Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God.
Parallel translations
- WEB Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him, and he in God.
- KJV Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
- BSB If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
- NKJV Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
- NLT All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.
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
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God abides in God, and God in him. True confession of Christ marks genuine fellowship with God.
Overview
John pairs love with sound doctrine: rightly confessing the divine sonship of Jesus is essential evidence of abiding in God. This confession is not mere words but a Spirit-given acknowledgment of who Christ truly is, set against the false teachers who denied it. Right belief about Jesus and mutual love together testify to genuine union with God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Rom 10:9that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
- Matt 10:32Everyone therefore who confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father who is in heaven.
- 1 Jn 5:5Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
- 1 Jn 3:24He who keeps his commandments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us.
- 1 Jn 4:2By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God,
- Phil 2:11and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
- 1 Jn 4:12No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God remains in us, and his love has been perfected in us.
- 1 Jn 5:1Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. Whoever loves the Father also loves the child who is born of him.
- Luke 12:8“I tell you, everyone who confesses me before men, him will the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God;
- 2 Jn 1:7For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who don’t confess that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the Antichrist.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 4:15 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
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