1 John 1
The Incarnation of the Word of Life
1That which was from the beginning,a which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes,b which we have looked at and our hands have touchedc—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2The life appeared;d we have seen it and testify to it,e and we proclaim to you the eternal life,f which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard,g so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.h 4We write thisi to make our joy complete.j
Light and Darkness, Sin and Forgiveness
5This is the message we have heardk from him and declare to you: God is light;l in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness,m we lie and do not live out the truth.n 7But if we walk in the light,o as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.p
8If we claim to be without sin,q we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.r 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sinss and purify us from all unrighteousness.t 10If we claim we have not sinned,u we make him out to be a liarv and his word is not in us.w
1 John 2
1My dear children,a I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocateb with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,c and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.d
Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers
3We knowe that we have come to know himf if we keep his commands.g 4Whoever says, “I know him,”h but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.i 5But if anyone obeys his word,j love for God is truly made complete in them.k This is how we knowl we are in him: 6Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.m
7Dear friends,n I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning.o This old command is the message you have heard. 8Yet I am writing you a new command;p its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passingq and the true lightr is already shining.s
9Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister,t is still in the darkness.u 10Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light,v and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.w 11But anyone who hates a brother or sisterx is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness.y They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.z
Reasons for Writing
12I am writing to you, dear children,a
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.b
13I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.c
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcomed the evil one.e
14I write to you, dear children,f
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.g
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,h
and the word of Godi lives in you,j
and you have overcome the evil one.k
On Not Loving the World
15Do not love the world or anything in the world.l If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.m 16For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh,n the lust of the eyes,o and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away,p but whoever does the will of Godq lives forever.
Warnings Against Denying the Son
18Dear children, this is the last hour;r and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming,s even now many antichrists have come.t This is how we know it is the last hour. 19They went out from us,u but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.v
20But you have an anointingw from the Holy One,x and all of you know the truth.,y 21I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know itz and because no lie comes from the truth. 22Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.a 23No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.b
24As for you, see that what you have heard from the beginningc remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father.d 25And this is what he promised us—eternal life.e
26I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.f 27As for you, the anointingg you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all thingsh and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit—just as it has taught you, remain in him.i
God’s Children and Sin
28And now, dear children,j continue in him, so that when he appearsk we may be confidentl and unashamed before him at his coming.m
29If you know that he is righteous,n you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.o
1 John 3
1See what great lovea the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!b And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.c 2Dear friends,d now we are children of God,e and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,,f we shall be like him,g for we shall see him as he is.h 3All who have this hope in him purify themselves,i just as he is pure.j
4Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.k 5But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.l And in him is no sin.m 6No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.n No one who continues to sin has either seen himo or known him.p
7Dear children,q do not let anyone lead you astray.r The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.s 8The one who does what is sinful is of the devil,t because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of Godu appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.v 9No one who is born of Godw will continue to sin,x because God’s seedy remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10This is how we know who the children of Godz are and who the children of the devila are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not loveb their brother and sister.c
More on Love and Hatred
11For this is the message you heardd from the beginning:e We should love one another.f 12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil oneg and murdered his brother.h And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.i 13Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.j 14We know that we have passed from death to life,k because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.l 15Anyone who hates a brother or sisterm is a murderer,n and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.o
16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.p And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.q 17If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them,r how can the love of God be in that person?s 18Dear children,t let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.u
