Iohannis I 3
1 Videte qualem charitatem dedit nobis Pater, ut filii Dei nominemur et simus. Propter hoc mundus non novit nos: quia non novit eum.
See what great love the Father has lavished on us: he lets us be called God’s children! For that is what we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it has not learned to know him.
2 Charissimi, nunc filii Dei sumus: et nondum apparuit quid erimus. Scimus quoniam cum apparuerit, similes ei erimus: quoniam videbimus eum sicuti est.
Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is that, when it is revealed, we will be like him, because we will see him as he is.
3 Et omnis, qui habet hanc spem in eo, sanctificat se, sicut et ille sanctus est.
And just as he is pure, everyone who has this hope, makes and keeps themselves pure.
4 Omnis, qui facit peccatum, et iniquitatem facit: et peccatum est iniquitas.
Everyone who lives sinfully is living in violation of God’s law. Sin is lawlessness.
5 Et scitis quia ille apparuit ut peccata nostra tolleret: et peccatum in eo non est.
You know that Christ appeared to take away our sins and that there is no sin in him.
6 Omnis, qui in eo manet, non peccat: et omnis, qui peccat, non vidit eum, nec cognovit eum.
No one who lives in him continues to sin; the sinner has not seen or known him.
7 Filioli, nemo vos seducat. Qui facit iustitiam, iustus est: sicut et ille iustus est.
My children, don’t let anyone mislead you. The person who does what is right is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.
8 Qui facit peccatum, ex diabolo est: quoniam ab initio diabolus peccat. In hoc apparuit Filius Dei, ut dissolvat opera diaboli.
The person who lives in sin is a child of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To undo the devil’s work is the reason the Son of God appeared.
9 Omnis, qui natus est ex Deo, peccatum non facit: quoniam semen ipsius in eo manet, et non potest peccare, quoniam ex Deo natus est.
No child of God sins, because God’s nature dwells in them. They can’t live in sin, because they are God’s children.
10 In hoc manifesti sunt filii Dei, et filii diaboli. Omnis qui non est iustus, non est ex Deo, et qui non diligit fratrem suum:
By this it is made clear who are the children of God and who are the devil’s: anyone who doesn’t do what is right or doesn’t love others is not a child of God.
11 quoniam hæc est annunciatio, quam audistis ab initio, ut diligatis alterutrum.
For this is the message we heard from the beginning: we are to love one another.
12 Non sicut Cain, qui ex maligno erat, et occidit fratrem suum. Et propter quid occidit eum? Quoniam opera eius maligna erant: fratris autem eius, iusta.
We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his actions were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.
13 Nolite mirari fratres, si odit vos mundus.
Do not be suprised, friends, if the world hates you.
14 Nos scimus quoniam translati sumus de morte ad vitam, quoniam diligimus fratres. Qui non diligit, manet in morte:
We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love each other. The person who does not love remains in a state of death.
15 omnis, qui odit fratrem suum, homicida est. Et scitis quoniam omnis homicida non habet vitam æternam in semetipso manentem. (aiōnios g166)
The person who hates another is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life dwelling within them. (aiōnios g166)
16 In hoc cognovimus charitatem Dei, quoniam ille animam suam pro nobis posuit: et nos debemus pro fratribus animas ponere.
This is how we know what love is: Christ gave his life for us. So we should lay down our own lives for each other.
17 Qui habuerit substantiam huius mundi, et viderit fratrem suum necessitatem habere, et clauserit viscera sua ab eo: quomodo charitas Dei manet in eo?
If anyone has material possessions, and sees one of our own in need, but closes their heart against that person, how can it be said that the love of God is within them?
18 Filioli mei, non diligamus verbo, neque lingua, sed opere et veritate.
My children, our love must not be mere words or talk. It must be true and show itself in actions.
19 in hoc cognoscimus quoniam ex veritate sumus: et in conspectu eius suadebimus corda nostra.
This is how we will know we belong to the truth and reassure ourselves in God’s presence:
20 Quoniam si reprehenderit nos cor nostrum: maior est Deus corde nostro, et novit omnia.
though our conscience condemns us, God is greater than our conscience and knows everything.
21 Charissimi, si cor nostrum non reprehenderit nos, fiduciam habemus ad Deum:
Dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, then we approach God with confidence,
22 et quidquid petierimus, accipiemus ab eo: quoniam mandata eius custodimus, et ea, quæ sunt placita coram eo, facimus.
and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we are keeping his commands, and are doing what pleases him.
23 Et hoc est mandatum eius: Ut credamus in nomine Filii eius Iesu Christi: et diligamus alterutrum, sicut dedit mandatum nobis.
His command is that we should believe in his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, as Christ commanded us.
24 Et qui servat mandata eius, in illo manet, et ipse in eo: et in hoc scimus quoniam manet in nobis de Spiritu, quem dedit nobis.
The person who keeps his commands dwells in God and God dwells in them. And we are sure he lives in us because of the Spirit he has given us.
