Bible / 1 John

1 John 3

World English Bible, Catholic edition, in plain modern English. About the translations

1 See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. CCC

2 Beloved, now we are children of God. It is not yet revealed what we will be; but we know that when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him just as he is. CCC

3 Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.

4 Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.

5 You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and no sin is in him.

6 Whoever remains in him doesn’t sin. Whoever sins hasn’t seen him and doesn’t know him.

7 Little children, let no one lead you astray. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. To this end the Son of God was revealed: that he might destroy the works of the devil.

9 Whoever is born of God doesn’t commit sin, because his seed remains in him, and he can’t sin, because he is born of God.

10 In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the devil. Whoever doesn’t do righteousness is not of God, neither is he who doesn’t love his brother.

11 For this is the message which you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another –

12 unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and killed his brother. Why did he kill him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s righteous.

13 Don’t be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.

14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. He who doesn’t love his brother remains in death. CCC

15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. CCC

16 By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

17 But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him? CCC

18 My little children, let’s not love in word only, or with the tongue only, but in deed and truth.

19 And by this we know that we are of the truth and persuade our hearts before him, CCC

20 because if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. CCC

21 Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God; CCC

22 so whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. CCC

23 This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded. CCC

24 He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us. CCC

This chapter in the Catechism

Where the Catechism of the Catholic Church cites these verses (from its footnotes on vatican.va). Short quotes only; follow the links for the full text.

  1. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 1692 “The Symbol of the faith confesses the greatness of God's gifts to man in his work of creation, and even more in…”
  2. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 1023 “Those who die in God's grace and friendship and are perfectly purified live for ever with Christ. They are like God for…”
    • CCC 1161 “All the signs in the liturgical celebrations are related to Christ: as are sacred images of the holy Mother of God and…”
    • CCC 2519 “The "pure in heart" are promised that they will see God face to face and be like him. Purity of heart is…”
    • CCC 2772 “From this unshakeable faith springs forth the hope that sustains each of the seven petitions, which express the groanings of the present…”
  3. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 1033 “We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely…”
  4. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 1033 “We cannot be united with God unless we freely choose to love him. But we cannot love God if we sin gravely…”
  5. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 2447 “The works of mercy are charitable actions by which we come to the aid of our neighbor in his spiritual and bodily…”
  6. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 1781 “Conscience enables one to assume responsibility for the acts performed. If man commits evil, the just judgment of conscience can remain within…”
    • CCC 2845 “There is no limit or measure to this essentially divine forgiveness, whether one speaks of "sins" as in Luke ( ⇒ 11:4),…”
  7. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 1781 “Conscience enables one to assume responsibility for the acts performed. If man commits evil, the just judgment of conscience can remain within…”
    • CCC 2845 “There is no limit or measure to this essentially divine forgiveness, whether one speaks of "sins" as in Luke ( ⇒ 11:4),…”
  8. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 2778 “This power of the Spirit who introduces us to the Lord's Prayer is expressed in the liturgies of East and of West…”
    • CCC 2845 “There is no limit or measure to this essentially divine forgiveness, whether one speaks of "sins" as in Luke ( ⇒ 11:4),…”
  9. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 2631 “The first movement of the prayer of petition is asking forgiveness, like the tax collector in the parable: "God, be merciful to…”
    • CCC 2845 “There is no limit or measure to this essentially divine forgiveness, whether one speaks of "sins" as in Luke ( ⇒ 11:4),…”
  10. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 2845 “There is no limit or measure to this essentially divine forgiveness, whether one speaks of "sins" as in Luke ( ⇒ 11:4),…”
  11. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 2845 “There is no limit or measure to this essentially divine forgiveness, whether one speaks of "sins" as in Luke ( ⇒ 11:4),…”