Overcoming the World

(A)Everyone who believes that Jesus is the [a]Christ has been (B)born of God, and everyone who loves the [b]Father (C)loves the child born of Him. (D)By this we know that (E)we love the children of God, when we love God and [c]follow His commandments. For (F)this is the love of God, that we (G)keep His commandments; and (H)His commandments are not burdensome. For [d]whoever has been (I)born of God (J)overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.

Who is the one who overcomes the world, but the one who (K)believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the One who came (L)by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not [e]with the water only, but [f]with the water and [g]with the blood. It is (M)the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are (N)three that testify: [h]the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are [i]in agreement. (O)If we receive the testimony of people, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that (P)He has testified concerning His Son. 10 The one who believes in the Son of God (Q)has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has (R)made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. 11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us (S)eternal life, and (T)this life is in His Son. 12 (U)The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

This Is Written That You May Know

13 (V)These things I have written to you who (W)believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have (X)eternal life. 14 This is (Y)the confidence which we have [j]before Him, that, (Z)if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, (AA)we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

16 If anyone sees his brother or sister [k]committing a sin not leading to death, (AB)he shall ask and [l]God will, for him, give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. (AC)There is sin leading to death; (AD)I am not saying that he should ask about that. 17 (AE)All unrighteousness is sin, and (AF)there is sin not leading to death.

18 (AG)We know that (AH)no one who has been born of God [m]sins; but He who was born of God (AI)keeps him, and (AJ)the evil one does not (AK)touch him. 19 (AL)We know that (AM)we are of God, and that (AN)the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And (AO)we know that (AP)the Son of God has come, and has (AQ)given us understanding so that we may know (AR)Him who is true; and we (AS)are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. (AT)This is the true God and (AU)eternal life.

21 (AV)Little children, guard yourselves from (AW)idols.

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 5:1 I.e., Messiah
  2. 1 John 5:1 Lit one who has fathered
  3. 1 John 5:2 Lit do
  4. 1 John 5:4 Lit everything that
  5. 1 John 5:6 Lit in
  6. 1 John 5:6 Lit in
  7. 1 John 5:6 Lit in
  8. 1 John 5:8 A few late mss add ...in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. And there are three that testify on earth, the Spirit
  9. 1 John 5:8 Lit for the one thing
  10. 1 John 5:14 Lit toward
  11. 1 John 5:16 Lit sinning
  12. 1 John 5:16 Or God will give him life, that is, to those who...
  13. 1 John 5:18 Or sins continually

Only real faith in Christ as God’s son can make a man confident, obedient and loving

Everyone who really believes that Jesus is the Christ proves himself one of God’s family. The man who loves the Father cannot help loving the Father’s own Son.

2-5 The test of the genuineness of our love for God’s family lies in this question—do we love God himself and do we obey his commands? For loving God means obeying his commands, and these commands of his are not burdensome, for God’s “heredity” within us will always conquer the world outside us. In fact, this faith of ours is the only way in which the world has been conquered. For who could ever be said to conquer the world, in the true sense, except the man who really believes that Jesus is God’s Son?

6-12 Jesus Christ himself is the one who came by water and by blood—not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. The Spirit bears witness to this, for the Spirit is the truth. The witness therefore is a triple one—the Spirit in our own hearts, the signs of the water of baptism and the blood of atonement—and they all say the same thing. If we are prepared to accept human testimony, God’s own testimony concerning his own Son is surely infinitely more valuable. The man who really believes in the Son of God will find God’s testimony in his own heart. The man who will not believe God is making him out to be a liar, because he is deliberately refusing to accept the testimony that God has given concerning his own Son. This is, that God has given men eternal life and this real life is to be found only in his Son. It follows naturally that any man who has genuine contact with Christ has this life; and if he has not, then he does not possess this life at all.

13 I have written like this to you who already believe in the name of God’s Son so that you may be quite sure that, here and now, you possess eternal life.

14-15 We have such confidence in him that we are certain that he hears every request that is made in accord with his own plan. And since we know that he invariably gives his attention to our prayers, whatever they are about, we can be quite sure that our prayers will be answered.

Help each other to live without sin

16-17 If any of you should see his brother committing a sin (I don’t mean deliberately turning his back on God and embracing evil), he should pray to God for him and secure fresh life for the sinner. It is possible to commit sin that is a deliberate embracing of evil and that leads to spiritual death—that is not the sort of sin I have in mind when I recommend prayer for the sinner. Every failure to obey God’s laws is sin, of course, but there is sin that does not preclude repentance and forgiveness.

Our certain knowledge

18 We know that the true child of God does not sin, he is in the charge of God’s own Son and the evil one must keep his distance.

19-20 We know that we ourselves are children of God, and we also know that the world around us is under the power of the evil one. We know too that the Son of God has actually come to this world, and has shown us the way to know the one who is true. We know that our real life is in the true one, and in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the real God and this is real, eternal life.

