What is the meaning of 1 John 5:9? Even if we accept human testimony We rely on human witnesses every day—signing contracts, listening to news reports, trusting a friend’s account. Scripture recognizes this pattern: • “A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 19:15). • Jesus points to John the Baptist’s witness: “You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth” (John 5:33). If ordinary, fallible people can persuade us, John argues, how much more weight should we give to the word of the living God? Accepting human testimony prepares us to recognize a higher, infallible authority when He speaks. the testimony of God is greater God’s word carries absolute authority because of who He is—perfect, holy, and incapable of falsehood. • “It is impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18). • Jesus says, “The Father who sent Me has Himself testified about Me” (John 5:37). • “The entirety of Your word is truth” (Psalm 119:160). Unlike human witnesses, God’s character guarantees accuracy. His testimony towers above every courtroom statement, academic citation, or personal anecdote. To question His witness would be to imply that God could err—something Scripture never allows. For this is the testimony that God has given about His Son God’s specific declaration centers on Jesus: • At His baptism: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). • On the mount of transfiguration: “This is My beloved Son… Listen to Him!” (Matthew 17:5). • Through the Spirit, the water, and the blood (1 John 5:6–8), pointing to Jesus’ incarnation, ministry, and atoning death. • By the resurrection: Jesus was “declared with power to be the Son of God” (Romans 1:4). • In the written record: “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:31). Taken together, the Father, the Son’s works, the Spirit, and Scripture form a unified, divine testimony that Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be—God’s Son and the only Savior. summary 1 John 5:9 invites us to move from trusting fallible human voices to embracing the flawless witness of God. Because God cannot lie, His declaration about Jesus is unassailable: Jesus is the eternal Son, sent for our salvation. Accepting that testimony is not a leap into darkness; it is a step into the brightest, most reliable light in the universe. |
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