1 John 5 10

1 John 5:10 kjv

He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.

1 John 5:10 nkjv

He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.

1 John 5:10 niv

Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.

1 John 5:10 esv

Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son.

1 John 5:10 nlt

All who believe in the Son of God know in their hearts that this testimony is true. Those who don't believe this are actually calling God a liar because they don't believe what God has testified about his Son.

1 John 5 verses

1 John 5 10 Meaning

First John 5:10 asserts a fundamental contrast between belief and disbelief concerning God's supreme testimony regarding His Son, Jesus Christ. The one who truly believes in the Son of God possesses an internal assurance or witness within themselves, stemming from the Holy Spirit and the transforming reality of their faith. Conversely, the one who does not believe God’s testimony about His Son effectively labels God a liar. This is a severe charge, implying that by rejecting God's clear revelation about Jesus, the unbeliever impugns God's veracity and character, thereby rendering Him as untruthful concerning the most vital truth of salvation.

1 John 5 10 Context

First John 5:10 is embedded within the conclusion of John’s First Epistle, a letter profoundly concerned with discerning true faith from false claims prevalent among Gnostic-leaning deceivers of the time. This chapter particularly emphasizes the "witness" (testimony) regarding Jesus Christ. In verses 6-9, John speaks of the three heavenly witnesses (Spirit, water, and blood), which all affirm Jesus' true identity as the Son of God, both divine and human. The immediately preceding verse (1 Jn 5:9) establishes the principle: if human witness is accepted, how much more should God's greater witness be received. Verse 10 then presents the profound implications of accepting or rejecting this divine testimony. It highlights the internal assurance that comes from belief, contrasting it sharply with the blasphemous act of calling God a liar through unbelief. The larger context of the epistle addresses tests of true Christianity: ethical righteousness (obedience to God's commands), love for fellow believers, and sound doctrine regarding Jesus' incarnation and deity. The denial of Jesus as the true Son of God was a hallmark of the false teachers, making God's witness about His Son the linchpin of genuine faith.

1 John 5 10 Word analysis

• ὁ πιστεύων (ho pisteuōn): "The one believing." This is a present active participle, denoting a continuous, ongoing state or habit of believing. It indicates genuine, living faith as an active orientation of one's life towards Christ.
• εἰς τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ (eis ton huion tou Theou): "into the Son of God." The preposition "eis" implies a belief that leads into or unites with the object of faith, signifying a deeply personal, trusting relationship and commitment to Jesus as the unique Son of God.
• ἔχει (echei): "has," "possesses." This verb emphasizes the concrete reality and personal appropriation of the internal witness. It is not merely an intellectual assent but an experiential reality.
• τὴν μαρτυρίαν (tēn martyrian): "the testimony/witness." In this context, it refers to God's divine self-disclosure about Jesus Christ, specifically that Jesus is the Son of God (as detailed in 1 Jn 5:6-9).
• ἐν ἑαυτῷ (en heautō): "in himself." This phrase underscores the internal, personal, and transformative nature of the believer's experience. It’s an assurance imparted by the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:16) and validated by one's own transformed life and inner conviction.
• ὁ μὴ πιστεύων (ho mē pisteuōn): "the one not believing." "mē" is used for subjective or volitional negation, highlighting that unbelief is an act of the will, a deliberate rejection.
• τῷ Θεῷ (tō Theō): "God" (dative case, implies "to God" or "with respect to God"). This specifies the direct object of their disbelief – it's God's very testimony that they reject.
• ψεεύστην (pseustēn): "liar." This is a very strong, damning accusation. By rejecting God's word, the unbeliever effectively declares God Himself to be untruthful. It implies impugning His very character.
• πεποίηκεν (pepoiēken): "has made/rendered." This is a perfect active indicative verb, indicating a completed action with continuing results. The act of unbelief permanently brands God, from the unbeliever's perspective, as a liar, and that state remains as long as they disbelieve.
• αὐτόν (auton): "Him" (referring to God).
• ὅτι (hoti): "because." Introduces the reason or justification for the severe consequence.
• οὐ πεπίστευκεν (ou pepisteuken): "he has not believed." Again, the perfect tense indicates a settled state of not having believed God's testimony, emphasizing the lasting nature of their rejection.
• εἰς τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἣν μεμαρτύρηκεν (eis tēn martyrian hēn memarturēken): "the testimony which has testified." "memarturēken" (perfect active indicative) emphasizes that God's testimony is a past, complete act that stands as a present, abiding truth.
• ὁ Θεὸς περὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ (ho Theos peri tou huiou autou): "God about His Son." Reiteration of the central subject of God's testimony.

Words-group analysis:

• "He that believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself": This phrase highlights the profound internal spiritual reality and assurance that genuine faith in Christ brings. This internal witness is not a mere feeling but is consistent with God's objective truth, confirmed by the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:16), and evidenced by transformed life.
• "He that believes not God has made him a liar": This starkly contrasts the previous statement. To disbelieve God's testimony about His Son is not a neutral act; it is a direct affront to God's character and veracity. The unbeliever effectively denies God's truthfulness, portraying the all-true God as deceptive. This is the ultimate form of blasphemy.
• "because he believes not the record that God gave of his Son": This final clause clarifies the specific nature of the unbelief. It's not a general lack of belief, but a rejection of God's definitive, settled, and abundantly attested testimony concerning the unique person and saving work of Jesus Christ, His beloved Son.

1 John 5 10 Bonus section

The gravity of calling God a "liar" underscores the unique nature of God's witness concerning His Son. This testimony is not merely one of many truths, but the crucial, life-determining revelation through which eternal life is offered (1 Jn 5:11). John’s emphasis here functions as a severe warning against the specific heresy of the time, which sought to diminish Christ’s full deity and humanity. Such teachings, by their very nature, necessitated denying God's self-revelation. The "witness in himself" possessed by the believer implies an existential transformation, not just intellectual assent. It is the life-giving conviction of God’s truth sealed by the Spirit that gives assurance of salvation, contrasting with the spiritual blindness of those who oppose God's witness.

1 John 5 10 Commentary

First John 5:10 is a pivotal verse, articulating the radical implications of accepting or rejecting the foundational truth of the Christian faith: Jesus is the Son of God, truly divine and human, as God Himself testifies. For those who believe, the experience of faith is not solely intellectual but involves a profound internal assurance, a "witness in themselves." This witness is multi-faceted: the indwelling Holy Spirit (Rom 8:16), the spiritual transformation that produces a new nature aligned with truth, and the lived experience of fellowship with God. This internal testimony confirms the objective truth of God's word.

In stark contrast, for those who do not believe, their unbelief is presented not as a neutral or harmless position, but as a direct challenge to God's integrity. To disbelieve God’s clear, abiding testimony about His Son is to accuse God of deceit – to effectively declare Him a liar. This highlights the seriousness of theological error concerning Christ’s identity in John’s eyes, viewing it as ultimately an attack on God Himself. The perfect tense verbs ("has made," "has not believed," "has testified") underscore the permanent and decisive nature of both the divine testimony and the human response to it.