If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
Parallel translations
- WEB If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him.
- BSB If you know that He is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him.
- NKJV If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.
- NASB If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness also has been born of Him.
- NLT Since we know that Christ is righteous, we also know that all who do what is right are God’s children.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Since Christ is righteous, everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him. Righteous living evidences the new birth.
Overview
Knowing Christ's righteousness, believers can recognize that a life of righteousness flows from being born of God. The new birth produces a transformed, righteous life. This test of regeneration bridges into chapter 3, where John develops the theme of being God's children marked by righteousness and love.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 27
- John 3:3–5Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
- 1 Jn 3:7Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
- John 1:13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
- 1 Jn 5:1Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
- 1 Jn 4:7Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
- 1 Jn 3:9–10Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
- Jas 1:18Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
- Acts 10:35But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
- 1 Jn 5:4For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
- 1 Pet 3:18For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
- Titus 2:12–14Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
- 1 Pet 1:23Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
- Heb 1:8–9But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
- 1 Pet 1:3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
- 3 Jn 1:11Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.
- Acts 22:14And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.
- 2 Cor 5:21For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
- 2 Pet 1:4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
- Heb 7:26For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
- Zech 9:9Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
- Heb 7:2To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
- 1 Jn 5:18We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
- 1 Jn 2:1My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
- Matt 7:16–18Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
- 1 Jn 3:5And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.
- Jer 13:23Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
- Acts 3:14But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Jesus is the Word of life made manifest, the propitiation for our sins, the Son in whom is eternal life — 'that you may know that you have eternal life.'
How 1 John 2:29 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.