凡是相信耶稣是基督的,都是由神所生的。凡是爱那生身之父的,也都爱那由父所生的。 当我们爱神,并遵行[a]他命令的时候,从这一点就知道我们爱神的儿女了。 原来属神的爱是这样的,就是我们要遵守他的命令;而他的命令并不是沉重的, 因为凡是由神所生的,就胜过世界;而这胜过世界的胜利,就是我们的信仰。 胜过世界的到底是谁呢?难道不是那相信耶稣是神儿子的吗?

从神来的见证

藉着水和血而来的那一位,就是耶稣基督,不仅藉着水,也藉着水和血;并且圣灵是做见证的那一位,因为圣灵就是真理。 原来,做见证的有三者:[b] 圣灵、水和血;而这三者是一致的[c] 我们既然接受人的见证,神的见证就更应该接受[d]了,因为这是神的见证,就是神为他的儿子所做的见证。 10 那信神儿子的,就有这见证在他里面;那不信神的,就把神当做说谎者,因为他不相信神为自己的儿子所做的见证。 11 这见证就是:神把永恒的生命赐给了我们,并且这生命在他儿子里面。

12 那有了神儿子的,就有了这生命;那没有神儿子的,就没有这生命。 13 我把这些事写给你们信神儿子之名的人,好让你们知道:你们有永恒的生命[e]

有功效的祷告

14 我们对神所怀的确信是这样的:如果我们按照他的旨意求什么,他就垂听我们。 15 如果我们已经知道凡是我们所求的他都垂听,我们就知道我们已经拥有了向他所求的。

16 如果有人看见自己的弟兄在犯不至于死的罪,就应该为他祈求;这样,神[f]将把生命赐给他,就是给那些犯不至于死的罪的人。有一种罪是至于死的;关于那种罪我不说要祈求。 17 一切不义都是罪,也有不至于死的罪。

结语

18 我们知道:凡是由神所生的人,就不会继续犯罪;原来,由神所生的那一位保守着他[g][h],那恶者也就不碰他。

19 我们知道:我们属于神,但整个世界都伏在那恶者之下。

20 我们也知道:神的儿子已经来了,并且把领悟的心赐给了我们,使我们能认识真实的那一位[i]。我们在真实的那一位里面,也就是在他的儿子耶稣基督里面——这一位就是真神,就是永恒的生命。

21 孩子们哪,你们要保守自己远离偶像。[j]

Footnotes

  1. 约翰一书 5:2 遵行——有古抄本作“遵守”。
  2. 约翰一书 5:7 做见证的有三者:——有古抄本作“在天上做见证的有三者:父、道和圣灵;而这三者是一致的。8 在地上做见证的也有三者:”。
  3. 约翰一书 5:8 是一致的——或译作“是归于一的”。
  4. 约翰一书 5:9 更应该接受——原文直译“是更大的”。
  5. 约翰一书 5:13 有古抄本附“是为了让你们信神的儿子之名”。
  6. 约翰一书 5:16 神——原文直译“他”。
  7. 约翰一书 5:18 由神所生的那一位保守着他——或译作“由神所生的人保守着自己”。
  8. 约翰一书 5:18 他——有古抄本作“自己”。
  9. 约翰一书 5:20 真实的那一位——有古抄本作“真神”。
  10. 约翰一书 5:21 有古抄本附“阿们。”

Victory over the World

If we believe Jesus is truly Christ, we are God's children. Everyone who loves the Father will also love his children. If we love and obey God, we know we will love his children. (A) We show our love for God by obeying his commandments, and they are not hard to follow.

Every child of God can defeat the world, and our faith is what gives us this victory. No one can defeat the world without having faith in Jesus as the Son of God.

Who Jesus Is

Water and blood came out from the side of Jesus Christ. It wasn't just water, but water and blood.[a] The Spirit tells about this, because the Spirit is truthful. In fact, there are three who tell about it. They are the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and they all agree.

We believe what people tell us. But we can trust what God says even more, and God is the one who has spoken about his Son. 10 If we have faith in God's Son, we have believed what God has said. But if we don't believe what God has said about his Son, it is the same as calling God a liar. 11 (B) God has also said he gave us eternal life and this life comes to us from his Son. 12 And so, if we have God's Son, we have this life. But if we don't have the Son, we don't have this life.

Knowing about Eternal Life

13 All of you have faith in the Son of God, and I have written to let you know you have eternal life. 14 We are certain God will hear our prayers when we ask for what pleases him. 15 And if we know God listens when we pray, we are sure our prayers have already been answered.

16 Suppose you see one of our people commit a sin that isn't a deadly sin. You can pray, and this person will be given eternal life. But the sin must not be one that is deadly. 17 Everything that is wrong is sin, but not all sins are deadly.

18 We are sure God's children do not keep on sinning. God's own Son protects them, and the devil cannot harm them.

19 We are certain we come from God and the rest of the world is under the power of the devil.

20 We know that Jesus Christ the Son of God has come and has shown us the true God. And because of Jesus, we now belong to the true God who gives eternal life.

21 Children, you must stay away from idols.

Footnotes

  1. 5.6 Water and blood came out from the side of Jesus Christ. It wasn't just water, but water and blood: See John 19.34. It is also possible to translate, “Jesus Christ came by the water of baptism and by the blood of his death! He was not only baptized, but he bled and died.” The purpose of the verse is to tell that Jesus was truly human and that he really died.

Faith in the Incarnate Son of God

Everyone who believes(A) that Jesus is the Christ(B) is born of God,(C) and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well.(D) This is how we know(E) that we love the children of God:(F) by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands.(G) And his commands are not burdensome,(H) for everyone born of God(I) overcomes(J) the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.(K)

This is the one who came by water and blood(L)—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.(M) For there are three(N) that testify: the[a] Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept human testimony,(O) but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God,(P) which he has given about his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony.(Q) Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar,(R) because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life,(S) and this life is in his Son.(T) 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.(U)

Concluding Affirmations

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God(V) so that you may know that you have eternal life.(W) 14 This is the confidence(X) we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.(Y) 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know(Z) that we have what we asked of him.(AA)

16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life.(AB) I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death.(AC) I am not saying that you should pray about that.(AD) 17 All wrongdoing is sin,(AE) and there is sin that does not lead to death.(AF)

18 We know that anyone born of God(AG) does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one(AH) cannot harm them.(AI) 19 We know that we are children of God,(AJ) and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.(AK) 20 We know also that the Son of God has come(AL) and has given us understanding,(AM) so that we may know him who is true.(AN) And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.(AO)

21 Dear children,(AP) keep yourselves from idols.(AQ)

Footnotes

  1. 1 John 5:8 Late manuscripts of the Vulgate testify in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. And there are three that testify on earth: the (not found in any Greek manuscript before the fourteenth century)