13I have written these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God. [5:14] And this is the confidence we have before him: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. [5:15] And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we have requested from him. [5:16] If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he should ask, and God will give him life—to those who sin not leading to death. There is a sin that leads to death; I am not saying that he should pray about that. [5:17] All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.
1JN 5:13-17
Effective Prayer
In the world it was spoken into
In the 1st-century Greco-Roman world, (boldness) was a term deeply tied to civic and social privilege, often denoting the freedom of speech granted to citizens in public discourse. For the recipients of this letter, likely a mixed community of Jewish and Gentile believers, would have resonated as a bold confidence before God, contrasting sharply with the hierarchical and often transactional nature of Roman religious practices. The concept of (will) would have been understood not as arbitrary decree but as the purposeful desire of a benevolent patron, akin to the Roman patronage system where clients relied on the goodwill of their patrons. (sin) carried a communal weight in Jewish thought, where sin disrupted not only individual standing but also the purity and unity of the community. The instruction to pray for a brother’s sin reflects this communal ethos, emphasizing restoration over exclusion. (to ask) would have been seen as a respectful, relational appeal, distinct from the coercive or manipulative requests common in pagan prayer practices.
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How other translations render this
1JN 5:13
- KJV
- These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
- BSB
- I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
- Koinōnos
- I have written these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God.
1JN 5:14
- KJV
- And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
- BSB
- And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.
- Koinōnos
- And this is the confidence we have before him: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
1JN 5:15
- KJV
- And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
- BSB
- And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we already possess what we have asked of Him.
- Koinōnos
- And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we have requested from him.
1JN 5:16
- KJV
- If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.
- BSB
- If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he should ask God, who will give life to those who commit this kind of sin. There is a sin that leads to death; I am not saying he should ask regarding that sin.
- Koinōnos
- If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he should ask, and God will give him life—to those who sin not leading to death. There is a sin that leads to death; I am not saying that he should pray about that.
1JN 5:17
- KJV
- All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.
- BSB
- All unrighteousness is sin, yet there is sin that does not lead to death.
- Koinōnos
- All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
1JN 5:14
- confidence:The word translated 'confidence' here implies a bold, unreserved freedom of speech and access, often used for citizens speaking freely in a public assembly.
- will:The word translated 'will' refers to a deep-seated desire or purpose, not merely a casual wish or preference.
1JN 5:16
- a sin:The word translated 'a sin' originally meant a 'missing of the mark' or a 'failure,' often in the context of an archer missing the target, and later came to mean a moral or religious transgression.
- he may implore.:The word translated 'he may implore' suggests a formal request or an earnest plea, often implying a question or an inquiry, rather than a simple asking.