Bible / 1 John

1 John 5

World English Bible, Catholic edition, in plain modern English. 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.

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.

  1. 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

  2. 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…”
  3. 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…”
  4. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 694 “Water. the symbolism of water signifies the Holy Spirit's action in Baptism, since after the invocation of the Holy Spirit it becomes…”
    • CCC 1225 “In his Passover Christ opened to all men the fountain of Baptism. He had already spoken of his Passion, which he was…”
  5. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 2778 “This power of the Spirit who introduces us to the Lord's Prayer is expressed in the liturgies of East and of West…”
    • CCC 2827 “If any one is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him." Such is the power of the…”
  6. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 2852 “A murderer from the beginning, . . . a liar and the father of lies," Satan is "the deceiver of the whole…”
  7. Read the Catechism
    • CCC 2852 “A murderer from the beginning, . . . a liar and the father of lies," Satan is "the deceiver of the whole…”