Little children, guard yourselves from idols. ¹ 

Now ¹  this is the gospel ²  message ³  we have heard from him ⁴  and announce to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. ⁵ 

The one who says “I have come to know God” ¹  and yet does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in such a person.

But the one who hates his fellow Christian ¹  is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. ² 

Now as for you, the anointing ¹  that you received from him ²  resides ³  in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you. But as his ⁴  anointing teaches you about all things, it is true and is not a lie. Just as ⁵  it ⁶  has taught you, you reside ⁷  in him.

and the life was revealed, and we have seen and testify and announce ¹  to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us). ² 

What we have seen and heard we announce ¹  to you too, so that ²  you may have fellowship ³  with us (and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ).

If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.

Now ¹  by this we know that we have come to know God: ²  if we keep his commandments.

The one who says he is in the light but still hates ¹  his fellow Christian ²  is still in the darkness.

Everyone who resides ¹  in him does not sin; ²  everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him.

Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness ¹  is righteous, just as Jesus ²  is righteous.

that ¹  if our conscience condemns ²  us, that ³  God is greater than our conscience and knows all things.

and ¹  whatever we ask we receive from him, because ²  we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing to him.

But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, ¹  forgiving ²  us our sins and cleansing ³  us from all unrighteousness.

Who is the liar but the person who denies that Jesus is the Christ ¹ ? This one is the antichrist: the person who denies the Father and the Son.

And now, little children, remain ¹  in him, ²  so that when ³  he appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame when he comes back. ⁴ 

We have come to know love by this: ¹  that Jesus ²  laid down ³  his life for us; thus we ought to lay down our lives for our fellow Christians.

And this is the confidence that we have before him: that ¹  whenever ²  we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. ¹  The old commandment is the word that you have already ²  heard.