I write you this so that you may know that you have life everlasting, you who believe in the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence we have in his presence, that if we ask him for something that accords with his will he listens to us. And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we are given what we ask him for. If one sees his brother committing a sin which is not a deadly sin, he shall ask, and God will grant him his life. This is for those whose sin is not deadly. There is a sin which is deadly. I am not saying that he should pray for that kind. Every wrong is a sin, but there is sin which is not deadly.
We know that anyone born of God does no sin, but one who is born of God obeys him, and the evil one does not touch him. We know that we are from God, and our whole world lies in the power of the evil one. We know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us the wit to know who is the true one. And we are under the true one, under his son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and life everlasting.
Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
The Second General Letter of John
1THE ELDER TO THE CHOSEN LADY and her children, whom I love in truth, and not I alone, but so also do all who know the truth, through the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever. Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father, and from Jesus Christ the Son of the Father, in truth and love.
I was overjoyed to find that some of your children were going the way of truth as we have been commanded by the Father to do. And now I ask you, lady, as one who writes you no new commandment but the one we have had from the begining, that we should love each other. And this is love, to go according to his commandments; this is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, to follow love. For many deceivers have come forth into the world, who do not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such is the deceiver and the antichrist. Look to yourselves, so as not to lose what we have done but receive your full reward. Whoever breaks forward and does not abide by the teaching of the Christ does not have God; the one who abides by his teaching has the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not take him into your house and do not give him any greeting; for anyone who gives him a greeting shares in his evil deeds.
Though I have much to write you about, I would rather not do it with paper and ink, but hope to be with you and speak to you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. The children of your chosen sister send you greetings.
The Third General Letter of John
1THE ELDER TO HIS BELOVED GAIUS, whom I love in truth. I pray, dear friend, that you are in good health and that all your condition is as good as is the condition of your soul. For I was overjoyed when some brothers arrived and testified to your true life, as you do indeed follow the truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children are following the truth. Dear friend, you are acting faithfully in what you are doing for our brothers, even those who are foreigners. They have testified to your love before the congregation. You will do well to help them on their way as God would wish you to; since they set out for the sake of his name, without taking any funds from pagans. So we have a duty to support such people so that we can all work together for the truth.
I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, their would-be leader, does not accept us. For that reason, if I come, I shall speak of the things he has been doing, talking wicked nonsense about us; and not content with that, he refuses to welcome brothers himself, and prevents those who wish to do so and drives them out of the church.
Dear friend, do not imitate evil but good. He who does good is from God; he who does evil has not seen God. Demetrius has testimonials from all and from the truth itself; and we also testify to him, and you know that our testimony is true.
I had much to write you about, but I do not want to write it out for you with pen and ink. But I hope to see you soon, and we shall talk face to face. Peace be with you. Our friends send you greetings. Greet our friends each by name.
The General Letter of Jude
11JUDE, SLAVE OF JESUS CHRIST AND brother of James, to those who are loved by God the Father and kept safe for Jesus Christ, the chosen ones. May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied for you.
While making all haste to write to you, dear friends, concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you entreating you to fight for the faith which was, once for all, handed down to the saints. For some persons have slipped in among us who had been marked out long in advance for this judgment, impious men, who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness, and deny our sole master and Lord, Jesus Christ. And I wish to remind you, although you once knew it all, that the Lord, after rescuing his people out of Egypt, then later destroyed those who did not believe; and those angels who did not obey their government but forsook their proper dwelling place he stored away in everlasting chains deep in the darkness to await judgment on the great Day. Just so Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, who like those angels debauched themselves and strayed after unnatural sex, lie before us as an example, submitting to the punishment of everlasting fire.
Like them, these people also in their dreaming defile the flesh, deny high authority, and insult glorious creatures. And yet the archangel Michael, when he was matched against the devil and disputing for the body of Moses, did not have the audacity to pronounce an insulting judgment, but said: May the Lord punish you. But these people insult what they do not understand; and what they do understand, in a physical way like dumb beasts, is what destroys them. Woe to them, because they have gone the way of Cain, and given in, for a price, to the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Corah. It is these who are blemishes on your love feasts when they join you in them, shamelessly looking after themselves: rainless clouds driven by on the gales, autumn trees without fruit uprooted and dying twice, wild sea waves foaming their own shame, wandering stars with the dark of hell in store for them.
