Devine Scripture

1 John 5:12

What does 1 John 5:12 mean?

A plain-English look at 1 John 5:12 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What 1 John 5:12 means

John states the matter as plainly as possible: “He that hath the Son hath the life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not the life.” Salvation is not a spectrum but a relationship. To “have” the Son is to belong to Him by faith, sharing in the life God gives in Him. No other path, system, or substitute can supply eternal life. This exclusivity is not harsh but hopeful, because God has truly given His Son. Assurance is anchored here: if you have the Son, you have life—despite weakness. If you do not, no amount of religious veneer can compensate.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

He that hath the Son hath the life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not the life.

KJV

King James Version · 1611

He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

He that hath the Son hath the life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not the life.

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

He who has the Son has the life; he who has not the Son of God has not the life.

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

he who is having the Son, hath the life; he who is not having the Son of God--the life he hath not.

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son hath not life.

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

He that has the Son has life: he that has not the Son ofGod has not life.

Context

Verse 12 concludes the testimony’s core message begun in verse 11 with a decisive contrast. This leads directly to verse 13, where John discloses his purpose in writing: that those who believe on the name of the Son of God may know they have eternal life. With assurance clarified, the next verses (14–15) describe confident prayer according to God’s will, and then (16–17) apply that confidence to interceding for a brother caught in sin, while warning about a “sin unto death.”

v.11And the witness is this, that God gave unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

v.12This passage

v.13These things have I written unto you, that ye may know that ye have eternal life, even unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God.

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • 1 John 2:23

    Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that confesseth the Son hath the Father also.

  • 2 John 1:9

    Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son.

  • John 3:15

    that whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life.

  • Hebrews 3:14

    for we are become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our confidence firm unto the end:

  • John 5:24

    Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me, hath eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath passed out of death into life.

  • Galatians 2:20

    I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

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