First John/Chapter 5:10-21/Commentary

First John Chapter 5:10-21

1John 5:10 “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in him: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he hath not believed in the witness that God hath borne concerning His Son” “He that believeth”: “Lit., 'He that keeps on believing in the Son', 'continues to have the witness in him” (Woods p. 315). “On the Son of God”: That Jesus is the Son of God. “On”: “In” (NASV). Barclay notes, “There is a wide difference between believing a man and believing in a man. If we believe a man, we do no more than accept the fact that whatever statement he may be making at the moment is true. If we believe in a man, we accept the whole man and all that he stands for in complete confidence and trust. We would not only be prepared to trust his spoken word; we would also be prepared to trust ourselves and our life to him. To believe in Jesus Christ is not simply to accept what He says as true; it is to commit all life into His hands and into His direction” (p. 133). “Hath the witness in him”: “Has the witness in himself” (NASV).

There are various ideas concerning the above expression, “has the witness in himself”. (a) Accepting what God has said about His Son leads to faith in His Son, i.e. “Receiving the testimony leads naturally to believing in the One to whom the testimony is borne. Indeed, to ‘receive the witness...of God’ (5:9) and ‘to believe on the Son of God’ (5:10) are virtually synonymous expressions” (Stott p. 182). (b) When one accepts the gospel message, the designed purpose of that testimony finds fulfillment in the life of the individual (John 20:30-31). (c) In the context, this testimony includes the idea that eternal life is in Jesus and the person who embraces what God has said about Jesus has this eternal life (5:11-13).

“He that believeth not God hath made him a liar”: “But he who disbelieves God, makes Him out to be a liar” (NEB). As long as a person rejects God's testimony (the gospel), such actions are saying that God is a false witness. “By refusing to believe the evidence that God has given, John terms, a ‘making’, that is, an endeavoring to 1

make God a liar, or false witness” (Macknight p. 114).

“Unbelief is not a misfortune to be pitied; it is a sin to be deplored. Its sinfulness lies in the fact that it contradicts the word of the one true God and thus attributes falsehood to Him. Another example of "making God a liar" is to be found in 1:10” (Stott p. 182). “It is inconsistent to profess belief in God, as John's opponents did, and yet to disbelieve what God has said” (Marshall p. 241). One cannot believe in God and yet at the same time reject what the apostles wrote (Matthew 10:40; John 16:13).

“Because he hath not believed in the witness that God hath borne concerning His Son”: “Because he has put no faith in the evidence God has adduced regarding His Son” (Ber). “Thus, to deny the deity of Jesus is not only unbelief; it is a studied insult to the veracity of God! Such a one has rejected this is to repudiate all that God has said. Such a one has rejected prophecy, miracle, the character and life of the Lord, the resurrection, the marvelous spread of Christianity, and every other proof that may be adduced in support of the cause for which Jesus died” (Woods p. 316).

1John 5:11 “ And the witness is this, that God gave unto us eternal life, and this life is in His Son” “The witness is this”: This is the thing witnessed, the witness consists in this. “That God gave unto us eternal life, and this life is in His Son”: “Historically, God's witness concerning...Jesus is not only that He is the divine-human Christ but that He is the Life-giver, 'the Savior of the world' (4:14)” (Stott p. 183). The result or consequence of God giving His Son to die for our sins is that eternal life is available to those who obey Jesus. “The question whether we accept God's testimony or not is not a mere academic one. On our answer to it depends the question whether or not we participate in eternal life” (Marshall p. 241). .Eternal life is only found in Jesus (John 3:36; 5:40; 6:40; 14:6; 17:2-3). Eternal life isn't found outside of a relationship with Jesus. Barclay has some interesting comments concerning "Eternal Life": “It means far more than simply lasting forever. A life which lasted forever might well be a curse and not a blessing” (p. 134). He argues that eternal life is sharing the type or quality of life that God enjoys. “Eternal life means the defeat of frustration...means the defeat of sin…means the end of bitterness and hatred” (p.

134). See Revelation 21:4.

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1John 5:12 “He that hath the life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not the life” “He that hath”: God is no respecter of persons. Eternal life is not handed out indiscriminately. “Hath the life”: Has a relationship with the Son of God. “Hath not the Son of God hath not the life”: “He that hath not the Son hath not the life.

He may have money, fame and fortune; intelligence, education and talent; influence, reputation and honor; but, if he has not the Son, he has not the life! THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE” (Woods p. 317). Compare with Acts 4:12.

