1 John 5

1 Every one who believes that Jesus is the Christ has received the new Life from God; and every one who loves him who gave that Life loves him who has received it.

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is a child of God, and everyone who loves a parent loves his child.

2 By this we know that we love God’s Children — when we love God and carry out his commands.

By this we know that we love God’s children – when we love God and carry out his commands.

3 For to love God is to lay his commands to heart; and his commands are not burdensome,

For to love God is to do what he commands and his commands are not a burden,

4 because all that has received the new Life from God conquers the world. And this is the power that has conquered the world — our faith!

for whatever is born of God overcomes the world. What is the victory by which the world is overcome? Our faith!

5 Who is he that conquers the world but the man who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Who can overcome the world but the person who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

6 He it is whose Coming was attested by means of Water and Blood — Jesus Christ himself; not by Water only, but by Water and by Blood. And there is the Spirit also to bear testimony, and the Spirit is Truth itself.

Jesus Christ, the one who came by water and blood – not by water only but by water and blood – and the Spirit testifies to this because the Spirit is truth.

7 It is a three-fold testimony —

Indeed three testify:

8 that of the Spirit, the Water, and the Blood — and these three are at one.

the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three agree.

9 We accept the testimony of men, but God’s testimony is still stronger; and there is the testimony of God — the fact that he has already borne testimony about his Son.

We accept human testimony, surely God’s testimony is even stronger! And God’s testimony is the testimony he has given about his Son.

10 He who believes in the Son of God has that testimony within him. He who does not believe God has made God a liar, by refusing to believe in that testimony which he has borne about his Son.

The person who believes in the Son of God has that testimony within them. The person who does not believe God has made God a liar, by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son.

11 And that testimony is that God gave us Immortal Life, and that this Life is in his Son. (aiōnios g166)

And this is that testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (aiōnios g166)

12 He who finds the Son finds Life; he who does not find the Son of God does not find Life.

Whoever has the Son has life; whoever who doesn’t have God’s Son does not have life.

13 I write this to you, that you may realise that you have found Immortal Life — you who believe in the Name of the Son of God. (aiōnios g166)

I have written these things to you who believe in the name of God’s Son, so that you may know that you have eternal life. (aiōnios g166)

14 And this is the confidence with which we approach him, that whenever we ask anything that is in accordance with his will, he listens to us.

We can approach him with this confidence, that whenever we ask anything that is in accordance with his will, he listens to us.

15 And if we realise that he listens to us — whatever we ask — we realise that we have what we have asked from him.

And if we know he hears us – whatever we ask – we know also that what we ask for is ours.

16 If any one sees his Brother committing some sin that is not a deadly sin, he will ask, and so be the means of giving Life to him — to any whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin; about that I do not say that a man should pray.

If anyone sees one of our people committing some sin that is not a sin leading to death, they should ask, and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that.

17 Every wrong action is sin, and there is sin that is not deadly.

All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.

18 We know that no one who has received the new Life from God lives in sin. No, he who has received the new Life from God keeps the thought of God in his heart, and then the Evil One does not touch him.

We know that those who have been born of God do not keep sinning. God protects his children and the evil one cannot get hold of them.

19 We realise that we come from God, while all the world is under the influence of the Evil One.

We know that we are God’s children, though the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

20 We realise, too, that the Son of God has come among us, and has given us the discernment to know the True God; and we are in union with the True God by our union with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the True God and he is Immortal Life. (aiōnios g166)

We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know the true God – and we are in him who is true, by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (aiōnios g166)

21 My Children, guard yourselves against false ideas of God.

My children, guard yourselves against false ideas of God.