1 John 5:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

NIV: Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

NASB: The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

CSB: The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

NLT: Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.

KJV: He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

NKJV: He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

John summarizes this section by echoing the teachings of Jesus found in John 14:6: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus has life and is life, both abundant life (John 10:10) and eternal life (John 3:16). Part of John's purpose in writing this letter is to counter discouragement. False teachers, it seems, were telling believers that they didn't really have eternal life (1 John 2:25–26).

The need for Christ, and only Christ, is also the message proclaimed by all of the apostles. When brought before the religious teachers, Peter said, "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Paul taught, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16).

First John 5:6–12 explains some of the evidence that Jesus Christ is, in fact, the Son of God. God's voice at Jesus' baptism, the events of Jesus' death and resurrection, and the internal witness of the Holy Spirit are all described. Because of this multi-part testimony, Christians can have confidence in what they have been taught. Those who reject these facts, in effect, accuse God of lying.

Chapter 5 concludes the book of 1 John, once again emphasizing the supremacy of love in the Christian experience. Those who put their faith in Christ can know, for sure, that they have eternal life. This assurance comes by trusting what we know of the life of Jesus Christ, as well as the evidence of the Holy Spirit within us. Following God's commands, particularly love, results in confidence of our salvation, as well as strength against the temptations of the world.

First John 5 completes the letter by summarizing how Christians can know that they have eternal life. Prior chapters have explained the various signs of ''abiding'' with God, but the key measurement is love. In this final passage, love is once again used as the supreme measurement. In light of the rest of the letter, love for God and love for others is shown to be both a source of confidence and a sign of faith.

First John seems to assume that the reader is familiar with the gospel. Rather than re-state these facts, John is concerned with building confidence in Christian believers. At the same time, his words encourage believers to examine their own lives for signs of their relationship with Christ. This letter also challenges false teachers and their incorrect claims about Jesus. Many themes are shared with the Gospel of John.

Accessed 5/4/2024 7:35:32 AM