New Testament Commentary - 1 John 5

by Don R. Hender


Scriptural Text [& Editorial]
Commentary & Explanation
Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
              CHAPTER 5

Saints are born of God through belief in Christ—Water, blood, and Spirit testify of Christ—Belief in Christ required in order to gain eternal life.

 1 WHOSOEVER believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
 2 By this we know that we alove the bchildren of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
 3 For this is the alove of God, that we bkeep his commandments: and his commandments are not cgrievous.
 4 For whatsoever is aborn of God bovercometh the world: and this is the cvictory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
 5 Who is he that aovercometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
 6 This is he that acame by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the bSpirit that beareth cwitness, because the Spirit is truth.
 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the aFather, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are bone.
 8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the aSpirit, and the water, and the bblood: and these three agree in one.
 9 If we receive the awitness of men, the bwitness of God is greater: for this is the cwitness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
 10 He that abelieveth on the Son of God hath the bwitness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the crecord that God gave of his Son.
 11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us aeternal life, and this blife is in his Son.
 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
 13 These things have I awritten unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal blife, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his awill, he bheareth us:
 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we aask, we know that we have the petitions that we bdesired of him.
 16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto deatha: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
 16a There is a sin unto death John does not here give what that sin might be, but John has been speaking of the spirit of the antichrist. And there is one unforgivable sin, and that is the sin against the Holy Ghost. Just what that is seems to be that once the Holy Ghost has given the full witness of Jesus Christ the Son, which include the personal visitation and full understanding of just who Christ it, that then to deny that sure witness is the sing against the the Holy Ghost, that sure undeniable witness of the Messiah. Satan, the great antichrist, denied Christ even though he knew full will who he was, the elected Son of God and Redeemer of the mankind. It is the case of denying the presence of the Sun at high noon in the bright of daylight. It is the denial of the obvious truth. It is the denial of Jesus Christ having had the full witness and understanding of who he is, having had the personal visitation and full witness of the Holy Ghost to that effect. These are they who have sinned unto death, and that death is to be moved forever from the presence of God, to exist in outer darkness for evermore.
 17 All unrighteousness is asin: and there is a bsin not unto death.
 18 We know that whosoever is aborn of God bsinneth not; but he that is begotten of God ckeepeth himself, and that dwicked one toucheth him not.
 19 And we know that we are of aGod, and the whole bworld lieth in cwickedness.
 20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and aeternal life.
 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.