Caring For The Lord's Workers ( III John 1-15) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1    This letter is from John, the elder.  I am writing to Gaius, my dear friend, whom I love in the truth.

2    Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.

3    Some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth. 

4    I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.

5    Dear friend, you are being faithful to God when you care for the traveling teachers who pass through, even though they are strangers to you. 

6    They have told the church here of your loving friendship. Please continue providing for such teachers in a manner that pleases God. 

7    For they are traveling for the Lord, and they accept nothing from people who are not believers.

8    So we ourselves should support them so that we can be their partners as they teach the truth.

9    I wrote to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us. 

10  When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church.

11  Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God’s children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.

12  Everyone speaks highly of Demetrius, as does the truth itself. We ourselves can say the same for him, and you know we speak the truth. 

13  I have much more to say to you, but I don’t want to write it with pen and ink. 

14  For I hope to see you soon, and then we will talk face to face.

15  Peace be with you.  Your friends here send you their greetings. Please give my personal greetings to each of our friends there.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1    From the Elder—To my dear Gaius, whom I truly love.
2    My dear friend, I pray that everything may go well with you and that you may be in good health—as I know you are well in spirit. 
3    I was so happy when some Christians arrived and told me how faithful you are to the truth—just as you always live in the truth. 
4    Nothing makes me happier than to hear that my children live in the truth. 
5    My dear friend, you are so faithful in the work you do for other Christians, even when they are strangers.
6    They have spoken to the church here about your love. Please help them to continue their trip in a way that will please God. 
7    For they set out on their trip in the service of Christ without accepting any help from unbelievers. 
8    We Christians, then, must help these people, so that we may share in their work for the truth. 
9    I wrote a short letter to the church; but Diotrephes, who likes to be their leader, will not pay any attention to what I say. 
10  When I come, then, I will bring up everything he has done: the terrible things he says about us and the lies he tells! But that is not enough for him; he will not receive the Christians when they come, and even stops those who want to receive them and tries to drive them out of the church!
11  My dear friend, do not imitate what is bad, but imitate what is good. Whoever does good belongs to God; whoever does what is bad has not seen God.
12  Everyone speaks well of Demetrius; truth itself speaks well of him. And we add our testimony, and you know that what we say is true. 
13  I have so much to tell you, but I do not want to do it with pen and ink. 
14  I hope to see you soon, and then we will talk personally.
15  Peace be with you.  All your friends send greetings. Greet all our friends personally.

Live In The Truth (II John 1-13) New Living and Good News Translations

(this is the entire Book of 2 John)
NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
Greetings

1    This letter is from John, the elder.  I am writing to the chosen lady and to her children, whom I love in the truth—as does everyone else who knows the truth— 

2    because the truth lives in us and will be with us forever.

3    Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.

Live in the Truth

4    How happy I was to meet some of your children and find them living according to the truth, just as the Father commanded.

5    I am writing to remind you, dear friends, that we should love one another. This is not a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning. 

6    Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.

7    I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world. They deny that Jesus Christ came in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist. 

8    Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked so hard to achieve. Be diligent so that you receive your full reward. 

9    Anyone who wanders away from this teaching has no relationship with God. But anyone who remains in the teaching of Christ has a relationship with both the Father and the Son.

10   If anyone comes to your meeting and does not teach the truth about Christ, don’t invite that person into your home or give any kind of encouragement. 

11  Anyone who encourages such people becomes a partner in their evil work.

Conclusion

12  I have much more to say to you, but I don’t want to do it with paper and ink. For I hope to visit you soon and talk with you face to face. Then our joy will be complete.

13  Greetings from the children of your sister, chosen by God.


GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
1    To the dear Lady and to her children, whom I truly love. And I am not the only one, but all who know the truth love you, 
2    because the truth remains in us and will be with us forever.
3    May God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, give us grace, mercy, and peace; may they be ours in truth and love.

