1 John 5:13
Memory Verse
These things I have written to you in order that you should know that you all have eternal life, to those who believe in the name of the Son of God. 1 John 5:13
The apostle John writes concerning the testimony of God so that we may know that we have eternal life. Eternal life is a type of life that relates to God’s quality of life. Therefore, the one possessing this type of life is able to live in a righteous manner, for they possess all things pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3–4).
There is a textual issue in this verse, which is the reason some translations, such as the NKJV, add “and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.” This phrase was added to the text much later. In addition, the NKJV adds “continue”, which is not supported by any Greek manuscript.
Examine the context, John has already stated that the one who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself (1 John 5:10). The one who believes in Christ is born from God (1 John 5:1). This birth is from the seed of God and is incorruptible (1 John 3:9; 1 Peter 1:23). Therefore, since believing in Christ is already established by John, and John is writing so that those who believe know they have eternal life, adding “in order that you should believe in the name of the Son of God” is unnecessary and leads to confusion.
Old Testament saints did not possess eternal life. They were promised this type of life in the resurrection. Under the New Testament, man’s relationship with God has changed. The Holy Spirit now indwells the believer, the believer is in Christ, and Christ is in the believer. Because Christ is in the believer, he possesses eternal life (1 John 5:12). This is God’s quality of life by which the Christian is now able to escape the corruption in the world through its strong desires (2 Peter 1:4). For this reason, we are to add to our faith virtue, and to our virtue knowledge and to our knowledge self-control and to our self-control patience and to our patience godliness and to our godliness brotherly love and to our brotherly love we are to add love. For the one doing these things will never be unfruitful nor barren in the full experiential knowledge of God (2 Peter 1:5–8).