1 John

New Living Translation

1 John has 5 chapters. Read 1 John in the New Living Translation, chapter by chapter, free and without an account.

1 John connects fellowship with God to faith in Jesus Christ, truthful conduct, and love for others. It confronts claims that separate knowing God from obedience or deny Jesus Christ’s coming in the flesh. Repeated appeals to light, love, and life encourage readers to confess sin, care for one another, and find assurance in God’s Son.

Read the 1 John summary and outline →

1 John is one of the general letters of the New Testament, the same 27 books in every Christian Bible. See it on the shelf.

Witnesses welcoming neighbors into a bright gathering while clear water flows through the courtyard

1 John 1

1 John 1 proclaims the word of life and connects fellowship with walking in light, confession, and cleansing.

Children, adults, and elders walking a lamplit road away from tempting stalls and divisive voices

1 John 2

1 John 2 connects knowing God with obedience and love while warning against worldly desire and divisive deception.

Neighbors laying down weapons and sharing food and clothing with vulnerable families beneath a flourishing tree

1 John 3

1 John 3 describes God’s children as people of righteousness and practical, self-giving love with assured hearts.

Community elders carefully hearing messengers as neighbors surround and comfort a frightened child

1 John 4

1 John 4 joins testing spiritual claims with God’s self-giving love, mutual care, confidence, and freedom from fear.

A community gathering clean water from three streams as an abandoned idol workshop stands behind

1 John 5

1 John 5 presents victorious faith, God’s testimony about the Son, eternal life, confident prayer, and a warning against idols.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Text unchanged, provided through API.Bible.