unfoldingWord® Translation Questions
v88
1 John
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unfoldingWord® Translation Questions
Date: 2026-01-14
Version: v88
Published by: unfoldingWord®
unfoldingWord® Literal Text
Date: 2026-01-14
Version: v88
Published by: unfoldingWord®
unfoldingWord® Simplified Text
Date: 2026-01-14
Version: v88
Published by: unfoldingWord®
Table of Contents
1 John
1 John 1
1 John 1:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 1:1ULT:
What was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched, regarding the Word of life—
UST:
{I, John, am writing to you} about {Jesus,} the Word {of God}, the one who gives life. He existed before there was anything else. We {apostles} listened to him {as he taught people}. We saw him personally. We looked at him and touched him. {So we can testify that he was a real human being.}
By what means did John know about the Word of life?
John had heard, seen, contemplated, and handled the Word of life.
1 John 1:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 1:2ULT:
indeed, the life appeared, and we have seen {it}, and we are testifying {to it}, and we are announcing to you the eternal life that was with the Father and appeared to us—
UST:
Because he who always lives came here to the earth and we saw him, we are proclaiming him to you clearly. The one who has always existed, who had been with his Father in heaven, came here to us.
Where was eternal life before it was manifested to John?
Eternal life was with the Father before it was manifested to John.
1 John 1:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 1:3ULT:
what we have seen and heard, we declare also to you, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And indeed, our fellowship {is} with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
UST:
We want you to share life with us, and so we are proclaiming to you what we saw {Jesus do} and what we heard {Jesus say}. {If you believe in him,} you will share life, as we do, with God our Father and with his Son Jesus the Messiah.
Why is John declaring what he has seen and heard?
John is declaring what he has seen and heard so that others may also have fellowship with him.
With whom does John already have fellowship?
John already has fellowship with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ.
1 John 1:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 1:4ULT:
And we are writing these things so that our joy may be fulfilled.
UST:
I am writing to you about these things so that {you will recognize that they are true, and that as a result} we will be completely joyful together.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 1:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 1:5ULT:
And this is the message that we have heard from him and are announcing to you, that God is light, and darkness is not in him at all.
UST:
The message that we heard from Jesus and are proclaiming to you is this: God always does what is right, and he never, ever does anything wrong. He is like a pure light in which there is no darkness at all.
What is the message from God that John is announcing to his readers?
John is announcing the message that God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all.
1 John 1:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 1:6ULT:
If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we are lying and we are not doing the truth.
UST:
If we say that we share life with God, but we live in an evil manner, we are lying. We are not living truthfully. It is as though we are living in the dark.
What does John say about a person who says he has fellowship with God, but walks in darkness?
John says that such a person is a liar and does not practice the truth.
1 John 1:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 1:7ULT:
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 all sin.
UST:
But if we live in a pure manner, as God is pure in every way, then we can share life with each other. This is like living in God’s pure light. Then God forgives all of our sin and accepts us because his Son Jesus died for us.
What cleanses all the sin of those walking in the light?
The blood of Jesus cleanses them from all sin.
1 John 1:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 1:8ULT:
If we say that we have no sin, we are leading ourselves astray, and the truth is not in us.
UST:
If we say that we do not commit sin, we are fooling ourselves. We are refusing to believe the true things {that God says about us}.
What do we do to ourselves if we say we have no sin?
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1 John 1:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 1:9ULT:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, that he should forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
UST:
But God always does what he says he will do, and what he does is always right. So if we admit to him that we have sinned {and reject that sin}, he will forgive us for our sins and he will free us from {the guilt of} everything that we have done wrong.
What will God do for those who confess their sins?
For those who confess their sins, God will forgive their sins and cleanse them from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 1:10ULT:
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
UST:
{Because God says that everyone has sinned,} if we say that we have not sinned, we are speaking as if God were a liar! We are rejecting what God has said about us!
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 2
1 John 2:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:1ULT:
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone would sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
UST:
You are as dear to me as though you were my own children. Therefore, I am writing this to you to keep you from sinning. But if any of you does sin, {remember that} Jesus the Messiah, the righteous one, pleads with the Father {and asks him to forgive us}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 2:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:2ULT:
And he is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.
UST:
Jesus is the one who sacrificed his life for us so that God could forgive our sins. And this is true not just of our sins, but of all the sins that all people everywhere have committed!
For whom is Jesus Christ the propitiation for their sins?
Jesus Christ is the propitiation for the sins for the whole world.
