1 John 4 14

1 John 4:14 kjv

And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.

1 John 4:14 nkjv

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.

1 John 4:14 niv

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

1 John 4:14 esv

And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

1 John 4:14 nlt

Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

1 John 4 verses

1 John 4 14 Meaning

This verse declares the core message of the apostolic witness: that those who saw Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry have testified to the truth that God the Father purposefully sent His unique Son to deliver salvation to all humanity. It encapsulates the divine initiative, the identity of Jesus, and the universal scope of His saving work, serving as a foundational truth against false teachings.

1 John 4 14 Context

1 John 4:14 sits within a critical passage addressing false teachers who denied the true incarnation of Jesus Christ. The preceding verses (4:1-6) emphasize "testing the spirits" to discern truth from error, with the litmus test being the confession that Jesus Christ "has come in the flesh." This was a direct polemic against early Gnostic or Docetic beliefs, which posited that Jesus only seemed to have a physical body or that the divine Christ did not truly unite with the human Jesus. Verse 14 provides the apostolic endorsement and a foundational confession for the test: the apostles’ direct eyewitness testimony corroborates the crucial truth about Jesus’ identity and mission. The immediate following verses (4:15-16) then link this confession to remaining in God and in love, underscoring that correct doctrine is inextricably linked to righteous living and divine relationship. Historically, the early Church wrestled with varying philosophical and religious influences that challenged the core Christian revelation, and John's epistle serves to affirm essential truths and equip believers to identify and resist distortions.

1 John 4 14 Word analysis

• And (Καὶ - Kai): A simple conjunction, connecting this declarative statement to the previous discussion in chapter 4, particularly the necessity of knowing the true Christ from false spirits (v. 1-6) and God's love (v. 7-12). It introduces a confirmation and elaboration.
• we (ἡμεῖς - hēmeis): The emphatic personal pronoun "we." This refers to John himself and the other apostles, the original disciples who had walked with Jesus. It stresses the unique, authoritative, firsthand nature of their witness, contrasting with the speculative or ethereal claims of the false teachers.
• have seen (τεθεάμεθα - tetheametha): From the verb theaomai (θεάομαι). It means to gaze upon, to contemplate, to behold with intelligent apprehension. It is stronger than merely "seeing" (like horao). It implies a purposeful, investigative, and appreciative beholding, not just a casual glance. It underscores that the apostles had profound, verifiable interactions with Jesus in His physical form. This directly counters Docetic ideas that Jesus only appeared human.
• and testify (καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν - kai martyroumen): From martyreō (μαρτυρέω), meaning "to bear witness, to give evidence, to affirm." This highlights the apostles' divinely appointed mission: their experience (seen) leads directly to their authoritative declaration (testify). Their testimony is the basis of Christian truth passed down through the generations, foundational to faith.
• that (ὅτι - hoti): A conjunction introducing the content of their testimony.
• the Father (ὁ Πατήρ - ho Patēr): God the Father. This specifies the divine origin of the mission. The Father initiates salvation. It emphasizes the relational aspect within the Godhead, foundational to Christian theology.
• has sent (ἀπέσταλκεν - apestalken): From apostellō (ἀποστέλλω), meaning "to send on a commission, to dispatch with authority." The perfect tense ("has sent") indicates a completed action with continuing results. This underscores the Father's active role, divine initiative, authority, and the pre-existence of the Son before He was sent. The act of sending implies a specific, deliberate purpose and mission for the Son.
• His Son (τὸν Υἱὸν αὐτοῦ - ton Huion autou): Jesus Christ. "Son" signifies His unique relationship to the Father, indicating His divine nature, eternal Sonship, and shared essence with the Father. It points to His deity, crucial against those who might diminish His status.
• to be the Savior (Σωτῆρα - Sōtēra): The purpose of His being sent. Sōtēr (Σωτήρ) means "deliverer, preserver, rescuer." It implies a holistic deliverance from sin, death, and all the consequences of fallen humanity, leading to eternal life and relationship with God.
• of the world (τοῦ κόσμου - tou kosmou): This signifies the universal scope of salvation. "The world" (kosmos) here refers to fallen humanity in general, not just a select group or an ethnic nation. This stands in contrast to any exclusive claims of Gnosticism (salvation for the initiated few) or narrow nationalism. Christ's salvation is offered to all, demonstrating God's boundless love.

• "we have seen and testify": This phrase highlights the credibility and authority of the apostolic witness. It's not a theological speculation but a verified, personal encounter that compels declaration. This foundation of empirical observation and authoritative proclamation establishes the ground for the Christian message.
• "the Father has sent His Son": This emphasizes divine agency and the Trinitarian nature of salvation. Salvation is not human-initiated but God-initiated, stemming from the will of the Father, realized through the Son, and authenticated by the Spirit (as seen elsewhere in John's writings and 1 John). The unique "Son" also underscores Christ's divine identity and authority to carry out such a cosmic mission.
• "to be the Savior of the world": This phrase encapsulates the redemptive purpose and universal application of Christ's work. It points to His role as deliverer from sin and reconciler of humanity to God, extended globally, not confined to a specific people or elite group. It sets the scope of the Gospel's power and reach.

1 John 4 14 Bonus section

The strong emphasis on "seen" and "testify" in this verse, coupled with the similar language in 1 John 1:1-3, suggests an apologetic motive against Docetism. By stating they "gazed upon" Christ and thus confirm His physical reality and His sending by the Father, John directly counters the notion that Jesus was merely a spirit or seemed to have a body. The apostle John, as one of the few remaining living eyewitnesses, carried immense authority in the early church, and his personal testimony was a bulwark against emerging heresies that questioned the historical reality and incarnation of Jesus Christ. This verse thus stands as a foundational apostolic decree concerning the person and work of Christ.

1 John 4 14 Commentary

1 John 4:14 serves as a pivotal theological affirmation from the apostle John, anchoring Christian belief in the verifiable historical reality of Jesus Christ and God's sovereign plan. It begins with the collective "we," signifying the apostolic collective (John and his fellow eyewitnesses), who had direct, personal experience ("seen") of Jesus Christ's earthly life, death, and resurrection. This experiential knowledge wasn't private; it formed the basis of their compelled "testimony." This testimony declares a fundamental truth: God the Father initiated the entire salvific mission by "sending" His unique and pre-existent "Son." The term "sent" signifies a divine commission and purpose, implying Christ's identity as the one purposefully dispatched from God's presence.

The ultimate aim of this divine sending is clearly stated: "to be the Savior of the world." Jesus is identified as the singular deliverer from sin, death, and alienation from God. The phrase "of the world" is crucial, broadening the scope of salvation beyond any specific ethnic or select group to encompass all of humanity. This challenges any exclusionary beliefs, affirming the universal scope of God's redemptive grace offered through Christ. The verse, therefore, succinctly summarizes the source, agent, and global purpose of Christian salvation, acting as a definitive counter to false teachings that might deny Jesus' true identity or limit His saving work. Practically, it encourages believers to ground their faith in the historical person of Christ, understand the Father's loving initiative, and embrace the boundless grace extended to all peoples.