Tendency of the gospel. Chap. ii. Of falling from grace. 10 Wherefore the rather, bre-prophecy of the scripture is of thren, give diligence to make any private interpretation. your calling and election sure; 21 For the prophecy came not for if ye do these things, ye shall in old time by the will of man; never fall : but holy men of God spake as 11 For so an entrance shall be they were moved by the Holy ministered unto you abundantly, Ghost. into the everlasting kingdom of CHAP. II. our Lord and Saviour Jesus Heforetelleth them of false teachers. Christ. UT there were false prophets B 12 Wherefore I will not be also among the people, even negligent to put you always in as there shall be false teachers remembrance of these things, among you, who privily shall though ye know them, and be es-bring in damnable heresies, even tablished in the present truth. denying the Lord that bought 13 Yea, I think it meet, as long them, and bring upon themselves as I am in this tabernacle, to stir swift destruction. you up, by putting you in remem- 2 And many shall follow their brance; pernicious ways; by reason of 14 Knowing that shortly I must whom the way of truth shall be put off this my tabernacle, even evil spoken of. as our Lord Jesus Christ hath 3 And through covetousness shewed me. shall they, with feigned words, 15 Moreover, I will endeavour make merchandise of you: whose that ye may be able, after my judgment now of a long time lindecease, to have these things al-gereth not, and their damnation ways in remembrance. slumbereth not. 16 For we have not followed 4 For if God spared not the cunningly-devised fables, when angels that finned, but cast them we made known unto you, the down to hell, and delivered them power and coming of our Lord into chains of darkness, to be reJesus Christ, but were eye-wit- served unto judgment; nesses of his majesty. 5 And spared not the old world, 17 For he received from God but saved Noe the eighth person, the Father honour and glory, a preacher of righteousness, when there came such a voice to bringing in the flood upon the him from the excellent glory, world of the ungodly; This is my beloved Son, in whom 6 And turning the cities of I am well pleased. Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes, 18 And this voice which came condemned them with an overfrom heaven we heard, when we throw, making them an ensample were with him in the holy mount. unto those that after should live 19 We have also a more sure ungodly; word of prophecy; whereunto 7 And delivered just Lot, vexye do well that ye take heed, as ed with the filthy conversation of unto a light that shineth in a dark the wicked; place, until the day dawn, and 8 (For that righteous man the day-star arise in your hearts: dwelling among them, in seeing 20 Knowing this first, that no and hearing, vexed his righteous SS The danger of sin. II. Peter. Certainty of the last day. soul from day to day with their 18 For when they speak great unlawful deeds :) swelling words of vanity, they al 9 The Lord knoweth how to lure through the lusts of the flesh, deliver the godly out of tempta-through much wantonness, those tions, and to reserve the unjust that were clean escaped from unto the day of judgment to be them who live in error. punished; 19 While they promise them 10 But chiefly them that walk liberty, they themselves are the after the flesh in the lust of un-servants of corruption: for of cleanness, and despise govern-whom a man is overcome, of the ment. Presumptuous are they, same is he brought in bondage. self-willed, they are not afraid to 20 For if, after they have escapspeak evil of dignities : ed the pollutions of the world, 11 Whereas angels, which are through the knowledge of the greater in power and might, bring Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, not railing accusation against they are again entangled therein, them before the Lord. and overcome, the latter end is 12 But these, as natural brute worse with them than the beginbeasts, made to be taken and de- ning. stroyed, speak evil of the things 21 For it had been better for 13 And shall receive the re-holy commandment delivered 14 Having eyes full of adultery, the mire. and that cannot cease from sin; CHAP. III. beguiling unstable souls: an heart Of Christ's coming to judgment. they have exercised with covet- THIS second epistle, beloved, ous practices; cursed children: I now write unto you; in 15 Which have forsaken the both which I stir up your pure right way, and are gone astray, minds by way of remembrance; following the way of Balaam the 2 That ye may be mindful of son of Bosor, who loved the the words which were spoken wages of unrighteousness; before by the holy prophets, and 16 But was rebuked for his ini- of the commandment of us the quity: the dumb ass, speaking apostles of the Lord and Saviwith man's voice, forbade the our: madness of the prophet. 3 Knowing this first, that there 17 These are wells without shall come in the last days scofwater, clouds that are carried fers, walkingafter their own lusts, with a tempest; to whom the 4 And saying, Where is the mist of darkness is reserved for promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things ever. 1 Christ's coming to judgment. Chap. i. Exhortation to holiness. continue as they were from the 12 Looking for and hasting unbeginning of the creation. to the coming of the day of God, 5 For this they willingly are wherein the heavens being on ignorant of, that by the word of fire shall be dissolved, and the God the heavens were of old, and elements shall melt with fervent the earth standing out of the wa-heat; ter, and in the water: 13 Nevertheless we, according 6 Whereby the world that then to his promise, look for new was, being overflowed with wa-heavens, and a new earth, whereter, perished: in dwelleth righteousness. 7 But the heavens and the earth, 14 Wherefore, beloved, seewhich are now, by the sameling that ye look for such things, word are kept in store, reserved be diligent that ye may be found unto fire, against the day of judg-of him in peace, without spot, ment and perdition of ungodly and blameless : men. 15 And account that the long. 8 But, beloved, be not igno-suffering of our Lord is salvation; rant of this one thing, that one even as our beloved brother Paul day is with the Lord as a thou-also, according to the wisdom sand years, and a thousand years given unto him, hath written unas one day. to you; 9 The Lord is not slack con- 16 As also in all his epistles, cerning hispromise, as some men speaking in them of these things; count slackness; but is long-suf-in which are some things hard to fering to us-ward, not willing be understood, which they that that any should perish, but that are unlearned and unstable, wrest, all should come to repentance. as they do also the other scrip. 