Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does 1st John Chapter 5 mean?

Chapter 5 emphasizes the believer’s ability to “overcome” the world (1 John 5:1–5) through the power of Christ. John gives testimony regarding Jesus as the Son of God (1 John 5:6–12). This passage also reassures believers, telling them they can know they have eternal life (1 John 5:13–21).

First John chapter 5 begins with an important idea. Everyone who puts their faith in Jesus Christ is “born of God.” Those who truly love God also love their spiritual brothers and sisters. We show this love for others through obeying God’s commands (1 John 5:2). Verse 4 adds that those born of God are “overcomers.” John highlights the power of believers to conquer the sins and temptations of this world, through a relationship with God.

The second section, in verses 6 through 12, focuses on Jesus as God’s Son. He came by water and blood, likely a reference to His baptism and crucifixion (1 John 5:6). The Spirit also agrees with the testimony of Jesus as God’s Son (1 John 5:7–8). Whoever believes has this testimony within them (1 John 5:10). This witness proves that, through Christ, we have everlasting life. Even as early as John wrote this letter, Christians were facing discouragement from false teachers over their salvation.

The third section, in verses 13 through 21, focuses on the teaching that believers can have assurance of their salvation. First John 5:13 clearly states that John’s purpose for this letter is “that you may know that you have eternal life.” Five additional teachings are then given, followed by a brief command to stay away from idols. First, John speaks of confidence in prayer (1 John 5:14–15). Second, John emphasizes helping those struggling with sin (1 John 5:16–17). Third, John teaches those who know God are protected from the evil one (1 John 5:18). Fourth, John notes that those who don’t belong to God are under this world’s power (1 John 5:19). Fifth, John notes that Jesus came so we can have eternal life (1 John 5:20). As a result, we are to stay away from idols and worship only the true God, Jesus Christ (1 John 5:21).

Chapter Context
First John 5 completes the letter by summarizing how Christians can know that they have eternal life. Prior chapters have explained the various signs of ”abiding” with God, but the key measurement is love. In this final passage, love is once again used as the supreme measurement. In light of the rest of the letter, love for God and love for others is shown to be both a source of confidence and a sign of faith.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.

Chapter 5 emphasizes the believer’s ability to “overcome” the world through the power of Christ. This opening verse notes that being “born of God” is the result of faith in Christ. In John’s gospel, he speaks of being “born of God” (John 1:13). John chapter 3 offers the Bible’s most detailed account of this idea. There, Nicodemus is told a person must be born again to enter the kingdom of God. The one and only way to be born again is to believe Jesus is the Messiah (John 14:6).

The second part of this verse again reminds readers that love for God is inseparable from love for other people. True believers must also love other believers. In contrast with false teachers, who may exhibit hate or rejection of other believers, true Christians are to view other believers as brothers and sisters—fellow members of the family of God. Those who claim to love God, but exhibit hate, were labelled as liars earlier in this letter (1 John 4:20).

Context Summary
First John 5:1–5 develops two major ideas. Initially, John repeats the idea that love, as a commandment from God, is a necessary action by believers. Showing love to others is how we demonstrate that we are ”born of God.” Second, John explains that those who have faith in Christ can overcome worldly sins and temptations. Victory, for the Christian, is through faith in Christ, who has already defeated these powers of darkness.

Verse 2. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments.

Verse 1 teaches that believers must love other believers. Verse 2 gives additional detail on how to know we are loving others as we should. In particular, we can know we are acting in love when we obey the commands of God. John’s readers may have wondered if they were falling short of some specific standard for showing love. To remove this concern, John explained the way to love other believers is to love God, which means obedience to His commandments. One of those commandments is to love God and love others (1 John 4:21).

At first, this seems like a circular, repetitive argument. However, John’s intent is to make a point through restatement. The major sections of his letter frequently repeat the themes of loving God and one another. Yet John also includes unique material in each section. These details give means to show whether a person is a true believer, as well as ways to show love for God and others (1 John 3:16–18).

Verse 3. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.

John begins this verse by defining the believer’s love for God in terms of obedience. Obedience to God’s commands is a necessary expression of love. Just as a child will obey his or her parents to show love, believers will obey the heavenly Father to show love toward Him. Obedience is not in any sense a way to receive salvation, rather it is the expected result of being a child of God.

