1 John 5:20

Contextual Overview

¹⁸We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. ¹⁸ We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. ¹⁸ We 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. ¹⁸Anyone who truly rides for God as one of his kids doesn't keep on intentionally sinning. Jesus keeps them safe from the devil. ¹⁸ We are certain that one who is a child of God will do no sin, but the Son of God keeps him so that he is not touched by the Evil One. ¹⁸ We know that every one begotten of God does not sin, but he that has been begotten of God keeps himself, and the wicked [one] does not touch him. ¹⁸ We know that whoever is born of God doesn't sin, but he who was born of God keeps himself, and the evil one doesn't touch him. ¹⁸ We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; ¹⁸ We know that no one who is a child of God lives in sin, but He who is God's Child keeps him, and the Evil one cannot touch him. ¹⁸ We know that whosoeuer is borne of God, sinneth not: but hee that is begotten of God, keepeth himselfe, and that wicked one toucheth him not.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

we know: 1 John 5:1, 1 John 4:2, 1 John 4:14

and hath: Matthew 13:11, Luke 21:15, Luke 24:45, John 17:3, John 17:14, John 17:25, 1 Corinthians 1:30, 2 Corinthians 4:6, Ephesians 1:17-19, Ephesians 3:18, Colossians 2:2, Colossians 2:3

him that: John 14:6, John 17:3, Revelation 3:7, Revelation 3:14, Revelation 6:10, Revelation 15:3, Revelation 19:11

and we: 1 John 2:6, 1 John 2:24, 1 John 4:16, John 10:30, John 14:20, John 14:23, John 15:4, John 17:20-23, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 3:9

This is: 1 John 5:11-13, 1 John 1:1-3, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 44:6, Isaiah 45:14, Isaiah 45:15, Isaiah 45:21-25, Isaiah 54:5, Jeremiah 10:10, Jeremiah 23:6, John 1:1-3, John 14:9, John 20:28, Acts 20:28, Romans 9:5, 1 Timothy 3:16, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 1:8

Reciprocal: Exodus 20:3 - General Exodus 20:23 - General Deuteronomy 4:35 - none else 1 Samuel 17:26 - defy 2 Chronicles 15:3 - true God Ezra 8:16 - men of understanding Psalms 9:10 - know Psalms 85:11 - Truth Psalms 100:3 - Know Psalms 119:73 - give me Psalms 119:144 - give me Proverbs 2:5 - find Proverbs 9:10 - the knowledge Isaiah 35:7 - in the Isaiah 40:9 - Behold Isaiah 43:11 - General Jeremiah 9:24 - knoweth Jeremiah 31:34 - for they Ezekiel 20:42 - ye shall Ezekiel 36:11 - and ye Ezekiel 39:22 - know Daniel 11:32 - the people Daniel 12:10 - but the wise Hosea 2:20 - and Matthew 11:27 - neither Matthew 13:19 - and understandeth Matthew 13:23 - good Matthew 13:51 - Have Matthew 16:16 - Thou Matthew 16:17 - but Matthew 19:16 - eternal Matthew 22:16 - true Mark 4:11 - Unto you Mark 9:7 - This Luke 10:22 - and no John 1:9 - the true John 1:18 - he hath John 1:34 - this John 3:15 - eternal John 4:10 - and who John 4:14 - shall be John 4:15 - give John 6:32 - the true John 6:55 - meat John 6:69 - we believe John 8:19 - Ye neither John 8:23 - ye are of John 9:35 - Dost John 10:6 - they understood not John 10:14 - am John 11:27 - which John 12:45 - General John 12:50 - his John 15:19 - because John 16:3 - because John 16:14 - for John 17:6 - have manifested John 18:37 - Every John 20:31 - these Acts 3:15 - Prince Acts 17:23 - To Romans 1:3 - his Son Romans 1:25 - the truth Romans 3:4 - let God Romans 3:11 - none that understandeth Romans 16:7 - were Romans 16:26 - everlasting 1 Corinthians 2:12 - that 1 Corinthians 2:14 - neither 2 Corinthians 1:18 - as 2 Corinthians 1:19 - the Son 2 Corinthians 6:16 - what 2 Corinthians 12:1 - visions Galatians 1:4 - from Galatians 2:20 - the Son Galatians 4:9 - ye have Ephesians 4:13 - the knowledge Ephesians 4:21 - as Philippians 3:8 - the excellency Colossians 1:9 - spiritual Colossians 1:10 - increasing Colossians 2:6 - received Colossians 2:9 - in Colossians 3:11 - and 2 Timothy 2:7 - and Titus 1:2 - eternal Hebrews 5:9 - eternal Hebrews 8:11 - for all Hebrews 9:11 - Christ 2 Peter 1:2 - the knowledge 1 John 1:2 - the life 1 John 2:5 - hereby 1 John 2:13 - because 1 John 2:25 - General 1 John 3:14 - We know 1 John 5:19 - we know Revelation 22:9 - See