19This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: 20If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. 21Dear friends,v if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before Godw 22and receive from him anything we ask,x because we keep his commandsy and do what pleases him.z 23And this is his command: to believea in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,b and to love one another as he commanded us.c 24The one who keeps God’s commandsd lives in him,e and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.f
1 John 4
On Denying the Incarnation
1Dear friends,a do not believe every spirit,b but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.c 2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the fleshd is from God,e 3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist,f which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.g
4You, dear children,h are from God and have overcome them,i because the one who is in youj is greater than the one who is in the world.k 5They are from the worldl and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us.m This is how we recognize the Spirit of truthn and the spirit of falsehood.o
God’s Love and Ours
7Dear friends, let us love one another,p for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of Godq and knows God.r 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.s 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Sont into the world that we might live through him.u 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved usv and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.w 11Dear friends,x since God so loved us,y we also ought to love one another.z 12No one has ever seen God;a but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.b
13This is how we knowc that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit.d 14And we have seen and testifye that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.f 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,g God lives in them and they in God.h 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love.i Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.j 17This is how love is made completek among us so that we will have confidencel on the day of judgment:m In this world we are like Jesus. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear,n because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19We love because he first loved us.o 20Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sisterp is a liar.q For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen,r cannot love God, whom they have not seen.s 21And he has given us this command:t Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.u
1 John 5
Faith in the Incarnate Son of God
1Everyone who believesa that Jesus is the Christb is born of God,c and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.d 2This is how we knowe that we love the children of God:f by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.g And his commands are not burdensome,h 4for everyone born of Godi overcomesj the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.k
6This is the one who came by water and bloodl—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.m 7For there are threen that testify: 8the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9We accept human testimony,o but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God,p which he has given about his Son. 10Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony.q Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar,r because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life,s and this life is in his Son.t 12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.u
Concluding Affirmations
13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of Godv so that you may know that you have eternal life.w 14This is the confidencex we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.y 15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we knowz that we have what we asked of him.a Article: Praying and Receiving
16If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life.b I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death.c I am not saying that you should pray about that.d 17All wrongdoing is sin,e and there is sin that does not lead to death.f
18We know that anyone born of Godg does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil oneh cannot harm them.i 19We know that we are children of God,j and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.k 20We know also that the Son of God has comel and has given us understanding,m so that we may know him who is true.n And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.o
21Dear children,p keep yourselves from idols.q
1 1:4 Some manuscripts your
1 2:5 Or word, God’s love
2 2:9 The Greek word for brother or sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in verse 11; and in 3:15,17; 4:20; 5:16.
3 2:10 The Greek word for brother and sister (adelphos) refers here to a believer, whether man or woman, as part of God’s family; also in 3:10; 4:20,21.
4 2:15 Or world, the Father’s love
5 2:20 Some manuscripts and you know all things
1 3:2 Or when it is made known
2 3:13 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 16.
1 5:7,8 Late manuscripts of the Vulgate testify in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. 8And there are three that testify on earth: the (not found in any Greek manuscript before the fourteenth century)
1:1–4 The introduction to this letter deals with the same subject and uses several of the same words as the introduction to John’s Gospel (1:1–4)—especially “beginning,” “Word” and “life.”
1:2 The life . . . the eternal life. Christ. He is called “the life” because he is the living one who has life in himself (see Jn 1:4; 11:25; 14:6 and notes). He is also the source of life and sovereign over life (5:11). The letter begins and ends (5:20) with the theme of eternal life (see Jn 17:3 and note).
1:3 you also may have fellowship with us. Believers can share in the author’s experience of Christ through his ministry. Participation with us (vicariously) in our experience of hearing, seeing and touching the incarnate Christ (v. 1). Fellowship (Greek koinonia) is the spiritual union of the believer with Christ—as described in the figures of the vine and branches (Jn 15:1–5) and the body and the head (1Co 12:12; Col 1:18)—as well as communion with the Father and with fellow believers (see vv. 6–7).
1:4 our joy complete. John’s joy in the Lord could not be complete unless his readers shared the true knowledge of the Christ (see 2Jn 12; cf. Php 2:2).
1:5 from him. From Christ. light . . . darkness. Light represents what is good, true and holy, while darkness represents what is evil and false (Jn 3:19–21).
1:6–7 walk in the darkness . . . in the light. Two lifestyles—one characterized by wickedness and error, the other by holiness and truth.
