1Here is what we announce to everyone about the Word of life. The Word was already here from the beginning. We have heard him. We have seen him with our eyes. We have looked at him. Our hands have touched him.2This life has appeared. We have seen him. We are witnesses about him. And we announce to you this same eternal life. He was already with the Father. He has appeared to us.3We announce to you what we have seen and heard. We do it so you can share life together with us. And we share life with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.4We are writing this to make our joy complete.
Walking in the light
5Here is the message we have heard from him and announce to you. God is light. There is no darkness in him at all.6Suppose we say that we share life with God but still walk in the darkness. Then we are lying. We are not living out the truth.7But suppose we walk in the light, just as he is in the light. Then we share life with one another. And the blood of Jesus, his Son, makes us pure from all sin.8Suppose we claim we are without sin. Then we are fooling ourselves. The truth is not in us.9But God is faithful and fair. If we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins. He will forgive every wrong thing we have done. He will make us pure.10If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar. His word is not in us.
1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— (Lu 24:39; Joh 1:1; Joh 1:14; Joh 19:35; Joh 20:27; Ac 4:20; 2Pe 1:16; 1Jo 2:13; 1Jo 4:14)2the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— (Joh 1:4; Joh 11:25; Joh 14:6; Joh 15:27; Ro 16:26; 1Ti 3:16; 1Jo 1:1; 1Jo 3:5; 1Jo 3:8)3that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. (Joh 17:21; 1Co 1:9; 1Jo 1:1; 1Jo 2:24)4And we are writing these things so that our[1] joy may be complete. (Joh 15:11; Joh 16:24)
Walking in the Light
5This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (Joh 4:24; Jas 1:17; 1Jo 3:11; 1Jo 4:8)6If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. (Joh 3:21; Joh 12:35; 2Co 6:14; 1Jo 2:11)7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (Ps 104:2; Isa 2:5; Eph 1:7; 1Ti 6:16; Heb 9:14; 1Pe 1:19; Re 5:9; Re 7:14; Re 12:11)8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (Job 15:14; Jer 2:35; Jas 3:2; 1Jo 2:4)9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (Ps 32:5; Ps 51:3; Ps 143:1; Pr 28:13; Ro 3:26; 1Jo 1:7)10If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (Joh 5:38; Joh 8:37; 1Jo 5:10)