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And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
1 John 5:11 · New American Standard Bible
Parallel translations
  • WEB The testimony is this, that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
  • KJV And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
  • BSB And this is that testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
  • NKJV And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
  • NLT And this is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

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

God's testimony is this: he has given us eternal life, and that life is found in his Son. Eternal life is a gift located entirely in Christ.

Overview

John summarizes the content of God's witness as the gift of eternal life through Jesus. This life is not earned but graciously given, and it exists only 'in his Son,' so that to have Christ is to have life. The verse points to the gospel's heart: salvation is a present possession for those united to the Son.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 36

  • Rom 6:23For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
  • 1 Jn 2:25This is the promise which he promised us, the eternal life.
  • John 3:36One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”
  • 1 Jn 5:20We 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.
  • John 1:4In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
  • 1 Jn 4:9By this God’s love was revealed in us, that God has sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
  • 1 Jn 1:1–3That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we saw, and our hands touched, concerning the Word of life
  • John 17:2–3even as you gave him authority over all flesh, he will give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
  • John 10:28I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
  • John 5:26For as the Father has life in himself, even so he gave to the Son also to have life in himself.
  • John 19:35He who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, that you may believe.
  • 1 Jn 5:10He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who doesn’t believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son.
  • John 6:40This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
  • John 6:68Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life.
  • 1 Tim 1:16However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience, for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life.
  • Titus 1:2in hope of eternal life, which God, who can’t lie, promised before time began;
  • John 14:6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.
  • 1 Jn 5:12–13He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have the life.
  • 1 Jn 5:7For there are three who testify:
  • 3 Jn 1:12Demetrius has the testimony of all, and of the truth itself; yes, we also testify, and you know that our testimony is true.
  • Col 3:3–4For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
  • John 3:15–16that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
  • Jude 1:21Keep yourselves in God’s love, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.
  • John 11:25–26Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies.
  • John 12:50I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak.”
  • John 4:36He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit to eternal life; that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together.
  • Rev 1:2who testified to God’s word, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, about everything that he saw.
  • John 1:32–34John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him.
  • John 6:47Most certainly, I tell you, he who believes in me has eternal life.
  • Matt 25:46These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
  • Rev 22:1He showed me a river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb,
  • John 5:21For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom he desires.
  • John 8:13–14The Pharisees therefore said to him, “You testify about yourself. Your testimony is not valid.”
  • Rom 5:21that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
  • John 1:19This is John’s testimony, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?”
  • John 4:4He needed to pass through Samaria.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 1 John videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 1 John 5:11YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 JohnMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    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 5:11 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.