I John 5:20 · Bible study
1 John 5:20 Commentary: Who Is the True God?
Greek · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
An examination of the debated phrase in 1 John 5:20: does 'This is the true God' refer to Jesus Christ or the Father? Insights from grammar and church history.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The Son of God has come, given us understanding to know the true God, and we are united to him in Christ; this is the true God and eternal life.
- Key words: dianoia (understanding, mental faculty), alēthinos (genuine, real, true as opposed to false), hēkei (has come and is present).
- Main debate: Whether 'this is the true God' refers to Jesus Christ or to God the Father; both views have strong support.
- Theological theme: Assurance of salvation through true knowledge of God in Christ; Christ's deity and union with believers.
- Best use: For teaching on the identity of Jesus, the nature of saving knowledge, and the confidence believers have in the face of false teaching.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true—in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
WEB World English Bible 2000
We know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
KJV King James Version 1769
And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
and we have known that the Son of God is come, and hath given us a mind, that we may know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ; this one is the true God and the life age-during!
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding that we should know him that [is] true; and we are in him that [is] true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And we know that the Son of God is come. And he hath given us understanding that we may know the true God and may be in his true Son. This is the true God and life eternal.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Empero sabemos que el Hijo de Dios es venido, y nos ha dado entendimiento para conocer al que es verdadero: y estamos en el verdadero, en su Hijo Jesucristo|strong="G2424, G5547". Este es el verdadero Dios, y la vida eterna.
E sabemos que o Filho de Deus veio, e nos deu entendimento para conhecermos o Verdadeiro; e no Verdadeiro estamos, em seu Filho Jesus Cristo. Este é o verdadeiro Deus, e a vida eterna.
Nous savons aussi que le Fils de Dieu est venu, et qu’ il nous a donné l’ intelligence pour connaître le Véritable; et nous sommes dans le Véritable, en son Fils Jésus-Christ. C’ est lui qui est le Dieu véritable, et la vie éternelle.
Wir wissen aber, daß der Sohn Gottes gekommen ist und hat uns einen Sinn gegeben, daß wir erkennen den Wahrhaftigen; und wir sind in dem Wahrhaftigen, in seinem Sohn Jesus Christus. Dieser ist der wahrhaftige Gott und das ewige Leben.
Doch wij weten, dat de Zoon van God gekomen is, en heeft ons het verstand gegeven, dat wij den Waarachtige kennen; en wij zijn in den Waarachtige, namelijk in Zijn Zoon Jezus Christus. Deze is de waarachtige God, en het eeuwige Leven.
ma sappiamo che il Figliuol di Dio è venuto e ci ha dato intendimento per conoscere Colui che è il vero; e noi siamo in Colui che è il vero Dio, nel suo Figliuolo Gesù Cristo. Quello è il vero Dio e la vita eterna.
A wiemy, iż Syn Boży przyszedł i dał nam zmysł, abyśmy poznali onego prawdziwego Boga, i jesteśmy w onym prawdziwym, to jest w Synu jego, Jezusie Chrystusie; tenci jest prawdziwy Bóg i żywot wieczny.
Знаем также, что Сын Божий пришел и дал нам свет и разум, да познаем Бога истинного и да будем в истинном Сыне Его Иисусе Христе. Сей есть истинный Бог и жизнь вечная.
我們也 知道， 神的 兒子 已經來到，且 將智慧 賜給 我們，使 我們認識 那位真實的，我們也 在那位真實的 裡面，就是在 他 兒子 耶穌 基督裡面。這 是 真 神，也是 永 生。
And we are certain that the Son of God has come, and has given us a clear vision, so that we may see him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · I John 5:20
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
All commentators agree on the main structure: the Son of God has come in the flesh and given believers a genuine understanding (dianoia) so they may know the one who is true. They also agree that believers are united to the true God through being in his Son Jesus Christ. The knowledge here is not vague but a real, personal recognition of God as he truly is, in contrast to the false gods of the world (1 John 5:21). The phrase 'him that is true' points to the real God, the living God, as seen in Jeremiah 10:10. What divides interpreters is the final clause: 'This is the true God and eternal life.' The immediate grammatical antecedent is 'Jesus Christ' (the last named person). Many Reformation-era commentators, including Barnes, Gill, and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, take this as a clear affirmation of Christ's deity. Others, such as the Cambridge Bible and Vincent, argue that 'this' refers to God the Father, since the whole passage is about knowing the Father through the Son. Calvin is more cautious, seeing the verse as a testimony to the Father but also insisting that Christ gives true knowledge of God.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Christological interpretation: The immediate antecedent of 'this' is 'Jesus Christ'; grammatical proximity and parallels in John's Gospel (1:1; 20:28) support reading it as a declaration of Christ's deity.
