Love One Another

11 For (A)this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, (B)that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like (C)Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? (D)Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. 13 Do not be surprised, brothers,[a] (E)that the world hates you. 14 We know that (F)we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. 15 (G)Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that (H)no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

16 By this we know love, that (I)he laid down his life for us, and (J)we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But (K)if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet (L)closes his heart against him, (M)how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not (N)love in word or talk but in deed and (O)in truth.

19 By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; 20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, (P)if our heart does not condemn us, (Q)we have confidence before God; 22 and (R)whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and (S)do what pleases him. 23 And this is his commandment, (T)that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and (U)love one another, (V)just as he has commanded us. 24 (W)Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God,[b] and God[c] in him. And (X)by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

Test the Spirits

Beloved, (Y)do not believe every spirit, but (Z)test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for (AA)many (AB)false prophets (AC)have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: (AD)every spirit that confesses that (AE)Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit (AF)that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and (AG)now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for (AH)he who is in you is greater than (AI)he who is in the world. (AJ)They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and (AK)the world listens to them. We are from God. (AL)Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know (AM)the Spirit of truth and (AN)the spirit of error.

God Is Love

Beloved, (AO)let us love one another, for love is from God, and (AP)whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. (AQ)Anyone who does not love does not know God, because (AR)God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that (AS)God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, (AT)not that we have loved God (AU)but that he loved us and sent his Son to be (AV)the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 (AW)No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and (AX)his love is perfected in us.

13 (AY)By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And (AZ)we have seen and testify that (BA)the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of (BB)the world. 15 (BC)Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So (BD)we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. (BE)God is love, and (BF)whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this (BG)is love perfected with us, so that (BH)we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because (BI)as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but (BJ)perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not (BK)been perfected in love. 19 (BL)We love because he first loved us. 20 (BM)If anyone says, “I love God,” and (BN)hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot[d] love God (BO)whom he has not seen. 21 And (BP)this commandment we have from him: (BQ)whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 3:13 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 14, 16
  2. 1 John 3:24 Greek him
  3. 1 John 3:24 Greek he
  4. 1 John 4:20 Some manuscripts how can he

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