10 But the day of the Lordtures, unto their own destrucwill come as a thief in the night; tion. in the which the heavens shall 17 Ye therefore, beloved, seepass away with a great noise, anding ye know these things before, the elements shall melt with fer-beware lest ye also, being led vent heat, the earth also, and the away with the error of the wickworks that are therein, shall beed, fall from your own stedfastburnt up. [ness: 11 Seeing then, that all these 18 But grow in grace, and in things shall be dissolved, what the knowledge of our Lord and manner of persons ought ye to be Saviour Jesus Christ. To him in all holy conversation and god-be glory, both now and for ever. liness, CHAP. I. Amen. THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF JOHN. led, of the Word of life; Person of Christ described. 2 (For the life was manifested, we have seen it, and bear THAT which was from the land beginning, which we have witness, and shew unto you that heard, which we have seen with eternal Life which was with the our eyes, which we have looked Father, and was manifested unupon, and our hands have hand-to us;) Person of Christ described. I. John. To beware of seducers. 3 That which we have seen and keepeth not his commandand heard, declare we unto you, ments, is a liar, and the truth is that ye also may have fellowship not in him. with us: and truly our fellow- 5 But whoso keepeth his word, ship is with the Father, and within him verily is the love of God his Son Jesus Christ. perfected: hereby know we that 4 And these things write wewe are in him. unto you, that your joy may be 6 He that saith, he abideth in full. him, ought himself also so to 5 This then is the message walk even as he walked. which we have heard of him, and 7 Brethren, I write no new declare unto you, that God is commandment unto you, but an light, and in him is no darkness old commandment which ye had at all. from the beginning. The old 6 If we say that we have fel-commandment is the word which lowship with him, and walk inye have heard from the begindarkness, we lie, and do not the ning. truth; 8 Again, a new commandment 7 But if we walk in the light, as I write unto you, which thing is he is in the light, we have fellow-true in him, and in you; because ship one with another; and the the darkness is past, and the true blood of Jesus Christ his Sonlight now shineth. cleanseth us from all sin. 9 He that saith, he is in the 8 If we say that we have nolight, and hateth his brother, is sin, we deceive ourselves, and in darkness even until now. the truth is not in us. 10 He that loveth his brother 9 If we confess our sins, he is abideth in the light, and there is faithful and just to forgive us our none occasion of stumbling in sins, and to cleanse us from all him: unrighteousness. 11 But he that hateth his bro 10 If we say that we have not ther is in darkness, and walketh sinned, we make him a liar, and in darkness, and knoweth not his word is not in us. CHAP. II. ✓ whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. To beware of seducers. 12 I write unto you, little chilY little children, these dren, because your sins are for Mthintulechildrent these your sins are that ye sin not. And if any man 13 I write unto you, fathers, sin, we have an Advocate with because ye have known him that the Father, Jesus Christ, the is from the beginning. I write righteous : unto you, young men, because 2 And he is the propitiation ye have overcome the wicked forour sins; and not for ours only, one. I write unto you, little but also for the sins of the whole children, because ye have known world. 3 Andhereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. the Father. 14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. 4 He that saith, I know him, I have written unto you, young He sheweth God's singular Chap. iii. love towards us. men, because ye are strong, and shall remain in you, ye also shall the word of God abideth in you, continue in the Son, and in the and ye have overcome the wick-Father. ed one. 25 And this is the promise that 15 Love not the world, neither he hath promised us, even eternal the things that are in the world. life. If any man love the world, the 26 These things have I writlove of the Father is not in him. ten unto you concerning them 16 For all that is in the world, that seduce you. the lust of the flesh, and the lust 27 But the anointing, which ye of the eyes, and the pride of life, have received of him, abideth in is not of the Father, but is of the you; and ye need not that any world. man teach you: but as the same 17 And the world passeth away, anointing teacheth you of all and the lust thereof: but he that things, and is truth, and is no lie, doeth the will of God, abideth and even as it hath taught you, for ever. ye shall abide in him. 18 Little children, it is the last 28 And now, little children, time; and as ye have heard that abide in him; that, when he shall antichrist shall come, even now appear, we may have confidence, are there many antichrists; where- and not be ashamed before him by we know that it is the last at his coming. time. 29 If ye know that he is righ 19 They went out from us, teous, ye know that every one but they were not of us; for if that doeth righteousness is born they had been of us, they would of him. no doubt have continued with us ; but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us. CHAP. III. BEHOLD, what God's singular love to us. manner of love the Father hath bestow20 But ye have an unction from led upon us, that we should be the Holy One, and ye know all called the sons of God! therefore the world knoweth us not, be things. 21 I have not written unto you, cause it knew him not. because ye know not the truth; 2 Beloved, now are we the sons but because ye know it, and that of God; and it doth not yet apno lie is of the truth. pear what we shall be: but we 22 Who is a liar, but he that know that, when he shall apdenieth that Jesus is the Christ? pear, we shall be like him; for He is antichrist that denieth the we shall see him as he is. Father and the Son. 3 And every man that hath 23 Whosoeverdenieth the Son, this hope in him purifieth himself, the same hath not the Father: even as he is pure. [but he that acknowledgeth the 4 Whosoever committeth sin, Son, hath the Father also.] transgresseth also the law: for 24 Let that, therefore, abide in sin is the transgression of the you, which ye have heard from law. the beginning. If that which ye 5 And ye know that he was have heard from the beginning manifested to take away our sins; |