21 But be on your guard, my dear children, against every false god!

JOHN

La fe que vence al mundo

Todo aquel que cree que Jesús es el Cristo[a](A), es nacido[b](B) de Dios. Todo aquel que ama al Padre[c], ama al que ha nacido[d] de Él(C). En esto sabemos(D) que amamos a los hijos de Dios(E): cuando amamos a Dios y guardamos[e] Sus mandamientos. Porque este es el amor de Dios(F): que guardemos Sus mandamientos(G), y Sus mandamientos no son difíciles(H). Porque todo lo que es nacido[f] de Dios(I) vence al mundo(J). Y esta es la victoria que ha vencido al mundo: nuestra fe. ¿Y quién es el que vence al mundo, sino el que cree que Jesús es el Hijo de Dios(K)?

El testimonio acerca del Hijo

Este es Aquel que vino mediante agua y sangre(L), Jesucristo; no solo con[g] agua, sino con[h] agua y con[i] sangre. Y el Espíritu es el que da testimonio(M), porque el Espíritu es la verdad. Porque tres son los que dan testimonio(N) en el cielo: el Padre, el Verbo[j], y el Espíritu Santo, y estos tres son uno. Y tres son los que dan testimonio en la tierra[k]: el Espíritu, el agua, y la sangre, y los tres concuerdan[l]. Si recibimos el testimonio de los hombres(O), mayor es el testimonio de Dios; porque este es el testimonio de Dios: que Él ha dado testimonio acerca de Su Hijo(P).

10 El que cree en el Hijo de Dios tiene el testimonio en sí mismo(Q). El que no cree a Dios, ha hecho a Dios[m] mentiroso(R), porque no ha creído en el testimonio que Dios ha dado respecto a Su Hijo. 11 Y el testimonio es este: que Dios nos ha dado vida eterna(S), y esta vida está en Su Hijo(T). 12 El que tiene al Hijo tiene la vida(U), y el que no tiene al Hijo de Dios, no tiene la vida.

El conocimiento de la vida eterna

13 Estas cosas(V) les he escrito a ustedes que creen en el nombre del Hijo de Dios(W), para que sepan que tienen vida eterna(X). 14 Esta es la confianza que tenemos delante de[n] Él(Y), que si pedimos cualquier cosa conforme a Su voluntad, Él nos oye(Z). 15 Y si sabemos que Él nos oye en cualquier cosa que pidamos, sabemos que tenemos las peticiones que le hemos hecho(AA).

16 Si alguien ve a su hermano cometiendo un pecado[o] que no lleva a la muerte, pedirá, y por él Dios dará vida(AB) a los que cometen pecado que no lleva a la muerte[p]. Hay un pecado que lleva a la muerte[q](AC); yo no digo que se deba pedir por ese(AD). 17 Toda injusticia es pecado(AE), pero hay pecado que no lleva a la muerte[r](AF).

Declaraciones finales

18 Sabemos(AG) que todo el que ha nacido de Dios, no peca(AH); sino que Aquel que nació[s] de Dios lo guarda(AI) y el maligno(AJ) no lo toca(AK). 19 Sabemos(AL) que somos de Dios(AM), y que el mundo entero está bajo el poder del maligno[t](AN). 20 Y sabemos(AO) que el Hijo de Dios ha venido(AP) y nos ha dado entendimiento(AQ) a fin de que conozcamos a Aquel que es verdadero(AR); y nosotros estamos en Aquel que es verdadero(AS), en Su Hijo Jesucristo. Este es el verdadero Dios(AT) y la vida eterna(AU). 21 Hijos[u](AV), aléjense de los ídolos(AW).

Footnotes

  1. 1 Juan 5:1 I.e. el Mesías.
  2. 1 Juan 5:1 O engendrado.
  3. 1 Juan 5:1 Lit. al que engendra.
  4. 1 Juan 5:1 Lit. al que engendra.
  5. 1 Juan 5:2 Lit. hacemos.
  6. 1 Juan 5:4 O engendrado.
  7. 1 Juan 5:6 O en.
  8. 1 Juan 5:6 O en.
  9. 1 Juan 5:6 O en.
  10. 1 Juan 5:7 O Jesucristo.
  11. 1 Juan 5:7 Los mss. más antiguos no incluyen: en el cielo... en la tierra.
  12. 1 Juan 5:8 Lit. están para una cosa.
  13. 1 Juan 5:10 Lit. le ha hecho.
  14. 1 Juan 5:14 Lit. hacia.
  15. 1 Juan 5:16 Lit. pecando.
  16. 1 Juan 5:16 Lit. no para muerte.
  17. 1 Juan 5:16 Lit. para muerte.
  18. 1 Juan 5:17 Lit. no para muerte.
  19. 1 Juan 5:18 O fue engendrado.
  20. 1 Juan 5:19 Lit. en el maligno.
  21. 1 Juan 5:21 O Hijitos.