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Faith and love in their mutual connection and victory over the world (1–5). Testimony of Christ from three heavenly and three earthly witnesses (6–9). The believer's inner testimony (10–13). The Boldness of the Believer (14–15). Prayer for a sinning brother (16–19). The main member of the Christian faith is faith in God and in the Lord Jesus Christ; the need to guard against the superstition of the pagans (20–21). 1 John 5:1. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begat Him also loves Him who was born of Him. 1 John 5:2. We learn that we love the children of God when we love God and keep His commandments. 1 John 5:3. For this is love for God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not grievous. The inextricable connection of love for God and neighbor, indicated above (1 John 4) by the Apostle, is here revealed and clarified from the side of reason: God and the believers, whom the Apostle calls born of God, are so closely and morally connected with each other that love for God, who has regenerated people, must entail love for the people regenerated by Him. “If we were born from Him, then, without a doubt, we must show respect to the Parent, that is, to love the One who gave birth. If all of us who have believed have been born of Him, then we must love each other both as brothers and as those born of Him” (Theophilus). Further (vv. 2-3) the Apostle emphasizes the idea that love must certainly be active (cf. 1 John 2:3, 3:18), and evidence of the reality of love is the observance of the commandments of God, about which the Apostle notes here that they are not burdensome, just as the Lord Himself called the yoke of His commandments good, and their burden light (Matt. 11:30), - in the sense, of course, of promoting grace through faith in the redeeming power of the blood of Christ (cf. 1 John 1:7, 2:1, 2). “His commandments are not burdensome. For what is so difficult in the matter of loving a brother? For example, what is so difficult about visiting a prisoner in prison, for the order is not to let him out of prison, which would be difficult, but only to visit. And the sick person is commanded not to free him from his illness, but only to visit him” (Theophilus). Perhaps, speaking about the absence of burden in God’s commandments in comparison with the grace-filled means given to people in Christianity, the Apostle had in mind false teachers who justified their moral laxity by referring to the difficulty and imaginary impossibility of fulfilling God’s commandments. 1 John 5:4. For everyone who is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. 1 John 5:5. Who overcomes the world if not the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? The fulfillment of God's commandments by man encounters obstacles in the form of opposition from hostile principles - the world, the flesh and the devil (see 1 John 2:15-16). But a Christian, by the power of grace given through faith in God and the Lord Jesus Christ, firmly resists temptations and temptations coming from the world, and, finally, defeats the entire hostile world. The apostle “explains what victory consists of and through what it is achieved; he calls both faith, that is, faith in God, which, being born of God, has conquered and driven away all unbelief, and neither Jew, nor Greek, nor heretic is strong against it. And since faith conquers not alone, on its own, but together with the one who has it, he adds: and who conquers the world if not the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (Blessed Theophilus). The victory over the world accomplished by Jesus Christ (John 16:33) is an eternal source from which Christians, by faith in Christ, draw grace-filled strength for their personal victory over the world. 1 John 5:6. This is Jesus Christ, who came by water and blood and the Spirit, not by water only, but by water and blood, and the Spirit bears witness to Him, because the Spirit is truth. 1 John 5:7. For three bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. 1 John 5:8. And three bear witness on earth: spirit, water and blood; and these three are about one. 1 John 5:9. If we accept the testimony of man, the testimony of God is greater, for it is the testimony of God, with which God testified about His Son. Faith in the Divinity of Jesus Christ (v. 5) forms the very essence and main foundation of Christianity, and it was against this faith that the false prophets and heretics of the apostolic age directed all their forces. Therefore, the Apostle now points out those solid and unshakable foundations on which that faith rests. Returning to the beginning of his letter 1 John 1:1-3, the Apostle now reveals in detail and substantiates the testimony of Christ, faith in whom has overcome the world. Evidence that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God is, first of all, the “water” of baptism, the “blood” of death on the cross on Calvary and the “spirit,” that is, the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit: these testimonies are confirmed by the Spirit of God, Who is the truth (v. 6). But the testimony of the Spirit of God is in complete agreement with the testimony of God the