- Theological interpretation (God the Father): The context focuses on knowing the true God (the Father) through the Son; 'this' can refer to the whole preceding clause about the true God rather than the individual person Jesus.
What is clear: Whether directly or indirectly, the verse affirms that Jesus Christ reveals the true God and that eternal life is found in him alone.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Referent of 'this' in 'this is the true God' | The phrase identifies the source of true deity and eternal life, whether understood as Christ or the Father. | Protestant interpreters like Barnes, Gill, and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown take the immediate antecedent as Jesus Christ, affirming his deity. Others like Cambridge Bible and Vincent argue the antecedent is God the Father, since the context emphasizes knowing the Father through the Son. |
| Meaning of 'true God' | All agree it refers to the real, living God in contrast to idols and false gods (1 John 5:21). | Some read it as a title for Jesus, equating him with Yahweh (Isaiah 44:6; Jeremiah 10:10). Others reserve it for the Father, seeing Jesus as the revealer of the true God rather than its direct referent. |
| Nature of the understanding given by Christ | Christ grants a genuine capacity to know God, not new mental faculties but illumination of the existing mind. | No significant debate on this point; commentators focus on the gift aspect rather than the faculty itself. |
| Union with the true God | Believers are in the true God through being in his Son Jesus Christ; this union is intimate and life-giving. | Debate is minimal; the phrase 'we are in him who is true' is widely accepted as describing the believer's position in God through Christ. |
| Eternal life as a present possession | Eternal life is not merely future; it is a present reality for those who know the true God in Christ. | All traditions agree; no dispute recorded in the supplied excerpts. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The letter of 1 John was written late in the first century, likely from Ephesus, to churches facing the rise of early Gnostic teaching. These teachers claimed special, hidden knowledge (gnosis) that gave them access to the divine. They often denied that Jesus had come in the flesh, separating the spiritual Christ from the human Jesus. John counters this by insisting that the Son of God really came in a physical body (1 John 1:1-3; 4:2). The word dianoia (understanding) appears only here in John's writings. It refers to the faculty of understanding, not a new mental power but a renewed capacity given by Christ to grasp spiritual truth. The term 'true' (alēthinos) means genuine, real, as opposed to counterfeit. It appears throughout the letter (1 John 2:8; 5:20-21) and echoes the Old Testament contrast between the living God and idols (Jeremiah 10:10; Isaiah 44:6). John closes his letter by reminding believers that they have the real thing, true knowledge, true union, true life, not the illusions offered by false teachers. The warning against idols (verse 21) is a natural conclusion: any representation of God apart from Jesus Christ is a false god.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note no significant textual variants for 1 John 5:20. Some manuscripts add 'the true God' in verse 20 (the Alexandrian copy and Vulgate Latin reading), but the overall wording is stable. The main interpretive question is grammatical, not textual.
Reception History
From the early church, this verse has been central to debates on Christ's deity. Athanasius and other Nicene fathers cited it to defend the full divinity of the Son. In the Reformation, Luther and Calvin used it to ground assurance in the knowledge of God through Christ. Catholic commentators like the Douay Rheims read it as referring to Christ, while the preferred interpretation in many Orthodox traditions sees it as affirming the Father. The verse appears in hymns such as 'Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus' and is often used in evangelism to declare that eternal life is found in a person, not a concept. Its closing warning against idols (v. 21) has reminded Christians in every age that only Jesus is the true image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15).
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Christ has come. The Son of God arrived in history, not as a phantom but in genuine humanity. His coming is the foundation of our certainty.
- Christ gives understanding. He opens our minds to know the true God personally. This knowledge is not intellectual achievement but a gift.
- Christ is the true God and eternal life. The final declaration anchors our hope. In Jesus, we meet God himself and receive life that never ends.
Five-point outline
- We know. The perfect tense (oidamen) signals settled, firsthand certainty, not opinion but experience.
- The Son is come. The Greek verb hēkei means he has arrived and is present. His incarnation is a permanent reality.
- He gave us understanding. The word dianoia refers to the mind as a whole, our thinking, feeling, and willing are illuminated by Christ.
- We know and are in the true one. Knowledge leads to union. Believers are so joined to Christ that they live in the reality of God.
- This is the true God and eternal life. Whether read of Christ or the Father, the verse declares that in Jesus we have the real God and his gift of life.
Illustration hooks
- A forged signature vs. the real thing. People try to find God through many counterfeits. Christ is the genuine signature of God on human history.