Truth and Love
4    How happy I was to find that some of your children live in the truth, just as the Father commanded us.
5    And so I ask you, dear Lady: let us all love one another. This is no new command I am writing you; it is the command which we have had from the beginning. 
6    This love I speak of means that we must live in obedience to God's commands. The command, as you have all heard from the beginning, is that you must all live in love.
7    Many deceivers have gone out over the world, people who do not acknowledge that Jesus Christ came as a human being. Such a person is a deceiver and the Enemy of Christ. 
8    Be on your guard, then, so that you will not lose what we have worked for, but will receive your reward in full.
9    Anyone who does not stay with the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God. Whoever does stay with the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 
10  So then, if some come to you who do not bring this teaching, do not welcome them in your homes; do not even say, “Peace be with you.” 
11  For anyone who wishes them peace becomes their partner in the evil things they do.

Final Words
12  I have so much to tell you, but I would rather not do it with paper and ink; instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you personally, so that we shall be completely happy.
13  The children of your dear Sister send you their greetings.

Eternal Life (I John 5:13-21) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

13  I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. 

14  And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. 

15  And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.

16  If you see a fellow believer sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. 

17  All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death.

18  We know that God’s children do not make a practice of sinning, for God’s Son holds them securely, and the evil one cannot touch them. 

19  We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.

20  And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God.  And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.

21  Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

13  I am writing this to you so that you may know that you have eternal life—you that believe in the Son of God. 
14  We have courage in God's presence, because we are sure that he hears us if we ask him for anything that is according to his will. 
15  He hears us whenever we ask him; and since we know this is true, we know also that he gives us what we ask from him.
16  If you see a believer commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray to God, who will give that person life. This applies to those whose sins do not lead to death. But there is sin which leads to death, and I do not say that you should pray to God about that. 
17  All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which does not lead to death.
18  We know that no children of God keep on sinning, for the Son of God keeps them safe, and the Evil One cannot harm them.
19  We know that we belong to God even though the whole world is under the rule of the Evil One.
20  We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we know the true God. We live in union with the true God—in union with his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and this is eternal life.
21  My children, keep yourselves safe from false gods!

The Witness About Jesus Christ ( I John 5:6-12) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
6    And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross—not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony.
7    So we have these three witnesses—
8    the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree.
9    Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son.
10  All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don’t believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don’t believe what God has testified about his Son.
11  And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12  Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
6    Jesus Christ is the one who came with the water of his baptism and the blood of his death. He came not only with the water, but with both the water and the blood. And the Spirit himself testifies that this is true, because the Spirit is truth. 
7    There are three witnesses: 
8    the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and all three give the same testimony. 
9    We believe human testimony; but God's testimony is much stronger, and he has given this testimony about his Son. 
10  So those who believe in the Son of God have this testimony in their own heart; but those who do not believe God, have made a liar of him, because they have not believed what God has said about his Son.
11  The testimony is this: God has given us eternal life, and this life has its source in his Son. 
12  Whoever has the Son has this life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Faith In The Son Of God (I John 5:1-5) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
1   Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too.
2  We know we love God’s children if we love God and obey his commandments.
3  Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome.
4  For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith.
5  And who can win this battle against the world? Only those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
1  Whoever believes that Jesus is the Messiah is a child of God; and whoever loves a father loves his child also. 
2  This is how we know that we love God's children: it is by loving God and obeying his commands. 
3  For our love for God means that we obey his commands. And his commands are not too hard for us,
4  because every child of God is able to defeat the world. And we win the victory over the world by means of our faith. 
5  Who can defeat the world? Only the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

God Is Love (I John 4:7-21) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

7    Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 

8    But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

9    God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 

10  This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

11  Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 

12  No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

13  And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 

14  Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 

15  All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 

16  We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.  God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 

17  And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

18  Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 

19  We love each other because he loved us first.

20  If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 

21  And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

7    Dear friends, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Whoever loves is a child of God and knows God. 

8    Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. 

9    And God showed his love for us by sending his only Son into the world, so that we might have life through him. 

10  This is what love is: it is not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the means by which our sins are forgiven.

11  Dear friends, if this is how God loved us, then we should love one another. 

12  No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another, God lives in union with us, and his love is made perfect in us.

13  We are sure that we live in union with God and that he lives in union with us, because he has given us his Spirit. 

14  And we have seen and tell others that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 

15  If we declare that Jesus is the Son of God, we live in union with God and God lives in union with us.

16  And we ourselves know and believe the love which God has for us.  God is love, and those who live in love live in union with God and God lives in union with them. 

