Obedience by Faith

Whoever believes that (A)Jesus is the Christ is (B)born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and (C)keep His commandments. (D)For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And (E)His commandments are not burdensome. For (F)whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that (G)has overcome the world—[a]our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but (H)he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

The Certainty of God’s Witness

This is He who came (I)by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. (J)And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear witness [b]in heaven: the Father, (K)the Word, and the Holy Spirit; (L)and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness on earth: (M)the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.

If we receive (N)the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; (O)for this is the witness of [c]God which He has testified of His Son. 10 He who believes in the Son of God (P)has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God (Q)has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. 11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 (R)He who has the Son has [d]life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, [e]and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

Confidence and Compassion in Prayer

14 Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that (S)if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and (T)He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. (U)There is sin leading to death. (V)I do not say that he should pray about that. 17 (W)All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.

Knowing the True—Rejecting the False

18 We know that (X)whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God (Y)keeps[f] [g]himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.

19 We know that we are of God, and (Z)the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

20 And we know that the (AA)Son of God has come and (AB)has given us an understanding, (AC)that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. (AD)This is the true God (AE)and eternal life.

21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 5:4 M your
  2. 1 John 5:7 NU, M omit the words from in heaven (v. 7) through on earth (v. 8). Only 4 or 5 very late mss. contain these words in Greek.
  3. 1 John 5:9 NU God, that
  4. 1 John 5:12 Or the life
  5. 1 John 5:13 NU omits the rest of v. 13.
  6. 1 John 5:18 guards
  7. 1 John 5:18 NU him

Everyone with emunah that Yehoshua (Yeshua) is the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach has been born of Hashem, and everyone having ahavah for the One having begotten has also ahavah for the one begotten by Him.

By this we have da’as that we have ahavah for the yeladim of Hashem, when we have ahavas Hashem and we are shomer over His mitzvot.

For this is the ahavas Hashem, that we are shomer over His mitzvot, and His mitzvot are not burdensome. [DEVARIM 30:11]

Because whatever [T.N. refers to every believer] that has been born of Hashem obtains nitzachon (victory) over the Olam Hazeh. And this is the nitzachon (victory), the nitzachon that overcomes the Olam Hazeh, even [what makes us a believer], our emunah (faith).

And who is the one overcoming the Olam Hazeh except the one with emunah that Yehoshua is the Ben HaElohim?

This One is the One having come by mayim and dahm, Yehoshua, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach; not by the mayim only, but by the mayim and by the dahm; and the Ruach Hakodesh is the one giving solemn eidus, because the Ruach Hakodesh is HaEmes.

Because there are shloshah giving solemn eidus:

the Ruach Hakodesh and the mayim and the dahm, and the shloshah are for solemn eidus.

If the solemn eidus of Bnei Adam we receive, the solemn eidus of Hashem is greater, because this is the eidus of Hashem that He has testified concerning the Son of the Oybeshter.

10 The one with emunah in the Ben HaElohim has the eidus, even the eidus (witness), in himself; the one without emunah in Hashem has made Hashem a shakran (liar), because he has not had emunah in the eidus which Hashem has testified concerning His Ben HaElohim.

11 And this is the eidus, that Hashem gave Chayyei Olam to us, and this Chayyim is in His Ben HaElohim.

12 The one having HaBen has HaChayyim; the one not having HaBen HaElohim does not have Chayyim.

13 These things I wrote to you who have emunah b’Shem HaBen HaElohim, that you vada (with certainty) may have da’as that you have Chayyei Olam. [Yn 20:31]

14 And this is the bitachon which we have with Him, that if we daven and request anything according to His ratzon (will), He hears us.

15 And if we have da’as that He hears us, whatever we ask, we have da’as that we have the requests which we asked from Him. [MELACHIM ALEF 3:12]

16 If anyone sees his Ach b’Moshiach sinning an averah not leading to mavet, he will ask and Hashem will give to him Chayyim, to the ones sinning a chet not leading to mavet. There is an averah leading to mavet. I do not say we should make request concerning that averah.

17 Kol avon is chet, and there is chet not leading to mavet.

18 We have da’as that everyone having been born of Hashem does not continually sin, but the One having been born of G-d (Ben HaElohim Moshiach) is shomer over him and Hasatan does not touch him.

19 We have da’as that we are of Hashem and the whole Olam Hazeh lies under Hasatan.

20 And we have da’as that the Ben HaElohim has come and has given us binah that we may have da’as of the One who is the True One, The Omein, and we are in the One who is The Omein, even in HaBen of Him, Moshiach Yehoshua. This one is the El HaAmitti and Chayyei Olam [YIRMEYAH 24:7].