1 John 2:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:3ULT:
And in this we know that we have known him, if we keep his commandments.
UST:
When we obey what God commands us to do, then we can be sure that we truly know God.
How do we know that we have known Jesus Christ?
We know that we have known him if we keep his commandments.
1 John 2:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:4ULT:
The one who says, “I know him,” and is not keeping his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in this one.
UST:
If someone says, “I know God well,” but that person does not obey what God has commanded, then he is a liar. He is not living according to God’s true message.
What kind of person says he knows God, but does not keep God’s commandments?
A liar says he knows God, but does not keep God’s commandments.
1 John 2:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:5ULT:
But whoever keeps his word, in this one truly the love of God has been perfected. In this we know that we are in him:
UST:
But if someone obeys what God has commanded, that person loves God in every way. This is how we can be sure that we are living closely with God:
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 2:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:6ULT:
the one saying he remains in him ought, just as that one walked, also to walk himself.
UST:
If anyone says that he is living closely with God, then he should conduct his life as Jesus did {when he was here on earth}.
How should a person walk if he says he remains in Christ?
He should walk even as Jesus Christ walked.
1 John 2:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:7ULT:
Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment, which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you heard.
UST:
Dear friends, I am not writing this to tell you to do something new. Instead, I am writing this to tell you to do something that you have known that you should do since you first believed {in Jesus}. This is {part of} the message that {Jesus gave to us and that} we have already told to you.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 2:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:8ULT:
Again, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is going away, and the true light is already shining.
UST:
However, if we think about this in another way, I am telling you to do something new. It is new because the way that the Messiah lived was new, and the way that you are living is new. That is because you are ceasing to do evil, and you are doing good more and more. It is as though you have come out of a dark place and have begun to live in the light that is from God.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 2:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:9ULT:
The one saying he is in the light and hating his brother is in the darkness until now.
UST:
Someone might say that he is living in a good way, just as God wants him to do. That would be like living in light from God. But if he hates any of his fellow believers, then he is still living in a bad way, doing what God does not want, like a person who lives in darkness.
What is the spiritual condition of someone who says he is in the light, but hates his brother?
Someone who says he is in the light, but hates his brother, is in the darkness.
1 John 2:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:10ULT:
The one loving his brother remains in the light and a stumbling block is not in him.
UST:
But if someone loves his fellow believers, then he is truly living well, like a person who is living in light from God. He will not have a reason to do anything evil {as he would have if he hated a fellow believer}. This is like a person in daylight who has no reason to trip over anything.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 2:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:11ULT:
But the one hating his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
UST:
But anyone who hates a fellow believer is living in a completely wrong way. He does not understand how he should live, because the wrong things that he is doing are keeping him from understanding God’s way. It is as though he is walking in darkness and cannot see where to go.
What is the spiritual condition of someone who hates his brother?
Someone who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness.
1 John 2:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:12ULT:
I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven because of his name.
UST:
I am writing to you, whom I love as though you were my own children, because God has forgiven your sins because of what Jesus has done for you.
Why does God forgive the sins of believers?
God forgives the sins of believers because of his name.
1 John 2:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:13ULT:
I am writing to you, fathers, because you know the one {who is} from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have triumphed over the evil one.
UST:
I am writing to you who have been believers longer than the others. I am writing to you because you are living closely with {Jesus,} the person who has always been alive. I am writing to you newer, but steadfast, believers because Satan, that evil being, has tried to tempt you to do wrong, but you have successfully resisted him.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 2:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:14ULT:
I have written to you, young children, because you know the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you know the one {who is} from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God remains in you, and you have triumphed over the evil one.
UST:
I have written to you whom I love as though you were my own little children because you have a close relationship with God the Father. I have written to you who have been believers longer than the others because you have a close relationship with {Jesus,} the person who has always been alive. I have written to you newer, but steadfast, believers because you are spiritually strong. I have also written to you because you continue to obey what God commands and because you have successfully resisted {Satan,} that evil being, when he tried to tempt you to do wrong.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 2:15
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:15ULT:
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
UST:
Do not desire to be like people who do not honor God. Do not desire the things that they want to have. If anyone desires to be like those people, {he is proving that} he does not love God the Father.
What should the attitude of a believer be toward the things of the world?
A believer must not love the world nor the things of the world.
1 John 2:16
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:16ULT:
For everything that {is} in the world—the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the arrogance of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.