The Confidence of the Christian “John has at last reached the end of what he wants to say; he has shown clearly the differences between the true believer and the false, and now he concludes by reiterating his purpose, which was to assure those of his readers who believed in Jesus as the Son of God of their possession of eternal life. Such people can be sure of an answer to their prayers, a point which leads the author into a brief discussion of the problem of interceding for those who fall into sin. Finally, he sums up the great truths which he has discussed earlier in the Epistle…and the Epistle closes with an appeal to his readers not to be led astray into false religion” (Marshall pp. 242243).

1John 5:13 “These things have I written unto you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, {even} unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God” “These things have I written unto you”: ‘Looking back on the accomplished task” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 197). “That ye may know”: “Full and present assurance” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 197). “Not perceive, but know with settled and absolute knowledge” (Vincent p.

369). “The purpose of the Epistle is not merely that we may have Eternal life by believing but that we may know that we have it” (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 197). “That ye have eternal life”: “They had been unsettled by the false teachers and become unsure of their spiritual state. Throughout the Epistle John has been giving them criteria (doctrinal, moral, social) by which to test themselves and others. His purpose is to establish their assurance” (Stott pp. 184-185). “Even unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God”: Again, eternal life is inherently tied to obedient trust in Jesus Christ.

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In this letter John has given us many objective tests to determine our current status with God: (a) Are you walking in the light? (1:7) (b) Are you confessing your sins?

(1:9) (c) Are you keeping His commandments? (2:3,5-6). (d) Do you love your brother? (2:10). (e) Are you doing righteousness? (2:29). (f) Have you stopped habitual sin? (3:6). (g) Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? (5:1) In Jewish history a "name" was very significant. It served not only to distinguish one man from another, but to indicate his character. Thus to believe on the "name" means to believe everything that the Bible says about Jesus.

1John 5:14 “And this is the boldness which we have toward Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us” “And this is the boldness”: “Confidence” (NASV). “Free and fearless confidence, cheerful courage, boldness, assurance” (Thayer p. 491). “Joyousness, confidence” (Arndt p. 630) “This approach to our Father without fear the Christian may have even when he faces the judgment (2:28; 4:17). He may also feel free to have this same attitude in prayer (3:21-22)” (Roberts pp. 138-139). Observe that this "boldness" isn't arrogance or over-confidence, and neither does it give us the right to treat God as an equal or with disrespect (Heb. 2:18; 4:15-16). “Toward Him”: “This is the confidence with which we approach Him” (TCNT). “The preposition points to that active approach to God. The Christian confidence belongs not just to the future (2:28) and the Judgment Day (4:17), but to the here and now” (Stott p.

185). “If we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us”: “In 3:22 the condition of answered prayer is whether our behaviour accords with His will. Prayer is not a convenient device for imposing our will upon God, or bending His will to ours, but the prescribed way of subordinating our will to His. It is by prayer that we seek God's will, embrace it and align ourselves with it. Every true prayer is a variation on the theme ‘Thy will be done’” (Stott p. 185).

“God is always listening. He is more ready to hear than we are to pray. God is always waiting. We never need to force our way into the presence of God, or to compel God to pay attention to us...Jesus teaches us to pray: ‘Thy will be done’, not, ‘Thy will be changed’...A.E. Brooke suggests that John thought of prayer as, ‘including only requests for knowledge of, and acquiescence in, the will of God” (Barclay pp. 136-137). .Thus prayer involves: (a) Listening to what God wants, i.e. being knowledgeable of 4

and in tune with His Word. (b) Having the attitude of being ready to accomplish His will, the willingness to be used to further His purposes. (c) The attitude of simply wanting to please God, of only wanting to ask for and receive those things that He would want for our lives.

“He hears us”: The promise is not, “He granteth it”, but “He hearkeneth to us”, i.e.

He is listening, the prayer is heard and He grants it in His own way. This may include a no answer.

1John 5:15 “and if we know that He heareth us whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of Him” “If we now that He heareth us”: “And if we realize that He listens to us” (TCNT).

“We know that we have the petitions which we have asked of Him”: Knowing that God does indeed listen to our prayers and actually answers the prayers of finite human beings--should encourage us to pray! “The Father sometimes say, ‘Yes!’, by saying ‘No!’ That is, he answers a prayer for our good by denying the petition made but by supplying, in his wisdom, our need otherwise. Three times Paul besought the Lord to remove the thorn from his flesh; and though this was denied him, the prayer was answered in a fashion which Paul was himself later to approve. (2 Cor. 12:7-10)” (Woods p. 319).

A Specific Application “Having written generally of answered prayer (14,15), John now gives a specific illustration and a limitation (16,17). It is not now a case of petition, but of intercession. The assurance of eternal life which the Christian should enjoy (13) ought not to lead him into a preoccupation with himself to the neglect of others. On the contrary, he will recognize his duty in love to care for his brother in need, whether the need which he ‘sees’ be material (as in 3:17,18) or, as here, spiritual” (Stott p. 186).

