“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”
My Notes
What Does 1 John 5:11 Mean?
John states the record — the testimony, the official declaration: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Three claims in one verse: God gave it, the gift is eternal life, and the life is located in Jesus.
"This is the record" (marturia) — this is the testimony, the sworn witness. John is not offering an opinion. He is stating what has been officially declared.
"God hath given to us eternal life" — given, not sold. The eternal life is a gift. The initiative belongs to God. You did not earn it, find it, or create it. It was given.
"This life is in his Son" — the life is not abstract. It is located in a person. You do not receive eternal life apart from Jesus. He is not the path to eternal life. He is the location of it. The life is in him.
The next verse (v.12) draws the conclusion: he that hath the Son hath life; he that hath not the Son hath not life. The equation is absolute.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does it mean that eternal life is 'in his Son' rather than a separate gift?
- 2.How does the certainty of 'the record' change your confidence about eternal life?
- 3.What is the difference between knowing about Jesus and 'having' him?
- 4.How does 'God hath given' (past tense) affect your security about possessing eternal life?
Devotional
God hath given to us eternal life. Given. Past tense. The gift has been extended. The eternal life is not something you are working toward. It is something that has been given.
And this life is in his Son. In. Not near. Not associated with. In. The eternal life exists inside a person — Jesus Christ. You cannot have the life without having the person. They are inseparable.
This is the record. The official testimony. The sworn statement of what God has done. Not a suggestion. Not a possibility. The record. God gave eternal life. The life is in his Son. Those are the facts.
He that hath the Son hath life (v.12). The having of the Son is the having of the life. They come together. You do not receive eternal life and then seek Jesus. You receive Jesus and the life comes with him.
Do you have the Son? Not know about him. Have him — personally, relationally, as the center of your existence. Because if you have the Son, you have the life. And if you do not, the most religious life in the world will not substitute for what is missing.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And this is the record,.... The sum and substance of it, with respect to the person of Christ, and the security of…
And this is the record - This is the sum, or the amount, of the testimony (μαρτυρία marturia) which God has given…
This is the record - The great truth to which the Spirit, the water, and the blood bear testimony. God hath given us…
In those words we may observe,
I. The privilege and stability of the real Christian: He that believeth on the Son of…
And this is the record Better, as R.V., And the witness is this, as in 1Jn 5:5: this is what the external witness of…
Cross References
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