1:7 sin. A key word in 1 John, with the noun occurring 17 times and verb 10 times in the Greek.
1:9 faithful and just. Indicates that God’s response toward those who confess their sins will be in accordance with his nature and his gracious commitment to his people (see Ps 143:1; Zec 8:8 and note; cf. Pr 28:13 and note). faithful. To his promise to forgive (see Jer 31:34; Mic 7:18–20; Heb 10:22–23 and notes). will forgive us. Will provide the forgiveness that restores the communion with God that had been interrupted by sin (as requested in the Lord’s Prayer, Mt 6:12).
1:10 we have not sinned. Gnostics denied that their outwardly immoral actions were sinful.
2:1 dear children. John, the aged apostle, often used this expression of endearment (vv. 12,28; 3:7,18; 4:4; 5:21). advocate. Refers to someone who speaks in court in behalf of a defendant (see note on Jn 14:16). Righteous One. In God’s court the defender must be, and is, sinless (cf. Ac 3:14 and note).
2:2 atoning sacrifice for our sins. God’s holiness demands punishment for human sin. God, therefore, out of love (4:10; Jn 3:16), sent his Son to make substitutionary atonement for the believer’s sin. In this way the Father’s wrath against the Christian’s sin is satisfied in Christ’s representative death. See note on Ro 3:25. for the sins of the whole world. Forgiveness through Christ’s atoning sacrifice is not limited to one particular group only; it has worldwide application (Jn 1:29). It must, however, be received by faith (Jn 3:16). Thus this verse does not teach universalism (that all people ultimately will be saved), but that God is an impartial God.
2:3 We know. John’s purpose in writing is to assure his readers that they already know the truth, so they need not be led astray by the false teachers. know. Forty times 1 John uses one of two Greek verbs normally translated “know.” One of these verbs is related to the name of the Gnostics, the heretical sect that claimed to have a special knowledge (Greek gnosis) of God (see Introduction: Gnosticism). keep his commands. Does not mean that only those who never disobey (1:8–9) know God, but simply refers to those whose lives are characterized by obedience.
2:5 love for God is truly made complete in them. The NIV main text translation (“love for God”) means that our love for God becomes complete when it expresses itself in acts of obedience (3:16–18). The NIV text note rendering means that God’s love for the believer is made complete when it moves the believer to acts of obedience (4:12). in him. Spiritual union with God (see Jn 17:21; Eph 1:1 and note; see also article).
2:7–8 new command. See Jn 13:34–35 and notes. The biblical command to love was old (see Lev 19:18; see also Mt 22:39–40). But its newness is seen in: (1) the new and dramatic illustration of divine love on the cross; (2) the NT teaching that the law is fulfilled when the commandments are kept (Ro 13:8–10); and (3) the daily experience of believers as they grow in love for each other.
2:8 true light. Used in the NT only here and in Jn 1:9 (see note on Jn 1:4), this phrase refers to Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world (see Jn 8:12 and note; cf. 2Co 4:6 and note).
2:9–10 hates . . . loves. In the Bible hatred and love as moral qualities are not primarily emotions but attitudes expressed in actions (3:15–16).
2:10 loves their brother and sister. See Jn 13:34–35 and notes. stumble. Into sin.
2:12–14 I am writing to you . . . because. By extended repetition in these verses, John assures his readers that, in spite of the rigorous tests contained in the letter, he is confident of their salvation. dear children . . . fathers . . . young men. As elsewhere in this letter, “dear children” probably refers to all John’s readers (see note on v. 1), including fathers and young people. The terms “fathers” and “young men” may, however, describe two different levels of spiritual maturity. Some hold that all three terms refer to levels of spiritual maturity.
2:13–14 him who is from the beginning. Christ (see note on 1:1).
2:15 world. Not the world of people (Jn 3:16) or the created world (Jn 17:24), but here the world, or realm, of sin (v. 16; see Jas 4:4 and note), which is controlled by Satan and organized against God and righteousness (see note on Jn 1:9). love for the Father. Cf. 2:5 and note.