Faith in Christ makes obedience to the commandment of love possible. Some of John’s readers may have been concerned about a list of expectations impossible to obey. However, John had already defined the fundamental commandments of Christianity as loving God and loving one another (1 John 4:21). Christ’s commands are not a burden, but a blessing for those who know God. Jesus said, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). Jesus indicated that it was the teachers of legalism and hypocrisy who made the burden of the commandments hard to bear (Luke 11:46).

Verse 4. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith.

John returns again in this verse to the theme of believers as overcomers. Jesus cannot be overpowered by darkness (John 1:5), and has defeated the powers of this world (John 16:33). Believers are not to be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21). Believers have overcome both the evil one (1 John 2:13–14) and evil spirits (1 John 4:4). Christians are not left weak and defenseless in spiritual battles. On the contrary, those battles are already won, by Christ.

How do believers overcome the world? Verse 5 gives a more direct explanation: by believing in Jesus as the Son of God. Here in verse 4, John simply refers to “faith” as our victory. The faith of the believer is the victory that overcomes. Every believer is an overcomer and is victorious because they have eternal life in Christ (John 3:16) and abundant life now (John 10:10). God’s Spirit lives within the believer to provide power over the battles of this world.

Verse 5. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

This verse clearly defines an overcomer as one who has put their faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. John refers to Jesus as the Son of God four other times in this chapter (1 John 5:10, 12, 13, 20), in addition to 1 John 3:8 and 1 John 4:15. The only New Testament book using this phrase more often is John’s gospel. John similarly used a question, in 1 John 2:22, to note that a liar is someone who denies Jesus is the Christ. John also uses questions to communicate his teachings in this letter in 1 John 3:12 and 17.

The one who believes in Jesus as the Son of God overcomes the world. This includes overcoming the evil one (1 John 2:13–14), evil spirits, and even death. Just as Jesus defeated death and the grave, believers will also experience eternal life (John 3:16). Believers have been born again and will not experience the second death, a theme John develops in Revelation (Revelation 2:11; 20:6, 14; 21:8).

Verse 6. This is he who came by water and blood — Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

John calls Jesus “he who came by water and blood.” This reference to water and blood has been interpreted in many ways. Some believe water and blood refer to His physical nature, coming as an infant to earth. However, it is more likely that the water refers to His baptism by John the Baptist and the blood refers to His sacrifice on the cross.

John also defines three “witnesses:” water, blood, and the Spirit. He refers to the Spirit as “the truth,” and the one who testifies about Jesus as God’s Son. At the “water,” God the Father spoke from the sky at Jesus’ baptism. At the “blood,” God spoke through various actions—including a dark sky during the day and the temple curtain torn from top to bottom. According to traditional Jewish practice, multiple witnesses were needed to confirm a matter. With these three witnesses, John’s argument that Jesus is the Son of God is settled.

Context Summary
First John 5:6–12 explains some of the evidence that Jesus Christ is, in fact, the Son of God. God’s voice at Jesus’ baptism, the events of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and the internal witness of the Holy Spirit are all described. Because of this multi-part testimony, Christians can have confidence in what they have been taught. Those who reject these facts, in effect, accuse God of lying.

Verse 7. For there are three that testify:

This short verse simply emphasizes John’s claim that there is evidence proving Jesus is the Son of God. In verse 6, these were defined as the water, the blood, and the Spirit. These refer to God’s voice at Jesus’ baptism, His crucifixion and resurrection, and the witness of the Holy Spirit. In verse 8, John will note that these three agree. In verse 9, John points out that the testimony of God is greater than that of men, making his a powerful and convincing argument that Jesus is the Son of God.

Some have suggested that water and blood refer to the Father and Son to make the case that all three Persons of the Trinity are involved in the testimony. While possible, this is unlikely since John is providing testimony that Jesus is God’s Son. He would not use Jesus as testimony since He would be testifying for Himself (John 5:31). This would explain why John uses the concepts of water and blood as the two others who testify that Jesus is God’s Son.

