Saint John the Apostle and
Evangelist
Beloved Disciple of Our Lord
(6-101 A.D.)
"God is Love"
John the Apostle - El Greco
Son of Zebedee and Salome. Fisherman. Brother of Saint James the Great, and called one of the Sons of Thunder. Disciple of Saint John the Baptist. Friend of Saint Peter the Apostle. Called by Jesus during the first year of His ministry, and traveled everywhere with Him, becoming so close as to be known as the beloved disciple. Took part in the Last Supper. The only one of the Twelve not to forsake the Savior in the hour of His Passion, standing at the foot of the cross. Made guardian of Our Lady by Jesus, he took her into his home. Upon hearing of the Resurrection, he was the first to reach the tomb; when he met the risen Lord at the lake of Tiberias, he was the first to recognize Him.
Source: Patron Saints Index
The Catholic Encyclopedia s.v. "Saint John the Evangelist"
[Editor's Note: While the Douay version translates "caritas" as "charity," I have changed it, where appropriate, to "love," for in modern usage "charity" is often thought of as being limited to the relief of the poor—CTB]
1 John Chapter 3
Of the love of God to us. How we may distinguish the children of God and those of the devil. Of loving one another and of purity of conscience.3:1. Behold what manner of charity the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called and should be the sons of God. Therefore the world knoweth not us, because it knew not him.
3:2. Dearly beloved, we are now the sons of God: and it hath not yet appeared what we shall be. We know that when he shall appear we shall be like to him: because we shall see him as he is.
3:3. And every one that hath this hope in him sanctifieth himself, as he also is holy
/ SNIP /
1 John Chapter 4
What spirits are of God, and what are not. We must love one another, because God has loved us.4:1. Dearly beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits if they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
4:2. By this is the spirit of God known. Every spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
Every spirit which confesseth, etc... Not that the confession of this point of faith alone, is, at all times, and in all cases, sufficient; but that with relation to that time, and for that part of the Christian doctrine, which was then particularly to be confessed, taught, and maintained against the heretics of those days, this was the most proper token, by which the true teachers might be distinguished form the false.
4:3. And every spirit that dissolveth Jesus is not of God. And this is Antichrist, of whom you have heard that he cometh: and he is now already in the world.
4:4. You are of God, little children, and have overcome him. Because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
4:5. They are of the world. Therefore of the world they speak: and the world heareth them.
4:6. We are of God. He that knoweth God heareth us. He that is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
4:7. Dearly beloved, let us love one another: for charity is of God. And every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God.
4:8. He that loveth not knoweth not God: for God is love.
4:9. By this hath the charity of God appeared towards us, because God hath sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we may live by him.
4:10. In this is charity: not as though we had loved God, but because he hath first loved us, and sent his Son to be a propitiation for our sins.
4:11. My dearest, if God hath so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
4:12. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abideth in us: and his charity is perfected in us.
4:13. In this we know that we abide in him, and he in us: because he hath given us of his spirit.
4:14. And we have seen and do testify that the Father hath sent his Son to be the Saviour of the world.
4:15. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him, and he in God.
4:16. And we have known and have believed the charity which God hath to us. God is charity: and he that abideth in love abideth in God, and God in him.
4:17. In this is the love of God perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment: because as he is, we also are in this world.
4:18. Fear is not in love: but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear hath sin. And he that feareth is not perfected in love.
4:19. Let us therefore love God: because God first hath loved us.
4:20. If any man say: I love God, and hateth his brother; he is a liar. For he that loveth not his brother whom he seeth, how can he love God whom he seeth not?
4:21. And this commandment we have from God, that he who loveth God love also his brother.
1 John Chapter 5
Of them that are born of God, and of true charity. Faith overcomes the world. Three that bear witness to Christ. Of faith in his name and of sin that is and is not to death.5:1. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. And every one that loveth him who begot, loveth him also who is born of him.
Is born of God... That is, is justified, and become a child of God by baptism: which is also to be understood; provided the belief of this fundamental article of the Christian faith be accompanied with all the other conditions, which, by the word of God, and his appointment, are also required to justification; such as a general belief of all that God has revealed and promised: hope, love, repentance, and a sincere disposition to keep God’s holy law and commandments.
5:2. In this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep his commandments.
5:3. For this is the love of God: That we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not heavy.
5:4. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. And this is the victory which overcameth the world: Our faith.
5:5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
5:6. This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus Christ: not by water only but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit which testifieth that Christ is the truth.
5:7. And there are Three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one.
5:8. And there are three that give testimony on earth: the spirit and the water and the blood. And these three are one.
The spirit, and the water, and the blood... As the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, all bear witness to Christ’s divinity; so the spirit, which he yielded up, crying out with a loud voice upon the cross; and the water and blood that issued from his side, bear witness to his humanity, and are one; that is, all agree in one testimony.
5:9. If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater. For this is the testimony of God, which is greater, because he hath testified of his Son.
5:10. He that believeth in the Son of God hath the testimony of God in himself. He that believeth not the Son maketh him a liar: because he believeth not in the testimony which God hath testified of his Son.
5:11. And this is the testimony that God hath given to us eternal life. And this life is in his Son.
5:12. He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son hath not life.
5:13. These things I write to you that you may know that you have eternal life: you who believe in the name of the Son of God.
5:14. And this is the confidence which we have towards him: That, whatsoever we shall ask according to his will, he heareth us.
5:15. And we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask: we know that we have the petitions which we request of him.
5:16. He that knoweth his brother to sin a sin which is not to death, let him ask: and life shall be given to him who sinneth not to death. There is a sin unto death. For that I say not that any man ask.
5:17. All iniquity is sin. And there is a sin unto death.
5:18. We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not: but the generation of God preserveth him and the wicked one toucheth him not.
5:19. We know that we are of God and the whole world is seated in wickedness.
5:20. And we know that the Son of God is come. And he hath given us understanding that we may know the true God and may be in his true Son. This is the true God and life eternal.
5:21. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
Keep yourselves from idols... An admonition to the newly converted Christians, lest conversing with heathens and idolaters, they might fall back into the sin of idolatry, which may be the sin unto death here mentioned by St. John.
