Bible / 1 John
1 John 5
World English Bible, Catholic edition, in plain modern English. About the translations
Douay-Rheims Bible, Challoner revision, the traditional Catholic English Bible. About the translations
1 Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. Whoever loves the Father also loves the child who is born of him. CCC · Fathers
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments.
3 For this is loving God, that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not grievous.
4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world: your faith.
5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. CCC
7 For there are three who testify: CCC
8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and the three agree as one. CCC
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is God’s testimony which he has testified concerning his Son.
10 He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who doesn’t believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son.
11 The testimony is this: that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have the life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
14 This is the boldness which we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us. CCC
15 And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.
16 If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for those who sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I don’t say that he should make a request concerning this.
17 All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.
18 We know that whoever is born of God doesn’t sin, but he who was born of God keeps himself, and the evil one doesn’t touch him. CCC
19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. CCC
20 We know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we 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.
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. And every one that loveth him who begot, loveth him also who is born of him. CCC · Fathers
2 In this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep his commandments.
3 For this is the charity of God: That we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not heavy.
4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world. And this is the victory which overcometh the world: Our faith.
5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
6 This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus Christ: not by water only but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit which testifieth that Christ is the truth. CCC
7 And there are Three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one. CCC
8 And there are three that give testimony on earth: the spirit and the water and the blood. And these three are one. CCC
9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater. For this is the testimony of God, which is greater, because he hath testified of his Son.
10 He that believeth in the Son of God hath the testimony of God in himself. He that believeth not the Son maketh him a liar: because he believeth not in the testimony which God hath testified of his Son.
11 And this is the testimony that God hath given to us eternal life. And this life is in his Son.
12 He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son hath not life.
13 These things I write to you that you may know that you have eternal life: you who believe in the name of the Son of God.
14 And this is the confidence which we have towards him: That, whatsoever we shall ask according to his will, he heareth us. CCC
15 And we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask: we know that we have the petitions which we request of him.
16 He that knoweth his brother to sin a sin which is not to death, let him ask: and life shall be given to him who sinneth not to death. There is a sin unto death. For that I say not that any man ask.
17 All iniquity is sin. And there is a sin unto death.
18 We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not: but the generation of God preserveth him and the wicked one toucheth him not. CCC
19 We know that we are of God and the whole world is seated in wickedness. CCC
20 And we know that the Son of God is come. And he hath given us understanding that we may know the true God and may be in his true Son. This is the true God and life eternal.
21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
This chapter in the Catechism and the early Church
Where the Catechism of the Catholic Church cites these verses (from its footnotes on vatican.va), and where the earliest Church Fathers quote them (Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1, public domain). Short quotes only; follow the links for the full text.
Read the Catechism and Fathers
- CCC 2780 “We can invoke God as "Father" because he is revealed to us by his Son become man and because his Spirit makes…”
- CCC 2790 “Grammatically, "our" qualifies a reality common to more than one person. There is only one God, and he is recognized as Father…”
“… but is of antichrist." These words agree with what was said in the Gospel, that "the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Wherefore he again exclaims in his Epistle, "Every one that believeth that Jesus is the Christ, has been born of God;”
Quoted in Against Heresies, Book III, St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. AD 180), Chapter XVI. Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1
Read the Catechism
- CCC 1225 “In his Passover Christ opened to all men the fountain of Baptism. He had already spoken of his Passion, which he was…”
Read the Catechism
- CCC 1225 “In his Passover Christ opened to all men the fountain of Baptism. He had already spoken of his Passion, which he was…”
Read the Catechism
- CCC 2852 “A murderer from the beginning, . . . a liar and the father of lies," Satan is "the deceiver of the whole…”
Read the Catechism
- CCC 2852 “A murderer from the beginning, . . . a liar and the father of lies," Satan is "the deceiver of the whole…”