Easter Season · Seventh Sunday of Easter · Year B

1 John 5:9-13

Paul in Ephesus

May 9, 2027

Christ standing over the broken doors of death and pulling the first man and woman up out of their tombs by the wrist.God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life.Unknown Greek icon painterA Greek painter working in the old scheme, where the resurrection is shown as a rescue and not as a departure.Walters Art Museum, BaltimoreThe Walters Art Museum, Baltimore.Walters Art Museum, Baltimore

Revised Common Lectionary

GospelJohn 17:6-19Jn 17:6-19

Epistle1 John 5:9-131 Jn 5:9-13

Old TestamentActs 1:15-17, 21-26

PsalterPs. 1Ps 1

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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Take it further: 1 John 5:9-13

Commentary

Commentary on 1 John 5:9-13Commentary on 1 Jn 5:9-13 Working Preacher

Luther Seminary scholar unpacks the testimony of God about the Son and the assurance of eternal life.

Enduring Word Commentary, 1 John 5Enduring Word Commentary, 1 Jn 5 Enduring Word · David Guzik

David Guzik walks the chapter's witness of the Spirit, the water, and the blood to the Son.

1 John 5:9 Commentaries1 Jn 5:9 Commentaries BibleHub

Aggregated classic commentaries on the greater witness of God concerning his Son.

1 John 5:9 Commentary1 Jn 5:9 Commentary Precept Austin

Verse-by-verse evangelical study with word notes on receiving God's testimony about the Son.

Background & Word Study

Overview: 1-3 JohnOverview: 1-3 Jn BibleProject

Animated overview of the Johannine letters frames the testimony-and-life argument of chapter 5.

1 John 5:9 Interlinear1 Jn 5:9 Interlinear BibleHub

Greek word study on witness (martyria) and having (echo) life in the Son.

Messiah biblical theme BibleProject

Theme video on Jesus as the promised Son of God grounds John's claim that life is found in him.

The Church Fathers

Catena on 1 John 5Catena on 1 Jn 5 Catena

Patristic comment chain on the threefold witness and the gift of eternal life in the Son.

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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