The Meaning of 1 John 5:5 Explained

1 John 5:5

KJV: Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

YLT: who is he who is overcoming the world, if not he who is believing that Jesus is the Son of God?

Darby: Who is he that gets the victory over the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

ASV: And who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

Discover 1 John 5:5

CONTEXT: What is the Context of 1 John 5:5?

MEANING: What does 1 John 5:5 Mean?

WORDS: What do the individual words in 1 John 5:5 mean?

RELATIONS: What do the major concepts mean in 1 John 5:5?

What is the context of 1 John 5:5?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

What does 1 John 5:5 Mean?

Verse Meaning

Continuing to overcome is not automatic for the Christian. Not all Christians continue to overcome the world (cf. 2 Timothy 4:10). Only those who continue to live by faith (i.e, trust and obey God) do. However, no one can overcome the world unless he or she believes that Jesus is the Son of God. It is in this sense that John refers to overcomers here; every Christian overcomes essentially because we believe in Jesus Christ.

Context Summary

1 John 5:1-12 - The Victorious Life

The "begotten" children of God are constantly referred to in this Epistle. The word indicates the communication, in regeneration, of the divine nature, of which the first evidence is love. This love is not a weak sentimentality, but a, strong, vigorous response to the motions of the divine love.

God's life in the soul also manifests itself in our faith; and as faith is the substance of the unseen and eternal world, it overcomes the fascination and glamour of this transient scene. Let your faith entwine around the risen Lord and you will be weaned from all else. Jesus must become all-in-all to you, else you will miss the crown!

We need not only the water of repentance, but also the blood of propitiation. When these two are admitted, the Holy Spirit will bear His secret witness to the soul. God is ever bearing witness to the Son by the eternal life that He gives to and maintains in those who believe. Eternity begins even here for those who have the Son as their indwelling guest. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 John 5

¹ He who loves God loves his children, and keeps his commandments;
³ which to the faithful are not grievous
⁹ Jesus is the Son of God;
¹⁴ and able to hear our prayers

Greek Commentary for 1 John 5:5

And who is he that overcometh? [τις εστιν δε ο νικων]
Not a mere rhetorical question (1 John 2:22), but an appeal to experience and fact. Note the present active articular participle (νικων nikōn) like νικαι nikāi (present active indicative in 1 John 5:4), “the one who keeps on conquering the world.” See 1 Corinthians 15:57 for the same note of victory (νικος nikos) through Christ. See 1 John 5:1 for ο πιστευων ho pisteuōn (the one who believes) as here. [source]

Jesus is the Son of God [Ιησους εστιν ο υιος του τεου]
As in 1 John 5:1 save that here ο υιος του τεου ho huios tou theou in place of Χριστος Christos and see both in 1 John 2:22. Here there is sharp antithesis between “Jesus” (humanity) and “the Son of God” (deity) united in the one personality. [source]

He that overcometh [ὁ νικῶν]
The article with the participle denoting what is habitual; one who leads a life of victory over the world. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 John 5:5

1 John 2:22 A liar [ὁ ψεύστης]
Rev., correctly, “the liar.” For a similar interrogative phrase see 1 John 5:5. It marks the lively feeling with which the apostle writes. By the definite article, the liar, the lie is set forth in its concrete personality: the one who impersonates all that is false, as antichrist represents every form of hostility and opposition to Christ. The denial that Jesus is the Christ is the representative falsehood. He that denies is the representative liar. [source]

1 John 2:13 Have overcome [νενικήκατε]
Compare John 16:33. The image is characteristic of Revelation and First Epistle. See Revelation 2:7, Revelation 2:11, Revelation 2:17, Revelation 2:26; Revelation 12:11; Revelation 21:7; 1 John 2:14; 1 John 4:4; 1 John 5:4, 1 John 5:5. [source]

1 John 2:22 The liar [ο πσευστης]
The liar (with the article) par excellence. Rhetorical question to sharpen the point made already about lying in 1 John 1:6, 1 John 1:10; 1 John 2:4, 1 John 2:21. See 1 John 5:5 for a like rhetorical question. [source]

1 John 5:6 This [ουτος]
Jesus the Son of God (1 John 5:5). [source]

What do the individual words in 1 John 5:5 mean?

Who now is the [one] overcoming the world if not believing that Jesus the Son - of God

Τίς ‹δέ› ἐστιν ὁ νικῶν τὸν κόσμον εἰ μὴ πιστεύων ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ

‹δέ›	now
Parse: Conjunction Root: δέ Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
ὁ	the [one]
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc.
νικῶν	overcoming
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: νικάω Sense: to conquer.
κόσμον	world
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular Root: κόσμος Sense: an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution, order, government.
πιστεύων	believing
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: πιστεύω Sense: to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in.
ὅτι	that
Parse: Conjunction Root: ὅτι Sense: that, because, since.
Ἰησοῦς	Jesus
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: Ἰησοῦς Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
Υἱὸς	Son
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular Root: υἱός Sense: a son.
τοῦ	-
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: ὁ Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεοῦ	of God
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular Root: θεός Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.

What are the major concepts related to 1 John 5:5?

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Similar Scriptures for 1 John 5:5

		1 John 4:15 [7]
		1 John 5:1 [5]