2:16 lust of the flesh . . . lust of the eyes . . . pride of life. Physical craving, covetousness, and a desire for self-aggrandizement. These are the same three avenues through which sin entered the world (cf. Ge 3:6 and note; 2Sa 11–12; Mt 4:1–11; Lk 4:1–3 and note).
2:18 last hour. With other NT writers, John viewed the whole period beginning with Christ’s first coming as the last days (see Ac 2:17; 2Ti 3:1 and note). They understood this to be the “last” of the days because neither former prophecy nor new revelation concerning the history of salvation indicated the coming of another era before the return of Christ. The word “last” in “last days,” “last times” and “last hour” also expresses a sense of urgency and imminence (see Heb 1:2 and note). The Christian is to be alert, waiting for the return of Christ (Mt 25:1–13). the antichrist . . . many antichrists. John assumed his readers knew that a great enemy of God and his people would arise before Christ’s return. That person is called “antichrist” (here), “the man of lawlessness” (2Th 2:3; but see note there) and “the beast” (Rev 13:1–10). But prior to him there will be many antichrists. These are characterized by the following: (1) They deny the incarnation (see 4:2 and note; 2Jn 7) and that Jesus is the divine Christ (v. 22); (2) they deny the Father (v. 22); (3) they do not have the Father (v. 23); (4) they are liars (v. 22) and deceivers (2Jn 7); (5) they are many (v. 18); (6) in John’s day they left the church because they had nothing in common with believers (v. 19). The antichrists referred to in John’s letter were the early Gnostics. The “anti” in “antichrist” means “against” or “in place of” (cf. 2Th 2:4 and note; Rev 13:6–7; cf. also Mt 24:4–5, 10–11,15,23–24).
2:22 Jesus is the Christ. See note on Mt 16:16. This means that the man Jesus is the divine Messiah (see the parallel confession in 5:5; see also Introduction: Gnosticism and note on 5:6), refuting the Gnostic idea that the man Jesus was distinct from the Christ-spirit.
2:27 anointing. See note on v. 20. do not need anyone to teach you. Since the Bible constantly advocates teaching (Mt 28:20; 1Co 12:28; Eph 4:11; Col 3:16; 1Ti 4:11; 2Ti 2:2,24), and since John in his writings is himself teaching truth, he is not ruling out human teachers. At the time when he wrote, however, Gnostic teachers were insisting that the teaching of the apostles was to be supplemented with the “higher knowledge” that the Gnostics claimed to possess. John’s response was that what the readers were taught under the Spirit’s ministry through the apostles was not only adequate but the only reliable spiritual truth. See the promise of the new covenant in Jer 31:34 (see also note there). teaches you. The teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit (what is commonly called illumination) does not involve revelation of new truth or the explanation of all difficult passages of Scripture to our satisfaction. Rather, it is the development of the capacity to appreciate and appropriate God’s truth already revealed—making the Bible meaningful in thought and daily living. all things. All things necessary to know for salvation and Christian living.
2:29 he . . . him. God the Father. does what is right. Those who are born again are marked by righteous conduct.
3:3 hope. Not a mere wish, but unshakable confidence concerning the future (see Ro 5:5 and note). purify themselves. By turning from sin.
3:6 No one . . . keeps on sinning. John is not asserting sinless perfection (see 1:8–10; 2:1) but explaining that the believer’s life is characterized not by sin but by doing what is right.
3:8 devil. In this short letter John says much about the devil: (1) He is called “the devil” (here) and “the evil one” (v. 12; 2:13–14; 5:18–19). (2) He “has been sinning from the beginning” (here), i.e., from the time he first rebelled against God, before the fall of Adam and Eve (see Jn 8:44 and note). (3) He is the instigator of human sin, and those who continue to sin belong to him (vv. 8,12) and are his children (v. 10). (4) He is in the world (4:3) and has “the whole world” of unbelievers under his control (5:19). (5) But he cannot lay hold of believers to harm them (5:18). (6) On the contrary, Christians will overcome him (2:13–14; 4:4), and Christ will destroy his work (cf. Ro 16:20 and note; Heb 2:14).