UST:
{I say that such a person does not love God the Father} because the way that ungodly people live is not the way that God our Father teaches us to live. They want to fulfill their physical desires. They want to get for themselves the things that they see. They boast about all of the things that they own. All of these things come from the selfish and ungodly way of thinking.
What are three things that come from the world rather than from the Father?
The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the vain glory of life are from the world, and not from the Father.
1 John 2:17
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:17ULT:
And the world is going away, and its desire, but the one doing the will of God remains to eternity.
UST:
The people who do not honor God will disappear, along with all of the things that they desire. But the people who do what God wants them to do will live forever!
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 2:18
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:18ULT:
Young children, it is the last hour, and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, indeed now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.
UST:
You who are as dear to me as though you were my own children, {I want you to know that} this is the time just before Jesus returns to earth. You have already heard that a person is coming who will strongly oppose the Messiah. In fact, many people like that, who are against the true Messiah, are already here. Because of this, we know that it is that time.
What do we know about the Antichrist?
We know that he is coming.
How do we know that it is the last hour?
We know it is the last hour because many antichrists have come.
1 John 2:19
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:19ULT:
They went out from us, but they were not from us. For if they had been from us, they would have remained with us, but so that they would be made apparent that they are all not from us.
UST:
These people refused to remain in our congregations. However, they never really belonged with us in the first place. After all, if they had belonged with us, they would not have left us. But {when they left us,} then we clearly saw that none of them had actually joined with us.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 2:20
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:20ULT:
And you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know.
UST:
But as for you, the Holy Messiah has given you his Spirit. As a result, you all know {what is true}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 2:21
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:21ULT:
I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and that every lie is not from the truth.
UST:
I am not writing this letter to you because you do not know the true things {that God has told us}, but because you do know them. You also know enough to recognize and reject every lie that is not one of the true things {that God has told us}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 2:22
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:22ULT:
Who is the liar if not the one denying that Jesus is the Christ? This one is the antichrist, the one denying the Father and the Son.
UST:
The worst liars are the ones who deny that Jesus is the Messiah. All who do that are against the Messiah. They are refusing to believe both in God the Father and in Jesus his Son.
How will we recognize the Antichrist?
The Antichrist will deny the Father and the Son.
1 John 2:23
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:23ULT:
Everyone denying the Son does not have the Father. The one confessing the Son also has the Father.
UST:
Those who refuse to acknowledge that Jesus is God’s Son are in no way joined with God the Father. But those who acknowledge that Jesus is God’s Son are also joined with God the Father.
Can someone deny the Son and yet have the Father?
No, someone who denies the Son cannot have the Father.
1 John 2:24
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:24ULT:
You, let remain in you what you have heard from the beginning. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, you will also remain in the Son and in the Father.
UST:
Here is what you must do{, unlike those people who deny Jesus}. You must continue to believe and live by the truth about Jesus the Messiah that you first heard. If you continue to believe and live by the truth about Jesus the Messiah that you first heard, then you will continue to share life with Jesus the Son and God the Father.
What must believers to do in order to remain in the Son and in the Father?
They must remain in what they have heard from the beginning.
1 John 2:25
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:25ULT:
And this is the promise that he promised to us—eternal life.
UST:
And what Jesus promised us is that God will enable us to live forever!
What promise has been given the believers by God?
God has promised everlasting life to the believers.
1 John 2:26
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:26ULT:
I have written these things to you about the ones leading you astray.
UST:
I am writing this letter to you to warn you about people who want to deceive you {about Jesus}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 2:27
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:27ULT:
And you, the anointing that you received from him remains in you, and you do not have need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, remain in him.
UST:
Here is what you should do {about those people who are trying to deceive you}. God’s Spirit, whom you received from Jesus, continues to live in you. So you do not need anyone else to be your teacher. God’s Spirit is teaching you everything {that you need to know}. He always teaches the truth and never says anything that is false. So continue to live in the way that he has taught you and continue to live closely with Jesus.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 2:28
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:28ULT:
And now, little children, remain in him, so that whenever he appears, we may have boldness and not be put to shame by him at his coming.
UST:
Now, my dear ones, {I urge you to} continue to live closely with Jesus. That way, when he comes back again, we will be confident {that he will accept us}. {If we do that,} we will not be ashamed to stand before him when he returns.
What attitudes will we have when Christ appears if we remain in him?
If we remain in him, we will have boldness and will not be ashamed when Christ appears.
