The Deity of Jesus Christ in 1 John 5:20

[ByGraceThroughFaith]

The Deity of Jesus Christ in 1 John 5:20

“ἵνα γινώσκωμεν τὸν ἀληθινόν θεόν καὶ ἐσμὲν ἐν τῷ ἀληθινῷ ἐν τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀληθινὸς θεὸς καὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος” (the Original by John)

“That we may know the True God and we are in Him that is True in His Son Jesus Christ He is the True Good and Eternal Life”

This reading is older than the others, and is quoted by at least four Greek Church Fathers, and also Latin; these would have read “τὸν ἀληθινόν θεόν” in their Greek Epistle of 1 John.

“That we may know the true God” (The Codex Alexandrinus, 5th cent)

Some Greek manuscripts of the Byzantine text-type. 27, 34, 40, 65, 66, 69, 80, 95, 97, 98, 99, acc to Scholz)

Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria (AD 296-373; acc to Griesbach; Scholz)

Didymus the Blind (313-398), acc to Scholz)

“And so He is not only God, but also very God. And the same John most expressly affirms this in his epistle: “For we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know the true God, and that we may be in His true Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” (Augustine; On The Trinity. 354-430)

“That the Son also is true God, John himself declares in the Epistle, 'That we may know the only true God, and we are (in Him that is true, even) in His (true) Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.'” (Basil of Caesarea. 330-379)

“S.John, who said of Him: We know is. John that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know the true God, and we are in His true Son Jesus Christ: this is the true God, and eternal life" (Cyril of Alexandria, died AD 444)

“And as to what understanding He has given us, he straightway added, That we may know the true God. Whom in this place does he mean as the true God but the Father Almighty? But, as to what he conceives also of the Almighty Son, he added, And that we may be in his true Son Jesus Christ. Lo, he says that the Father is the true God, and that Jesus Christ is His true Son. And what he conceives this true Son to be he shews more plainly; This is the true God, and eternal life.” (Gregory the Great, died 604)

Latin Vulgate, 4th century.

And the majority of the Ancient Versions of the New Testament.

We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true God. We are in union with the one who is true, his Son Jesus the Messiah, who is the true God and eternal life” (International Standard Version)

“And we know that the Son of God is come: and he hath given us understanding that we may know the true God, and may be in his true Son. This is the true God and life eternal” (Douay-Rheims Bible, based on the Latin Vulgate)

For the sake of argument, let us assume here, that this reading is the correct one:

“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may 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”

This does not mean that, “οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀληθινὸς θεὸς καὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος”, does not refer to Jesus Christ. The subject here is clearly “the Son”, Who is Jesus Christ. His Coming has given us a better understanding of “Him Who is True”, that is, God the Father.

Who does the “οὗτός” refer to?

In the first place it might be said, that had John written, “οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀληθινὸς κύριος καὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος”, that is, “He is the true Lord and Eternal Life”, there will be no reason whatsoever to argue for “οὗτός”, to refer to “Him Who is True”, Who is the Father. It is only because here John says, that Jesus Christ is, “ὁ ἀληθινὸς θεὸς”, that even some who are “Evangelicals”, have balked in applying these words to Jesus Christ. We have exactly the same issue elsewhere, like Titus 2:13, where Paul writes, “τοῦ μεγάλου θεοῦ καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ”, literally, “the Great God and Saviour of us Jesus Christ”. Had Paul written, “τοῦ μεγάλου κυρίου καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ”, “the Great Lord and Saviour of us Jesus Christ”, there will be absolutely no argument that all of the words are used for Jesus Christ! We have in Luke 1:16-17, “He will turn many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people”. The “He will turn”, is John the Baptist, as the passage says. The “he will go before Him”, refers to John the Baptist going before Jesus Christ, as see in Isaiah 40:3, and Matthew 3:3, etc. Now, because we here have Jesus Christ, as “The Lord their God”, Who is Yahweh, there are some who try to force the “αὐτοῦ” (Him), not to refer to Jesus Christ, but God the Father! As they do for “οὗτός” in 1 John 5:20.

Nowhere in the entire New Testament, is God the Father called, “ζωὴ αἰώνιος”= “Eternal Life”

In this Epistle, John begins chapter one:

“What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have observed, and have touched with our hands, concerning the Word of life-- that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life (τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον, literally, “the Life the Eternal”) that was with the Father and was revealed to us--what we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may have fellowship along with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (verses 1-3)

Jesus Christ is clearly called here by John, “the Life the Eternal”. In his Gospel John also writes concerning Jesus Christ, “In Him was life (ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν), and the life (ἡ ζωὴ) was the light of men” (1:4). A different reading from the 2nd century, has: “ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἐστιν”, “in Him is Life”, the present, continuance Life. In John 14:6, we read, “Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή); no one comes to the Father but by Me”. In Acts 3:15, Peter says of Jesus Christ, “τὸν δὲ ἀρχηγὸν τῆς ζωῆς ἀπεκτείνατε”, which is literally, “But The Author of Life you killed”. Or, as the HCSB Version reads: “And you killed the source of life”.