The transition between this verse and verse 8 is sometimes the subject of controversy. The source material of the King James Version, the Textus Receptus, adds a reference to “the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost.” This phrase is not found in any of the earliest manuscripts, and wasn’t even in the earliest produced copies of the Textus Receptus. A likely explanation is that the passage was harmonized for use in liturgy. Over time, this harmonization found its way into manuscript copies. Once included in the Latin Vulgate, it became widespread.

Verse 8. the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.

This verse adds the identities of the three who testify, and emphasizes their agreement. A textual controversy exists between the end of verse 7 and the beginning of verse 8. The Textus Receptus, which was used in translating the King James Version, adds a reference to a witness on earth. While used in the majority of later handwritten Greek manuscripts, this reading is not found in the earliest manuscripts. Nor was it in the earliest versions of the Textus Receptus, being added later in the publishing process.

It is likely that this difficult passage was harmonized in early liturgy, which are readings adapted for worship gatherings. This harmonization, the disputed portion between verses 7 and 8, was likely used later in manuscripts which became part of the majority text. The majority text was greatly popularized when included in the Latin Vulgate. Interestingly, the early German translations of the Bible did not include the reference to a witness on earth found in the Textus Receptus, so this particular controversy is most common among English speaking interpreters of Scripture.

Verse 9.If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son.

John assumes people will receive the testimony of men, so they ought to be willing to accept statements from God. John observes that “the testimony of God is greater.” He argues from the lesser to the greater, noting the obvious belief to his readers that God is greater than people.

The second part of this verse gives further evidence that water and blood, as seen in verse 6, do not refer directly to Jesus. Instead, they draw a connection between God the Father and God the Spirit, and their testimony regarding Jesus. God the Father spoke clearly at the “water,” the baptism of Jesus, calling Him “my beloved Son” (Matthew 3:17). At the death of Jesus, the centurion declared, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54). John the Baptist likewise spoke of the testimony of the Spirit at the baptism of Jesus: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him” (John 1:32). John the Baptist said, “I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God” (John 1:34).

Verse 10. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son.

John declares that, for believers, this testimony about Jesus is both objective and personal. Christians have evidence of the truth because God lives within them. There are natural, powerful effects of a relationship with Christ that can be seen and felt by ourselves, and by others. Those who do not believe God, John says, are rejecting His truth, which is the same as accusing Him of lying. Similarly, in 1 John 1:10, John noted that the person who says he is free from sin makes God a liar, and shows a lack of truth.

The unbeliever has not accepted the testimony of God, as believers have. They may see Jesus as a good person, but do not accept Him as God’s Son. As a result, they accuse God of lying, since God called Jesus His Son (Matthew 3:17). Likewise, at the transfiguration, God the Father stated, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” (Luke 9:35).

Verse 11. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

John has already mentioned “testimony” several times in the last few verses. Here he adds a sixth instance, including references to both eternal life from God and life in the Son. These are additional reassurances to the Christian. Using the tools John has provided in this letter, a Christian can be confident in their salvation.

John has already mentioned “eternal life” in 1 John 1:2, 2:25, and 3:15. He will address it again in 1 John 5:13 and 20. Eternal life is central to the changed state of a believer (John 3:16). John’s Gospel also mentions “eternal life” on numerous occasions, especially with Nicodemus in chapter 3, and the woman at the well in chapter 4.

John mentions the “Son” 22 times in this letter, repeatedly identifying Jesus’ status as God’s Son, and His relationship with God the Father. Life is “in his Son” and is not found outside of Jesus, a concept John will further develop in the next verse.

Verse 12. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

John summarizes this section by echoing the teachings of Jesus found in John 14:6: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus has life and is life, both abundant life (John 10:10) and eternal life (John 3:16). Part of John’s purpose in writing this letter is to counter discouragement. False teachers, it seems, were telling believers that they didn’t really have eternal life (1 John 2:25–26).

The need for Christ, and only Christ, is also the message proclaimed by all of the apostles. When brought before the religious teachers, Peter said, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Paul taught, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

Verse 13. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

Verse 13 directly states the overall purpose of John’s letter, which is assuring true believers of their salvation. “These things” refers to the contents of the previous passage. Specifically, that belief in Christ guarantees salvation. A Christian does not need to guess whether he or she will have eternal life. Those who know God and love others show evidence God is in their life.