1John 5:16 “If any man see his brother sinning a sin not unto death, he shall ask, and {God} will give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: not concerning this do I say that he should make request” “If any man”: That is, any Christian. “See”: God is fair. God doesn't hold us 5

accountable for things beyond our knowledge or beyond our limited sphere of resources. The “sinning” under consideration is something that can be discerned.

“His brother sinning”: The Christian can sin (1:8-10), and do so to the point that their relationship with God is ended (Heb. 10:26-31). “A sin not unto death”: “He cannot say ‘am I my brother's keeper?’ and do nothing. The future tense he shall ask expresses not the writer's command but the Christian's inevitable and spontaneous reaction. This is the way to deal with sin in the congregation” (Stott p.

186). “God will give him life”: The death in this verse isn't physical death. Some Calvinistic authors contend that God will kill the Christian moving towards apostasy, rather than have them end up lost. Simple human experience proves this theory to be false. Rather, since the "life" in the passage is spiritual life (the life that God gives), the death must be spiritual death.

Various theories exist concerning the difference between a "sin not unto death" and a "sin unto death". (a) Some say that the sins unto death are "mortal sins", i.e. adultery, murder, etc....sins which are supposedly worse than others. And yet, former unbelievers were forgiven of such sins (1 Cor. 6:9-11). (b) Some say sins of ignorance verses deliberate sins. But if deliberate sins can't be forgiven, no one can be saved--for all of us have committed sins in that category. (c) Others say sins that merit physical death. And yet all sins merit eternal death (Romans 6:23). Thus the difference isn't in the particular sin, but rather in the sinners attitude towards his or her sin. (d) The most logical conclusion is that the "sin not unto death" is any sin of which a person is willing to confess (1 John 1:8-10). Jesus stressed that repentance stood between an unfaithful brother and forgiveness (Matthew 18:15; Luke 17:3-4).

“There is a sin unto death”: The "sin unto death" would be a sin (any sin) of which a fellow brother or sister refuses to acknowledge, confess or forsake. Petitions for forgiveness are not to be offered in the case of the person who refuses to repent.

We cannot ask God to forgive them. For that would be praying something that is a violation of His will (1 John 5:14). Compare with James 5:16,19-20.

1John 5:17 “All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death” “All unrighteousness is sin”: Which also means that all sin is unrighteous. There is no sin or category of sin that is any less "sinful" than any other. All unforgiven sins condemn. Any sin of which we refuse to confess or stubbornly hold on to will lead to eternal death. The above statement is made to keep us from reaching the wrong 6

conclusion concerning "a sin unto death" and "a sin not unto death". All sin is wrong-doing, injustice, a violation of the will of God (3:4). The two categories of sin in 5:16 are NOT lesser sins and greater sins or mortal and venial sins. ALL SIN IS WRONG. Every sin is very serious, any sin can cut us off from God. “And there is a sin not unto death”: The sin we are willing to confess (1:8-9) doesn't lead to spiritual and eventual eternal death. One more assurance for the Christian that we can be victorious, even if we aren't perfect.

Closing Admonitions “The Epistle ends characteristically. It has been concerned throughout with the proper grounds, moral, doctrinal and social, of Christian assurance. So the author takes up the theme of what we should know (13) and do know (15) and concludes with the statement of three clear and candid certainties, each introduced by...we know. Here are no tentative, hesitant suggestions, but bold, dogmatic” (Stott p.

191).

1John 5:18 “We know that whosoever is begotten of God sinneth not; but he that was begotten of God keepeth himself, and the evil one toucheth him not” “We know”: John hasn't been guessing about the relations between God and man.

“Whosoever is begotten of God sinneth not”: “Does not keep on sinning” (Robertson p. 244). “Will not practice sin” (Nor). The same truth as found in 3:6 and 3:9. The person who habitually engages in sin isn't a faithful Christian. “He that was begotten of God keepeth himself”: “He who was born of God keeps him” (NASV).

While some say that the “he” of the above verse is Jesus, i.e. Jesus keeps the Christian. It seems better to conclude that since the person begotten of God in the first part of the verse is clearly a Christian, that the same is true for the ‘begotten of God” individual in the second part. The responsibility for "keeping yourself" lies upon the individual Christian (Jude 21 “Keep yourselves in the love of God”). See also (Eph. 4:3; 1 Tim. 5:22; James 1:27; 2 Tim. 4:7; 1 John 5:21). The whole book has already defined what is involved in "keeping yourself", i.e. walking in the light, confessing our sins, loving our brothers, etc.