3:9 God’s seed. The picture is of human reproduction, in which the sperm (the Greek for “seed” is sperma) bears the life principle and transfers the paternal characteristics. cannot go on sinning. Not a complete cessation of sin, but a life that is not characterized by sin.
3:11 from the beginning. See note on 2:7. love one another. See note on 4:7—5:3.
3:13 brothers and sisters. See NIV text note.
3:20 God is greater than our hearts. An oversensitive conscience can be quieted by the knowledge that God himself has declared active love to be an evidence of salvation. He knows the hearts of all—whether, in spite of shortcomings, they have been born of him.
3:23 This command has two parts: (1) Believe in Christ (see Jn 6:29 and note), and (2) love each other (see Jn 13:34–35 and notes). The first part is developed in 4:1–6 and the second part in 4:7–12.
4:1 spirit. A person moved by a spirit, whether by the Holy Spirit or an evil one. test the spirits. Cf. 1Th 5:21 and note. (Mt 7:1 does not refer to such testing or judgment; it speaks of self-righteous moral judgment of others.) false prophets. A true prophet speaks from God, being “carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2Pe 1:21; see note there). False prophets, such as the Gnostics of John’s day, speak under the influence of spirits alienated from God. Christ warned against false prophets (see Mt 7:15 and note; Mk 13:22), as did Paul (see 1Ti 4:1 and note) and Peter (see 2Pe 2:1 and note).
4:2 acknowledges. Not only knows intellectually—for demons know, and shudder (Jas 2:19; cf. Mk 1:24)—but also confesses publicly (cf. Ro 10:9–10 and notes). Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. See note on 1:1. Thus John excludes the Gnostics, especially the Cerinthians, who taught that the divine Christ came upon the human Jesus at his baptism and then left him at the cross, so that it was only the man Jesus who died (see Introduction: Gnosticism).
4:3 does not acknowledge Jesus. The incarnate Jesus Christ of 1:2 (see note on 2:18).
4:4 from God. An abbreviated form of the expression “born of God” (2:29; 3:9–10). them. The false prophets (v. 1), who were inspired by the spirit of the antichrist (v. 3). the one who is in the world. The devil (see Jn 12:31 and note). In v. 3 “world” means the inhabited earth; in vv. 4–5 it means the community, or system, of those not born of God—including the antichrists (see note on Jn 1:9).
4:7—5:3 The word “love” in its various forms is used 46 times in the letter, 32 times in this short section alone.
4:8 does not know God. Only those who are to some degree like him truly know him. God is love. In his essential nature and in all his actions, God is loving (see also v. 16). John similarly affirms that God is spirit (see Jn 4:24 and note) and light (see 1:5 and note), as well as righteous (2:29; 3:7), holy (2:20), powerful or great (4:4), faithful (see 1:9 and note), true (5:20) and just (1:9).
4:10 atoning sacrifice for our sins. See note on 2:2.
4:12 No one has ever seen God. See note on Jn 1:18. Since our love has its source in God’s love, his love reaches full expression (is made complete) when we love fellow Christians. Thus the God whom “no one has ever seen” is seen in those who love, because God lives in them.
4:16 God is love. See note on v. 8.
4:17 like Jesus. The fact that we are like Christ in love is a sign that God, who is love, lives in us; therefore we may have confidence on the day of judgment that we are saved.
4:18 no fear in love. There is no fear of God’s judgment because genuine love confirms salvation.
4:19 All love comes ultimately from God; genuine love is never self-generated by his creatures.
