Lesson 22: 1 John 5:4-8
1
John 5:4-8
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that
overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the
world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? This is he that came
by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water
and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is
truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and
the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness
in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in
one.
Background Information
If you are using a different Bible than the one used in the text of this lesson, you may notice part of verses 7-8 missing. This is because many of the ancient copies of the Bible don’t contain these words. (Ancient, hand-written Bible copies are the basis of the Greek and Hebrew volumes that our English Bibles are translated from.) Because the words aren't in these particular ancient copies, some Bible scholars don’t think that this part of the text was part of the original Bible. As a result of this thinking, some translations either leave it out or include a footnote suggesting that it could be left out.
Related Scriptures
John 3:3-7 (Jesus is speaking. Many people
understand the term “born of water” to refer to the physical birth of the body.)
John 16:13-15 (Jesus is speaking.)
John 16:33 (Jesus is speaking.)
John 19:34
1 John 2:15-17
Revelation 3:21-22
Revelation 12:9-11
Questions
1. Being born of God, or “born again” as we also say, involves receiving a new nature from God. What does this nature cause us to do with regard to the world?
2. Practically speaking, what does God use to give us our victory over the world?
3. Would John 19:34 suggest that water related to Jesus’ earthly, physical body?
4. John, who wrote this part of the Bible, had actually seen Jesus alive, dead, and alive again on this earth. He also had received the Holy Spirit. Could he claim a thorough familiarity with the evidence of Who Jesus is and what He can do?
5. Elsewhere, we read that God is love. Here, the Holy Spirit is said to be something. What is the Holy Spirit said to be?
This study is in the public domain and may be copied and distributed freely.