The Meaning of 1 John 5:11 Explained

1 John 5:11

KJV: And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

YLT: and this is the testimony, that life age-during did God give to us, and this -- the life -- is in His Son;

Darby: And this is the witness, that God has given to us eternal life; and this life is in his Son.

ASV: And the witness is this, that God gave unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  this  is  the record,  that  God  hath given  to us  eternal  life,  and  this  life  is  in  his  Son. 

What does 1 John 5:11 Mean?

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 5:11

That God gave [οτι εδωκεν ο τεος]
Declarative οτι — hoti in apposition with μαρτυρια — marturia as in 1 John 5:14; John 3:19. Note aorist active indicative εδωκεν — edōken (from διδωμι — didōmi) as in 1 John 3:23., the great historic fact of the Incarnation (John 3:16), but the perfect δεδωκεν — dedōken in 1 John 3:1 to emphasize the abiding presence of God‘s love. [source]
Eternal life [ζωην αιωνιον]
Anarthrous emphasizing quality, but with the article in 1 John 1:2.In his Son (εν τωι υιωι αυτου — en tōi huiōi autou). This life and the witness also. This is why Jesus who is life (John 14:6) came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). [source]
In his Son [εν τωι υιωι αυτου]
This life and the witness also. This is why Jesus who is life (John 14:6) came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). [source]
Hath given [ἔδωκεν]
The aorist tense, gave. So Rev. The reference is to the historic fact of the gift. So 1 John 3:23: “We should love one another as He gave ( ἔδωκεν ) us commandment.” 1 John 3:24: “We know that He abideth in us by the Spirit which He gave ( ἔδωκεν ) us.” On the other hand, 1 John 3:1: “Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed ( δέδωκεν ) upon us.” The gift of love abides in the fact that we are now children of God (1 John 3:2). [source]
Eternal life [ζωὴν αἰώνιον]
Compare the phrase τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον thelife, the eternal life (1 John 1:2), and ἡ αἰώνιος ζωὴ theeternal life (John 17:3). For the distinction between the phrases see on 1 John 1:2. The phrase here, without either article, merely defines the character of the life. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for 1 John 5:11