Father about His Son (Matt. 3:17, 17:5, etc.) and the Lord Jesus Christ about Himself (John 1:18, 3:11, 8:14, 10:36; Matt. 26:64, etc.), because all three Persons of the Most Holy. The Trinity is one in essence (v. 7). Corresponding to these high heavenly Witnesses are three earthly witnesses: spirit, water and blood (v. 8). “Having said this, he confirms these words with evidence from lesser things. If we accept human testimony about something, shouldn’t we justly accept a greater testimony from God? For this testimony about the Son of God, that is, about Christ, is it not from God Himself?” (Blessed Theophilos.). Verse 7, which is very important in a doctrinal and dogmatic sense, is not read in any of the ancient Greek codes of the New Testament: neither in such authoritative unique codes as Sinaiticus, Alexandria, Vatican, nor in the most ancient italic Greek manuscripts, nor in lectionaries. In the works of the ancient Greek fathers, in their polemics against the Arians, who had constant reason to talk about the trinity of Persons in God and Their consubstantiality, this verse is not quoted. And blessed Theophylact in his interpretation of the message of St. John omits v. 7th. This verse is not found in the oldest translations of the New Testament - Peshito, Arabic, etc.; only in some, and even not ancient, copies of the Latin translation of the Vulgate, the controversial verse is read. Already under the influence of the Vulgate in two Greek codes of the 16th century. this verse is available. The printed edition of the Complutensian Bible (1514–1520) contains the words in question. In the newest critical editions of the New Testament test - Griesbach, Scholz, Tischendorf, Wescott Hort, Trijels and others, the words of Art. On the 7th they go down. On the contrary, the texts accepted by the Eastern and Western churches, original and translated, have the words of Art. 7th, as authentic apostolic words. We must remain with this church view, although scientific textual-critical data does not prove the authenticity of this passage with absolute certainty (see Prof. N.I. Sagarda, pp. 206–260). In any case, the introduction of the words of Art. The 7th does not in the least complicate the reading and connection of the entire text, and is consistent with both previous and subsequent texts, and is also in complete harmony with the peculiarities of the theology of Ap. John. 1 John 5:10. He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; He who does not believe God represents Him as a liar, because he does not believe in the testimony with which God testified about His Son. 1 John 5:11. This testimony is that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 1 John 5:12. He who has the Son [of God] has life; He who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:13. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that by believing in the Son of God you have eternal life. In addition to heavenly and earthly evidence, faith in Jesus Christ has in favor of its truth a strong internal testimony of the believer himself: for a believer and living in Christ, the truth of faith is beyond any doubt, since faith is a constant fact of his consciousness (cf. John 7:16; Rom 8:16; 1 John 1:10). On the contrary, whoever does not believe in the testimony of God considers it false, therefore, represents God Himself as false (v. 10); - “An unbeliever is guilty in two respects: of unbelief, representing God as a liar, and of depriving himself of sonhood, and through this, eternal life” (Blessed Theophilus). Meanwhile, true faith carries within itself an undoubted guarantee of eternal life (vv. 11–12, cf. 1 John 1:4). In Art. 13 “a conclusion is drawn, as it were. I, he says, wrote this to you, as heirs of eternal life. For for those who do not live according to the hope of eternal life, this could not be written, because to give what is holy to dogs and to cast pearls before swine is not praiseworthy” (Matthew 7:6) (Theophilus). And further verses, 1 John 5:14–21, forming an organic, integral part of the epistle, have the nature of a conclusion, in which the most important thoughts of the epistle are repeated, with the addition, however, of one new thought about intercessory prayer for sinning brothers (1 John 5:15–16). 1 John 5:14. And this is the boldness we have towards Him, that when we ask anything according to His will, He listens to us. 1 John 5:15. And when we know that He listens to us in everything we ask, we also know that we receive what we ask from Him. In the believing consciousness of the possession of true, eternal life lies, as a necessary moment, the filial boldness of the believer before God (v. 14, see 1 John 2:28, 3:21, 4:17), consisting in the joyful hope that God will hear our prayers, if only they are consistent with His most holy will (cf. John 16:24; Heb 4:16), - “if we ask God for something in accordance with His will, then He listens to us... And whoever asks something contrary to the will of the Teacher will not be heard” (Blessed Theophilus). Because of this Christian hope, it happens that what is asked of God, expected from Him, appears to be fulfilled for the believing Christian (v. 15). This is the essence of Christian prayer in general. 