1 Consider what sort of love {agape: self-giving affection} the Father {ho pater, Loving Adopting Source} has poured out on us, that we should be called children of God {Theos, Identity Giver}; and in fact we are. For this reason, the world {kosmos: hostile human order} does not acknowledge us, because it did not acknowledge Him.
2 Beloved, even now we are children of God {Theos, Adopting Father}, and what we will be has not yet been revealed; but we know that when He {Christos, Returning Lord} is revealed, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.
3 Everyone who holds this hope {elpis: confident expectation} in Him {Christos, Perfectly Pure Example} keeps purifying himself, just as He is pure.
4 Everyone who practices {poieo: habitually does} sin is also practicing lawlessness {anomian: against God’s law}; sin is lawlessness.
5 And you know that He {Christos, Sin-Bearing Savior} was manifested in order to take away sins {hamartias: moral failures}; and in Him there is no sin.
6 Everyone who remains in Him {Christos, Sinless Indwelling Lord} does not keep on sinning {hamartanei: ongoing rebellion}; everyone who keeps on sinning has not seen Him nor known Him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. The one who does righteousness {dikaiosyne: just conduct} is righteous, just as He {Christos, Perfect Righteousness} is righteous.
8 The one who practices sin is from the devil, because from the beginning the devil has been sinning. For this reason the Son of God {huios tou theou, Manifested Destroyer} was revealed, in order that He might destroy the works {erga: evil deeds} of the devil.
9 Everyone who has been born of God {Theos, Source Of New Birth} does not practice sin, because His seed {sperma: indwelling life} remains in him; and he is not able to keep on sinning, because he has been born from God.
10 In this, the children of God {Theos, Family-Defining Father} and the children of the devil are manifest: everyone who does not practice righteousness {dikaiosune: covenant justice} is not from God, and also the one who does not love his brother.
11 For this is the message you received from the outset {arches: first proclamation}, directing us to love {agapōmen: choose committed goodwill} one another.
12 We should not be like Cain {Kain: example of hatred}, who was from the evil one and murdered his brother; and for what reason did he murder him? Because his works {erga: outward deeds} were evil, but those of his brother were righteous.
13 Do not be amazed, brothers {adelphoi: fellow believers}, if the world {kosmos: organized human order} hates you.
14 We know that we have passed out of death into life because we love the brothers {adelphous: fellow believers}; the one who does not love remains in death {thanatou: spiritual separation}.
15 All who harbor hatred {mison: active hostility} toward a brother {adelphon: fellow believer} are murderers, and you acknowledge that no murderer has eternal life dwelling in him.
16 In this we have come to know love, that He {Iesous, Self-Giving Example} laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers {adelphon: believing family}.
17 But whoever has the goods of this world and sees his brother having need and shuts his inward affections {splanchna: deep compassion} from him, how does the love of God {Theos, Indwelling Love} remain in him?
18 Little children {teknia: tender disciples}, let us not love {agapao: active care} with words or with tongue, but in deed and in truth.
19 By this we will know that we are of the truth, and before Him {Theos, Heart-Knowing Judge} we will assure our heart {kardia: inner moral core}.
20 For if our heart condemns us, God {Theos, Supreme Judge} is greater than our heart and knows all things {panta: every detail}.
21 Beloved, if our heart does not find fault with us, we maintain steadfast confidence {parresia: fearless openness} before God {Theos, Approachable Father}.
22 And whatever we ask, we receive from Him {autou: Prayer-Answering God}, because we keep His commandments {entolas: binding instructions} and do what is pleasing in His sight.
23 And this is the command that comes from Him: that we should believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ {Iesous Christos, Redeeming Savior} and extend love {agapomen: self-giving devotion} to one another, just as He commanded us.
24 And the one who keeps His commandments remains in Him, and He {Theos, Indwelling Presence} remains in him. And by this we know that He remains in us: by the Spirit {pneuma: divine breath} whom He has given to us.