For John to refer “οὗτός”, to the Father, would be tautological here. He has already said, “that we may know Him Who is True; and we are in Him Who is True”, where he calls the Father “True” twice. Why would he yet again say of the Father, “οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἀληθινὸς θεὸς καὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος”? In John’s Gospel, chapter 1, verse 2, we read, “οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν θεόν”, where the KJV reads, “The same was in the beginning with God”. It is clear, that “οὗτός” refers to the last mentioned Person, “καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος”, which is Jesus Christ.

The evidence is clear that John in this verse in the fifth chapter of his First Epistle, according to what I believe to be the better and stronger textual evidence, has Two distinct Persons Who are called, “τὸν ἀληθινόν θεόν” = “The True God”.

In the Original and best attested in the textual evidence, for John 1:18, we read:

“θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν πώποτε μονογενὴς θεὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρὸς ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο”

“God no one has seen at any time, the Unique God Who is eternally in close relation with the Father, He has revealed Him”

There we have Two Who are distinct from each Other, Who are equally called God. Notice that in both cases, “θεὸν and θεὸς”, are without the definite article in the Greek, both having exactly the same meaning.

Yet we have those who continue to reject the Absolute Equality of Jesus Christ with God the Father, and His Absolute Deity. These passages destroy the heresy that teaches God is One Person. The Bible is very clear for those who are honest enough to accept what it Teaches, that The One God in the Holy Bible, is Eternally Three distinct, but equal Persons: The Father, Jesus Christ, and The Holy Spirit.

 

[BARNEY BRIGHT]

At 1 John 5:20 Believers in the Trinity doctrine hold that the Greek word "οὗτός" which is a demonstrative pronoun and translated as “this” or "this one" in the English language refers to its immediate antecedent, Jesus Christ. They say that Jesus is “the true God and life everlasting.” This interpretation, however, is in conflict with the rest of the Scriptures. Are we supposed to ignore such scriptures that John penned in John 17:3 and John 20:17 where Jesus himself is saying someone else is the True God? There are many authoritative scholars that do not accept this Trinitarian view. Cambridge University scholar B. F. Westcott wrote: “The most natural reference of οὗτός is to the subject not locally nearest but dominant in the mind of the apostle.” Thus, the apostle John had in mind Jesus’ Father. German theologian Erich Haupt wrote: “It has to be determined whether οὗτός of the next proposition refers to the locally and immediately preceding subject . . . or to the more distant antecedent God. . . . A testimony to the one true God seems more in harmony with the final warning against idols than a demonstration of the divinity of Christ.”

A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament published by Rome's Pontifical Biblical Institute says: οὗτός as a climax to 1 John 5:18-20 the reference is almost certainly to God.

Often οὗτός does not refer to the immediately preceding subject of a phrase. There are scriptures that illustrate this point. In 2 John 7, the apostle John wrote: “Many deceivers have gone forth into the world, persons not confessing Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This [οὗτός] is the deceiver and the antichrist.” Here the pronoun cannot refer to the closest antecedent, which is Jesus. Obviously, “this” [οὗτός] refers to those who denied Jesus. They collectively are “the deceiver and the antichrist.”

John 1:40, 41 says: “Andrew the brother of Simon Peter was one of the two that heard what John said and followed Jesus. First, this one [οὗτός] found his own brother, Simon.” It is clear that “this one” [οὗτός] refers, not to the last person mentioned, but to Andrew. In 1 John 2:22 the apostle uses the same pronoun οὗτός in a similar way.

Luke makes similar use of the pronoun οὗτός in Acts 4:10, 11: “In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you impaled but whom God raised up from the dead, by this one does this man stand here sound in front of you. This [οὗτός] is ‘the stone that was treated by you builders as of no account that has become the head of the corner.’” The pronoun “this” [οὗτός] clearly does not refer to the man who was healed, though he is the one mentioned just before οὗτός. Certainly, “this” [οὗτός] in Ac 4 verse 11 refers to Jesus Christ the Nazarene, who is the “cornerstone” on which the Christian congregation is founded.

Acts 7:18, and 19 also illustrate the point: “There arose a different king over Egypt, who did not know of Joseph. This one [οὗτός] used statecraft against our race.” “This one” [οὗτός] who oppressed the Jews was, not Joseph, but Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

Such scriptures confirm the observation made by Greek scholar Daniel Wallace, who says that for Greek demonstratives, “what might be the nearest antecedent contextually might not be the nearest antecedent in the author’s mind.”

So the apostle John at 1 John 5:20 isn't saying Jesus is the True God.