5:1 Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. Faith in Jesus as the Messiah is a sign of being born again, just as love is (4:7). the Christ. See note on 2:22. everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. John wrote at a time when members of a family were closely associated as a unit under the headship of the father. He could therefore use the family as an illustration to show that anyone who loves God the Father will naturally love God’s children.
5:3 this is love for God: to keep his commands. Cf. Jn 14:15,21 and notes. his commands are not burdensome. Not because the commands themselves are light or easy to obey but, as John explains in v. 4, because of the new birth. The one born of God by faith is enabled by the Holy Spirit to obey.
5:4 overcomes . . . has overcome. To overcome the world is to gain victory over its sinful pattern of life, which is another way of describing obedience to God (v. 3). Such obedience is not impossible for believers because they have been born again and the Holy Spirit dwells within them and gives them strength. John speaks of two aspects of victory: (1) the initial victory of turning in faith from the world to God (“has overcome”); (2) the continuing, day-by-day victory of Christian living (“overcomes”). world. See note on 2:15.
5:5 Son of God. For parallel confessions, see 2:22; 4:2; 5:1 and notes.
5:6 water and blood. Water symbolizes Jesus’ baptism, and blood symbolizes his death. These are mentioned because Jesus’ public ministry on earth began at his baptism and ended at his death. John may be reacting to the Gnostic heretics of his day (see Introduction: Gnosticism) who said that Jesus was born only a man and remained so until his baptism. At that time, they maintained, the Messiah (the Son of God) descended on the human Jesus but left him before his suffering on the cross—so that it was only the man Jesus who died. Throughout this letter John has been insisting that Jesus Christ is God as well as man (1:1–4; 4:2; 5:5). He now asserts that it was this God-man Jesus Christ who came into our world, was baptized and died. Jesus was the Son of God not only at his baptism but also at his death (v. 6b). This truth is extremely important, because, if Jesus died only as a man, his sacrificial atonement (2:2; 4:10) would not have been sufficient to take away the guilt of human sin. the Spirit who testifies. The Holy Spirit testifies that Jesus is the Son of God in two ways: (1) The Spirit descended on Jesus at his baptism (Jn 1:32–34), and (2) he continues to confirm in the hearts of believers the apostolic testimony that Jesus’ baptism and death verify that he is the Messiah, the Son of God (see 2:27; 1Co 12:3 and notes; cf. Ro 8:16 and note).
5:7 three. The OT law required “two or three witnesses” (Dt 17:6; see note there). At the end of this verse, some older English versions add the words found in the NIV text note. But the addition is not found in any Greek manuscript prior to the fourteenth century and only in very late copies of the Latin Vulgate at any earlier point.
5:9 God’s testimony. The Holy Spirit’s testimony, mentioned in vv. 6–8.
5:11 has given us eternal life. As a present possession (see notes on Jn 3:15,36).
5:14 if we ask anything according to his will. Cf. Lk 22:42. For another condition for prayer, see 3:21–22.
5:15 we have what we asked. Believers can be confident that God will hear and grant their requests “according to his will” (v. 14), although that response may not occur in the manner or timing they desire (see article).
5:16 Verses 16–17 illustrate the kind of petition we can be sure God will answer (vv. 14–15). sin that leads to death. In the context of this letter directed against Gnostic teaching, which denied the incarnation and threw off all moral restraints, it is probable that the “sin that leads to death” refers to the Gnostics’ adamant and persistent denial of the truth and to their shameless immorality. This kind of unrepentant sin leads to spiritual death. Another view is that this is sin that results in physical death. It is held that because a believer continues to sin, God in judgment takes his or her life (cf. 1Co 11:30).
5:18–20 We know. The letter ends with three striking statements affirming the truths that “we know” and summarizing some of the letter’s major themes.
5:20 him who is true. God the Father. He is the true God. Could refer to either God the Father or God the Son. eternal life. The letter began with this theme (1:1–2) and now ends with it.
5:21 idols. False gods, as opposed to the one true God (v. 20).