17  Love is made perfect in us in order that we may have courage on the Judgment Day; and we will have it because our life in this world is the same as Christ's. 

18  There is no fear in love; perfect love drives out all fear. So then, love has not been made perfect in anyone who is afraid, because fear has to do with punishment.

19  We love because God first loved us. 

20  If we say we love God, but hate others, we are liars. For we cannot love God, whom we have not seen, if we do not love others, whom we have seen. 

21  The command that Christ has given us is this: whoever loves God must love others also.

The True Spirit And The False Spirit ( I John 4:1-6) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1  Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. 

2  This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. 

3  But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.

4  But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 

5  Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them. 

6  But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1  My dear friends, do not believe all who claim to have the Spirit, but test them to find out if the spirit they have comes from God. For many false prophets have gone out everywhere. 

2  This is how you will be able to know whether it is God's Spirit: anyone who acknowledges that Jesus Christ came as a human being has the Spirit who comes from God. 

3  But anyone who denies this about Jesus does not have the Spirit from God. The spirit that he has is from the Enemy of Christ; you heard that it would come, and now it is here in the world already.

4  But you belong to God, my children, and have defeated the false prophets, because the Spirit who is in you is more powerful than the spirit in those who belong to the world. 

5  Those false prophets speak about matters of the world, and the world listens to them because they belong to the world. 

6  But we belong to God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever does not belong to God does not listen to us. This, then, is how we can tell the difference between the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

Courage Before God (I John 3:19-24) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
19  Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.
20  Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.
21  Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence.
22  And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.
23  And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.
24  Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
19  This, then, is how we will know that we belong to the truth; this is how we will be confident in God's presence. 
20  If our conscience condemns us, we know that God is greater than our conscience and that he knows everything. 
21  And so, my dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have courage in God's presence.
22  We receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.
23  What he commands is that we believe in his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as Christ commanded us. 
24  Those who obey God's commands live in union with God and God lives in union with them. And because of the Spirit that God has given us we know that God lives in union with us.

Love One Another ( I John 3:11-18) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

11  This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 

12  We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. 

13  So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.

14  If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. 

15  Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.

16  We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 

17  If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?

18  Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
11  The message you heard from the very beginning is this: we must love one another. 
12  We must not be like Cain; he belonged to the Evil One and murdered his own brother Abel. Why did Cain murder him? Because the things he himself did were wrong, and the things his brother did were right.
13  So do not be surprised, my friends, if the people of the world hate you. 
14  We know that we have left death and come over into life; we know it because we love others. Those who do not love are still under the power of death. 
15  Those who hate others are murderers, and you know that murderers do not have eternal life in them.
16  This is how we know what love is: Christ gave his life for us. We too, then, ought to give our lives for others! 
17  If we are rich and see others in need, yet close our hearts against them, how can we claim that we love God? 
18  My children, our love should not be just words and talk; it must be true love, which shows itself in action.

Children Of God (I John 3:1-10) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

 1    See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.

2    Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. 

3    And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure.

4    Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. 

5    And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. 

6    Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is.

7    Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. 

8    But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. 

9    Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 

10  So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1    See how much the Father has loved us! His love is so great that we are called God's children—and so, in fact, we are. This is why the world does not know us: it has not known God. 

2    My dear friends, we are now God's children, but it is not yet clear what we shall become. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he really is. 

3    Everyone who has this hope in Christ keeps himself pure, just as Christ is pure.

4    Whoever sins is guilty of breaking God's law, because sin is a breaking of the law. 

5    You know that Christ appeared in order to take away sins, and that there is no sin in him. 

6    So everyone who lives in union with Christ does not continue to sin; but whoever continues to sin has never seen him or known him.

7    Let no one deceive you, my children! Whoever does what is right is righteous, just as Christ is righteous.

8    Whoever continues to sin belongs to the Devil, because the Devil has sinned from the very beginning. The Son of God appeared for this very reason, to destroy what the Devil had done.

