1 John 5:13-21
New Catholic Bible
Epilogue[a]
So That You May Know[b]
13 I write these things to you
who believe in the name of the Son of God
so that you may know
that you have eternal life.
Prayer for Sinners[c]
14 And thus we can have confidence in him
that if we ask anything
that is in accordance with his will,
he hears us.
15 And if we know that he hears us
in regard to whatever we ask him,
we may be sure
that all we ask of him will be ours.
16 If anyone sees a brother commit a sin
that does not lead to death,
he should intercede for him,
and God will grant him life—
provided that the sin is not deadly.
There is a sin that leads to death,
and I do not say
that you should pray about it.[d]
17 All wrongdoing is sinful,
but not all sins are deadly.
The Great Certitudes[e]
18 We know that one born of God does not continue to sin,
because he who is born of God protects him,
and the evil one has no power over him.
19 We know
that we are from God
and that the entire world
lies under the power of the evil one.
20 We also know
that the Son of God has come
and given us understanding
so that we can know the one who is true.
And we are in the one who is true,
since we are in his Son Jesus Christ.
He is the true God and eternal life.
21 Dear children,
keep away from idols.
Footnotes
- 1 John 5:13 Believers can be certain of partaking of the life of God; this whole Letter has given them the criteria that allow them to be sure of it.
- 1 John 5:13 This summary of the Letter is reminiscent of the Epilogue of John’s Gospel (20:30f).
- 1 John 5:14 Believers are not perfect; they all have their weaknesses. However, these failures are not to be confused with refusal of Christ, which is refusal of fellowship with God. The Bible speaks to us about Abraham and Moses, who could intervene for the sins of human beings. In the Church, all members can intercede for their brethren. The author does not include in his prayer those who pervert the faith.
- 1 John 5:16 In general, the words There is a sin that leads to death refer not to just any sin that causes the loss of sanctifying grace (the “life of the soul”), but to an especially serious sin, such as apostasy, that causes the loss not only of grace but of faith as well. The distinction is intended to underscore the danger in which those who abandon the Christian fellowship (“are excommunicated”) place themselves, and to instill a salutary fear into them.
- 1 John 5:18 The great certitudes that the speculations of the false teachers would like to shake are affirmed one last time, like a cry of victory. The community of God’s children, adhering to Christ, overcomes the forces of evil, truly knows God, and shares his life. To seek anything else is idolatry. The idols to be avoided are either paganism or the false gods of the heart that can turn believers away from faith and love.
