ESV Global Study Bible :: Footnotes for 1 John 5

1 John 5:1–12 Faith in the Son as the Way to Life. So far, John has written much about love and obedience, but not so much about faith. He now shifts to the importance of believing in the Son. Of 1 John’s 10 references to believing, seven are in ch. 5.

1 John 5:1 Everyone who believes that. Saving faith is a wholehearted trust in the saving work of Christ. Everyone who believes has been born of God (see 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; note on Eph. 2:5).

1 John 5:2 Obeying God’s commandments in Scripture is the way to love the children of God. God’s commandments show believers the way to do good for others (see Rom. 13:9; Gal. 5:14).

1 John 5:3 not burdensome. God’s love existing in his people gives them the desire to love and please him. Rightly understood and followed, God’s commandments bring believers great joy and freedom (compare Matt. 11:28–30).

1 John 5:4 overcomes the world. See John 16:33. Genuine Christians do not let the world turn them away from following Christ.

1 John 5:6 Water most likely refers to Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. Blood signifies Christ’s atoning death on the cross. the Spirit is the one who testifies. The Holy Spirit bears witness to the fact that Christ came. The Spirit works in believers’ hearts. He convicts them of sin and opens their eyes to who Christ is. He helps them understand the meaning of Christ’s atoning death for their sins (compare v. 10). He lives in believers, teaching them the truth of God’s Word (2:27; 4:13).

1 John 5:7–8 The gospel is not based merely on human testimony. There are in fact three that testify. These are the witness of the Spirit (see note on v. 6), the water baptism of Jesus, with the voice from heaven (Mark 1:10–11; John 1:32–34), and the blood of Jesus (see note on 1 John 5:6). these three agree. They confirm that Jesus is the “Son of God” (v. 10). The OT taught that every charge must be confirmed by “two or three witnesses” (Deut. 19:15). This principle continued in the NT (Matt. 18:16; 2 Cor. 13:1).

1 John 5:9 the testimony of God. John claims divine authority for his teaching.

1 John 5:10 has the testimony in himself. Christians have the Holy Spirit’s presence and work within them.

1 John 5:11 The testimony supporting faith in Christ is the message of Jesus’ incarnation, death, and resurrection. Through these, eternal life is available through faith in his Son.

1 John 5:12 Has the Son implies a faith that is evident through love for others and devotion to God. Whoever does not have life faces eternal punishment (John 3:36). On Jesus as the one and only way to God, see notes on John 14:6; 1 John 2:23.

1 John 5:13–21 Final Call to Faith and Understanding. “Know” occurs seven times in these verses. This indicates John’s focus on the assurance of Christian faith and salvation.

1 John 5:13 that you may know. See note on 2:3.

1 John 5:14 To ask God according to his will means Christians should pray in line with what the Bible teaches about God’s will for his people (compare Matt. 6:10; Eph. 5:17).

1 John 5:15 we have the requests. Christians do not receive everything they ask for from God, even things that seemingly agree with his will. This verse must be understood in light of other passages of Scripture: praying according to God’s will includes the need to pray in faith (Matt. 21:22; James 1:6), with patience (Luke 18:1–8), in obedience (Ps. 66:18; 1 Pet. 3:12), and in recognition that God knows what is best in all circumstances (Luke 22:42; Rom. 8:28; 1 Pet. 4:19).

1 John 5:16 Sin not leading to death is sin for which forgiveness is possible because (1) forgiveness is sought and (2) God is willing to grant it. Death and eternal life are present spiritual states. They are also ultimate actual destinies (hell, heaven). Sin that leads to death is probably sin that is (1) unrepented of and (2) of the kind or nature that John has warned about throughout the letter. Such sin includes rejection of the true doctrine about Christ, ongoing disobedience to God’s commandments, and persistent lack of love for fellow believers. These all indicate a lack of saving faith, which will not be forgiven. I do not say. John leaves open whether to pray for that situation if it arises. It would be best in such cases to pray for repentance.

1 John 5:17 All wrongdoing is a matter of grave concern, in light of God’s utter perfection and zealous love. However, not all sin leads to death (see note on v. 16), so Christians should pray for their own and others’ forgiveness.

1 John 5:18 does not keep on sinning. See notes on 3:6–7; 3:9–10. He who was born of God refers to Jesus Christ. In his physical birth, Jesus was “born of God” in that he was sent from God the Father and was conceived by the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35). In his resurrection from the dead, Jesus was “born of God” in that God brought him back to life (Col. 1:18). The evil one does not touch believers in the sense of causing permanent spiritual loss. See 1 John 4:4.

1 John 5:19 we are from God. Christians have been spiritually reborn. In that sense they are children of God. the whole world. See note on 2:15.

1 John 5:20 Has come points to the incarnation. given . . . understanding. Christians receive grace to help them understand biblical teaching and put it into practice.