Enoch, seventh from Adam, prophesied about these, saying: Behold, the Lord comes with his sainted tens of thousands, to pass judgment upon all, and to convict all the impious for all the acts of impiety they have committed, and for all the harsh things the impious sinners have said about him. These people are grumblers, com- plainers, going the way of their desires, and their mouths talk loud, flattering personages to do themselves good.
But as for you, dear friends, remember the words of prophecy spoken by the apostles of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Because they told you: In the final time there will be mockers, impious men going the way of their desires. These are the causers of divisions, sensual men without spirit. But as for you, dear friends, building yourselves up on your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking forward to the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ for everlasting life. And pity some who are in doubt and save them by snatching them out of the fire; but pity others with fear, hating even the garment stained by their flesh.
To him who has the power to keep you from stumbling and set you blameless in exultation in the presence of his glory; to the only God our savior through Jesus Christ our Lord; glory, greatness, power, and authority before all time, and now, and through all the ages forever. Amen.
THE REVELATION OF JOHN
It is now widely believed that the Revelation was written not by the author of the gospel, but by another |ohn, of whom tradition speaks as living in Ephesus toward the end of the first and the beginning of the second century.
•1 THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST, which God gave him, to show to his slaves what must happen soon, and he indicated it by sending it through his angel to John, his slave, who bore witness to the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, the things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and blessed are they who listen to the words of the prophecy and who keep what is written in it. For the time is nea
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John to the seven churches which are in Asia: grace be with you, and peace, from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits which are in the presence of his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the witness who is to be believed, the first-born among the dead and the leader of the Kings of the earth. To him who loves us and by his own blood set us free from our sins, who made us a Kingdom and made us priests to his God and father, to him the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he will come with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, even they who transfixed him, and all the tribes of the earth shall beat their breasts at the sight of him. Yes. Amen.
I am alpha and omega, says the Lord God, who is, who was, who is to come, the almighty.
I, John, your brother and companion in afiction and in the kingdom and in the endurance which is in Jesus, I was in the island which is called Patmos because of the word of God and the witnessing to Jesus. I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet, saying: Write down what you see into a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Sm^roa and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea. And I turned to see what voice was speaking with me, and when I turned I saw seven lamps of gold, and in the midst of the lamps one who was like the son of man, wearing a robe that came to his feet and girt beneath the arms with a belt of gold. His head and his hair were white as white wool, as snow, and his eyes were like the flame of fire, and his feet were like fine bronze, as if fired in the furnace, and his voice was like the voice of many waters, and he held in his right hand seven stars, and from his mouth projected a sword, two-edged and sharp, and the sight of him was as the sun shines in its power. When I saw him I fell at his feet like a dead man; and he set his hand upon me and said:
Do not fear. I am the first and the last, I am he who lives, I have been dead, and see, I am alive forever and ever, and I hold the keys of death and Hades. Write, then, what you have seen, and what is and what is to be after this. The mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven lamps of gold: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lamps are the seven churches.
fl To the angel of the church in Ephesus, write: Thus speaks he who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the lamps of gold: I know your works, and your toil and your endurance, and that you are not able to endure evil men, and that you have tried those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them false; you have endurance, and have borne a burden for the sake of my name, and have not grown weary. But I hold it against you that you have lost the love you had at fust. Remember whence you have fallen, and repent, and do the works which you did at first; if not, I shall come to you and remove your lamp from its place; unless you repent. But this you have in your favor, that you hate the works of the followers of Nicolaus, which I also hate. He who has ears, let him listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the victor, I shall give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the garden of God.
And to the angel of the church in Smyrna, write:
Thus speaks he who is the fust and the last, who was dead and came to life: I know your affliction and your poverty, yet you are rich, and I know the blasphemy of those who call themselves Jews and are not, but a congregation of Satan. Do not fear what you are to suffer. See, the devil will throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and you will be afflicted for ten days. Be faithful even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has ears, let him listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The victor shall not be hurt by the second death.
And to the angel of the church in Pergamum, write:
Thus speaks he who holds the sharp two-edged sword: I know where you live. It is where the throne of Satan is. And you keep my name and did not deny your faith in me even in the days of Antipas, who testified to me and was faithful and was put to death in the place where you are and where Satan dwells. But I hold against you a few things; that you have there some who hold with the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to set a trap in the way of the sons of Israel so they should eat what was sacrificed to idols, and commit fornication. So too you have those who hold with the teaching of the followers of Nicolaus. Repent then, or else I shall come to you speedily and fight with them with the sword of my mouth. He who has ears, let him listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the victor I will give of the manna that is hidden, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone will be written his new name, which no one knows, only he who receives it.
