1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the •Messiah has been born of God,a and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of Him. 2This is how we know that we love God’s children when we love God and obeyb His commands. 3For this is what love for God is: to keep His commands. Now His commands are not a burden,c 4because whatever has been born of God conquers the •world. This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith. 5And who is the one who conquers the worldd but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?e
The Certainty of God’s Testimony
6Jesus Christ — He is the One who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by waterf and by blood.g And the Spirit is the One who testifies,h because the Spirit is the truth. 7For there are three that testify:i, j 8the Spirit,k the water, and the bloodl — and these three are in agreement. 9If we accept the testimony of men, God’s testimonym is greater, because it is God’s testimony that He has given about His Son. 10(The one who believes in the Son of God has this testimony within him. The one who does not believe God has made Him a liar,n because he has not believed in the testimony God has given about His Son.) 11And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12The one who has the Son has life.o The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life. 13I have written these things to you who believe in the namep of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Effective Prayer
14Now this is the confidence we have before Him: Whenever we askq anything according to His will, He hears us.r 15And if we know that He hears whatever we ask,s we know that we have what we have asked Him for.t
16If anyone sees his brother committing a sin that does not bring death, he should ask, and Godu will give life to him — to those who commit sin that doesn’t bring death. There is sinv that brings death. I am not saying he should pray about that. 17All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin that does not bring death.
Conclusion
18We know that everyone who has been born of God does not sin, but the Onew who is born of God keeps him,x, y, z and the evil one does not touch him.
19We know that we are of God, and the whole world is under the sway of the evil one.
20And we know that the Son of God has comeaa and has given us understanding so that we may know the true One.ab We are in the true One — that is, in His Son Jesus Christ.ac He is the true God and eternal life.
21Little children, guard yourselves from idols.
Footnotes:
a. 5:1 1Jn 2:29
b. 5:2 Other mss read keep
c. 5:3 Dt 30:11; Mt 11:30; 23:4,23
d. 5:5 1Co 15:57; 2Pt 2:20
e. 5:5 Jn 5:19; 14:1; Heb 1:2
f. 5:6 Mk 1:11; Jn 1:34
g. 5:6 Jn 17:1; 1Jn 1:7; 4:10
h. 5:6 Jn 15:26; Ac 26:5
i. 5:7-8 Other mss (Vg and a few late Gk mss) read testify in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are One. 8 And there are three who bear witness on earth:
j. 5:7 Dt 19:15; Mt 18:16; Jn 8:17-18
k. 5:8 Jn 1:32; 19:30; 20:22
l. 5:8 Jn 19:34
m. 5:9 Jn 5:36-37; 8:18
n. 5:10 Gn 3:4
o. 5:12 Jn 3:15,36; 5:24; 6:40,47
p. 5:13 1Jn 3:23
q. 5:14 Mt 7:7; Jn 14:13; 1Jn 3:22
r. 5:14 Mt 7:8; Jn 9:31; 11:22
s. 5:15 Jms 1:5
t. 5:15 Jn 11:22; 16:24
u. 5:16 Lit He
v. 5:16 Or is a sin
w. 5:18 Jesus Christ
x. 5:18 Other mss read himself
y. 5:18 Or the one who is born of God keeps himself
z. 5:18 Jn 17:12; 1Pt 1:5; Jd 24; Rv 3:10
aa. 5:20 Jn 1:14; 8:42; 1Jn 1:2; 3:5,8
ab. 5:20 Other mss read the true God
ac. 5:20 Jn 10:38; 15:9; 17:21; 1Th 1:1; 1Jn 2:23-24
