11. Christ‘s Witnesses (5:6 – 21)


Christ’s Witnesses Testify

6This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
7For there are three that testify:
8the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.
9If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this that He has testified concerning His Son.
10The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son.
11And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.

Summary: The water, the blood, the Holy Spirit and the hearts of the true believers all testify that Jesus is the Son of God and that He has brought us eternal life. Jesus is more than a historical person; He is the embodiment of deity.

That You May Know

13These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. 14This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
15And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.
16If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this.
17All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.
18We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God keeps him, and the evil one does not touch him.
19We know that we are of God, and that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
20And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ This is the true God and eternal life.
21Little children, guard yourselves from idols – (and from the testimony of men, v.9

Summary: Christ assures true believers that we have eternal life, and in this assurance we may know that God will hear our requests and will also give life to those for whom we pray, providing they have not committed a “sin unto death” (an unpardonable sin). For these we are not asked to pray because such sinners either cannot or will not repent. All unrighteousness is sin but all sins do not carry a permanent death penalty; they can be forgiven. The true believers, those who are born of God, do not sin, i. e. they do not perpetual sins — they are sanctified and holy instead. Being in this state, the evil one does not touch them. The whole world is under the power of the evil one but true believers are of God. Christ has come and has given us understanding. Therefore, we must keep ourselves from idols (those objects that hold our attention and keep us from Christ.