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Overcoming the World

(A)Everyone who believes that Jesus is the [a]Christ has been [b](B)born of God, and everyone who loves the [c]One who gives new birth (C)loves also the one who has been [d]born of Him. (D)By this we know that (E)we love the children of God, when we love God and do His commandments. For (F)this is the love of God, that we (G)keep His commandments; and (H)His commandments are not burdensome. For everything that has been [e](I)born of God (J)overcomes the world; and this is the overcoming that has overcome the world—our faith.

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

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 And this is (Y)the confidence which we have [k]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 [l]committing a sin not leading to death, (AB)he shall ask and [m]God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. (AC)There is a sin leading to death; (AD)I do not say that he should make request for this. 17 (AE)All unrighteousness is sin, and (AF)there is a sin not leading to death.

18 (AG)We know that (AH)no one who has been [n]born of God sins; but He who was [o]begotten 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 Messiah
  2. 1 John 5:1 Or begotten
  3. 1 John 5:1 Lit one who begets
  4. 1 John 5:1 Or begotten
  5. 1 John 5:4 Or begotten
  6. 1 John 5:6 Lit in
  7. 1 John 5:6 Lit in
  8. 1 John 5:6 Lit in
  9. 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
  10. 1 John 5:8 Lit for the one thing
  11. 1 John 5:14 Lit toward
  12. 1 John 5:16 Lit sinning
  13. 1 John 5:16 Or God will give him life, that is, to those who...
  14. 1 John 5:18 Or begotten
  15. 1 John 5:18 Or born

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born from God. Whoever loves someone who is a parent loves the child born to the parent. This is how we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep God’s commandments. This is the love of God: we keep God’s commandments. God’s commandments are not difficult, because everyone who is born from God defeats the world. And this is the victory that has defeated the world: our faith. Who defeats the world? Isn’t it the one who believes that Jesus is God’s Son?

Testimony about Jesus

This is the one who came by water and blood: Jesus Christ. Not by water only but by water and blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. The three are testifying— the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and the three are united in agreement. If we receive human testimony, God’s testimony is greater, because this is what God testified: he has testified about his Son. 10 The one who believes in God’s Son has the testimony within; the one who doesn’t believe God has made God a liar, because that one has not believed the testimony that God gave about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God gave eternal life to us, and this life is in his Son. 12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t have God’s Son does not have life.

Confidence in prayer

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of God’s Son so that you can know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence that we have in our relationship with God: If we ask for anything in agreement with his will, he listens to us. 15 If we know that he listens to whatever we ask, we know that we have received what we asked from him. 16 If anyone sees a brother or sister committing a sin that does not result in death, they should pray, and God will give life to them—that is, to those who commit sins that don’t result in death. There is a sin that results in death—I’m not saying that you should pray about that. 17 Every unrighteous action is sin, but there is a sin that does not result in death.

Be on guard

18 We know that everyone born from God does not sin, but the ones born from God guard themselves,[a] and the evil one cannot touch them. 19 We know we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 We know that God’s Son has come and has given us understanding to know the one who is true. We are in the one who is true by being in his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, guard yourselves from idols!

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 5:18 Or but the one who is born from God guards him from sin