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And we know that the Son of God is come,.... That the second Person in the Godhead, who is equal to the Father, and of the same nature with him, is come from the Father, from heaven into this world, not by local motion, but by assumption of nature; that he is come in the flesh, or is become incarnate, in order to work out salvation for his people, by his obedience, sufferings, and death; and this John and others knew, for they had personal knowledge of him, and converse with him; they saw him with their eyes, heard him, and handled him: he dwelt among them, preached to them, wrought miracles before them, which proved him to be what he was; and it may be known that the Messiah must become, since Daniel's weeks, which fixes the time of his coming, are long ago up; the sceptre is departed from Judah, and the second temple is destroyed, neither of which were to be till the Messiah came; and that Jesus of Nazareth is he who is come may be known by the characters of him, and the works done by him:

and hath given us an understanding; not a new faculty of the understanding but new light into it; a knowledge of spiritual things of himself, and of God in him, and of the truths of the Gospel, and of all divine and heavenly things; for he, the Son of God, is come a light into the world, and gives spiritual light to men:

that we may know him that is true; or "the true God", as the Alexandrian copy and some others, and the Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read; that is, God the Father, who is the true God, in opposition to the false gods of the Heathens, though not to the exclusion of the Son and Spirit; and the spiritual knowledge of him as the Father of Christ, and as a covenant God and Father in him, is only given to men by Christ, and this is life eternal; see

Matthew 11:27;

and we are in him that is true, [even] in his Son Jesus Christ; the words "Jesus Christ" are left out in the Alexandrian copy, and in the Vulgate Latin version; however, certain it is, that Jesus Christ is meant by his Son, who is the Son of the true and living God, and is himself "true"; not only true God, as hereafter asserted, but true man, having a true body and a reasonable soul, and was true and faithful in the discharge of his offices, as prophet, priest, and King; he faithfully declared the whole will of God, and taught the way of God in truth; he was faithful to him that appointed him, by securing his glory when he made reconciliation for the sins of the people; and all the administrations of his kingly office are just and true; yea, he is truth itself, the substance of all the types, in whom all the promises are yea and amen, and who has all the truths of the Gospel and treasures of wisdom in him; now his people are in him; they were secretly in him before the world was, being loved by him, chosen in him, put into his hands, preserved in him, and represented by him; and openly, at conversion, when they are anew created in him, brought to believe in him, and live upon him, and he lives in them, and they are in him as branches in the vine; and this is known by his Spirit being given them, by the communication of his grace unto them, and by the communion they have with him.

This is the true God and eternal life; that is, the Son of God, who is the immediate antecedent to the relative "this"; he is the true God, with his Father and the Spirit, in distinction from all false, fictitious, or nominal deities; and such as are only by office, or in an improper and figurative sense: Christ is truly and really God, as appears from all the perfections of deity, the fulness of the Godhead being in him; from the divine works of creation and providence being ascribed to him; and from the divine worship that is given him; as well as from the names and titles he goes by, and particularly that of Jehovah, which is incommunicable to a creature; and he is called "eternal life", because it is in him; and he is the giver of it to his people; and that itself will chiefly consist in the enjoyment and vision of him, and in conformity to him.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And we know that the Son of God is come - We know this by the evidence that John had referred to in this Epistle, 1 John 1:1-4; 1 John 5:6-8.

And hath given us an understanding - Not an “understanding” considered as a faculty of the mind, for religion gives us no new faculties; but he has so instructed us that we do understand the great truths referred to. Compare the notes at Luke 24:45. All the correct knowledge which we have of God and his government, is to be traced directly or indirectly to the great Prophet whom God has sent into the world, John 1:4, John 1:18; John 8:12; John 9:5; Hebrews 1:1-3; Matthew 11:27.

That we may know him that is true - That is, the true God. See the notes at John 17:3.

And we are in him that is true - That is, we are united to him; we belong to him; we are his friends. This idea is often expressed in the Scriptures by being “in him.” It denotes a most intimate union, as if we were one with him - or were a part of him - as the branch is in the vine, John 15:4, John 15:6. The Greek construction is the same as that applied to “the wicked one,” 1 John 5:19, (ἐν τῷ ἀληθινᾧ en tō alēthinō.)