John 3:19 This []
That is, herein consists the judgment. The prefacing a statement with this is, and then defining the statement by ὅτι or ἵνα , that, is characteristic of John. See John 15:12; John 17:3; 1 John 1:5; 1 John 5:11, 1 John 5:14; 3 John 1:6. [source]
John 1:19 This [αὕτη]
The following. This use of the pronoun, calling the reader's attention to what follows, and preparing him for it, is frequent in John. Sometimes the pronoun carries the sense of quality: of this character. See John 3:19; John 15:12; 1 John 5:4, 1 John 5:9, 1 John 5:11, 1 John 5:14. [source]
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life [καγω διδωμι αυτοις ζωην αιωνιον]
This is the gift of Jesus now to his sheep as stated in John 6:27, John 6:40 (cf. 1 John 2:25; 1 John 5:11). And they shall never perish Emphatic double negative with second aorist middle (intransitive) subjunctive of απολλυμι — apollumi to destroy. The sheep may feel secure (John 3:16; John 6:39; John 17:12; John 18:9). And no one shall snatch them out of my hand Jesus had promised this security in Galilee (John 6:37, John 6:39). No wolf, no thief, no bandit, no hireling, no demon, not even the devil can pluck the sheep out of my hand. Cf. Colossians 3:3 (Your life is hid together with Christ in God). [source]
John 3:19 And this is the judgment [αυτη δε εστιν η κρισις]
A thoroughly Johannine phrase for sequence of thought (John 15:12; John 17:3; 1 John 1:5; 1 John 5:11, 1 John 5:14; 3 John 1:6). It is more precisely the process of judging The light is come Second perfect active indicative of το σκοτος — erchomai a permanent result as already explained in the Prologue concerning the Incarnation (John 1:4, John 1:5, John 1:9, John 1:11). Jesus is the Light of the world. Loved darkness Job (Job 24:13) spoke of men rebelling against the light. Here πονηρα — to skotos common word for moral and spiritual darkness (1 Thessalonians 5:5), though Πονηρος — hē skotia in John 1:5. “Darkness” is common in John as a metaphor for the state of sinners (John 8:12; John 12:35, John 12:46; 1 John 1:6; 1 John 2:8, 1 John 2:9, 1 John 2:11). Jesus himself is the only moral and spiritual light of the world (John 8:12) as he dared claim to his enemies. The pathos of it all is that men fall in love with the darkness of sin and rebel against the light like denizens of the underworld, “for their works were evil In the end the god of this world blinds men‘s eyes so that they do not see the light (2 Corinthians 4:4). The fish in the Mammoth Cave have no longer eyes, but only sockets where eyes used to be. The evil one has a powerful grip on the world (1 John 5:19). [source]
Ephesians 4:18 Life of God [ζωῆς]
See on John 1:4. The life which God bestows; life in Christ. See 1 John 5:11. [source]
Colossians 3:4 Who is our life [ζωὴ]
See on John 1:4. The life is not only with Christ, it is Christ. Compare John 14:6; 2 Corinthians 4:10, 2 Corinthians 4:11; 1 John 5:11, 1 John 5:12. For the change of person, our for your, see on Colossians 2:13. [source]
2 Timothy 1:1 Of life which is in Christ Jesus []
The phrase promise of life only here and 1 Timothy 4:8. oP. Life in Christ is a Pauline thought. See Romans 8:2; 2 Corinthians 4:10; Romans 6:2-14; Galatians 2:19, Galatians 2:20; Colossians 3:4; Philemon 1:21. It is also a Johannine thought; see John 1:4; John 3:15; John 6:25; John 14:6; 1 John 5:11. [source]
Hebrews 12:9 And live [καὶ ζήσομεν]
Have true life; not limited to the future life. Comp. John 5:26; John 6:57; 1 John 5:11; Revelation 11:11; Acts 16:28; Romans 6:11; Romans 14:8; 1 John 4:9, and see on living God, Hebrews 3:12. [source]
1 John 5:12 Hath life [ἔχει τὴν ζωὴν]
More strictly, as Rev., the life; i.e., the life which God gave (1 John 5:11). See on John 16:22. Compare Christ who is our life (Colossians 3:4). [source]
1 John 1:2 The Life [ἡ ζωὴ]
The Word Himself who is the Life. Compare John 14:6; John 5:26; 1 John 5:11, 1 John 5:12. Life expresses the nature of the Word (John 1:4). The phrase, the Life, besides being equivalent to the Word, also indicates, like the Truth and the Light, an aspect of His being. [source]
1 John 5:12 Hath the life [εχει την ζωην]
The life which God gave (1 John 5:11). This is the position of Jesus himself (John 5:24; John 14:6). [source]
1 John 5:14 That [οτι]
Declarative again, as in 1 John 5:11.If we ask anything (εαν τι αιτωμετα — ean ti aitōmetha). Condition of third class with εαν — ean and present middle (indirect) subjunctive (personal interest as in James 4:3, though the point is not to be pressed too far, for see Matthew 20:20, Matthew 20:22; John 16:24, John 16:26).According to his will This is the secret in all prayer, even in the case of Jesus himself. For the phrase see 1 Peter 4:19; Galatians 1:4; Ephesians 1:5, Ephesians 1:11.He heareth us (ακουει ημων — akouei hēmōn). Even when God does not give us what we ask, in particular then (Hebrews 5:7.). [source]
Revelation 1:9 Kingdom [βασιλείᾳ]
The present kingdom. Trench is wrong in saying that “while the tribulation is present the kingdom is only in hope.” On the contrary, it is the assurance of being now within the kingdom of Christ - under Christ's sovereignty, fighting the good fight under His leadership - which gives hope and courage and patience. The kingdom of God is a present energy, and it is a peculiality of John to treat the eternal life as already present. See John 3:36; John 5:24; John 6:47, John 6:54; 1 John 5:11. “In all these things we are abundantly the conquerors (Romans 8:37sqq.). This may go to explain the peculiar order of the three words; tribulation and kingdom, two apparently antithetic ideas, being joined, with a true insight into their relation, and patience being added as the element through which the tribulation is translated into sovereignty. The reference to the future glorious consummation of the kingdom need not be rejected. It is rather involved in the present kingdom. Patience, which links the life of tribulation with the sovereignty of Christ here upon earth, likewise links it with the consummation of Christ's kingdom in heaven. Through faith and patience the subjects of that kingdom inherit the promises. “Rightly he says first 'in the tribulation' and adds afterwards 'in the kingdom,' because, if we suffer together we shall also reign together” (Richard of St. Victor, cited by Trench). Compare Acts 14:22. [source]

What do the individual words in 1 John 5:11 mean?

And this is the testimony that life eternal has given - God to us life in the Son His is
Καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν μαρτυρία ὅτι ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἔδωκεν Θεὸς» ἡμῖν ζωὴ ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν

αὕτη  this 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: οὗτος  
Sense: this.
μαρτυρία  testimony 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: μαρτυρία  
Sense: a testifying.
ὅτι  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: ὅτι  
Sense: that, because, since.
ζωὴν  life 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: ζωή  
Sense: life.
αἰώνιον  eternal 
Parse: Adjective, Accusative Feminine Singular
Root: αἰώνιος  
Sense: without beginning and end, that which always has been and always will be.
ἔδωκεν  has  given 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: διδῶ 
Sense: to give.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Θεὸς»  God 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: θεός  
Sense: a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities.
ἡμῖν  to  us 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 1st Person Plural
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
ζωὴ  life 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: ζωή  
Sense: life.
Υἱῷ  Son 
Parse: Noun, Dative Masculine Singular
Root: υἱός  
Sense: a son.
αὐτοῦ  His 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.