Study Desk

I have not sent you this letter because you have no knowledge of what is true, but because you have knowledge, and because that which is false has nothing in common with that which is true.

See what great love the Father has given us in naming us the children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not see who we are, because it did not see who he was.

Anyone who is a child of God does no sin, because he still has God's seed in him; he is not able to be a sinner, because God is his Father.

Because this is the word which was given to you from the first, that we are to have love for one another;

Not being of the Evil One like Cain, who put his brother to death. And why did he put him to death? Because his works were evil and his brother's works were good.

We are conscious that we have come out of death into life because of our love for the brothers. He who has no love is still in death.

In this we see what love is, because he gave his life for us; and it is right for us to give our lives for the brothers.

When our heart says that we have done wrong; because God is greater than our heart, and has knowledge of all things.

And he gives us all our requests, because we keep his laws and do the things which are pleasing in his eyes.

My loved ones, do not put your faith in every spirit, but put them to the test, to see if they are from God: because a great number of false prophets have gone out into the world.

You are of God, my little children, and you have overcome them because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

My loved ones, let us have love for one another: because love is of God, and everyone who has love is a child of God and has knowledge of God.

He who has no love has no knowledge of God, because God is love.

In this way love is made complete in us, so that we may be without fear on the day of judging, because as he is, so are we in this world.

There is no fear in love: true love has no room for fear, because where fear is, there is pain; and he who is not free from fear is not complete in love.

We have the power of loving, because he first had love for us.

And the Spirit is the witness, because the Spirit is true.

If we take the witness of men to be true, the witness of God is greater: because this is the witness which God has given about his Son.

He who has faith in the Son of God has the witness in himself: he who has not faith in God makes him false, because he has not faith in the witness which God has given about his Son.

Because of this true knowledge which is in us, and will be with us for ever: