Faithlife Study Bible (Biblia.com)

5:1 fathered by God Meaning that believers in Jesus have been adopted as God’s children. They are no longer people led by their own desires, the desires of other people, or other powers (3:10). See note on 4:7

For both John and Paul, Christ’s saving work means that believers should no longer align with the motives and ambitions of society and the powers at work in the world; rather, as members of God’s family, they follow Christ (Rom 8:14–15).

believes that Jesus is the Christ In contrast to the antichrists, who deny that Christ has come in the flesh and therefore do not understand His saving work (see 1 John 2:22 and note; 4:2 and note).

father also loves the child John draws on the expected love a father has for a child to encourage love among the Christian community. Believers should love one another because they are now spiritual siblings, adopted into the same family by God the Father (4:21; 5:2; John 14:9–20).

It seems that the secessionists John argues against were demonstrating apathy towards the needs of those around them, especially those of Christians.

5:2 keep his commandments John is referring to the commandments of Jesus, not the Jewish law (1 John 2:7–8). Christians are not called to keep these commandments out of obligation or mere duty; rather, they are commanded to express their love of God by loving their fellow believers.

5:3 not burdensome God’s commandments are not oppressive for believers. Those who love God obey His commandments to honor God, with the Holy Spirit prompting them to do so (3:22, 24).

Jesus discusses the burdensome nature of keeping the law of Moses. He points out that the Scribes and Pharisees place excessive burden on God’s people to the keep the law while hypocritically failing to keep the same laws (Matt 23:2–3). By contrast, Jesus promises that following Him and keeping His teachings brings rest rather than burden (Matt 11:28–30).

5:4 conquered the world Just as the believers’ faith empowers them to overcome false prophets, their joyful keeping of God’s command to love others helps them overcome the barriers of culture and society (1 John 4:4).

our faith Refers to the believer’s faith in God and His saving work through Jesus Christ. Those who trust in Christ’s death and resurrection share in His victory over the forces of evil at work in the world (see John 16:33).

5:5–12 John expands on his discussion of Jesus’ true humanity, a topic he introduced in ch. 4 (see 4:2 and note). He also discusses the eternal life that Jesus’ atoning death makes available to believers.

Eternity DLNT

5:6 water and blood The reference to water possibly is meant to allude to Jesus’ baptism, or perhaps to the anointing of God’s Spirit (Matt 3:13–17; John 1:32–34). The mention of blood might allude to Jesus’ death (John 19:28–34).

The purpose of John’s symbolism here is debated, but most likely he wanted to assert that Jesus was genuinely human—not human in appearance only. Taken together, the references to water and blood encapsulate the ministry of Jesus, from its beginning at His baptism to His sacrificial death on the cross. For John, confessing that Jesus is the Son of God meant confessing Him as the anointed one of God—the Christ, who truly suffered and died on the cross.

1 John 5:6 ZIBBC NT 4

1 John 5:6 Epistles of John (AYBC)

5:7 three that testify Refers to testifying about the true humanity of Christ and His crucifixion. The three witnesses affirm the significance of Christ’s atoning death, which the secessionists apparently denied.

In the Bible, two or three witnesses are required to validate testimony (e.g., Deut 17:6; 19:15; Matt 18:16; 2 Cor 13:1; Heb 10:28). According to John, the Spirit of God—along with the water and the blood (likely referring to Christ’s baptism and death)—bear witness to Christ’s incarnation, which led to His sacrifice for sinful humanity.

5:8 Spirit and the water Throughout this letter, John identifies the Spirit as a testifier that confirms the truth (see 1 John 3:24; 4:2, 13).

Some Bible translations, such as the King James Version, insert an additional clause between v. 7 and 5:8 (indicated by italics): “For there are three who bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are three who bear witness in earth, the spirit and the water and the blood; and these three are one.” This clause emphasizes the oneness of God, as Father, Word (Jesus), and Spirit. This Trinitarian formula, called the Johannine Comma, is evident elsewhere in the nt, but it is stated explicitly in this addition. It is included in only four Greek manuscripts dating between the 14th and 18th centuries; it also is noted in the margin of five additional manuscripts, added in each case by a much later editorial hand. This means that it does not appear until the second millennium in any Greek manuscripts.

Johannine Comma AYBD

the three are in agreement With regard to Jesus’ identity.

5:9 testimony of God is greater Whatever testimony or proof offered by those who left the community that John addresses cannot compare to God’s witness to His truth. See John 5:31–38.

5:10 made him a liar The burden of proof stands against those who deny that Jesus came in the flesh. They are disputing with God, who speaks only truth.

5:11 eternal life Describes the gracious gift of life that Jesus offers believers, when the punishment for their sin should be death (compare 1 John 2:12; 3:15; John 3:16–17; Rom 6:23). This life begins now and is available only through relationship with God’s Son, Jesus (John 14:6).

5:13–21 John insists that assurance of eternal life comes through belief in the Son of God, whom he has taken great care to properly identify throughout the letter. He also returns to the topics of sinful living and the identity of God’s children.

5:14 according to his will This is an assurance that God hears all prayers; however, God answers prayers according to his will, which doesn’t always align with human desires. John’s language here reflects Jesus’ teaching in John 16:23–24.

5:15 we know John asserts that believers can be assured of God’s involvement in their lives through prayer. God both hears and answers the prayers offered to Him.

5:16 a sin not leading to death Refers to general sin, from which Christians should repent. Although the ultimate concern is the person committing sin, John’s focus here is the Christian’s responsibility to demonstrate love toward a fellow believer by intervening to curtail sinful behavior. John expects believers, and specifically their prayers, to help others overcome sin in their lives.

There is a sin leading to death John identifies a type of sin that cannot result in forgiveness and eternal life because it flatly rejects God’s grace. This kind of sin likely includes denying that Jesus is the Son of God and God’s anointed one (the Christ). It also might involve denying Jesus’ humanity. This kind of sin dismisses the atoning significance of Christ’s work on the cross and rejects the possibility of sin in the life of a Christian (see 1 John 3:6, 9; compare Mark 3:28–30).

John is not saying that people who commit such a sin cannot receive God’s grace. Instead, he is explaining that those who continue to hold this belief are on the path to death; their disposition toward God makes it impossible for them to have relationship with Him. Without Christ’s saving work, no relationship with God is possible and thus eternal life is impossible.

John likely has in mind his opponents’ misconception of Jesus as someone who merely appeared as a human and their subsequent abandonment of true faith. He associates renunciation of faith with idolatry (see 1 John 5:21 and note).

I do not say While John encourages Christians to pray for fellow believers who are committing sins that do not lead to death, they are not obligated to pray for those who intentionally oppose the grace of God.

In John’s view, those who have publicly opposed God’s grace, offered in His Son, have already given themselves over to the powers of darkness (compare note on 2:1–11). They did so when they chose to depart from the Christian community (2:19). Such people are destructive to the Christian community and thus, by definition, antichrists (2:18). The congregation is no longer responsible for them. John urges his audience not to be involved with people who live in darkness and deliberately reject God’s truth.

5:17 all unrighteousness Any act that is outside of God’s plan for humanity and the world should be opposed.

5:18 does not sin John does not mean people automatically cease all sinful behavior after they become believers (see 3:6 and note). Instead, he means that they do not deliberately continue sinful patterns, because they trust Christ’s work on the cross that defeated sin’s power. They also confess their sins to God and receive forgiveness—allowing for God and other believers to help them overcome sin (1:9).

5:19 power of the evil one In contrast to believers who belong to the true family of God, people who merely abide by the values of human societies live under the power of the evil one—that is, the devil (2:13–14). Believers are protected by God (v. 18), while those who reject the truth of God’s Son live under the power of the devil (3:8).

5:20 This one is the true God and eternal life John affirms God and His Son, who are one (1:1–2). Believers in Jesus embrace the idea of God as Son in the flesh and live according to His commands.

5:21 idols Refers to anything that stands between people and God, whether physical or spiritual. All the falsehoods that John has opposed in the letter are forms of idolatry.

	About Faithlife Study Bible Faithlife Study Bible (FSB) is your guide to the ancient world of the Old and New Testaments, with study notes and articles that draw from a wide range of academic research. FSB helps you learn how to think about interpretation methods and issues so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the text.
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