I have written these thingsThis phrase indicates the purpose of the letter. The Apostle John, traditionally understood to be the author, writes with authority as an eyewitness of Jesus Christ. The phrase "these things" refers to the contents of the entire epistle, which emphasizes themes of love, obedience, and truth. The letter serves as a pastoral guide to ensure the readers' faith is grounded in the true teachings of Christ, countering false doctrines prevalent at the time.
to you who believe
John addresses believers, those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. This community likely consisted of both Jewish and Gentile Christians. The early church faced challenges from Gnostic teachings, which denied the humanity of Christ and promoted secret knowledge. By affirming belief, John reinforces the foundational Christian doctrine that faith in Jesus is essential for salvation.
in the name of the Son of God
The "name" signifies the authority and character of Jesus Christ. In biblical times, a name represented the essence of a person. By believing in the name of the Son of God, believers acknowledge Jesus' divine nature and messianic role. This phrase connects to other scriptures, such asJohn 1:12, which speaks of receiving power to become children of God through belief in His name.
so that you may know
John emphasizes assurance of salvation. The Greek word for "know" (ginosko) implies a deep, experiential knowledge. This assurance counters the uncertainty propagated by false teachers. The certainty of eternal life is a recurring theme in John's writings, providing comfort and confidence to believers.
that you have eternal life
Eternal life is a present possession for believers, not just a future promise. It signifies a quality of life that begins now and continues forever, characterized by a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. This concept is rooted in Jesus' teachings, such as inJohn 17:3, where eternal life is defined as knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ. The assurance of eternal life is a cornerstone of Christian hope, affirming the believer's secure position in Christ.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
John the ApostleThe author of the epistle, one of Jesus' original twelve disciples, known for his close relationship with Jesus and his emphasis on love and truth.
2.
BelieversThe recipients of the letter, specifically those who believe in the name of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
3.
Eternal LifeThe central promise and assurance given to believers, a key theme in John's writings.
Teaching Points
Assurance of SalvationBelievers can have confidence in their eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. This assurance is not based on feelings but on the truth of God's Word.
The Importance of BeliefThe phrase "believe in the name of the Son of God" emphasizes the necessity of faith in Jesus for salvation. This belief is not merely intellectual assent but a trust and reliance on Jesus as Savior and Lord.
The Role of ScriptureJohn wrote these things to provide assurance. Scripture serves as a foundation for our faith and confidence in eternal life.
Living with Eternal PerspectiveKnowing we have eternal life should impact how we live daily, encouraging us to focus on eternal values and live in a way that honors God.
Encouragement in CommunitySharing the assurance of eternal life with fellow believers can strengthen and encourage the community of faith, fostering unity and love.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of 1 John 5:13?
2.How does 1 John 5:13 assure believers of eternal life through Jesus?
3.What role does faith in Jesus play in the promise of eternal life?
4.How can 1 John 5:13 strengthen our confidence in God's promises?
5.How does this verse connect with John 3:16's message of salvation?
6.How can you apply the assurance of eternal life in daily challenges?
7.What does 1 John 5:13 mean by "eternal life" for believers in Jesus Christ?
8.How does 1 John 5:13 assure believers of their salvation?
9.Why is the concept of "knowing" significant in 1 John 5:13?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from 1 John 5?
11.Am I assured of my salvation?
12.Can I be certain of my salvation?
13.Isn't Christianity just a way for leaders to control people?
14.Am I assured of my salvation?What Does 1 John 5:13 Mean
I have written these thingsJohn does not speak in vague generalities. He points back to the very content of the letter—truth about Jesus’ deity (1 John 1:1–3), the call to walk in light (1 John 1:5–7), tests of genuine faith (1 John 2:3–6), and warnings about false teachers (1 John 4:1–3).
• By saying “I have written,” he underscores that revelation is not guesswork but a settled, Spirit-given record (2 Peter 1:20-21).
• Similar wording appears inJohn 20:31: “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name”. John’s Gospel and this epistle share the same heartbeat—written truth producing confident faith.
to you who believeThe audience is already believing people, not seekers on the fence. Faith is more than mental assent; it is personal reliance on Christ’s finished work (Romans 10:9-10,Acts 16:31).
• Assurance is therefore a family matter. John reminds believers that they are not trying to earn a place in God’s household—their trust in Jesus has already brought them in (Galatians 3:26).
• This pastoral tone echoes Jesus’ promise inJohn 3:36: “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life”.
in the name of the Son of God“Name” carries the idea of character, authority, and rightful claim (Acts 4:12). To rest one’s faith “in the name” means to rest in the full person and work of Jesus Christ:
• He is truly God and truly man (John 1:14;Colossians 2:9).
• He is the only Mediator who reconciles us to the Father (1 Timothy 2:5).
•Philippians 2:9-11 shows why His name is trustworthy: the Father has “highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name above every name”.
so that you may knowJohn is after certainty, not wishful thinking. The verb “know” appears more than thirty times in this letter, driving home that believers can enjoy settled assurance.
