People of the World where are you going? Turn back to God! Back to your faithful principles!
TESTIMONY CONCERNING THE SON OF GOD
For everyone born of God is victorious and overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has conquered and overcome the world–our [continuing, persistent] faith [in Jesus the Son of God].
THE TEST OF OUR LOVE
The test of our love. Whoever confesses and acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
TEST THE SPIRITS GOD IS LOVE
By this you know and recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges and confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ has [actually] come in the flesh [as a man] is from God [God is its source];
LOVE ONE ANOTHER IN DEED AND IN TRUTH
Love one another in deed and in truth. Little children (believers, dear ones), let us not love [merely in theory] with word or with tongue [giving lip service to compassion], but in action and in truth [in practice and in sincerity, because practical acts of love are more than words].
NAMED CALLED AND COUNTED CHILDREN OF THE CREATOR GOD
The Marks Of God’s Children. See what an incredible quality of love the Father has shown to us, that we would [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so, we are! For this reason, the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
WARNING CONCERNING THE ANTICHRISTS
Children, it is the last hour [the end of this age]; and just as you heard that the antichrist is coming [the one who will oppose Christ and attempt to replace Him], even now many antichrists (false teachers) have appeared, which confirms our belief that it is the last hour.
DO NOT LOVE THE WORLD
Do not love the world [of sin that opposes God and His precepts], nor the things that are in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
CHRIST OUR ADVOCATE NEW COMMANDMENT OF LOVE
Christ our advocate the new commandment of love. My little children (believers, dear ones), I am writing you these things so that you will not sin and violate God’s law. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate [who will intercede for us] with the Father: Jesus Christ the righteous [the upright, the just One, who conforms to the Father’s will in every way–purpose, thought, and action].
THE WORD OF LIFE WALKING IN THE LIGHT
The Word of Life. [I am writing about] what existed from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life [the One who existed even before the beginning of the world, Christ]
In addition to the Gospel, three Epistles have come to us from the pen of the beloved Apostle. Of these the First is the longest and most important.