1 John 5:16. If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin that does not lead to death, then let him pray, and God will give him life, that is, the one who sins a sin that does not lead to death. There is a sin leading to death: I’m not talking about praying. 1 John 5:17. All untruth is sin; but there is a sin that does not lead to death. The boldness of faith and prayer is the great treasure on which the blessedness of the believer is based. But the believer must use this benefit not only for himself, but also for his neighbors, contributing as much as he can to their good and salvation, and above all by praying for them. As for, more specifically, intercessory prayer for brothers who sin (1 John 1:8), it, like prayer in general, can be heard by God only under conditions known from our side. “Having said that God fulfills our requests that are in agreement with His will, the Apostle now clearly expresses his desire about what we would ask according to the will of God. And as he spoke a lot, almost throughout the entire epistle, about love for a brother and about the fact that God wants us to observe love for a brother unfeignedly, now one of His desires, and the best, is that when someone sees his brother sinning with an immortal sin, let him ask” (Blessed Theophilus). We must pray for sinning brothers if they commit a “sin not unto death” (αμαρτίαν μή πρός θανατον), i.e. that is, if they have not completely fallen away from faith and love, if they have not deliberately removed themselves from the influence of grace-filled means on them. But besides “sin and not leading to death,” there is also “sin leading to death,” i.e., similar to the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Gospel (Matthew 12:31–32), a decisive, conscious and intentional falling away from faith - especially from faith in the incarnation of the Son of God (James 4:3), and from love for one’s neighbor (1 John 3:10): the Apostle directly calls hatred for one’s brother murder (1 John 3:15); The Apostle Paul also speaks about the gravity of the sin of denying the incarnate Son of God (Heb. 6:4–6, 10:26). Presenting prayer for those who sin as an immortal and indispensable duty of a Christian believer (cf. James 5:16), the Apostle does not give such instructions about prayer for those who sin mortal sins, although he does not directly prohibit prayers of this kind: the success of prayer in the latter case is counteracted by unbelief, perseverance, bitterness and inertia in sins. But even sins of the first kind, immortal, require careful cleansing and must be avoided, since “all unrighteousness is sin” (v. 17a). 1 John 5:18. We know that everyone born of God does not sin; but he who is born of God keeps himself, and the evil one does not touch him. 1 John 5:19. We know that we are from God and that the whole world lies in evil. 1 John 5:20. We also know that the Son of God came and gave us light and understanding, so that we may know the true God and may we be in His true Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. 1 John 5:21. Children! keep yourself from idols. Amen. Now comes the conclusion of the message. With the threefold “we know” (vv. 18, 19, 20), the Apostle once again brings to the readers the basic truths revealed to him in the epistle, which are completely indisputable both for the Apostle and for all Christians. The first position, previously revealed by the Apostle (1 John 3:9), reads: “Whoever is born of God does not sin” (v. 18) “However, lest anyone think that his (regenerate) nature is transformed and becomes elusive to sin, he adds: “keep himself,” i.e., if he does not guard and take care of himself, then, without a doubt, will sin. So, he does not achieve sinlessness by nature, but by the great gift of God. God, having adopted us, has honored us with such grace that, by observing and preserving the gift given from Him, we can not sin” (Theophilus). The second position consists of two opposing judgments: “we are from God”, and “the whole world lies in evil” (v. 19) - the world hostile to God embraces first of all “the prince of this world” (John 12:31) and his children, especially false teachers and antichrists, about whom the Apostle spoke (1 John 2:18–19, 22–23, 4:2–8), as well as those who follow the lusts of the world (1 John 2:15–16). True Christians, as those born of God, should be alien to all this. This state of the believer is determined by the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ, having appeared in the world, gave us the opportunity to know the true God, and we are in communion with God, being in communion with His Son Jesus Christ, Who is the true God and eternal life (v. 20). This third point summarizes everything the Apostle said in the section 1 John 4:9–5:12. Being in communion with the true God, having eternal life from Him, Christians must in every possible way avoid the worship of false gods and all types of idolatry (v. 21). “The Apostle wrote this to the whole church, which was not all filled with chosen people, but among them there were others with the wrong disposition. To such he gives this commandment, fearing for their weakness” (Blessed Theophilus). You might be interested in: