Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today we read the three epistles of
St. John, 1 John chapters 1 through 5, as well
as his second and third epistles. 1 John chapter
1 That which was from the beginning, which we
have heard, which we have seen with our eyes,
which we have looked upon, and our hands have
handled, concerning the word of life. The life
was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness
and declare to you that eternal life which was
with the Father and was manifested to us, that
which we have seen and heard we declare to you,
that you also may have fellowship with us, and
truly 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. This is the
message which we have heard from him and declare
to you. that God is light and in him is no darkness
at all. If we say that we have fellowship with
him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice
the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he
is in the light, we have fellowship with one
another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son
cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have
no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is
not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just. to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse
us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we
have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his
word is not in us. Chapter 2 My little children,
these things I write to you, so that you may
not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an advocate
with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous,
and he himself is the propitiation for our sins,
and not for ours only, but also for the whole
world. Now by this we know that we know him,
if we keep his commandments. He who says, I know
him, and does not keep his commandments, is a
liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever
keeps his word, truly the love of God is perfected
in him. By this we know that we are in him. He
who says, he abides in him, ought himself also
to walk just as he walked. Brethren, I write
no new commandment to you. but an old commandment
which you have had from the beginning. The old
commandment is the word which you heard from
the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write
to you, which thing is true in him and in you,
because the darkness is passing away and the
true light is already shining. He who says he
is in the light and hates his brother is in darkness
until now. He who loves his brother abides in
the light and there is no cause for stumbling
in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness
and walks in darkness, and does not know where
he is going, because the darkness has blinded
his eyes. I write to you, little children, because
your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.
I write to you, fathers, because you have known
him who is from the beginning. I write to you,
young men, because you have overcome the wicked
one. I write to you, little children, because
you have known the father. I have written to
you, fathers, because you have known him who
is from the beginning. I have written to you,
young men, because you are strong and the word
of God abides in you, and you have overcome the
wicked one. Do not love the world or the things
in the world. If anyone loves the world, the
love of the Father is not in him. For all that
is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust
of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of
the Father but is of the world. And the world
is passing away and the lust of it. But he who
does the will of God abides forever. Little children,
it is the last hour. And as you have heard that
the Antichrist is coming, even now many Antichrists
have come, by which we know that it is the last
hour. They went out from us, but they were not
of us. For if they had been of us, they would
have continued with us. But they went out that
they might be made manifest, that none of them
were of us. But you have an anointing from the
Holy One, and you know all things. I have not
written to you because you do not know the truth,
but because you know it, and that no lie is of
the truth. Who is a liar but he who denies that
Jesus is the Christ? He is Antichrist who denies
the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son
does not have the Father either. He who acknowledges
the Son has the Father also. Therefore, let that
abide in you which you heard from the beginning.
If what you heard from the beginning abides in
you, you also will abide in the Son and in the
Father. And this is the promise that He has promised
us eternal life. These things I have written
to you concerning those who try to deceive you.
But the anointing which you have received from
Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone
teach you. But as the same anointing teaches
you concerning all things and is true and is
not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you
will abide in him. And now, little children,
abide in him, that when he appears, we may have
confidence and not be ashamed before him at his
coming. If you know that he is righteous, you
know that everyone who practices righteousness
is born of him. Chapter 3 Behold what manner
of love the Father has bestowed on us. that we
should be called children of god therefore the
world does not know us because it did not know
him beloved now we are children of god and it
has not yet been revealed what we shall be but
we know that when he is revealed we shall be
like him for we shall see him as he is and everyone
who has this hope in him purifies himself just
as he is pure whoever commits sin also commits
lawlessness And sin is lawlessness. And you know
that he was manifested to take away our sins.
And in him there is no sin. Whoever abides in
him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen
him nor known him. Little children, let no one
deceive you. He who practices righteousness is
righteous, just as he is righteous. He who sins
is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from
the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God
was manifested, that he might destroy the works
of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does
not sin, for his seed remains in him, and he
cannot sin because he has been born of God. In
this the children of God and the children of
the devil are manifest. Whoever does not practice
righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does
not love his brother. For this is the message
that you heard from the beginning, that we should
love one another. Not as Cain, who was of the
wicked one, and murdered his brother. And why
did he murder him? Because his works were evil
and his brothers righteous. Do not marvel, my
brethren, if the world hates you. We know that
we have passed from death to life, because we
love the brethren. He who does not love his brother
abides in death. Whoever hates his brother is
a murderer, and you know that no murderer has
eternal life abiding in him. By this we know
love, because he laid down his life for us, and
we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
But whoever has this world's goods, and sees
his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from
him, how does the love of God abide in him? My
little children, let us not love in word or in
tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this
we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure
our hearts before him. For if our heart condemns
us, God is greater than our heart and knows all
things. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn
us, we have confidence toward God, and whatever
we ask we receive from him, because we keep his
commandments and do those things that are pleasing
in his sight. And this is his commandment, that
we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus
Christ and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
Now he who keeps his commandments abides in him,
and he in him. and by this we know that he abides
in us by the spirit whom he has given us chapter
four beloved do not believe every spirit but
test the spirits whether they are of god because
many false prophets have gone out into the world
by this you know the spirit of god Every spirit
that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in
the flesh is of God. And every spirit that does
not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the
flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of
the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming
and is now already in the world. You are of God,
little children, and have overcome them, because
he who is in you is greater than he who is in
the world. They are of the world, therefore they
speak as of the world, and the world hears them.
