1 John 1

1 ¹What was from the beginning, what we heard, what we saw with our own eyes, what we gazed on and touched with our hands — this we announce about the Word of life, Jesus. ^a a v1 John opens by pointing to the one he touched and heard with his own senses — the Word of life is a person, Jesus, not an idea. ²The life appeared; we saw it, testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with our Father and appeared to us. ³What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you too, so you may share deep communion with us — our deep communion is with our Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. ⁴And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

Walking in Our Father's Light

⁵This is what we heard from him and tell you: our Father is light — no darkness in him at all. ^b b v5 The God who is pure light, with no shadow of darkness in him, is our Father — the message Jesus carried and his witnesses passed on. ⁶If we say we have communion with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and don't live the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we share fellowship with each other, and the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from every sin. ⁸If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, our Father is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all wrongdoing. ¹⁰If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.