These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
What does 1 John 5:13 mean?
Upon all this evidence, it is but right that we believe on the name of the Son of God. Believers have eternal life in the covenant of the gospel.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside 1 John 5:13-15 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on 1 John 5:13
These things have I written unto you - The things in this Epistle respecting the testimony borne to the Lord Jesus. That believe on the name of the Son of God - To believe on his name, is to believe on himself - the word "name" often being used to denote the person. See the notes at Matthew 28:19 . That ye may know that ye have eternal life - That you may see the evidence that eternal life has been provided, and that you may be able, by self-examination, to determine whether you possess it. Compare the notes at John 20:31 . And that ye may believe ...
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Context in 1 John 5
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1 John 5 belongs to the closing movement of the book, especially the section often described as assurance and final warning. First John is a profound epistle of light, truth, love, assurance, obedience, and confession of the incarnate Son. Read this chapter with the wider themes of love, truth, and assurance in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
Related topics
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A guided collection of passages on God’s love, neighbor-love, steadfast covenant love, and the shape of love in Christian life.
Passages on trusting God, receiving Christ, persevering without sight, and the relation between faith and lived obedience.
Bible verses about eternal life
Core passages on everlasting life, union with Christ, resurrection hope, judgment, and the promise of life beyond death.
Passages on the nature of truth, honesty, deception, the word of God as truth, and Jesus' claim to be the truth.