1 John 2:29
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 2:29ULT:
If you know that he is righteous, you also know that everyone doing righteousness has been begotten from him.
UST:
You know that God always does what is right. Because of that, you also know that all those who continue doing what is right are the ones who have become God’s spiritual children.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 3
1 John 3:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:1ULT:
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God, and we are.For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know him.
UST:
Think about how much God our Father loves us! He says that we are his children. In a spiritual sense, this is completely true. That is why people who are unbelievers do not understand us. It is because they have not understood who God is{, and we are like him just as children are like their parents}.
How has the Father expressed his love to believers?
He has made it possible for them to be called children of God.
1 John 3:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:2ULT:
Beloved, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever he appears, we will be like him because we will see him just as he is.
UST:
Dear friends, at present we are God’s spiritual children. He has not yet shown us what we will be {in the future}. {However,} we know that when Jesus comes back again, we will become like him because we will see him as he truly is.
What will happen to believers when Christ is revealed?
When Christ is revealed, believers will be like Christ because they will see him as he is.
1 John 3:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:3ULT:
And everyone having this hope upon him purifies himself, just as that one is pure.
UST:
So all those who confidently expect to see Jesus as he truly is make themselves free from sin because Jesus himself is free from sin.
What action concerning himself should be taken by every believer who hopes in Christ?
Every believer who hopes in Christ should purify himself.
1 John 3:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:4ULT:
Everyone committing sin also commits lawlessness. Indeed, sin is lawlessness.
UST:
But everyone who continues to sin is refusing to obey God’s laws, because that is what sinning is; it is refusing to obey God’s laws.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 3:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:5ULT:
And you know that that one appeared so that he might take away sins, and sin is not in him.
UST:
You know that Jesus came in order to make us free from our sins. {You know} also {that} he himself never sinned.
What does Christ not have in himself?
Christ has no sin in himself.
1 John 3:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:6ULT:
Everyone remaining in him does not sin. Everyone sinning has not seen him and has not known him.
UST:
Those who share life with Jesus are the ones who do not continue sinning. But all those who continue to sin are the ones who have not understood who Jesus is and they do not really know him.
If a person continues to sin, what does that tell us about their relationship to God?
It tells us they have neither seen Christ, nor known him.
1 John 3:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:7ULT:
Little children, let no one lead you astray. The one doing righteousness is righteous, just as that one is righteous.
UST:
So I urge you who are very dear to me not to let anyone deceive you {by telling you that it is all right to sin}. If you continue doing what is right, that will please God, just as Jesus always does what pleases God.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 3:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:8ULT:
The one committing sin is from the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this reason the Son of God appeared, so that he might destroy the works of the devil.
UST:
But anyone who continues to sin is behaving like the devil, because the devil has always been sinning, ever since the world began. The very reason that God’s Son became a human being was to undo this work of the devil {that kept people continually sinning}.
For what reason was the Son of God revealed?
The Son of God was revealed in order to destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:9ULT:
Everyone having been begotten from God does not commit sin, because his seed remains in him. And he is not able to sin, because he has been begotten from God.
UST:
People do not continue sinning if they have become spiritual children of God because God has made them to be like him. They cannot continually sin, because they are God’s spiritual children.
Why is the one who is begotten from God not able to continue to sin?
He is not able to continue to sin because God’s seed remains in him.
1 John 3:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:10ULT:
In this the children of God and the children of the devil are apparent: Everyone not doing righteousness is not from God, and the one not loving his brother.
UST:
People who belong to God are clearly different from people who belong to the devil. Those who do not do what is right do not belong to God. Those who do not love their fellow believers also do not belong to God.
How are the children of the devil apparent?
The children of the devil are apparent because they do not do righteousness and they do not love their brother.
1 John 3:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:11ULT:
For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,
UST:
{You should recognize this because} the message that you heard when you first believed in Jesus is that we should love each other.
What is the message that we have heard from the beginning?
The message is that we should love one another.
1 John 3:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:12ULT:
not like Cain—he was from the evil one and killed his brother. And on account of what did he kill him? Because his works were evil, but those of his brother, righteous.
UST:
We should not hate others as {Adam’s son} Cain did. He belonged to {Satan,} that evil being. Cain murdered his {younger} brother {Abel}. I will tell you why he did that. It was because Cain behaved in an evil way, and {he hated his younger brother because} his younger brother behaved in the right way.
How did Cain demonstrate that he was from the evil one?
Cain demonstrated that he was from the evil one by murdering his brother.