9    Those who are children of God do not continue to sin, for God's very nature is in them; and because God is their Father, they cannot continue to sin. 

10  Here is the clear difference between God's children and the Devil's children: those who do not do what is right or do not love others are not God's children.

Warning About Antichrists (I John 2:18-29) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

18  Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. 

19  These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.

20  But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth. 

21  So I am writing to you not because you don’t know the truth but because you know the difference between truth and lies. 

22  And who is a liar? Anyone who says that Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. 

23  Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

24  So you must remain faithful to what you have been taught from the beginning. If you do, you will remain in fellowship with the Son and with the Father. 

25  And in this fellowship we enjoy the eternal life he promised us.

26  I am writing these things to warn you about those who want to lead you astray. 

27  But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.  

28  And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that when he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.

29  Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
18  My children, the end is near! You were told that the Enemy of Christ would come; and now many enemies of Christ have already appeared, and so we know that the end is near. 
19  These people really did not belong to our fellowship, and that is why they left us; if they had belonged to our fellowship, they would have stayed with us. But they left so that it might be clear that none of them really belonged to us.
20  But you have had the Holy Spirit poured out on you by Christ, and so all of you know the truth. 
21  I write you, then, not because you do not know the truth; instead, it is because you do know it, and you also know that no lie ever comes from the truth.
22  Who, then, is the liar? It is those who say that Jesus is not the Messiah. Such people are the Enemy of Christ—they reject both the Father and the Son. 
23  For those who reject the Son reject also the Father; those who accept the Son have the Father also.
24  Be sure, then, to keep in your hearts the message you heard from the beginning. If you keep that message, then you will always live in union with the Son and the Father. 
25  And this is what Christ himself promised to give us—eternal life.
26  I am writing this to you about those who are trying to deceive you. 
27  But as for you, Christ has poured out his Spirit on you. As long as his Spirit remains in you, you do not need anyone to teach you. For his Spirit teaches you about everything, and what he teaches is true, not false. Obey the Spirit's teaching, then, and remain in union with Christ.
28  Yes, my children, remain in union with him, so that when he appears we may be full of courage and need not hide in shame from him on the Day he comes. 
29  You know that Christ is righteous; you should know, then, that everyone who does what is right is God's child.

A New Commandment ( I John 2:7-17) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

7    Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment for you; rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment—to love one another—is the same message you heard before. 

8    Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living it. For the darkness is disappearing, and the true light is already shining.

9    If anyone claims, “I am living in the light,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is still living in darkness.

10  Anyone who loves a fellow believer  is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. 

11  But anyone who hates a fellow believer is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go, having been blinded by the darkness.

12  I am writing to you who are God’s children because your sins have been forgiven through Jesus.

13  I am writing to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.  I am writing to you who are young in the faith because you have won your battle with the evil one.

14  I have written to you who are God’s children because you know the Father.  I have written to you who are mature in the faith because you know Christ, who existed from the beginning.  I have written to you who are young in the faith because you are strong.  God’s word lives in your hearts, and you have won your battle with the evil one.  

15  Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 

16  For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 

17  And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

7    My dear friends, this command I am writing you is not new; it is the old command, the one you have had from the very beginning. The old command is the message you have already heard. 
8    However, the command I now write you is new, because its truth is seen in Christ and also in you. For the darkness is passing away, and the real light is already shining.
9    If we say that we are in the light, yet hate others, we are in the darkness to this very hour. 
10  If we love others, we live in the light, and so there is nothing in us that will cause someone else to sin.
11  But if we hate others, we are in the darkness; we walk in it and do not know where we are going, because the darkness has made us blind.
12  I write to you, my children, because your sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ. 
13  I write to you, fathers, because you know him who has existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you have defeated the Evil One.
14  I write to you, my children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who has existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong; the word of God lives in you, and you have defeated the Evil One.
15  Do not love the world or anything that belongs to the world. If you love the world, you do not love the Father. 
16  Everything that belongs to the world—what the sinful self desires, what people see and want, and everything in this world that people are so proud of—none of this comes from the Father; it all comes from the world.
17  The world and everything in it that people desire is passing away; but those who do the will of God live forever.

Christ Our Helper (I John 2:1-6) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1  My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 

2  He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

3  And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 

4  If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 

5  But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 

6  Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1  My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. 

2  He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

3  And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 

4  If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 

5  But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 

6  Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

The Word Of Life and God Is Light (I John 1:1-10) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
1     We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen. We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands. He is the Word of life.
2    This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him. And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. He was with the Father, and then he was revealed to us.
3    We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
4    We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.
5    This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.
6    So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth.
7    But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.
8    If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.
9    But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
10  If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
1    We write to you about the Word of life, which has existed from the very beginning. We have heard it, and we have seen it with our eyes; yes, we have seen it, and our hands have touched it. 
2    When this life became visible, we saw it; so we speak of it and tell you about the eternal life which was with the Father and was made known to us. 
3    What we have seen and heard we announce to you also, so that you will join with us in the fellowship that we have with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 
4    We write this in order that our joy may be complete.
5    Now the message that we have heard from his Son and announce is this: God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him. 
6    If, then, we say that we have fellowship with him, yet at the same time live in the darkness, we are lying both in our words and in our actions. 
7    But if we live in the light—just as he is in the light—then we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from every sin.
8    If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us. 
9    But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing. 
10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make a liar out of God, and his word is not in us.

The Promise Of The Lord's Coming (II Peter 3:10-18 continue) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
10  But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment.
11  Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live,
12  looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames.
13  But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.
14  And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.
15  And remember, our Lord’s patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him—
16  speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction. 
17  I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing.
18  Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
10  But the Day of the Lord will come like a thief. On that Day the heavens will disappear with a shrill noise, the heavenly bodies will burn up and be destroyed, and the earth with everything in it will vanish.
11  Since all these things will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people should you be? Your lives should be holy and dedicated to God, 
12  as you wait for the Day of God and do your best to make it come soon—the Day when the heavens will burn up and be destroyed, and the heavenly bodies will be melted by the heat. 
13  But we wait for what God has promised: new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness will be at home.
14  And so, my friends, as you wait for that Day, do your best to be pure and faultless in God's sight and to be at peace with him. 
15  Look on our Lord's patience as the opportunity he is giving you to be saved, just as our dear friend Paul wrote to you, using the wisdom that God gave him. 
16  This is what he says in all his letters when he writes on the subject. There are some difficult things in his letters which ignorant and unstable people explain falsely, as they do with other passages of the Scriptures. So they bring on their own destruction.
17  But you, my friends, already know this. Be on your guard, then, so that you will not be led away by the errors of lawless people and fall from your safe position. 
18  But continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory, now and forever! Amen.

The Promise Of The Lord Coming (II Peter 3:1-9) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1  This is my second letter to you, dear friends, and in both of them I have tried to stimulate your wholesome thinking and refresh your memory. 

2  I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles.

3  Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires. 

4  They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created.”

5  They deliberately forget that God made the heavens by the word of his command, and he brought the earth out from the water and surrounded it with water. 

6  Then he used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. 

7  And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed.

8  But you must not forget this one thing, dear friends: A day is like a thousand years to the Lord, and a thousand years is like a day. 

9  The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1  My dear friends, this is now the second letter I have written you. In both letters I have tried to arouse pure thoughts in your minds by reminding you of these things. 

2  I want you to remember the words that were spoken long ago by the holy prophets, and the command from the Lord and Savior which was given you by your apostles. 

3  First of all, you must understand that in the last days some people will appear whose lives are controlled by their own lusts. They will make fun of you 

4  and will ask, “He promised to come, didn't he? Where is he? Our ancestors have already died, but everything is still the same as it was since the creation of the world!” 

5  They purposely ignore the fact that long ago God gave a command, and the heavens and earth were created. The earth was formed out of water and by water, 

6  and it was also by water, the water of the flood, that the old world was destroyed. 

7  But the heavens and the earth that now exist are being preserved by the same command of God, in order to be destroyed by fire. They are being kept for the day when godless people will be judged and destroyed.

8  But do not forget one thing, my dear friends! There is no difference in the Lord's sight between one day and a thousand years; to him the two are the same. 

