God’s Word Translation
1 John 5:20
20We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we know the real God. We are in the one who is real, his Son Jesus Christ. This Jesus Christ is the real God and eternal life.
1 John 5:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
- New International Version (NIV)We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
Context of 1 John 5:20
18We know that those who have been born from God don’t go on sinning. Rather, the Son of God protects them, and the evil one can’t harm them. 19We know that we are from God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we know the real God. We are in the one who is real, his Son Jesus Christ. This Jesus Christ is the real God and eternal life. 21Dear children, guard yourselves from false gods.
Read all of 1 John 51 John 5:20 word by word
οἴδαμεν δὲ ὅτι ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἥκει καὶ δέδωκεν ἡμῖν διάνοιαν ἵνα γινώσκωμεν τὸν ἀληθινόν, καὶ ἐσμὲν ἐν τῷ ἀληθινῷ, ἐν τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ. οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀληθινὸς θεὸς καὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος.Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Andδέde · thenG1161
- we knowεἴδωeidō · to perceive: understandG1492
- thatὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
- the Sonὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
- the Sonυἱόςuihos · sonG5207
- of Godθεόςtheos · GodG2316
- is comeἥκωhēkō · to come/be presentG2240
- andκαίkai · andG2532
- hath givenδίδωμιdidōmi · to giveG1325
- usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
- an understandingδιάνοιαdianoia · mindG1271
- thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
- we may knowγινώσκωginōskō · to knowG1097
- him that is trueἀληθινόςalēthinos · trueG228
- we areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
- inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
- hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
- JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
- ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
- Thisοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
- eternalαἰώνιοςaiōnios · eternalG166
- lifeζωήzōē · lifeG2222
Cross-references for 1 John 5:20
- 1 John 5:1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah has been born from God. Everyone who loves the Father also loves his children.
- 1 John 4:2This is how you can recognize God’s Spirit: Every person who declares that Jesus Christ has come as a human has the Spirit that is from God.
- Matthew 13:11Jesus answered, “Knowledge about the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you. But it has not been given to the crowd.
- Luke 21:15I will give you words and wisdom that none of your enemies will be able to oppose or prove wrong.
- Luke 24:45Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
- John 17:3This is eternal life: to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
- 1 Corinthians 1:30You are partners with Christ Jesus because of God. Jesus has become our wisdom sent from God, our approval, our holiness, and our ransom from sin.
- 2 Corinthians 4:6We are his servants because the same God who said that light should shine out of darkness has given us light. For that reason we bring to light the knowledge about God’s glory which shines from Christ’s face.
- Ephesians 1:17I pray that the glorious Father, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know Christ better.
- Ephesians 3:18This way, with all of God’s people you will be able to understand how wide, long, high, and deep his love is.
- Colossians 2:2Because they are united in love, I work so that they may be encouraged by all the riches that come from a complete understanding of Christ. He is the mystery of God.
- John 14:6Jesus answered him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one goes to the Father except through me.
- Revelation 3:7“To the messenger of the church in Philadelphia, write: The one who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens ⌞a door⌟ that no one can shut, and who shuts ⌞a door⌟ that no one can open, says:
- Revelation 6:10They cried out in a loud voice, “Holy and true Master, how long before you judge and take revenge on those living on earth who shed our blood?”
- Revelation 15:3and singing the song of God’s servant Moses and the song of the lamb. They sang, “The things you do are spectacular and amazing, Lord God Almighty. The way you do them is fair and true, King of the Nations.
- Revelation 19:11I saw heaven standing open. There was a white horse, and its rider is named Faithful and True. With integrity he judges and wages war.
Commentaries on 1 John 5:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20We know that the Son of God is come - In the flesh, and has made his soul an offering for sin; and hath given us an understanding - a more eminent degree of light than we ever enjoyed before; for as he lay in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him unto us; and he hath besides given us a spiritual understanding, that we may know him who is true, even the True God, and get eternal life from him through his Son, In whom we are by faith, as the…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20And we know that the Son of God is come - We know this by the evidence that John had referred to in this Epistle, 1 John 1:1-4; 1 John 5:6-8. And hath given us an understanding - Not an “understanding” considered as a faculty of the mind, for religion gives us no new faculties; but he has so instructed us that we do understand the great truths referred to. Compare the notes at Luke 24:45. All the correct knowledge which we have of God and his government…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-21Verses 18-21 All mankind are divided into two parties or dominions; that which belongs to God, and that which belongs to the wicked one. True believers belong to God: they are of God, and from him, and to him, and for him; while the rest, by far the greater number, are in the power of the wicked one; they do his works, and support his cause. This general declaration includes all unbelievers, whatever their profession, station, or situation, or by whatever…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20John states that Jesus Christ is the only true God (see John 1:1, 18; 20:28; Romans 9:5; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 1:1). we are in Him: Having fellowship or being united with Jesus Christ means having eternal life, because he is eternal life (see 1 John 5:12; John 1:4; 3:16; 14:6; 20:31).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. Summary of our Christian privileges. is come--is present, having come. "He is here--all is full of Him--His incarnation, work, and abiding presence, is to us a living fact" [Alford]. given us an understanding--Christ's, office is to give the inner spiritual understanding to discern the things of God. that we may know--Some oldest manuscripts read, "(so) that we know." him that is true--God, as opposed to every kind of idol or false god (1Jo 5:21)…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 John 5:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 John 5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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