1 John 3:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:13ULT:
Do not be amazed, brothers, if the world hates you.
UST:
Therefore, my fellow believers, you should not be amazed when unbelievers hate you.
What does John say should not amaze believers?
John says believers should not be amazed that the world hates them.
1 John 3:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:14ULT:
We know that we have relocated from death into life, because we love the brothers. The one not loving remains in death.
UST:
We love our fellow believers, and this assures us that God has made us spiritually alive. But if someone does not love {other believers}, then that person is still spiritually dead.
What attitude demonstrates that we have relocated from death to life?
We know we have relocated from death to life because we love the brothers.
1 John 3:15
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:15ULT:
Everyone hating his brother is a murderer, and you know that every murderer does not have eternal life remaining in him.
UST:
Anyone who hates one of his fellow believers is doing something just as bad as murdering him. And you know that someone who murders another person is not living in the new way that God enables us to live.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 3:16
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:16ULT:
In this we have known love, that that one laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.
UST:
Jesus taught us how to truly love each other when he willingly died for us. For our part, we should also be willing to do anything for our fellow believers, even die for them.
How have we known love?
We have known love because Christ laid down his life for us.
1 John 3:17
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:17ULT:
But whoever has the possessions of the world and sees his brother having need and closes his entrails from him, how does the love of God remain in him?
UST:
Many of us have the things that are necessary for life in this world. But suppose that we become aware that a fellow believer does not have what he needs. Suppose also that we refuse to provide for him. Then we are not loving him the way that God taught us to love {people}.
What indicates that a person does not have the love of God in him?
When someone who is rich sees a brother in need, but does not help him, the love of God does not remain in that person.
1 John 3:18
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:18ULT:
Little children, let us not love in word nor in tongue, but in deed and truth.
UST:
You who are as dear to me as though you were my own children, let us not {merely} say that we love {each other}. Let us love {each other} genuinely by helping {each other}.
What are two ways in which it is insufficient for us to love?
If is not enough for us to love only in word or tongue.
What are two ways in which we should love?
We should love in deed and in truth.
1 John 3:19
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:19ULT:
In this we will know that we are from the truth, and we will persuade our hearts before him,
UST:
By doing that, we can know that we belong to God, who is the source of everything that is true. When we are in God’s presence, we may feel that we do not belong to God because of our sins. When that happens, we can reassure ourselves that we truly do belong to him. This is because God is more trustworthy than our feelings and he knows everything about us{, including that we have trusted in him}. (vv19-20)
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 3:20
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:20ULT:
that if our heart condemns {us}, that God is greater than our heart and knows everything.
UST:
By doing that, we can know that we belong to God, who is the source of everything that is true. When we are in God’s presence, we may feel that we do not belong to God because of our sins. When that happens, we can reassure ourselves that we truly do belong to him. This is because God is more trustworthy than our feelings and he knows everything about us{, including that we have trusted in him}. (vv19-20)
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 3:21
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:21ULT:
Beloved, if the heart does not condemn, we have confidence toward God
UST:
Dear friends, when we feel that God does not condemn us {for having sinned}, then we can pray confidently to God.
What do we have if our heart does not condemn us?
If our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence toward God.
1 John 3:22
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:22ULT:
and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and we do the pleasing things before him.
UST:
We find that when we pray confidently to God and ask for something, he gives it to us. {We pray confidently like this} because {as people who belong to him,} we do what he commands us to do, and we do what pleases him.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 3:23
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:23ULT:
And this is his commandment: that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another just as he gave us a commandment.
UST:
I will tell you what God commands us to do. We must trust in his Son, Jesus the Messiah. We must also love each other just as Jesus commanded us to do.
What is the commandment that God has given to us?
God’s commandment is that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another.
1 John 3:24
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 3:24ULT:
And the one keeping his commandments remains in him, and he in him. And in this we know that he remains in us, from the Spirit whom he gave to us.
UST:
The people who do what God commands share life with God, and God shares life with them. I will tell you how we can be sure that God is sharing life with us. We can be sure of that because we have God’s Spirit, whom he gave to us.
How do believers know that God remains in them?
God has given believers the Spirit so that they know God remains in them.
1 John 4
1 John 4:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:1ULT:
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
UST:
Dear friends, there are many people who have a false message, and they are going around teaching it to others. So do not trust every teacher. Instead, think carefully about what each teacher says and decide whether it came from God’s Spirit {or from a different spirit}.
