About Saying No to the Son
18Dear children, we are living in the last days. You have heard that the great enemy of Christ is coming. But even now many enemies of Christ have already come. That’s how we know that these are the last days. 19These enemies left our community of believers. They didn’t really belong to us. If they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But by leaving they showed that none of them belonged to us.
20You have received the Spirit from the Holy One. And all of you know the truth. 21I’m not writing to you because you don’t know the truth. I’m writing because you do know it. I’m writing to you because no lie comes from the truth. 22Who is the liar? It is anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. The person who says this is the great enemy of Christ. They say no to the Father and the Son. 23The person who says no to the Son doesn’t belong to the Father. But anyone who says yes to the Son belongs to the Father also.
24Make sure that you don’t forget what you have heard from the beginning. Then you will remain joined to the Son and to the Father. 25And here is what God has promised us. He has promised us eternal life.
26I’m writing these things to warn you. I am warning you about people trying to lead you astray. 27But you have received the Holy Spirit from God. He continues to live in you. So you don’t need anyone to teach you. God’s Spirit teaches you about everything. What he says is true. He doesn’t lie. Remain joined to Christ, just as you have been taught by the Spirit.
God’s Children and Sin
28Dear children, remain joined to Christ. Then when he comes, we can be bold. We will not be ashamed to meet him when he comes.
29You know that God is right and always does what is right. And you know that everyone who does what is right is God’s child.
1Mine kære børn, jeg skriver det her for at hjælpe jer til ikke at synde. Men hvis I synder, så har vi en, der går i forbøn for os hos Faderen, nemlig Jesus Kristus, som selv er syndfri. 2Han har allerede ved at ofre sit liv skaffet os tilgivelse for alle vores synder, ja, ikke kun for vores, men for alle menneskers synder.
Lev i lydighed mod Jesu befalinger
3Det er ved at gøre, hvad Jesus påbyder os, at vi kan blive klar over, om vi virkelig tilhører ham. 4Hvis vi siger, at vi kender Jesus, men ikke adlyder ham, så lyver vi. Det har intet med sand kundskab at gøre. 5Men adlyder vi ham, har Gud nået sit mål med at vise os sin kærlighed. Lever vi på den måde, så ved vi, at vi tilhører ham. 6Hvis vi siger, at vi tilhører Jesus, må vi også leve, ligesom han gjorde.
Adlyd kærlighedsbudet
7Elskede venner, det er ikke et nyt bud, jeg skriver til jer om. Nej, budet om at vise kærlighed har I altid kendt. Det er et gammelt bud, som I har hørt før. 8Alligevel er der noget nyt ved det. Det nye er, at Jesus med sit liv viste, hvad budet betyder, og det må vi2,8 Nogle håndskrifter har en læsemåde, som svarer til „I” i stedet for „vi”. også gøre, for det sande lys er brudt frem, og derfor må mørket vige. 9Hvis nogen siger, at de lever i Guds lys, men samtidig hader en anden kristen, så lever de stadig i mørket. 10De, der elsker andre kristne, lever i lyset, og intet får dem til at snuble. 11Men, de der hader andre kristne, lever i åndeligt mørke. De famler rundt i mørke, for de er åndeligt blinde.
Elsk ikke denne verden
12Jeg skriver til jer børn, hvis synder er tilgivet ved Jesu død.
13Jeg skriver til jer fædre, som kender ham, der er forud for alt andet.
Jeg skriver til jer unge, som har sejret over den Onde.
14Jeg henvender mig til jer børn, fordi I har lært Faderen at kende.
Jeg henvender mig til jer fædre, fordi I kender ham, der er forud for alt andet.
Jeg henvender mig til jer unge, fordi I er stærke og holder fast ved Guds ord og derved sejrer over den Onde.
15Elsk ikke denne verden eller det, der findes i verden. Hvis du elsker verden, kan du ikke samtidig elske Gud.2,15 Nogle håndskrifter siger: „Faderen”. 16Alt, hvad der hører denne verden til: fysisk begær, misundelse og pral med materiel rigdom, er ikke fra Faderen, men fra verden. 17Denne verden og alt, hvad den tilbyder, er på vej mod sin undergang. Men de, der gør Guds vilje, vil leve til evig tid.
Hold fast ved sandheden
18Mine kære børn! Vi lever i de sidste tider. I har hørt, at Antikrist engang vil fremstå som en fuldstændig modsætning til Kristus. Men allerede nu har Kristus mange modstandere, mange antikrister. Det viser blot, at vi lever i de sidste tider. 19Disse modstandere er kommet fra vores egne rækker, men de har aldrig virkelig været en del af os. Havde de været det, ville de være blevet hos os. Da de forlod os, blev det klart for alle, at de aldrig havde været ét med os.
20Det er anderledes med jer. I har modtaget Helligånden, så I kender det hele.2,20 Nogle håndskrifter siger: „I har alle kendskab”, underforstået „til sandheden”. 21Jeg har derfor ikke skrevet til jer, som om I ikke kendte Sandheden. Tværtimod! I er jo kommet til erkendelse af Sandheden, og I ved, at ingen løgn stammer fra Sandheden.
22De, der siger, at Jesus ikke er Kristus, den lovede Messias, er løgnere og antikrister, som gør oprør mod Faderen og Sønnen. 23De, der tager afstand fra Sønnen, tager også afstand fra Faderen. Men de, der vedkender sig Sønnen, vedkender sig også Faderen.
24Hold derfor fast ved det, I har hørt fra begyndelsen, for så vil I også holde fast ved Sønnen og ved Faderen. 25Og husk, at han har lovet os det evige liv.
26Jeg har skrevet det her til jer, fordi der er nogle, der prøver at føre jer på vildspor. 27Men I har fået Helligånden, og han er altid hos jer, så I egentlig ikke har brug for, at andre skal undervise jer. Det er Helligånden, der hjælper jer til en sand forståelse af alle ting, for han lyver aldrig. Han har også lært jer betydningen af at holde fast ved Kristus.
28Altså, mine kære børn, vi skal holde fast ved Kristus, så vi kan være frimodige og ikke behøver at skamme os, når han kommer igen. 29Da I ved, at han gør Guds vilje, så ved I også, at alle, der gør Guds vilje, tilhører ham.
