1 John 5 1

1 John 5:1 kjv

Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.

1 John 5:1 nkjv

Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.

1 John 5:1 niv

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.

1 John 5:1 esv

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.

1 John 5:1 nlt

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has become a child of God. And everyone who loves the Father loves his children, too.

1 John 5 verses

1 John 5 1 Meaning

This verse presents a foundational truth of the Christian faith, establishing an unbreakable link between belief in Jesus as the Christ, spiritual regeneration (being born of God), and the resultant twin expressions of divine love. It states that anyone who genuinely believes that Jesus is the Anointed One of God has received new life from God. Consequently, true love for God, the Father, inevitably leads to love for those who are also begotten of Him, meaning fellow believers, creating a profound interconnectedness within the divine family.

1 John 5 1 Context

First John chapter 5 serves as a summary and conclusion to John's epistle, reaffirming the central themes introduced throughout the letter: genuine faith in Jesus Christ, the evidence of new birth, and the necessity of loving one another. The letter addresses early Gnostic-like heresies that denied the true humanity and divinity of Jesus and promoted a separation between spiritual knowledge and moral conduct. The original audience faced false teachers who claimed to know God but lived unrighteously and lacked love for fellow believers. John’s primary purpose is to reassure true believers of their salvation and to provide tests for genuine faith, which always manifest in righteous living, obedience to God’s commandments, and profound love for the community of believers. This verse, therefore, combats the error that one could "believe" intellectually without undergoing a transformative new birth or without demonstrating love.

1 John 5 1 Word analysis

• Everyone who believes (πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων, pas ho pisteuōn):

  • πᾶς (pas): "All, every, everyone." Denotes universality; it applies to every single individual meeting the criterion.
  • ὁ πιστεύων (ho pisteuōn): "The one who believes." Present active participle, signifying an ongoing, habitual state of believing, not just a one-time event or intellectual assent. It implies trust, reliance, and commitment to Jesus as a person, embodying the essence of faith that transforms. This belief isn't merely historical acknowledgement but a living, active faith that incorporates repentance and obedience.

• that Jesus is the Christ (Ἰησοῦς ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστός, Iēsous estin ho Christos):

  • Ἰησοῦς (Iēsous): Jesus, the historical man.
  • ἐστὶν (estin): "Is," denotes identity.
  • ὁ Χριστός (ho Christos): "The Christ," meaning "the Anointed One," the Messiah, the promised Savior. This confession is central to New Testament Christianity, encompassing His divine Sonship, messianic office, redemptive work, and saving power. To believe this entails acknowledging His true humanity and His true divinity as God’s chosen One, challenging the Docetic Gnostics who denied His true flesh or separation from the Christ-spirit.

• is born of God (γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ, gegennēmenos ek tou theou):

  • γεγεννημένος (gegennēmenos): Perfect passive participle of gennao, "to beget, to bear." The perfect tense signifies a completed action with ongoing results. It means they have been born of God and remain born of God. This indicates a divine act of regeneration, a spiritual transformation initiated by God, not human effort. It's the same concept as "born again" or "born from above" in John 3.
  • ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ (ek tou theou): "From God," indicating divine origin and agency. God is the active initiator of this new birth.

• And everyone who loves the Father also loves his child (καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἀγαπῶν τὸν γεννήσαντα ἀγαπᾷ καὶ τὸν γεγεννημένον ἐξ αὐτοῦ, kai pas ho agapōn ton gennēsanta agapa kai ton gegennēmenon ex autou):

  • πᾶς ὁ ἀγαπῶν (pas ho agapōn): "Everyone who loves." Another present active participle, indicating a habitual, abiding love. Agapao denotes divine, unconditional, self-sacrificial love, characteristic of God.
  • τὸν γεννήσαντα (ton gennēsanta): Literally, "the one who begot," referring to God the Father. This emphasizes God as the source of life for both Jesus (the only begotten Son) and believers (who are born of Him).
  • ἀγαπᾷ καὶ τὸν γεγεννημένον ἐξ αὐτοῦ (agapa kai ton gegennēmenon ex autou): "Also loves the one who has been begotten by Him (the Father)." This refers to fellow believers, the "children of God" (from the same root gennao as "born of God"). This establishes the second, inseparable component of genuine faith: love for those who are spiritually united by the same Father.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God": This phrase highlights the causal connection. True saving faith in Jesus' divine and messianic identity is the spiritual gateway to being divinely regenerated. One cannot exist without the other; authentic belief is the fruit of divine quickening, and regeneration will invariably lead to such belief. This counters intellectualism or a mere assent that doesn't involve heart transformation.
  • "And everyone who loves the Father also loves his child": This second phrase reveals the ethical consequence and evidence of being "born of God." The love of God (for God, the Father) is inherently connected to the love for the spiritual family – those who share the same spiritual parentage. This relationship is not merely emotional but manifests in action, service, and righteousness (as detailed elsewhere in 1 John). If one claims to love God but does not love fellow believers, their claim to love God is invalid (1 Jn 4:20).

1 John 5 1 Bonus section

The emphasis on "Jesus is the Christ" (ὁ Χριστός) confronts specific theological errors. In John's day, some claimed to follow Christ but denied that Jesus, the historical man, was truly the Christ (the divine Son or Messiah). This belief system, often labeled Docetism or an early form of Gnosticism, proposed a separation: either that Jesus was purely spiritual and only appeared human, or that the "Christ spirit" descended upon Jesus at His baptism but left Him before His crucifixion. John forcefully asserts the integral, inseparable identity of Jesus and the Christ, reinforcing the Incarnation. To believe that Jesus is the Christ signifies belief in His complete identity as the God-man, central to Christian doctrine and salvation. The verb estin ("is") denotes continuous, inherent identity, not a temporary association. This profound theological statement, believed and embraced by faith, leads directly to being born of God.

1 John 5 1 Commentary

1 John 5:1 concisely presents three core characteristics of a true follower of Christ, highlighting their intrinsic connection. Firstly, genuine saving faith is defined as the belief that Jesus is the Christ, acknowledging His unique identity as God's Son and the promised Messiah. This is not just intellectual assent but a profound commitment. Secondly, such a believer has undergone a spiritual rebirth, having been "born of God," signifying a supernatural, divine act of regeneration that grants new life and a new spiritual nature. This transformative experience is a gift from God. Thirdly, this new spiritual birth and genuine belief are manifested through love. John makes it clear that love for God, the heavenly Father ("the one who begot"), cannot be separated from love for fellow believers ("those begotten of Him"). This filial affection for God naturally extends to fraternal affection for those who share the same divine Father. Thus, love for God and love for others born of God are inextricably linked; one validates the other. This verse serves as a crucial test of true Christianity, distinguishing mere profession from genuine possession of divine life.