Why should believers not believe every spirit?
They should not believe every spirit because there are many false prophets that have gone out into the world.
1 John 4:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:2ULT:
In this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses Jesus Christ having come in the flesh is from God,
UST:
I will tell you how to know if someone is teaching truth that comes from the Spirit of God {or if he is not}. Those who affirm that Jesus the Messiah came from God and became a human like us are teaching a message that is from God.
How can you know the Spirit of God?
Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.
1 John 4:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:3ULT:
and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. And this is that of the antichrist, which you have heard about, that it is coming, and it is now already in the world.
UST:
But those who do not affirm {that} Jesus {became a real human being} are not teaching a message from God. They are teachers who oppose the Messiah. You have heard that people like that will be coming {among us}. Even now they are already here.
What spirit does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh?
The spirit of an antichrist does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh.
1 John 4:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:4ULT:
You are from God, little children, and you have overcome them because greater is the one in you than the one in the world.
UST:
As for you who are as dear to me as though you were my own children, you belong to God, and you have rejected what those people teach. You have done this because God, who enables you to do what he wants, is more powerful than the devil, who motivates everyone who does not honor God.
How are believers able to overcome spirits that are not from God?
We can overcome them because the spirit in us is greater than the one in the world.
1 John 4:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:5ULT:
They are from the world. Because of this, they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.
UST:
As for those people who are teaching what is false, they think and live in ways that do not honor God. That is why what they say also does not honor God, and that is why other people who do not honor God believe what they say.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 4:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:6ULT:
We are from God. The one knowing God listens to us. Whoever is not from God does not listen to us. From this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
UST:
As for us, God has sent us. Whoever truly knows God believes and obeys what we teach. Whoever does not belong to God does not believe or obey what we teach. By observing who believes us and who does not, we are able to distinguish between people who teach true messages from God’s Spirit and people who teach false messages that are from the devil.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 4:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:7ULT:
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and everyone loving has been begotten from God and knows God.
UST:
Dear friends, we must love each other. This is what God wants for us, and it is because he loves {us} that we can love {others}. Those who love {their fellow believers} have become God’s spiritual children and know God well.
Why should believers love one another?
Believers should love one another because love is from God, and the one who is begotten from God loves.
1 John 4:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:8ULT:
The one not loving does not know God, for God is love.
UST:
God’s character is to love {people}. So whoever does not love {others} does not truly know God.
How does the one who does not love demonstrate that he does not know God?
People who know God love because God is love.
1 John 4:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:9ULT:
In this the love of God appeared among us, that God sent his Son, the One and Only, into the world so that we might live through him.
UST:
I will tell you how God has shown us that he loves us. He sent his only Son to this earth so that his Son would enable us to live eternally because of what he did for us.
How did God reveal his love for us?
God revealed his love for us by sending his only begotten Son into the world.
For what purpose did the Father send his Son?
The Father sent his Son so that we might live through him.
1 John 4:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:10ULT:
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son {as the} propitiation for our sins.
UST:
I will tell you what loving {someone} really means. Our efforts to love God do not define what it means to love {someone}. No, God himself did that by loving us so much that he sent his Son to offer himself as a sacrifice in our place. When Jesus did that, God could forgive the sins of people who trust in Jesus instead of punishing them.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 4:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:11ULT:
Beloved, if God thus loved us, we also ought to love one another.
UST:
Dear friends, since God loves us like that, we certainly ought to love each other!
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 4:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:12ULT:
No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is perfected in us.
UST:
No one has ever seen God. Nevertheless, when we love each other, we can see that God is working in us and that he is the one who enables us to love others, just as he intended for us to do.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 4:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:13ULT:
In this we know that we remain in him and he in us: that he has given us of his Spirit.
UST:
This is how we can be sure that we are sharing life with God and that God is sharing life with us: He has given us his own Spirit.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 4:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:14ULT:
Indeed, we have seen and we testify that the Father sent the Son {as the} Savior of the world.
UST:
We {apostles} have seen God’s Son {Jesus on earth}, and we solemnly tell others that the Father sent him to save the people in the world {from suffering eternally for their sins}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 4:15
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:15ULT:
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God.
UST:
So God continues to share life with those who say the truth about Jesus. They say, “Jesus is the Son of God.” And so they continue to share life with God.
If God remains in a person and he remains in God, what does that person confess about Jesus?
The person who remains in God confess that Jesus is the Son of God.