And to the angel of the church in Thyatira, write:
Thus speaks he who is the son of God, who has eyes like the flame of fire and his feet are like bronze: I know your works, your love and faith and service and endurance, and that your last works are more than your first. But I hold it against you that you have forgiven the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and teaches my slaves and leads them astray into fornication and the eating of what was sacrificed to idols. And I have given her time in which to repent, and she will not repent of her fornication. Behold, I will cast her upon a bed, and will cast her adulterers into great affliction, if they do not repent of their acts, and I will strike down her children in death; and all the churches shall learn that I am he who examines the vitals and the hearts, and I will give to each of you according to his acts. I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say: I shall not put another burden upon you, but that which you have, keep it until I come. And the victor and he who keeps my works to the end, I shall give him power over the nations, and he shall shepherd them with a staff of iron, breaking them as pottery is broken, as I too have been given by my father; and I will give him the morning star. He who has ears, let him listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
41 And to the angel of the church in Sardis, write:
Thus speaks he who holds the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: I know your works, that you have the name of being alive, and are dead. Be wakeful, and strengthen what is left, which was on the point of death; for I have not found that your tasks were carried out in the sight of my God. Remember then what you have been given to do, and have been told, and observe this, and repent. If you are not wakeful, I shall come to you like a thief, and you cannot tell at what hour I shall come to you. But you have the names of a few in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes, and they shall walk with me in white, because they are worthy. And he who is thus victorious shall be clothed in robes of white, and I shall not obliterate his name from the book of life, and I shall acknowledge his name in the presence of my father and in the presence of the angels. He who has ears, let him listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, write: Thus speaks he who is holy, who is true, who holds the key to David, who opens and none shall close, who closes and none shall open: I know your works. See, I have given you an open door which is before you, and none shall be able to close it; because you have little power, and you have kept my word and have not denied my name. Behold, I deliver to you those of the congregation of Satan, those who call themselves Jews, and they are not, but are lying; behold, I shall make them come and worship before your feet, and know that I have given you my love. Because you have kept the word, which was that you should wait for me, I too shall keep you from the time of trial which will come upon the whole inhabited world, to try those who live on earth. I shall come soon. Keep what you have, so that none may take away your crown. The victor, I shall make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall never go forth from it again, and I shall write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which will come down from heaven from my God; and also my new name. He who has ears, let him listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
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And to the angel of the church in Laodicea, write:
Thus speaks he who is Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God: I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. You should be cold or hot. Thus because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth. Because you say, I am rich, and have grown rich, and have no need; and you do not know that you are the wretched one, the pitiful, the poor, the blind, the naked; I advise you to buy of me gold that has been refined in the fire, so that you may be rich; and white clothes to put upon you so that the shame of your nakedness may not be seen; and coUyrium to salve your eyes with so that you may see. And those I love, I reprove and admonish. Be eager, then, and repent. See, I stand at the door and knock. If one hears my voice and opens the door, I shall come in to him, and dine with him, and he with me. The victor, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I too have been victorious and sat with my father on his throne. He who has ears, let him listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.
41 After that, I looked, and behold, a door opened in the sky, and the first voice I heard as the voice of a trumpet talking to me, saying: Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this. And at once I was possessed by the Spirit; and behold, a throne was set in the sky, and there was one sitting upon the throne, and he who was sitting was like stone of jasper and cornelian to see, and a rainbow in a circle around the throne, like emerald to see. And in a circle about the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones were twenty-four elders seated, in white clothing, and crowns of gold upon their heads. And from the throne issue lightning flashes and voices and thunders; and seven lamps of fire bum before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God; and before the throne it is like a sea of glass, like crystal; and in the presence of the throne and in a circle about the throne are four animals, teeming with eyes, both before and behind. And the first animal is like a lion, and the second animal is like a calf, and the third animal has a face like a man's, and the fourth animal is like an eagle flying. And the four animals, each by each of them, have six wings, and round about and within they are full of eyes; and they take no rest, day and night, from saying: Holy holy holy, the Lord God, the almighty, who was and is and is to come. And when the animals give glory and honor and thanks to him who sits upon the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders shall fall down before him who sits upon the throne, and shall worship him who lives forever and ever, and they shall cast down their crowns before the throne, saying: You are worthy, our lord and our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and through your will they were, and were created.
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