Easter Season · Second Sunday of Easter (Sunday of Divine Mercy) · Year B
1 John 5:1-6
Paul in Ephesus
April 4, 2027
Overview & Insights
“And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them.” (Acts 19:6)
This section and the one before it are a pair. They are both concerned with the relationship of Christianity to an imperfect form of the faith—“the baptism of John.” In this case Paul deals with the situation himself. These verses include also a brief description of his ministry in Ephesus, aspects of which are illustrated in the following section. But again we must turn to Paul’s letters to fill out our knowledge of these years. They show that his achievement in Ephesus was at the cost of much suffering (1 Cor. 15:32; 2 Cor. 1:8; 4:9ff.; 6:4ff.), including, perhaps, an imprisonment (cf. 2 Cor. 11:23) and a “flying visit” to Corinth in an attempt to bring order into that church’s troubled affairs (cf. 2 Cor. 12:14; 13:1; also 2 Cor. 2:1; see disc. on 21:21).
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Commentary
1 John 5 - Assurance and Victory in Believing Enduring Word · David Guzik
David Guzik on the faith that conquers the world and the witness of water and blood.
1 John 5:1 Commentaries BibleHub
Classic commentators on being born of God and loving both parent and child.
1 John 5:6 Commentary Precept Austin
A verse-by-verse study hub with scholars on the Spirit, the water, and the blood.
1 John 5:1-6 Commentary Center for Excellence in Preaching
A Reformed reading of love for God shown in obedience and the faith that overcomes.
Commentary on 1 John 5:1-6 Working Preacher
Scholarly exegesis of this exact pericope on faith, obedience, and victory.
Background & Word Study
Enter the Bible: 1 John 5 Enter the Bible
Luther Seminary background on the letter's themes of belief, love, and assurance.
1-3 John Overview BibleProject
Animated overview of the Johannine letters to frame the faith-that-conquers passage.
1 John 5:1 Interlinear BibleHub
Greek word-by-word text with parsing for being born of God.
The Church Fathers
Questions preachers ask
What happens at Ephesus in Acts 19?
Paul finds disciples who knew only John's baptism; baptized now in the name of the Lord Jesus and receiving the Spirit through Paul's hands, they speak in tongues and prophesy.
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