1 John 4:16
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:16ULT:
And we have known and believed the love that God has in us. God is love, and the one remaining in love remains in God, and God remains in him.
UST:
We have experienced how God loves us and we believe that he loves us. Because God’s nature is to love people, those who continue to love others share life with God, and God shares life with them.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 4:17
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:17ULT:
In this, love has been perfected with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment because, just as that one is, we also are in this world.
UST:
When we continue to share life with God, then God has achieved his purpose in loving us. As a result, when the time comes for God to judge us, we will be confident {that he will not condemn us}. This is because we are {loving others as we live} in this world just as Jesus is.
What attitude will the love of God cause us to have on the day of judgment?
The love of God will cause us to have confidence on the day of judgment.
1 John 4:18
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:18ULT:
Fear is not in love, but perfect love throws fear outside, because fear has punishment. So the one fearing has not been perfected in love.
UST:
We will not be afraid {of God} if we truly love him, because those who love {God} completely cannot be afraid {of him}. We would be afraid only if we thought that he would punish us. So those who are afraid {of God} have not completely understood how much he loves them, and they are not loving {God} completely.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 4:19
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:19ULT:
We love because he first loved us.
UST:
We love {God and others} because God loved us first.
How are we able to love?
We love because God first loved us.
1 John 4:20
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:20ULT:
If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar. For the one not loving his brother, whom he has seen, is not able to love God, whom he has not seen.
UST:
People are lying if they say that they love God but they also hate a fellow believer. After all, we can see our fellow believers. But we have not seen God. So those who do not love one of their fellow believers certainly cannot be loving God, {because it is much easier to love someone whom you can see than someone whom you cannot see}.
If someone hates his brother, what relationship does he have with God?
Someone who hates his brother is not able to love God.
1 John 4:21
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 4:21ULT:
Indeed, we have this commandment from him, that the one loving God should also love his brother.
UST:
Keep in mind that this is what God has commanded us: If we love him, we must also love our fellow believers.
How should the one who loves God treat his brother?
The one who loves God should also love his brother.
1 John 5
1 John 5:1
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:1ULT:
Everyone believing that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten from God, and everyone loving the one begetting also loves the one having been begotten from him.
UST:
All those who believe that Jesus is the Messiah are spiritually children of God. Now, whoever loves anyone who is a father {certainly} loves his child also. {So if we believe in Jesus, then we love God, and therefore we should also love his spiritual children, our fellow believers.}
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 5:2
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:2ULT:
In this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and we keep his commandments.
UST:
We can be sure that we do truly love God’s spiritual children when we love God and do what he commands us to do.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 5:3
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:3ULT:
For this is the love of God, that we should keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.
UST:
I am saying this because what loving God really means is that we do what he commands us to do. And it is not difficult to do what he commands us to do.
How do we demonstrate that we love God?
We demonstrate that we love God when we keep his commandments.
1 John 5:4
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:4ULT:
For everyone who has been begotten from God triumphs over the world. And this is the triumph that has triumphed over the world, our faith.
UST:
Here is the reason why it is not difficult for us to do what God commands. All of us who have become God’s spiritual children have been able to refuse to do what unbelievers want us to do. There is one reason why we are stronger than everything that is against God. It is because we trust in Jesus.
What is the victory that has overcome the world?
Faith is the victory that has overcome the world.
1 John 5:5
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:5ULT:
But who is the one triumphing over the world if not the one believing that Jesus is the Son of God?
UST:
I will tell you who is stronger than everything that is against God: It is anyone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 5:6
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:6ULT:
This is the one having come by water and blood: Jesus Christ—not in water alone, but in water and in blood. And the Spirit is the one testifying, because the Spirit is truth.
UST:
Jesus the Messiah is the one who came {to earth from God}, experiencing both {the} water {of his baptism} and {the} blood {of his death on the cross}. God showed that he had truly sent Jesus not only {when John baptized Jesus} in water, but also when Jesus’ blood flowed from his body {when he died}. And God’s Spirit declares {truthfully that Jesus the Messiah did these things}, because the Spirit is completely truthful.
By what two things did Jesus Christ come?
Jesus Christ came by water and by blood.
1 John 5:7
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:7ULT:
For there are three who are testifying:
UST:
So there are three ways by which we know {that Jesus is the Messiah who came from God}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 5:8
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:8ULT:
the Spirit and the water and the blood, and the three are unto the one.
