1 John 5.1-21 continues with the subject of love; the believer’s victory over the world by faith (confidence in action); the evidence that Yeshua is Messiah and King by the Ruach Ha Kodesh; the record in heaven and earth; the testimony of Yehovah; the witness a believer has within himself; the witness of eternal life; the reason this letter was written; knowing we have eternal life brings us to the throne of grace (the source of all blessings); knowing God hears us; the power of prayer and how we should pray for those who have sinned; a summary of all he has said.
v 1…Whoever believes that Yeshua is the Messiah is born of God (born from above-John 3.5-8), and whoever loves the (one) having begotten him (the Father) loves also the (one) begotten of him (Yeshua).
v 2…By this we know that we love the brethren of God, when all love God and observe his commandments (in the Torah; love of God in action is manifested through obedience to the Torah-John 14.15-24; 1 John 2.3-4; Psa 19.7-12; Deut 6.4-9; John 14.15).
v 3…For this is the love of God (how to show God we love him), that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome (Jam 1.25, 2.12; Psa 119.45).
v 4…For whatever is born of God overcomes the world (system of rebellion, disorder, Torah-less-ness, sin, etc); and this is the victory that has overcome the world (system)-our faith (confidence in action).
v 5…And who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Yeshua is the son of God (a title for a king and heir-1 Chr 28.5-7; Hohn 1.48; Psa 2.6-12).
v 6…This is the one who came by water (at his immersion he was recognized by the Father as his son-Matt 3.13-17; John 1.31-34) and blood (his own blood at his crucifixion to ratify the renewed covenant), Yeshua the Messiah; not with the water only, but with water and with blood. And the Spirit is the one witnessing, because the Spirit is truth.
v 7…For there are three that bear witness (on record) in heaven, the Father, the word, and the Ruach Ha Kodesh: and these three are one (in mind and accord).
v 8…And there are three who bear witness on the earth: the Spirit, and the water, and the blood (the Spirit bore witness to the fact that Yeshua is the Messiah at his immersion; the water bore witness because of what happened at his immersion, and helped John identify him; and his blood shed on the cross showed he had died and the redemption was complete, atonement or restoring a covering was done, and the renewed covenant is now ratified), and the three are in agreement (that Yeshua is the Messiah and King and the redemption of man and creation was accomplished).
v 9…If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater (more valuable, truer), for the witness of God is this, that that he has borne witness concerning his son (at his immersion, transfiguration, resurrection, etc).
v 10…The one who believes in the son of God has the witness in himself (a conviction; producing peace; forgiveness; the whole influence of the word on a believer, etc); the one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the witness that God has borne concerning his son.
v 11…And the witness is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his son (John 1.4; Rom 6.33; Col 3.4).
v 12…He who has the son has the life; he who does not have the son of God does not have the life (Heb 3.4; Col 3.3-denial of Yeshua brings death).
v 13…These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the son of God, that you may know (have the assurance) that you have eternal life, and that you may believe in the name of the son of God.
v 14…And this is the confidence which we have before him, that we ask anything according to his will, he hears us (Jam 4.3-not with fleshly desires); in line with what he has said; what God sees as best for us).
v 15…And if we know that he hears us (a true doctrine) in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked of him (it may be a request for future protection, or health; sometimes it may be delayed to test us or was not answered at once without a miracle; not consistent with what God’s plan for others or the circumstances; or we aren’t ready for the answer all at once).
v 16…If anyone sees his brother committing a sin (“ah-mar-tea-on” or sinful acts) not unto death, he shall ask and God will for him give life (revive them and give comfort) to those who commit sin (‘ah-mar-tea-on” or sinful acts). There is a sin (“ah-mar-tea-ah” or sin nature) unto death (face to face with death; the Torah specified what these sins were). I do not say that we should make a request for this (to spare the life of the offender, like Jeremiah in Jer 7.16, 11.14; but the author is not forbidding such prayer either, he is not asking that such prayers be made).
v 17…All unrighteousness (as defined by the Torah-Rom 3.20; 1 John 3.4) is sin (“ah-mar-tea-ah” or sin nature) and there is a sin (“ah-mar-tea-ah” or sin nature) not to death (and can be overcome by confession, repentance and forgiven daily).
v 18…We know that no one who is born of God sins (“ah-mar-tea-nay” or sins against someone; a special condition or offense directed towards God), but he who was born of God keeps him and the evil one does not touch him.
v 19…We know that we are of God and the whole world lies in wickedness (of the evil one).
v 20…And we know that the son of God has come, and has given us understanding (comprehension of the difference between truth and what is almost truth as defined in the Torah), in order that we might know (“da’at” or knowledge of God in Torah facts in a redemptive way) him who is true, and we are in him (a reflection of the life of Yeshua; he lives on in his followers) who is true, in his son Yeshua the Messiah. This is the true God (not a false one; Yeshua is God with his Father and the Ruach Ha Kodesh-Titus 2.13; John 1.1; Heb 13.8; Phil 2.6-11 notes on this site) and eternal life.
v 21…Little children (“teknia” or young talmidim), guard yourselves from idols (images, icons, any figure that represents God-Deut 4.15-19; or any affections that belong to God that get sidetracked).
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