What does 1 John 5:20 mean by "the true God"? Canonical Text “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.” (1 John 5:20) Original Greek Phraseology ...καὶ ἐσμὲν ἐν τῷ ἀληθινῷ· ἐν τῷ Υἱῷ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ. οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀληθινὸς Θεὸς καὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος. Key terms: ὁ ἀληθινὸς Θεός (ho alēthinos Theos, “the true God”); οὗτός (houtos, “this one/he”). Immediate Literary Context John closes the epistle with a triple assurance: (1) believers possess eternal life, (2) prayer is heard, (3) the Son of God is the incarnate revealer of “Him who is true.” The next verse warns, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (v. 21); identifying the “true God” is therefore the climax and antidote to every counterfeit claim to deity. Grammatical Identification of “the true God” 1. The nearest antecedent of οὗτός (“He/This One”) is “His Son Jesus Christ.” Standard koine syntax normally anchors the demonstrative to the closest referent (cf. Blass-Debrunner-Funk §286). 2. The dual predicate ὁ ἀληθινὸς Θεός (“the true God”) and ζωὴ αἰώνιος (“eternal life”) parallels John 11:25; 14:6 where Jesus calls Himself “the life.” 3. Patristic exegesis (e.g., Irenaeus, Against Heresies III.16.5; Athanasius, Four Discourses I.63) treats the verse as a direct Christological confession. Conclusively, John names Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son, as “the true God”—without excluding the Father, because the Son shares the one undivided divine essence (cf. John 10:30). Theological Coherence in Johannine Writings • John 1:1—“the Word was God.” • John 20:28—Thomas: “My Lord and my God!” • Revelation 22:13—Jesus: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last.” John’s corpus consistently equates the Son with full deity while distinguishing His person from the Father and Spirit (Trinitarian monotheism). Relation to John 17:3 (“the only true God”) John 17:3 identifies the Father as “the only true God” in the economy of redemption; 1 John 5:20 adds the Son within the same divine identity. Monotheism is preserved; modalism is avoided; the text substantiates classical trinitarian doctrine. Historical-Manuscript Witness • P66 and P75 (AD 175-225) contain John’s Gospel affirming Christ’s deity, demonstrating that high Christology is not a later corruption. • Codex Sinaiticus (א) and Vaticanus (B) read identically in 1 John 5:20, witnessing to textual stability. • No extant Greek manuscript omits ὁ ἀληθινὸς Θεός. Archaeological and External Corroboration • Rylands Papyrus 457 (𝔓52) dated c. AD 125 quotes John 18, evidencing early circulation. • The Pool of Bethesda (John 5) and Siloam (John 9) were excavated (Conrad Schick 1888; Eli Shukron 2004) validating the Evangelist’s geographical precision, bolstering the credibility of 1 John’s author. Philosophical and Behavioral Implications Humans invariably worship; without the “true God,” idolatry fills the vacuum (Romans 1:23). John’s antithesis between “true” (ἀληθινός) and “idol” (εἴδωλον) frames existence itself: aligning with Christ is to enter objective reality; rejecting Him is behavioral futility (Jeremiah 10:14-15). Resurrection as Empirical Verification Minimal-facts approach: empty tomb, post-mortem appearances, transformation of skeptics (e.g., James) are accepted by a consensus of critical scholars. The resurrection vindicates Jesus’ identity (Romans 1:4) and authenticates Him as “the true God.” First-century creed in 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 predates the epistle by ≤5 years after the crucifixion (Habermas), demonstrating that deity claims were not late embellishments. Pastoral and Missional Application Because Jesus is “the true God and eternal life,” assurance rests not in subjective performance but in union with Him (John 15:4). Evangelistically, the title excludes all rival saviors; only Christ reconciles humanity to God (Acts 4:12). Defense Against Common Objections Objection: “John could not call Jesus ‘true God’ without contradicting monotheism.” Reply: Scripture simultaneously affirms plurality of persons and unity of essence (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19). Logical coherence is maintained through the doctrine of the Trinity—neither tritheism nor modalism. Concluding Synthesis 1 John 5:20 proclaims that the incarnate Son, Jesus Christ, shares the Father’s very nature, qualifying Him uniquely as “the true God.” This declaration is grounded grammatically, theologically, historically, and experientially. Recognizing and abiding in this “true God” is the wellspring of eternal life and the safeguard against every counterfeit. |
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