John has been specific regarding how a person can know they have eternal life. This starts with the only means of obtaining salvation, which is faith in the Son of God. There is no list of works a person can do to determine eternal life. Nor are there any sins a believer can commit which will cause them to lose it. Ultimately, eternal life is based—entirely—on whether a person has believed in Jesus Christ. Recognizing salvation, however, is a matter of examining one’s life, for the kind of signs John has mentioned previously in this letter.

The eternal life John has spoken of so many times in this letter is of central importance, and it comes from one source: the Son of God. The remaining verses provide five additional teachings followed by a brief command to stay away from idols.

Context Summary
First John 5:13–21 closes out the letter by focusing on assurance of salvation. The goal of John’s letter is to provide believers with a means to know, for sure, that they have eternal life. Those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ can be absolutely sure that they are saved. Despite our failures and sins, God is forgiving. And, through Christ, we have the power to overcome the world’s temptations to sin.

Verse 14. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.

After emphasizing confidence in eternal life, John comments on confidence in prayer. The believer can know he or she has eternal life and know God hears their prayers. However, this verse specifies that getting a positive answer to prayer is based on asking “according to his will.” This phrase is used only two other times in the New Testament. In Luke 12:47, a parable is told about a servant who did not act “according to his [master’s] will” and received judgment. In Hebrews 2:4, the author mentions gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed “according to his will.”

Verses such as this clear up the common misconception that God promises to give us “absolutely anything” we ask for, no matter what. God is not a vending machine, or a robot. He acts according to His ways, not ours. He hears our prayers, but it should come as no surprise that He responds to those prayers according to His will.

Verse 15. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

The one who knows God can take confidence that God will hear his prayers. Believers praying according to God’s will know their prayers will be answered, just as they can know they have eternal life. This means that prayer is not merely about asking for favors from God. It’s also about helping us understand His will, and obeying it.

If a prayer request is not granted in the life of a believer, that request was not part of God’s plan or will. This may involve pain, suffering, sadness, or hardship, yet God can and does use pain to accomplish His ultimate purposes. The conclusion is that believers do not need to fear whether their prayers will be heard. Whether or not they are “answered,” in the sense of being granted, is something we need to trust God to decide. We can take confidence that God will respond to every prayer of a believer, in a way that’s in harmony with His perfect will.

Verse 16. If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life — to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that.

John begins this verse with an odd topic: sin leading to death. The reference to “sins that do not lead to death” has caused much debate among interpreters. Some believe these words refer to spiritual death. Others believe John has in view physical death.

The claim that this is a reference to spiritual death often comes from those who argue a person can lose his or her salvation. However, this appears to stand in stark contrast to verse 13. Instead, it is more likely that physical death is in view. Christians today often fail to realize the physical consequences of sin. This can range from criminal punishment to social shame to health issues. Christians are neither immune to sin nor to the consequences of sin. We are still subject to paying the earthly price for our choices.

This interpretation also makes better sense of the last comment of the verse. All disobedience to God is sin, and some disobedience can result in swift death. This may come by consequence, or by punishment. Ananias and Sapphira are an extreme example of this in action (Acts 5:1–11).

Here, Christians are explicitly told to pray for brothers and sisters whose sins are not that severe. According to this, God is particularly open to those kinds of requests. This same comment seems to suggest that prayers for more grievous sins are less likely to be answered. Note, however, that this verse does not say we should not pray for Christians caught in worse sins. Others have interpreted this as a reminder that prayers for the unbeliever, whose sins are still “leading to death,” should focus on their salvation, not their sin.

Verse 17. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.

In his final comments on sin leading to death, John clarifies that all disobedience is sin. Though sin is the ultimate cause of all death (Romans 5:12), not every act of disobedience results in immediate demise. Then again, some sins a person commits with their body or spirit can be fatal: a “sin that leads to death.” However, John is also clear that all sin is wrong. His intent here is to make a distinction regarding how a believer should pray for other people, not about whether something is considered sinful or not.