 

[ByGraceThroughFaith]

At 1 John 5:20 Believers in the Trinity doctrine hold that the Greek word "οὗτός" which is a demonstrative pronoun and translated as “this” or "this one" in the English language refers to its immediate antecedent, Jesus Christ. They say that Jesus is “the true God and life everlasting.” This interpretation, however, is in conflict with the rest of the Scriptures. Are we supposed to ignore such scriptures that John penned in John 17:3 and John 20:17 where Jesus himself is saying someone else is the True God? There are many authoritative scholars that do not accept this Trinitarian view. Cambridge University scholar B. F. Westcott wrote: “The most natural reference of οὗτός is to the subject not locally nearest but dominant in the mind of the apostle.” Thus, the apostle John had in mind Jesus’ Father. German theologian Erich Haupt wrote: “It has to be determined whether οὗτός of the next proposition refers to the locally and immediately preceding subject . . . or to the more distant antecedent God. . . . A testimony to the one true God seems more in harmony with the final warning against idols than a demonstration of the divinity of Christ.”

A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament published by Rome's Pontifical Biblical Institute says: οὗτός as a climax to 1 John 5:18-20 the reference is almost certainly to God.

Often οὗτός does not refer to the immediately preceding subject of a phrase. There are scriptures that illustrate this point. In 2 John 7, the apostle John wrote: “Many deceivers have gone forth into the world, persons not confessing Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This [οὗτός] is the deceiver and the antichrist.” Here the pronoun cannot refer to the closest antecedent, which is Jesus. Obviously, “this” [οὗτός] refers to those who denied Jesus. They collectively are “the deceiver and the antichrist.”

John 1:40, 41 says: “Andrew the brother of Simon Peter was one of the two that heard what John said and followed Jesus. First, this one [οὗτός] found his own brother, Simon.” It is clear that “this one” [οὗτός] refers, not to the last person mentioned, but to Andrew. In 1 John 2:22 the apostle uses the same pronoun οὗτός in a similar way.

Luke makes similar use of the pronoun οὗτός in Acts 4:10, 11: “In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you impaled but whom God raised up from the dead, by this one does this man stand here sound in front of you. This [οὗτός] is ‘the stone that was treated by you builders as of no account that has become the head of the corner.’” The pronoun “this” [οὗτός] clearly does not refer to the man who was healed, though he is the one mentioned just before οὗτός. Certainly, “this” [οὗτός] in Ac 4 verse 11 refers to Jesus Christ the Nazarene, who is the “cornerstone” on which the Christian congregation is founded.

Acts 7:18, and 19 also illustrate the point: “There arose a different king over Egypt, who did not know of Joseph. This one [οὗτός] used statecraft against our race.” “This one” [οὗτός] who oppressed the Jews was, not Joseph, but Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

Such scriptures confirm the observation made by Greek scholar Daniel Wallace, who says that for Greek demonstratives, “what might be the nearest antecedent contextually might not be the nearest antecedent in the author’s mind.”

So the apostle John at 1 John 5:20 isn't saying Jesus is the True God.

It is interesting that you, and others, like to pick what verses in the Bible you agree with, and just ignore the others!

In the Old Testament, Jesus Christ is called "Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14), which is literally, "God-with-us"; and Isaiah 9:6, where He is "Mighty God", ehich is even what the Jehovah's Witnesses use in the NWT.

The very first verse of John's Gospel says, "και θεος ην ο λογος", which can only be translated as "and the Word was God", equal to "τον θεον", WITH Who He has been from all eternity.

In verse 18, according to the best textual evidence, it reads, "θεον ουδεις εωρακεν πωποτε μονογενης θεος", "God no one has seen at any time, the Unique God". Which shows that there are TWO Who are equally GOD, and yet distinct Persons.

In Hebrews 1:6, God the Father says of Jesus, "And let all God’s angels WORSHIP Him"

In verse 8, the Father continues to address Jesus, "ο θρονος σου ο θεος", which is an address, and therefore, "Your Throne O God", where the Father calls Jesus Christ, GOD. The Unitarian New Testament by Dr Geroge Noyes, reads, "Thy throne, O God".

In verses 10-12, the Father continues, "And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.", which is from Psalm 102:24-27, "I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end". By doing so, the Father says that Jesus Christ is THE Actual Creator, the ELOHIM of Genesis 1:1!

In John 20:28, "doubting Thomas" says to the Risen Jesus Christ, "ο κυριος μου και ο θεος μου", My LORD and My GOD", and Jesus does not rebuke Thomas for this but accepts his HONOUR and PRAISE.

Jesus says of Himself in Revelation 1:17; 2:8; and 22:13, "εγω ειμι ο πρωτος και ο εσχατος", I AM The First and The Last. Of this, the Unitarian Greek lexicon by Dr Thayer says, "the eternal One". Cannot apply to a created being, but only Almighty God. In Isaiah 44:6, we read, "This is what Yahweh, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, Yahweh of Armies, says: "I am the first, and I am the last; and besides me there is no god". No doubt that Jesus says that He is YHWH.

In Titus 2:13, Paul says of Jesus Christ, that He is, "Our Great God and Saviour", where another Unitarian Greek scholar, Dr Winer, says, that the Greek construction here refers to ONE PERSON, Jesus Christ!

I can go on and on and on...