1 John 5:12 kjv
He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
1 John 5:12 nkjv
He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1 John 5:12 niv
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1 John 5:12 esv
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1 John 5:12 nlt
Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God's Son does not have life.
1 John 5 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Jn 3:16 | "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." | Belief in Son grants eternal life. |
| Jn 3:36 | "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life..." | Believing the Son grants life; not obeying means no life. |
| Jn 5:24 | "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes... has eternal life and does not come into judgment..." | Hearing Christ's word and believing brings life now. |
| Jn 1:12 | "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God..." | Receiving Christ implies obtaining life/identity as child of God. |
| Jn 14:6 | "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'" | Jesus is the exclusive path and source of life. |
| Acts 4:12 | "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." | Salvation, which includes eternal life, is exclusive to Christ. |
| Rom 6:23 | "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." | Eternal life is a gift in Christ. |
| Col 3:3-4 | "For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears..." | Christ is the believer's life itself. |
| 1 Jn 5:11 | "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." | Direct preceding verse: Eternal life is contained in the Son. |
| Jn 5:25 | "The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live." | Receiving the Son's voice brings spiritual life to the dead. |
| Jn 6:53 | "So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.'" | Spiritual appropriation of Christ is necessary for life. |
| Jn 8:24 | "So I said to you that you will die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins." | Without belief in Jesus, spiritual death results. |
| Eph 2:1, 5 | "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins... made us alive together with Christ..." | Humanity is spiritually dead apart from being made alive with Christ. |
| Rev 20:14-15 | "Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire... And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." | Final judgment for those without eternal life in Christ. |
| Jn 1:4 | "In him was life, and the life was the light of men." | Life originates in Christ. |
| Jn 5:26 | "For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself." | The Son possesses divine life inherently. |
| Jn 10:10 | "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." | Jesus offers abundant life. |
| Jn 11:25-26 | "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live...'" | Jesus Himself embodies resurrection and life. |
| Acts 3:15 | "and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead..." | Jesus is the ultimate originator of life. |
| Tit 3:7 | "...so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." | Eternal life is obtained through Christ's grace. |
| 2 Cor 5:17 | "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." | Being "in Christ" brings new life/new creation. |
| Phil 1:21 | "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." | Christ is the very meaning and essence of life for the believer. |
1 John 5 verses
1 John 5 12 Meaning
This verse states unequivocally that possessing Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is synonymous with possessing eternal life. Conversely, it declares that without a saving relationship with the Son, eternal life is unattainable. It establishes an essential and exclusive link between a person's relationship with Jesus and their spiritual destiny, emphasizing that the very essence of true, divine life resides solely in Him.
1 John 5 12 Context
First John chapter 5 reiterates and brings to conclusion several major themes of the epistle: the assurance of salvation for those who believe in Jesus as the Christ and the Son of God (1 Jn 5:1, 4-5), the reliability of God's testimony concerning His Son (1 Jn 5:9-10), and the promise of eternal life given through the Son (1 Jn 5:11-13). The immediate context of 1 John 5:12 builds directly upon the preceding verse, which states, "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son" (1 Jn 5:11). This verse is a logical consequence, spelling out the direct implications of that truth.
Historically and culturally, John's first epistle combats proto-Gnostic errors prevalent in the early church, particularly teachings that denied the full humanity of Jesus or His full divinity as the Christ and Son of God. These false teachers separated Jesus (the man) from the Christ (a divine emanation that descended upon Him and then departed before His crucifixion). John fervently asserts that Jesus is the Christ who came in the flesh (1 Jn 4:2), the Son of God. Verse 12 serves as a polemic against these denials, making it clear that salvation and eternal life depend specifically on "having the Son of God," acknowledging and receiving Him in His full, unique identity as God's divine Son incarnate. This verse leaves no room for ambiguity or a works-based salvation; life is tied exclusively to the person of Jesus Christ.
1 John 5 12 Word analysis
- He who has (ὁ ἔχων, ho echōn): This phrase, a present active participle, signifies a continuous, abiding possession. It is not a one-time event or a mere intellectual acknowledgment, but a present and active state of union and relationship. It implies receiving Him, believing in Him, and living in vital connection with Him.
- the Son (τὸν Υἱόν, ton Huion): This specific designation refers to Jesus Christ in His unique relationship to God the Father. It inherently conveys His divine nature, His pre-existence, and His identity as the unique Anointed One.
- has life (ἔχει ζωὴν, echei zōēn): The use of the present tense "has" emphasizes that eternal life is a current reality, not merely a future hope. The word zōē (life) in Johannine theology consistently refers to divine, spiritual, and eternal life that is characteristic of God Himself, distinct from biological life (bios). This life starts at the point of receiving the Son.
- he who does not have (ὁ μὴ ἔχων, ho mē echōn): This presents the direct antithesis. The negation "μὴ" (mē) implies a subjective or conceptual denial, pointing to a conscious decision or state of not possessing the Son.
- the Son of God (τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ton Huion tou Theou): The fuller title used here emphatically clarifies which "Son" is meant, emphasizing Jesus' divine identity and His essential relationship to the Father. This would be particularly important in distinguishing Christian teaching from Jewish beliefs or Gnostic tendencies that denied His full deity.
- does not have life (τὴν ζωὴν οὐκ ἔχει, tēn zōēn ouk echei): This employs the strong, objective negation "οὐκ" (ouk), definitively stating the absolute absence of that divine, eternal life. The addition of the definite article "τὴν" (tēn, "the") before "life" specifies the particular eternal life spoken of throughout the Johannine writings. This stark binary statement highlights the non-negotiable nature of the requirement: there is no other source or path to that life.
1 John 5 12 Bonus section
- The sharp dichotomy presented in 1 John 5:12 – either you have the Son and life, or you do not have the Son and do not have life – is characteristic of Johannine theology, which frequently uses absolute contrasts (light/darkness, truth/falsehood) to emphasize the profound difference between being in Christ and apart from Him. There is no middle ground or third option regarding spiritual life.
- This verse provides foundational assurance for believers. Following its proclamation, John writes, "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 Jn 5:13). The certainty of eternal life is derived from the objective truth that life resides in the Son, and the believer possesses the Son.
- The passage underscores the vital role of Christology – the study of the person of Christ – in salvation. Misunderstanding or denying who Jesus truly is directly impacts one's ability to "have the Son" and, consequently, to have life. This truth has ongoing implications for discerning false teaching and upholding biblical orthodoxy.
1 John 5 12 Commentary
First John 5:12 stands as a succinct theological summation, distilling the core truth of salvation. It proclaims that eternal life is not a nebulous concept or a future reward to be earned, but a present reality found exclusively within the person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. To "have the Son" means to have a genuine, saving relationship with Him—one marked by belief, acceptance of His true identity as fully divine and fully human, and trust in His atoning work. This possession translates directly into "having life," an abundant spiritual existence that begins here and now, a participation in God's own divine life. Conversely, the verse makes an uncompromising assertion: outside of this vital relationship with Christ, there is no eternal life. This serves as both a profound assurance for believers, confirming their secure standing in Christ, and a sobering warning to those who reject Him, emphasizing the utter necessity of Him for salvation. It underlines the uniqueness of Christ and the exclusive path to eternal life that God has provided.