21 Yeladim, keep yourselves from elilim [YIRMEYAH 5:18]

Faith in the Son of God

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the ·Christ [Messiah] is ·God’s child [L born of/begotten by God], and whoever loves the Father also loves the ·Father’s children [L one born of/begotten by him]. ·This is how [By/In this] we know we love God’s children: when we love God and ·obey [perform; carry out] his commands. ·Loving God means [L For this is the love of God:] ·obeying [keeping] his commands. And God’s commands are not ·too hard [burdensome] for us [Matt. 11:30], because everyone who is ·a child of [L born of; begotten of] God ·conquers [defeats; overcomes] the world. And this is the ·victory [conquest] that ·conquers [defeats; overcomes] the world—our faith. ·So the one who conquers the world is [or Who is it that conquers/defeats/overcomes the world but…?] the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

Jesus Christ is the One who came by water [C likely a reference to Jesus’ baptism] and blood [C a reference to his death]. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit ·says that this is true [is the one who testifies/bears witness; Mark 1:11; John 1:32–34], because the Spirit is the truth. ·So [or For] there are three ·witnesses[a] [who testify/bear witness]: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three witnesses ·agree [L are one]. ·We believe people when they say something is true. But what God says is more important [L If we accept the witness/testimony of people, the witness/testimony of God is better], ·and he has told us the truth about his own Son [L because this is the witness/testimony God has given about his Son]. 10 Anyone who believes in the Son of God ·has the truth that God told us [or has the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit; or has the testimony of the eyewitnesses (see 1:1–4); L has the witness/testimony in himself]. Anyone who does not believe makes God a liar [1:10], because that person does not believe ·what God told us [L the witness/testimony that God witnessed/testified to] about his Son. 11 This is ·what God told us [L the witness/testimony]: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life, but whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

We Have Eternal Life Now

13 ·I write this letter [L I have written these things] to you who believe in the [L name of the] Son of God so you will know you have eternal life. 14 And this is the ·boldness [confidence] we have ·in God’s presence [L before God; 3:21]: that if we ask God for anything ·that agrees with what he wants [L according to his will], he hears us. 15 [L And] If we know he hears us ·every time we ask him [in whatever we ask], we know we have what we ask from him [3:21–22; Mark 11:24].

16 If anyone sees a brother or sister [C fellow believer] sinning (sin that does not lead to ·eternal death [L death]), that person should ·pray [ask; intercede], and God will give the sinner life. I am talking about people whose sin does not lead to ·eternal death [L death]. There is ·sin [or a sin] that leads to [eternal] death [C probably referring to the false teachers, their rejection of the Spirit’s work having put them beyond repentance; compare Mark 3:29]. I do not mean that a person should ·pray [ask; intercede] about that sin. 17 ·Doing wrong is always sin [L All unrighteousness is sin], but there is sin that does not lead to ·eternal death [L death].

18 We know that those who ·are God’s children [L are born of/begotten by God] do not ·continue to sin [L sin; 3:6, 9]. The ·Son of God [L the one born of/begotten by God; C Jesus] ·keeps them safe [protects them], and the Evil One [C the Devil] cannot ·touch [harm] them. 19 We know that we ·belong to God [or are children of God; L are of God], but the Evil One controls the whole world. 20 We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we can know the True One. And ·our lives [L we] are in the True One and in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and the eternal life.

21 So, dear children [2:1], ·keep yourselves away [guard yourselves] from ·false gods [L idols; C either literal idols or false ideas about God].

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 5:7 So … witnesses A few very late Greek copies and the Latin Vulgate continue, “in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three witnesses agree. And there are three witnesses on earth:”

Faith in the Incarnate Son of God

Everyone who believes(A) that Jesus is the Christ(B) is born of God,(C) and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.(D) This is how we know(E) that we love the children of God:(F) by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.(G) And his commands are not burdensome,(H) for everyone born of God(I) overcomes(J) the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.(K)

This is the one who came by water and blood(L)—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.(M) For there are three(N) that testify: the[a] Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept human testimony,(O) but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God,(P) which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony.(Q) Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar,(R) because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life,(S) and this life is in his Son.(T) 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.(U)

Concluding Affirmations

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God(V) so that you may know that you have eternal life.(W) 14 This is the confidence(X) we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.(Y) 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know(Z) that we have what we asked of him.(AA)

16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life.(AB) I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death.(AC) I am not saying that you should pray about that.(AD) 17 All wrongdoing is sin,(AE) and there is sin that does not lead to death.(AF)

18 We know that anyone born of God(AG) does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one(AH) cannot harm them.(AI) 19 We know that we are children of God,(AJ) and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.(AK) 20 We know also that the Son of God has come(AL) and has given us understanding,(AM) so that we may know him who is true.(AN) And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.(AO)

21 Dear children,(AP) keep yourselves from idols.(AQ)

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 5:8 Late manuscripts of the Vulgate testify in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. And there are three that testify on earth: the (not found in any Greek manuscript before the fourteenth century)