Iohannis I 3
1 Videte qualem caritatem dedit nobis Pater, ut filii Dei nominemur et simus. Propter hoc mundus non novit nos: quia non novit eum.
See what marvellous love the Father has bestowed upon us--that we should be called God's children: and that is what we are. For this reason the world does not recognize us--because it has not known Him.
2 Carissimi, 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 now God's children, but what we are to be in the future has not yet been fully revealed. We know that if Christ reappears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.
3 Et omnis qui habet hanc spem in eo, sanctificat se, sicut et ille sanctus est.
And every man who has this hope fixed on Him, purifies himself so as to be as pure as He is.
4 Omnis qui facit peccatum, et iniquitatem facit: et peccatum est iniquitas.
Every one who is guilty of sin is also guilty of violating Law; for sin is the violation of Law.
5 Et scitis quia ille apparuit ut peccata nostra tolleret: et peccatum in eo non est.
And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.
6 Omnis qui in eo manet, non peccat: et omnis qui peccat, non vidit eum, nec cognovit eum.
No one who continues in union with Him lives in sin: no one who lives in sin has seen Him or knows Him.
7 Filioli, nemo vos seducat. Qui facit justitiam, justus est, sicut et ille justus est.
Dear children, let no one lead you astray. The man who acts righteously is righteous, just as He is righteous.
8 Qui facit peccatum, ex diabolo est: quoniam ab initio diabolus peccat. In hoc apparuit Filius Dei, ut dissolvat opera diaboli.
He who is habitually guilty of sin is a child of the Devil, because the Devil has been a sinner from the very beginning. The Son of God appeared for the purpose of undoing the work of the Devil.
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 one who is a child of God is habitually guilty of sin. A God-given germ of life remains in him, and he cannot habitually sin--because he is a child of God.
10 In hoc manifesti sunt filii Dei, et filii diaboli. Omnis qui non est justus, non est ex Deo, et qui non diligit fratrem suum:
By this we can distinguish God's children and the Devil's children: no one who fails to act righteously is a child of God, nor he who does not love his brother man.
11 quoniam hæc est annuntiatio, quam audistis ab initio, ut diligatis alterutrum.
For this is the Message you have heard from the beginning--that 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 ejus maligna erant: fratris autem ejus, justa.
We are not to resemble Cain, who was a child of the Evil one and killed his own brother. And why did he kill him? Because his own actions were wicked and his brother's actions righteous.
13 Nolite mirari, fratres, si odit vos mundus.
Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you.
14 Nos scimus quoniam translati sumus de morte ad vitam, quoniam diligimus fratres. Qui non diligit, manet in morte:
As for us, we know that we have already passed out of death into Life--because we love our brother men. He who is destitute of love continues dead.
15 omnis qui odit fratrem suum, homicida est. Et scitis quoniam omnis homicida non habet vitam æternam in semetipso manentem. (aiōnios g166)
Every one who hates his brother man is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has the Life of the Ages continuing in him. (aiōnios g166)
16 In hoc cognovimus caritatem Dei, quoniam ille animam suam pro nobis posuit: et nos debemus pro fratribus animas ponere.
We know what love is--through Christ's having laid down His life on our behalf; and in the same way we ought to lay down our lives for our brother men.
17 Qui habuerit substantiam hujus mundi, et viderit fratrem suum necessitatem habere, et clauserit viscera sua ab eo: quomodo caritas Dei manet in eo?
But if any one has this world's wealth and sees that his brother man is in need, and yet hardens his heart against him--how can such a one continue to love God?
18 Filioli mei, non diligamus verbo neque lingua, sed opere et veritate:
Dear children, let us not love in words only nor with the lips, but in deed and in truth.
19 in hoc cognoscimus quoniam ex veritate sumus: et in conspectu ejus suadebimus corda nostra.
And in this way we shall come to know that we are loyal to the truth, and shall satisfy our consciences in His presence
20 Quoniam si reprehenderit nos cor nostrum: major est Deus corde nostro, et novit omnia.
in whatever matters our hearts condemn us--because God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.
21 Carissimi, si cor nostrum non reprehenderit nos, fiduciam habemus ad Deum:
Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have perfect confidence towards God;
22 et quidquid petierimus, accipiemus ab eo: quoniam mandata ejus custodimus, et ea, quæ sunt placita coram eo, facimus.
and whatever we ask for we obtain from Him, because we obey His commands and do the things which are pleasing in His sight.
23 Et hoc est mandatum ejus: ut credamus in nomine Filii ejus Jesu Christi: et diligamus alterutrum, sicut dedit mandatum nobis.
And this is His command--that we are to believe in His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as He has commanded us to do.
24 Et qui servat mandata ejus, in illo manet, et ipse in eo: et in hoc scimus quoniam manet in nobis, de Spiritu quem dedit nobis.
The man who obeys His commands continues in union with God, and God continues in union with him; and through His Spirit whom He has given us we can know that He continues in union with us.