- Living in a rented house vs. owning the home. Many live in the world as renters, never at rest. In Christ, believers are at home in the true God.
- A child learning to recognise their father's voice. John describes a growing recognition (ginōskōmen), the more we are with Christ, the more we know the Father.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How can I be sure I know the true God? What if I still have doubts?
- Does this verse prove Jesus is God? What do I say to someone who questions that?
- What does it mean to be 'in' Christ? How do I experience that union day to day?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is John's final summary of Christian confidence. After walking through tests of faith, love, and obedience, he lands on certainty: the Son of God has come, he has given us understanding, and in him we have the true God and eternal life. As you discuss, pay attention to how John moves from knowing facts to being united with God.
Discussion questions
- What do you notice about the three 'we know' statements in 1 John 5:18-20? How do they build on each other?
- The word for 'understanding' (dianoia) appears only here in John. Why do you think he uses this word instead of simply saying 'knowledge'?
- John says the Son 'has given us an understanding, that we may know him who is true.' Why is knowledge of the true God something given rather than achieved?
- What does it mean to be 'in him who is true'? How is that different from just knowing facts about God?
- How does the warning in verse 21 ('keep yourselves from idols') connect with the truth claims in verse 20? What are modern 'idols' that compete for our trust?
- Some Christians read 'This is the true God' as referring to Jesus Christ; others apply it to the Father. How does each reading shape your understanding of the verse?
- John calls Jesus 'eternal life' (see also 1 John 1:2). How does that change the way you think about life after death, and life right now?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Isaiah 9:6 | For a child is born to us. A son is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. |
| Isaiah 44:6 | This is what Yahweh, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Yahweh of Armies, says: “I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no God. |
| Isaiah 45:14 | Yahweh says: “The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, will come over to you, and they will be yours. They will go after you. They shall come over in chains. They will bow down to you. They will make supplication to you: ‘Surely God is in you; and there is no one else. There is no other god. |
| Isaiah 45:15 | Most certainly you are a God who has hidden yourself, God of Israel, the Savior.’” |
| Isaiah 45:21 | Declare and present it. Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has shown this from ancient time? Who has declared it of old? Haven’t I, Yahweh? There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior. There is no one besides me. |
| Isaiah 45:25 | All the offspring of Israel will be justified in Yahweh, and will rejoice! |
| Isaiah 54:5 | For your Maker is your husband; Yahweh of Armies is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer. He will be called the God of the whole earth. |
| Jeremiah 10:10 | But Yahweh is the true God. He is the living God, and an everlasting King. At his wrath, the earth trembles. The nations aren’t able to withstand his indignation. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke emphasizes that the Son of God came to give believers a spiritual understanding that reveals the true God and the Trinity. Through Jesus, believers are like branches in a vine, receiving all knowledge, life, and love, coming to know the Father, Word, and Holy Spirit in the undivided Godhead.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that knowing the true God means knowing the real God, not just one who tells the truth, and this knowledge comes exclusively through Christ. He argues that faith wavers unless it is grounded in God himself, and that Christ gives us understanding by revealing the Father and illuminating us by the Spirit.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible commentary defends the final verses as an authentic part of John's letter, not a later addition. It points to early church quotations from Tertullian and Clement of Alexandria, along with consistent style and themes, as strong evidence against modern theories that separate these verses from the original epistle.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that true knowledge of God comes only through the Son, Jesus Christ, who has been given to us. Being in Christ means being in the true God, because Christ Himself is that very God and the essence of eternal life.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that Christ is both fully God and fully human, and that believers have an eternal, secret union with Him that becomes open at conversion. He also notes that the understanding Christ gives is not a new mental faculty but new spiritual light to know the true God.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB insists that calling Jesus Christ "the true God and eternal life" directly affirms His deity, not just the Father's. He rejects the idea that only the Father is eternal life, insisting the Son is that life manifested as Mediator. This prepares the epistle's closing warning against idols.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry argues that being born of God protects believers from sinning with the same full intent and guilt as the unregenerate. The new nature keeps them from the unpardonable sin, and the wicked one cannot touch them fatally. This is not the believer's own effort but the power of their regeneration.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent focuses on the rare Greek word for understanding used only here in John's writings. He presents it as a special gift enabling progressive knowledge of the true God, emphasizing that through the incarnation God made Himself accessible to human thought. He notes the debated reference of "This" to God the Father.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley stresses that believers know the Son of God not by human reasoning but through a spiritual understanding God himself gives. This knowledge is inseparable from being united with Christ, like branches in a vine. He declares that Jesus Christ is the only true God, co-equal with the Father and the Spirit, and the source of eternal life.