9  The Lord is not slow to do what he has promised, as some think. Instead, he is patient with you, because he does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants all to turn away from their sins.

THE DANGER OF FALSE TEACHERS (II PETER 2) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

 1    But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. 

2    Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. 

3    In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed.

4    For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness, where they are being held until the day of judgment. 

5    And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood. 

6    Later, God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of ashes. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. 

7    But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. 

8    Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. 

9    So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. 

10  He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority.

These people are proud and arrogant, daring even to scoff at supernatural beings without so much as trembling.
11  But the angels, who are far greater in power and strength, do not dare to bring from the Lord a charge of blasphemy against those supernatural beings.
12  These false teachers are like unthinking animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed. They scoff at things they do not understand, and like animals, they will be destroyed.
13  Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done. They love to indulge in evil pleasures in broad daylight. They are a disgrace and a stain among you. They delight in deception even as they eat with you in your fellowship meals.
14  They commit adultery with their eyes, and their desire for sin is never satisfied. They lure unstable people into sin, and they are well trained in greed. They live under God’s curse.
15   They have wandered off the right road and followed the footsteps of Balaam son of Beor, who loved to earn money by doing wrong.
16  But Balaam was stopped from his mad course when his donkey rebuked him with a human voice.
17  These people are as useless as dried-up springs or as mist blown away by the wind. They are doomed to blackest darkness.
18  They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception.
19  They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you.
20  And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before.
21  It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life.
22  They prove the truth of this proverb: “A dog returns to its vomit.” And another says, “A washed pig returns to the mud.”

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1    False prophets appeared in the past among the people, and in the same way false teachers will appear among you. They will bring in destructive, untrue doctrines, and will deny the Master who redeemed them, and so they will bring upon themselves sudden destruction. 

2    Even so, many will follow their immoral ways; and because of what they do, others will speak evil of the Way of truth.

3    In their greed these false teachers will make a profit out of telling you made-up stories. For a long time now their Judge has been ready, and their Destroyer has been wide awake!

4  God did not spare the angels who sinned, but threw them into hell, where they are kept chained in darkness, waiting for the Day of Judgment. 

5    God did not spare the ancient world, but brought the flood on the world of godless people; the only ones he saved were Noah, who preached righteousness, and seven other people. 

6    God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, destroying them with fire, and made them an example of what will happen to the godless. 

7    He rescued Lot, a good man, who was distressed by the immoral conduct of lawless people. 

8    That good man lived among them, and day after day he suffered agony as he saw and heard their evil actions. 

9    And so the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials and how to keep the wicked under punishment for the Day of Judgment, 

10  especially those who follow their filthy bodily lusts and despise God's authority.  These false teachers are bold and arrogant, and show no respect for the glorious beings above; instead, they insult them. 

11  Even the angels, who are so much stronger and mightier than these false teachers, do not accuse them with insults in the presence of the Lord. 

12  But these people act by instinct, like wild animals born to be captured and killed; they attack with insults anything they do not understand. They will be destroyed like wild animals, 

13  and they will be paid with suffering for the suffering they have caused. Pleasure for them is to do anything in broad daylight that will satisfy their bodily appetites; they are a shame and a disgrace as they join you in your meals, all the while enjoying their deceitful ways! 

14  They want to look for nothing but the chance to commit adultery; their appetite for sin is never satisfied. They lead weak people into a trap. Their hearts are trained to be greedy. They are under God's curse!

15  They have left the straight path and have lost their way; they have followed the path taken by Balaam son of Beor, who loved the money he would get for doing wrong 

16  and was rebuked for his sin. His donkey spoke with a human voice and stopped the prophet's insane action.

17  These people are like dried-up springs, like clouds blown along by a storm; God has reserved a place for them in the deepest darkness. 

18  They make proud and stupid statements, and use immoral bodily lusts to trap those who are just beginning to escape from among people who live in error. 

19  They promise them freedom while they themselves are slaves of destructive habits—for we are slaves of anything that has conquered us. 

20  If people have escaped from the corrupting forces of the world through their knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and then are again caught and conquered by them, such people are in worse condition at the end than they were at the beginning. 