This is the true God - ^o There has been much difference of opinion in regard to this important passage; whether it refers to the Lord Jesus Christ, the immediate antecedent, or to a more remote antecedent - referring to God, as such. The question is of importance in its bearing on the doctrine of the divinity of the Saviour; for if it refers to him, it furnishes an unequivocal declaration that he is divine. The question is, whether John “meant” that it should be referred to him? Without going into an extended examination of the passage, the following considerations seem to me to make it morally certain that by the phrase “this is the true God,” etc., he did refer to the Lord Jesus Christ.

(1) The grammatical construction favors it. Christ is the immediate antecedent of the pronoun “this” - οὗτος houtos. This would be regarded as the obvious and certain construction so far as the grammar is concerned, unless there were something in the thing affirmed which led us to seek some more remote and less obvious antecedent. No doubt would have been ever entertained on this point, if it had not been for the reluctance to admit that the Lord Jesus is the true God. If the assertion had been that “this is the true Messiah;” or that “this is the Son of God;” or that “this is he who was born of the Virgin Mary,” there would have been no difficulty in the construction. I admit that his argument is not absolutely decisive; for cases do occur where a pronoun refers, not to the immediate antecedent, but to one more remote; but cases of that kind depend on the ground of necessity, and can be applied only when it would be a clear violation of the sense of the author to refer it to the immediate antecedent.

(2) This construction seems to be demanded by the adjunct which John has assigned to the phrase “the true God” - “eternal life.” This is an expression which John would be likely to apply to the Lord Jesus, considered as “life,” and the “source of life,” and not to God as such. “How familiar is this language with John, as applied to Christ! “In him (i. e. Christ) was life, and the life was the light of people - giving life to the world - the bread of life - my words are spirit and life - I am the way, and the truth, and the life. This life (Christ) was manifested, and we have “seen it,” and do testify to you, and declare the eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifested to us,” 1 John 1:2.” - Prof. Stuart’s Letters to Dr. Channing, p. 83. There is no instance in the writings of John, in which the appellation life, and “eternal” life is bestowed upon the Father, to designate him as the author of spiritual and eternal life; and as this occurs so frequently in John’s writings as applied to Christ, the laws of exegesis require that both the phrase “the true God,” and “eternal life,” should be applied to him.

(3) If it refers to God as such, or to the word “true” - τὸν ἀληθινόν (Θεὸν) ton alēthinon (Theon) it would be mere tautology, or a mere truism. The rendering would then be, “That we may know the true God, and we are in the true God: this is the true God, and eternal life.” Can we believe that an inspired man would affirm gravely, and with so much solemnity, and as if it were a truth of so much magnitude, that the true God is the true God?

(4) This interpretation accords with what we are sure John would affirm respecting the Lord Jesus Christ. Can there be any doubt that he who said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;” that he who said, “all things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made;” that he who recorded the declaration of the Saviour, “I and my Father are one,” and the declaration of Thomas, “my Lord and my God,” would apply to him the appellation “the true God!”

(5) If John did not mean to affirm this, he has made use of an expression which was liable to be misunderstood, and which, as facts have shown, would be misconstrued by the great portion of those who might read what he had written; and, moreover, an expression that would lead to the very sin against which he endeavors to guard in the next verse - the sin of substituting a creature in the place of God, and rendering to another the honor due to him. The language which he uses is just such as, according to its natural interpretation, would lead people to worship one as the true God who is not the true God, unless the Lord Jesus be divine. For these reasons, it seems to me that the fair interpretation of this passage demands that it should be understood as referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. If so, it is a direct assertion of his divinity, for there could be no higher proof of it than to affirm that he is the true God.

And eternal life - Having “life in himself,” John 5:26, and the source and fountain of life to the soul. No more frequent appellation, perhaps, is given to the Saviour by John, than that he is life, and the source of life. Compare John 1:4; John 5:26, John 5:40; John 10:10; John 6:33, John 6:35, John 6:48, John 6:51, John 6:53, John 6:63; John 11:25; John 14:6; Joh 20:31; 1 John 1:1-2; 1 John 5:12.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 20. We know that the Son of God is come — In the flesh, and has made his soul an offering for sin; and hath given us an understanding-a more eminent degree of light than we ever enjoyed before; for as he lay in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him unto us; and he hath besides given us a spiritual understanding, that we may know him who is true, even the TRUE GOD, and get eternal life from him through his Son, IN whom we are by faith, as the branches in the vine, deriving all our knowledge, light, life, love, and fruitfulness from him. And it is through this revelation of Jesus that we know the ever blessed and glorious Trinity; and the Trinity, Father, Word, and Holy Ghost, in the eternal, undivided unity of the ineffable Godhead.