•1 John 5:19-20 celebrates this confidence: “We know that we are of God… and we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding”.
•Hebrews 10:22 urges us to “draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith”. God does not tease His children with uncertainty; He invites them to rest in what He has declared.
• The Spirit reinforces this inside witness: “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:16).
that you have eternal lifeEternal life is not merely a future hope; it is a present possession. John shifts from possibility to reality—“have” is present tense.
• Jesus had already promised, “Whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life… he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24).
• Eternal life is a gift anchored in God’s promise (Romans 6:23) and sealed by the indwelling Son: “Whoever has the Son has life” (1 John 5:12).
• Because the life is eternal, it cannot be lost or diminished (John 10:28); its security rests on Christ’s unchanging nature, not on our fluctuating feelings.
summaryJohn’s single verse unfolds like a staircase: he reminds believers of what has been written, identifies them as faith-resting people, centers that faith on the exalted Son of God, offers rock-solid assurance, and crowns it all with the reality of eternal life already in their grasp. Scripture speaks plainly, inviting every Christian to move from uncertainty to confident joy, knowing that in Christ eternal life is not just promised—it is possessed.
[
4.The Conclusion (
1John 5:13-21).
(1)FRESH STATEMENT OF THE PURPOSE OF WRITING, equivalent to that at the beginning of the Epistle, but differing from it (1John 5:13).
(2)WHAT CAN BE DONE FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT COME UP TO THE STANDARD ASSUMED THROUGHOUT THE EPISTLE (1John 5:14-17).
(3)SOME PRACTICAL POINTS RECAPITULATED (1John 5:18-20). . . .
Verses 13-21. - 4. CONCLUSION OF EPISTLE; without, however, any marked break between this section and the last On the contrary, the prominent thought of
eternal life through faith in the Son of God is continued for final development. This topic is the main idea alike of the Gospel (
John 20:31) and of the Epistle, with this difference - in the Gospel the purpose is that we may
have eternal life; in the Epistle, that we may
know that we have eternal life.
Verse 13. -
These things I have written to you sums up the Epistle as a whole. At the outset the apostle said, "These things we write, that our joy [yours as well as mine] may be fulfilled;" and now, as he draws to a close, he says the same thing in other words. Their joy is the knowledge that they have eternal life through belief in the Son of God. There is considerable variety of reading in this verse, but that of the T.R., represented by the Authorized Version, is a manifest simplification. That represented by the Revised Version is probably right. The awkwardness of the last clause produced various alterations with a view to greater smoothness. The verse, both as regards construction and meaning, should be carefully compared with
John 1:12. In both we have the epexegetic addition at the end. In both we have St. John's favourite
πιστεύειν εἰς, expressing the very strongest belief; motion to and repose upon the object of belief. In both we have the remarkable expression, "believe on his
Name." This is no mere periphrasis for "believe on him." Names in Jewish history were so often significant, being sometimes given by God himself, that they served not merely to distinguish one man from another, but to indicate his character. So also with the Divine Name: it suggests the Divine attributes. "To believe on the Name of the Son of God" is to give entire adhesion to him as having the qualities of the Divine Son.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
I have writtenἔγραψα(egrapsa)Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 1125:A primary verb; to 'grave', especially to write; figuratively, to describe.these thingsΤαῦτα(Tauta)Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Strong's 3778:This; he, she, it.to youὑμῖν(hymin)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771:You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.whoτοῖς(tois)Article - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.believeπιστεύουσιν(pisteuousin)Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4100:From pistis; to have faith, i.e. Credit; by implication, to entrust.inεἰς(eis)Preposition
Strong's 1519:A primary preposition; to or into, of place, time, or purpose; also in adverbial phrases.theτὸ(to)Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.nameὄνομα(onoma)Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3686:Name, character, fame, reputation. From a presumed derivative of the base of ginosko; a 'name'.of theτοῦ(tou)Article - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588:The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.SonΥἱοῦ(Huiou)Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 5207:A son, descendent. Apparently a primary word; a 'son', used very widely of immediate, remote or figuratively, kinship.of God,Θεοῦ(Theou)Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 2316:A deity, especially the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very.so thatἵνα(hina)Conjunction
Strong's 2443:In order that, so that. Probably from the same as the former part of heautou; in order that.you may knowεἰδῆτε(eidēte)Verb - Perfect Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 1492:To know, remember, appreciate.thatὅτι(hoti)Conjunction
Strong's 3754:Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.you haveἔχετε(echete)Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2192:To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.eternalαἰώνιον(aiōnion)Adjective - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 166:From aion; perpetual.life.ζωὴν(zōēn)Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular
Strong's 2222:Life, both of physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence. From zao; life.
Links
1 John 5:13 NIV1 John 5:13 NLT1 John 5:13 ESV1 John 5:13 NASB1 John 5:13 KJV
1 John 5:13 BibleApps.com1 John 5:13 Biblia Paralela1 John 5:13 Chinese Bible1 John 5:13 French Bible1 John 5:13 Catholic Bible
NT Letters: 1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you (1J iJ 1Jn i jn 1 jo) 