Though a difficult topic to interpret, the concept of “sin leading to death” is an important one. There is a relationship between our sinful actions and physical consequences, even for believers. Eternal life comes to those who believe in Jesus Christ, and no sin can take that salvation away. However, God has designed a world of cause and effect, and our choices still impact our lives. A believer can pray, ask forgiveness, and receive restored fellowship with God, but this does not necessarily remove the consequences of sinful actions.

Verse 18. We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

John’s use of “we” in this letter is probably a reference to the apostles, but may also be a reference to the Christians to whom John is writing. As in 1 John 3:6 and 1 John 3:9, John here indicates that sin is never the result of fellowship with Christ. Believers can sin, but those sins are never the result of their walk with Jesus. The normal, expected state of a Christian’s life is very different from that of an unbeliever. Temptation will continue to exist and even mature believers will struggle with sin (Romans 7). However, actively pursuing sin as a continual practice is not the mark of someone who has been changed by Christ.

The reference to being “protected” or “kept safe” is challenging to interpret. Some see “he who was born of God” in this verse as a reference to Jesus, but this is not a phrase used to describe Christ anywhere else by John. It has been interpreted to mean other believers, meaning other believers help protect a Christian through prayer and Satan cannot touch him (1 John 5:16–17). While both are possible, a more likely answer is that the phrase ought to be interpreted as “the one born of God keeps himself.” In other words, just as John said in 1 John 3:9, walking closely with God means power against sin and temptation.

Verse 19. We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

Both John and his readers “know that we are from God.” Though it is true believers are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), the context indicates the idea of salvation or being born again. Believers are children of God (John 1:12) and are from God spiritually and relationally.

John again notes that Satan has spiritual control over the entire world. John has already noted the believers he is writing to have overcome the evil one (1 John 2:13–14), mentioning Satan as the “evil one” also in 1 John 3:12 and 1 John 5:18. This letter has also spoken previously of the power of the world (1 John 2:15–17). Jesus prayed to the Father to keep believers from Satan (John 17:15). Believers are to use the armor of God against the evil one (Ephesians 6:16), knowing God will guard us against him (2 Thessalonians 3:3). The “world” is also mentioned in the first chapter of the Gospel of John, as something created by Jesus, and from which He takes away sins (John 1:9–10, 29).

Verse 20. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Jesus has provided two important things for the believer. First, Jesus has come (1 John 4:2). John has noted the importance of accepting Jesus as coming in the flesh. Christ’s life and death as a real, flesh-and-blood man is a crucial aspect of the gospel. By experiencing suffering as a human being, Jesus could identify with our struggles (Hebrews 4:15). He could also fulfill the role of the Promised One (John 1:29–30).

Second, Jesus gives believers understanding. Jesus did this for two reasons. First, so we can be saved. Second, to give us fellowship with God. The phrase “his Son Jesus Christ” is used only here and in 1 John 1:3, making it a fitting bookend to his letter. First John 1:3 notes, “our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

John’s reference to truth is especially important. Part of John’s letter has dealt with the problem of false teachers (1 John 2:26). Paul’s letters referred to those who preached a different gospel (Galatians 1:8). Faith in Christ gives believers spiritual discernment (1 Corinthians 2:14), making it easier to distinguish between true and false teachers (1 John 4:6).

Verse 21. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

This final verse appears odd, as a blunt and sudden conclusion. However, a closer look reveals these words as a fitting ending to John’s letter. Once again, John uses the phrase “Little children,” for the seventh time in this letter. John cared for his readers as his own spiritual children.

This mention of idols could refer to both physical idols people worshiped or to anything that came as higher priority than Christ. When writing to Gentile believers, Paul wrote, “For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God” (1 Thessalonians 1:9). Most Gentile believers of that day had previously served idols.

This final warning to stay away from idols is a reminder that only Christ was to be served. The false teachings they battled ultimately led back to the very gods they had left to follow Jesus. They were to keep themselves “from idols” and remain focused on Jesus as the Son of God.

Book Summary
First John seems to assume that the reader is familiar with the gospel. Rather than re-state these facts, John is concerned with building confidence in Christian believers. At the same time, his words encourage believers to examine their own lives for signs of their relationship with Christ. This letter also challenges false teachers and their incorrect claims about Jesus. Many themes are shared with the Gospel of John.

End of Chapter 5 and the book of 1st John.

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