21  It would have been much better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than to know it and then turn away from the sacred command that was given them. 

22  What happened to them shows that the proverbs are true: “A dog goes back to what it has vomited” and “A pig that has been washed goes back to roll in the mud.”

Eyewitnesses Of Christ's Glory (II Peter 1:16-21) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION
16  For we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor with our own eyes
17  when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
18  We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.
19  Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts.
20  Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding,
21  or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION
16  We have not depended on made-up stories in making known to you the mighty coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. With our own eyes we saw his greatness.
17  We were there when he was given honor and glory by God the Father, when the voice came to him from the Supreme Glory, saying, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased!” 
18  We ourselves heard this voice coming from heaven, when we were with him on the holy mountain.
19  So we are even more confident of the message proclaimed by the prophets. You will do well to pay attention to it, because it is like a lamp shining in a dark place until the Day dawns and the light of the morning star shines in your hearts. 
20  Above all else, however, remember that none of us can explain by ourselves a prophecy in the Scriptures. 
21  For no prophetic message ever came just from the human will, but people were under the control of the Holy Spirit as they spoke the message that came from God.

Growing In Faith (II Peter 1:1-15) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1    This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ.  I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior.

2    May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.  

3    By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 

4    And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

5    In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 

6    and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 

7    and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

8    The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

9    But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

10  So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 

11  Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

12  Therefore, I will always remind you about these things—even though you already know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. 

13  And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live. 

14  For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life, 

15  so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1    From Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ—

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have been given a faith as precious as ours:
2    May grace and peace be yours in full measure through your knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
3    God's divine power has given us everything we need to live a truly religious life through our knowledge of the one who called us to share in his own glory and goodness. 
4    In this way he has given us the very great and precious gifts he promised, so that by means of these gifts you may escape from the destructive lust that is in the world, and may come to share the divine nature. 
5    For this very reason do your best to add goodness to your faith; to your goodness add knowledge; 
6    to your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add endurance; to your endurance add godliness; 
7    to your godliness add Christian affection; and to your Christian affection add love. 
8    These are the qualities you need, and if you have them in abundance, they will make you active and effective in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
9    But if you do not have them, you are so shortsighted that you cannot see and have forgotten that you have been purified from your past sins.
10  So then, my friends, try even harder to make God's call and his choice of you a permanent experience; if you do so, you will never abandon your faith.
11  In this way you will be given the full right to enter the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
12  And so I will always remind you of these matters, even though you already know them and are firmly grounded in the truth you have received. 
13  I think it only right for me to stir up your memory of these matters as long as I am still alive. 
14  I know that I shall soon put off this mortal body, as our Lord Jesus Christ plainly told me. 
15  I will do my best, then, to provide a way for you to remember these matters at all times after my death.

The Flock Of God (I Peter 5:1-11) New Living and Good News Translations

NEW LIVING TRANSLATION

1    And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: 

2    Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. 

3    Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. 

4    And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.

5    In the same way, you younger men must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, serve each other in humility, for “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.”

6    So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 

7    Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

8    Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 

9    Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.

10  In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 

11  All power to him forever! 

Amen.

GOOD NEWS TRANSLATION

1    I, who am an elder myself, appeal to the church elders among you. I am a witness of Christ's sufferings, and I will share in the glory that will be revealed. I appeal to you 

2    to be shepherds of the flock that God gave you and to take care of it willingly, as God wants you to, and not unwillingly. Do your work, not for mere pay, but from a real desire to serve. 

3    Do not try to rule over those who have been put in your care, but be examples to the flock. 

4    And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the glorious crown which will never lose its brightness.

5    In the same way you younger people must submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you must put on the apron of humility, to serve one another; for the scripture says, “God resists the proud, but shows favor to the humble.” 

6    Humble yourselves, then, under God's mighty hand, so that he will lift you up in his own good time.

7    Leave all your worries with him, because he cares for you.

8    Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. 

9    Be firm in your faith and resist him, because you know that other believers in all the world are going through the same kind of sufferings. 

10  But after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who calls you to share his eternal glory in union with Christ, will himself perfect you and give you firmness, strength, and a sure foundation. 

11  To him be the power forever! Amen.