UST:
{Those three ways are:} what God’s Spirit tells us, what happened {when John baptized Jesus} in water, and what happened when {Jesus’} blood flowed {from his body when he died on the cross}. These three things all tell us the same thing{, that Jesus came from God}.
What three things testify about Jesus Christ?
The Spirit, the water, and the blood all testify about Jesus Christ.
1 John 5:9
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:9ULT:
If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater. For this is the testimony of God, that he has testified about his Son.
UST:
We rely on what people tell us when we have to decide about something. But we can certainly rely much more on what God tells us. So let me tell you what God has told us about who his Son is.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 5:10
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:10ULT:
The one believing in the Son of God has the testimony in him. The one not believing God has made him a liar because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified about his Son.
UST:
{First, however, let me say that} those who trust in the Son of God already know that what God says about him is true. But those who do not believe what God says are calling him a liar because they have refused to believe what God has testified about his Son.
If someone does not believe the testimony of God concerning his Son, what do they make God to be?
Anyone who does not believe the testimony of God concerning his Son makes God to be a liar.
1 John 5:11
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:11ULT:
And this is the testimony: that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
UST:
Now this is what God has told us {about who his Son is}: “I gave you eternal life, and my Son is the one who makes this life possible.”
What has God given us in his Son?
God has given us everlasting life in his Son.
1 John 5:12
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:12ULT:
The one having the Son has life. The one not having the Son of God does not have life.
UST:
Those who share life with God’s Son {Jesus} have begun to live forever {with God}. Those who do not share life with God’s Son have not begun to live forever.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 5:13
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:13ULT:
I have written these things to you, the ones believing in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
UST:
Because I want you to know that you will live forever, I have written this letter to you. This is for you who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 5:14
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:14ULT:
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us.
UST:
I also want you to know that we can be very confident that God wants to do what we ask of him when we pray for what he desires.
What confidence do believers have before God?
Believers have confidence that if they ask anything according to God’s will, he hears them.
1 John 5:15
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:15ULT:
And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we may request, we know that we have the requests that we have requested from him.
UST:
Since we know that God wants to give us whatever we ask of him, {if it is what he desires,} then we also know that God is already giving us what we ask of him.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 5:16
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:16ULT:
If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not toward death, he will ask, and he will give him life, for the ones sinning not toward death. There is a sin toward death; I am not saying that he should pray about that.
UST:
For example, suppose someone sees one of his fellow believers sinning in a way that would not separate him from God eternally. Then he should ask {God to restore the one who is sinning}. If he does that, then God will bring that person back into spiritual life with himself. However, I am saying this only about people who are sinning in a way that would not separate them from God eternally. There is sin that causes people to separate from God eternally. I am not saying that you should pray for people who are sinning in that way.
What should a believer do when he sees his brother committing a sin not to death?
A believer who sees his brother committing a sin not to death should pray that God will give his brother life.
1 John 5:17
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:17ULT:
All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not toward death.
UST:
Every wrong thing that people do is a sin {against God}, but there are some sins that will not separate a person from God eternally.
What is all unrighteousness?
All unrighteousness is sin.
1 John 5:18
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:18ULT:
We know that everyone having been begotten from God does not sin, but the one begotten from God keeps himself, and the evil one does not touch him.
UST:
We know that everyone who has become God’s spiritual son or daughter does not continually sin. Instead, those who have God as their spiritual Father are careful to keep themselves {from sinning} so that Satan, that evil being, does not harm them {spiritually}.
(There are no questions for this verse)
1 John 5:19
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:19ULT:
We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the evil one.
UST:
We know that we belong to God. We also know that Satan, that evil being, is controlling all the people who are unbelievers.
Where does the whole world lie?
The whole world lies in the evil one.
1 John 5:20
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:20ULT:
But we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know the True One. And we are in the True One, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
UST:
We also know that the Son of God has come among us and has made it possible for us to understand {what is true}. He did this so that we can truly know the genuine God. And we are sharing life with the genuine God, {that is,} with his Son, Jesus the Messiah. Jesus is truly God, and he is the one who gives us {this new,} eternal life.
What is the result of the understanding that the Son of God has given to us?
Because of the understanding that the Son of God has given to us, we may know the True One.
1 John 5:21
unfoldingWord® Translation Questions :: 1 John 5:21ULT:
Little children, keep yourselves from the idols.
UST:
I say this to you who are as dear to me as though you were my own children: “Be careful that you never give yourselves to anything that is a false god.”
From what must believers keep themselves?
Believers must keep themselves from idols.