(Tap footnote to read it. Old Testament quotations are underlined. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.1"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. )
Life and Light
- What was existing from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have perceived with our eyes, what we observed, and our hands felt concerning the Word of life.
- And the life was revealed, and we have perceived, and testify, and report to you the life of ages which was existing with the Father and was revealed to us.
- What we have perceived and we have heard, we also report to you so you might also have fellowship with us; and also our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus the Anointed.
- And we write these things so our joy might be *made complete.
- And this is the message that we have heard from Him and declare to you; that God is light, and in Him there is absolutely no1“there is absolutely no” is more literally “not is none”, using a double negative to add emphasis. Since English double negatives cancel each other out instead of adding emphasis, the word ‘absolutely’ was used to keep the emphatic sense of the Greek. darkness.
- If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and don’t practice the truth.
- But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from every sin.
- If we say that we don’t have sin, we mislead ourselves and the truth is not in us.
- If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just so He might forgive us our sins and cleanse us from every unrighteousness.
- If we say that we haven’t sinned, we make Him a liar and His word isn’t in us.
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