“And the evil one”: Satan. “Toucheth him not”: “To assault, in order to sever the fellowship between Christ and the believer” (Vine p. 145). “To lay hold of or to 7

grasp rather than a mere superficial touch” (Robertson p. 245). This doesn't mean that the Christian never sins or that the Christian is immune from temptation (1 John 1:8-10). Neither does it mean that bad things will never happen to the Christian (2 Tim. 3:12). Rather is means that the devil can't drag such a person back into his realm. For when the faithful Christian sins, such a person readily and quickly acknowledges it and confesses it. Barclay puts it this way: “It does not mean that the Christian never sins in actual fact; but it does mean that he is not the helpless slave and victim of sin” (p. 144). The Christian who is allowing the Word of God to abide in him or her, isn't like the person in the world, or the unfaithful, who hate their sins but are unwilling to forsake them.

1John 5:19 “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in the evil one” “We know that we are of God”: (3:10; 4:6). The language expressing confidence in our current standing with God, a confidence based upon a harmony between what God has said and what we have done and are presently doing--and thinking. “The whole world lieth”: “Lies in the power of” (NASV). “Under the influence of” (TCNT). “In his grip and under his dominion. Moreover, it lies there. It is not represented as struggling actively to be free but as quietly lying, perhaps even unconsciously asleep, in the arms of Satan” (Stott p. 193). “In the evil one”: The reason why the devil is often termed as the “ruler of this world” (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). There is no third category. Notice how John states it: You are either one of "us" or you belong to the world. No society has a clear ethical or spiritual superiority over any other society. Every secular society is in bondage to Satan. The world is lost--THE WHOLE WORLD outside of Jesus Christ. Thus the Christian can never take his or her values from the society in which they live. In order to properly evaluate anything the world tells us--we must always remember that every voice in the world, i.e. all the various media forms, etc is the voice of someone who is in bondage to sin. The voice of someone who is partially deceived and blind to certain realities (Acts 26:18).

1John 5:20 “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, {even} in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life” “The Son of God is come”: Referring to the the incarnation. Another attack 8

directed at the Gnostics. God became flesh (4:1-3; John 1:14). “Hath given us an understanding”: “Insight” (Arndt p. 187). This understanding is available to all, which contradicts the idea that there is an understanding accessible only to some supposed elite class. We need to remember that when people talk about the "elite" or "superstars" we are only talking about the elite among "sinners" (Romans 3:23).

“That”: “In order that we might” (NASV). Here is the "insight" that Jesus gave us.

“We know Him that is true”: Jesus came and revealed the true God to us (John 1:18; 14:9). “That is true”: “So God is the ultimate reality” (Stott p. 195). (John 17:3). By calling God "true", the way is paved for a warning against all false gods (5:21). “And we are in Him that is true”: In contrast with the world which lies in the evil one (5:19). Meaning, we are subjecting ourselves to His will, we are allowing Him to influence us, and we have a favorable relationship with Him. “Even in His Son Jesus Christ”: “An explanation as to how we are ‘in the true One’” (Robertson p.

245). It is only through Jesus that we can have a relationship with the True God (John 14:6). Again, we encounter the truth that one cannot have a relationship with the Father without having a relationship with the Son (5:12; 2:23) “This is the true God”: “This God revealed and made near in Christ ‘is the True God and Life Eternal” (Gr. Ex. N.T. 199). Grammatically, the statement, “this is the true God' could refer to Jesus. Jesus is Divine (John 1:1; Heb. 1:8). Since 'Him that is true” in the context refers to the Father, most think that John is talking about the Father. Yet John may also be saying that this combination of Him that is true and Jesus Christ constitutes the “True God”. “And eternal life”: What John has been writing, i.e. a relationship with the Father by means of His Son, this is eternal life (John 17:3; 2 Timothy 1:10).

1John 5:21 “{My} little children, guard yourselves from idols” “Guard yourselves from idols”: This suggests Christians from a Gentile background.

“In Greek for the word ‘idol’ has in it the sense of unreality. ‘Keep yourselves from all objects of false devotion’. An idol is anything in this life which men worship instead of God, and which men allow to take the place of God....’An idol is anything which occupies the place due to God'” (Barclay p. 146). .If the audience that John was writing to were primarily Christians in Asia Minor or Ephesus, that part of the ancient world was thick with idolatry.

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Stott notes, “Perhaps...the illusion is to ‘the untrue mental images fashioned by the false teachers’ (Brooke), which, because of their false view of the Son and therefore of the Father, constituted a monstrous idolatry...What is certain is that all ‘Godsubstitutes’ (Dodd) are properly ‘idols’” (p. 197).

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