We are of God. He who knows God hears us. He
who is not of God does not hear us. By this we
know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is
of God. And everyone who loves is born of God
and knows God. He who does not love does not
know God, for God is love. In this the love of
God was manifested toward us, that God has sent
his only begotten Son into the world, that we
might live through him. And this is love, not
that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent
His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to
love one another. No one has seen God at any
time. If we love one another, God abides in us,
and His love has been perfected in us. By this
we know that we abide in Him, and He in us. because
he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen
and testified that the Father has sent the Son
as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that
Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and
he in God. And we have known and believed the
love that God has for us. God is love, and he
who abides in love abides in God, and God in
him. Love has been perfected among us in this,
that we may have boldness in the day of judgment,
because as he is, so are we in this world. There
is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out
fear, because fear involves torment. But he who
fears has not been made perfect in love. We love
him because he first loved us. If someone says,
I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar.
For he who does not love his brother whom he
has seen, how can he love God whom he has not
seen? And this commandment we have from him,
that he who loves God must love his brother also.
Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is
born of God, and everyone who loves him who begot
also loves him who is begotten of him. By this
we know that we love the children of God, when
we love God and keep His commandments. For this
is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.
And His commandments are not burdensome. For
whatever is born of God overcomes the world.
And this is the victory that has overcome the
world, our faith. Who is He who overcomes the
world, but He who believes that Jesus is the
Son of God? This is He who came by water and
blood, Jesus Christ. Not only by water, but by
water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears
witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there
are three that bear witness in heaven, the Father,
the Word, and the Holy Spirit. And these three
are one. And there are three that bear witness
on earth, the Spirit, the water, and the blood.
And these three agree as one. If we receive the
witness of men, the witness of God is greater.
For this is the witness of God, which He has
testified of His Son. He who believes in the
Son of God has the witness in himself. He who
does not believe God has made him a liar because
he has not believed the testimony that God has
given of his Son. And this is the testimony that
God has given us eternal life and this life is
in his Son. He who has the Son has life. He who
does not have the Son of God does not have life.
These things I have written to you who believe
in the name of the Son of God, that you may know
that you have eternal life, and that you may
continue to believe in the name of the Son of
God. Now this is the confidence that we have
in Him, that if we ask anything according to
His will, He hears us. And if we know that He
hears us whatever we ask, we know that we have
the petitions that we have asked of Him. If anyone
sees his brother sinning a sin which does not
lead to death, He will ask, and He will give
him life for those who commit sin not leading
to death. There is sin leading to death. I do
not say that you should pray about that. All
unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not
leading to death. We know that whoever is born
of God does not sin, but he who has been born
of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does
not touch him. We know that we are of God, and
the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked
one. And we know that the Son of God has come
and has given us an understanding, that we may
know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is
true, in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true
God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves
from idols. Ameen. The second epistle of St.
John. The elder, to the elect lady and her children,
whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also
all those who have known the truth, because of
the truth which abides in us and will be with
us forever. Grace, mercy, and peace will be with
you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of
your children walking in truth, as we received
commandment from the Father. And now I plead
with you, Lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment
to you, but that which we have had from the beginning.
that we love one another. This is love, that
we walk according to his commandments. This is
the commandment that as you have heard from the
beginning, you should walk in it. For many deceivers
have gone out into the world who do not confess
Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is
a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves
that we do not lose those things we worked for,
but that we may receive a full reward. Whoever
transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine
of Christ does not have God. He who abides in
the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and
the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not
bring this doctrine, do not receive him into
your house nor greet him, for he who greets him
shares in his evil deeds. Having many things
to write to you, I did not wish to do so with
paper and ink, but I hope to come to you and
speak face to face that our joy may be full.
the children of your elect sister greet you amen
the third epistle of st john the elder to the
beloved gaius whom i love in truth beloved i
pray that you may prosper in all things and be
in health just as your soul prospers for i rejoiced
greatly when brethren came and testified of the
truth that is in you just as you walk in the
truth I have no greater joy than to hear that
my children walk in truth. Beloved, you do faithfully
whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers,
who have borne witness of your love before the
church. If you send them forward on their journey
in a manner worthy of God, you will do well.
Because they went forth for his name's sake,
taking nothing from the Gentiles. We therefore
ought to receive such that we may become fellow
workers for the truth. I wrote to the church,
but Diotrephus, who loves to have the preeminence
among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if
I come, I will call to mind his deeds, which
he does, prating against us with malicious words.
And not content with that, he himself does not
receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish
to, putting them out of the church. Beloved,
do not imitate what is evil, but what is good.
He who does good is of God, but he who does evil
has not seen God. Demetrius has a good testimony
from all, and from the truth itself. And we also
bear witness, and you know that our testimony
is true. I had many things to write, but I do
not wish to write to you with pen and ink. But
I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak
face to face. Peace to you. Our friends greet
you. Greet the friends by name. and I look forward
to seeing you again tomorrow to continue on our
journey. God bless you and have a great day.