1Deti moje milé, píšem vám preto, aby ste utekali pred hriechom. Ale ak by niekto predsa len zhrešil, má u Boha obhajcu – Ježiša Krista.2On, jediný bez hriechu, bol potrestaný za nás, no nielen za nás, ale za hriechy celého sveta.3Ak zachovávame to, čo nám prikazuje, môžeme si byť istí, že ho poznáme.4Neprávom sa k nemu hlási ten, kto sa mu nepodriaďuje.5U toho, kto sa spravuje jeho slovom, prejavuje sa Božia dokonalá láska. Poslušnosť je dôkazom toho, že sme v ňom.6Každý, kto sa priznáva k Ježišovi, musí žiť, ako žil On.
Staré a nové prikázanie
7Moji milovaní, nepíšem vám nič nové, ani vám nedávam nové prikázanie. Je to staré prikázanie, ktoré ste mali od počiatku.8Nové je to, že sa táto láska uskutočnila v Kristovi. On je to pravé svetlo, ktoré rozháňa tmu.9To sa má prejaviť aj na nás: kto nenávidí blížneho, habká v tme a nevie, kam ide.10Kto miluje blížneho, vyhľadáva svetlo a nikomu neprekáža v ceste.11Kto nenávidí svojho blížneho, je v tme a v tme chodí, nevie, kam ide, lebo tma mu oslepila oči.12Napísal som vám to, deti moje, lebo sú vám odpustené hriechy pre meno Ježiša, vášho záchrancu.13A píšem to aj vám, otcovia, lebo ste poznali toho, ktorý je od počiatku.14A vám, mládenci, píšem, lebo ste silní, pôsobí vo vás Božie slovo, a preto ste zvíťazili nad zlým.15Nemilujte svet ani veci tohto sveta. Láska k Bohu a láska k svetu sa vylučujú.16Ľudia sa dávajú unášať svojimi túžbami, chcú mať, čo vidia, a zakladajú si na tom, čím sú a čo majú.17Svet však vyjde na skazu i s jeho žiadosťami, ale ten, kto pozná Božiu vôľu, bude žiť naveky.
Varovanie pred zvodcami
18Deti moje, posledné časy tohto sveta sú tu. To znamená, že prichádza Antikrist. Veď už stretávame mnohých Kristových odporcov. To je nepochybný dôkaz, že koniec sveta je blízko.19Vyšli z nášho stredu, ale svojím odchodom dokázali, že k nám vlastne nikdy ani nepatrili. Inak by boli zostali s nami.20Vás však Duch Svätý vedie spoľahlivo.21Poznáte pravdu a rozoznáte ju od lži.22Kto teda prekrucuje pravdu? Ten, kto popiera, že Ježiš Kristus je Boží Syn, Spasiteľ,23so Synom zavrhuje aj Otca. Kto sa priznáva k Synovi, priznáva sa aj k Otcovi.24Pridŕžajte sa toho, čo ste počuli od počiatku. Ak v tom zotrváte, zotrváte aj v Synovi a Otcovi.25A to je to, čo nám sľúbil – večný život.26Ale už dosť o tých, ktorí vás chcú zmiasť. Nie je potrebné, aby som vám to zvlášť zdôvodňoval.27Kristov Duch, ktorého ste prijali, vás učí rozlišovať medzi pravdou a lžou. A v tom buďte pevní.28Áno, deti moje milé, zostávajte v Kristovom Duchu, a nemusíte sa báť, že budete zahanbení, keď Kristus znova príde na tento svet.29Vieme, že Boh je spravodlivý, ale ten, kto sa dá viesť jeho Duchom, k nemu patrí.
1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (Rim 8,34; 1 Tim 2,5; Hebr 7,25)2He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. (Jn 1,29; Jn 4,42; Jn 11,51; Jn 12,32; Rim 3,25; 2 Kor 5,18; Kol 1,20; 1 Jn 4,10; 1 Jn 4,14)3And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. (Jn 14,15; Jn 15,10)4Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, (Jn 8,44; 1 Jn 1,8)5but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: (Jn 14,23; 1 Jn 3,24; 1 Jn 4,12; 1 Jn 4,13; 1 Jn 5,2; 1 Jn 5,3)6whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. (Mt 11,29; Jn 15,4; Jn 15,7)
The New Commandment
7Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. (Lv 19,18; 1 Jn 2,24; 1 Jn 3,11; 2 Jn 1,5)8At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because[1] the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. (Jn 1,9; Jn 8,12; Jn 13,34; Rim 13,12; Ef 5,8; 1 Sol 5,4)9Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. (Tit 3,3; 1 Jn 3,14; 1 Jn 4,20)10Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him[2] there is no cause for stumbling. (Prís 4,19; Jn 11,10; 2 Pt 1,10)11But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. (1 Jn 1,6)12I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake. (Lk 24,47; Sk 10,43; Sk 13,38)13I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. (Jn 14,7; Ef 6,10; 1 Jn 1,1; 1 Jn 5,4)14I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one. (1 Jn 2,13)
Do Not Love the World
15Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (Rim 12,2; 2 Tim 4,10; Jak 4,4)16For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life[3]—is not from the Father but is from the world. (Kaz 4,8; Kaz 5,11; Rim 13,14; Ef 2,3; 1 Pt 4,2; 2 Pt 2,18)17And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. (1 Kor 7,31)
Warning Concerning Antichrists
18Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. (Mt 24,5; Mt 24,24; 1 Tim 4,1; 2 Tim 3,1; Jak 5,3; 2 Pt 3,3; 1 Jn 2,22; 1 Jn 4,1; 1 Jn 4,3; 2 Jn 1,7; Júd 1,18)19They 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 it might become plain that they all are not of us. (Dt 13,13; Jn 17,12; Sk 20,30; 1 Kor 11,19)20But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.[4] (Mk 1,24; Jn 14,26; 2 Kor 1,21; 1 Jn 2,27)21I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.22Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. (1 Jn 2,18; 1 Jn 4,3; 2 Jn 1,7)23No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. (1 Jn 4,15; 1 Jn 5,1; 2 Jn 1,9)24Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. (Jn 14,23; 1 Jn 1,3; 1 Jn 3,11; 2 Jn 1,6)25And this is the promise that he made to us[5]—eternal life. (Jn 17,2)26I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. (1 Jn 3,7; 2 Jn 1,7)27But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him. (Jer 31,34; Jn 14,17; Hebr 8,11; 1 Jn 2,20)