And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

1 JOHN 5:11KJV
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1 John 5:11 (KJV)

What does 1 John 5:11 mean?

1 John 5:11 says that God has given people the gift of eternal life, and this eternal life is found in His Son. The verse highlights that the source and location of this life is specifically in Jesus, not anywhere else.

The apostle John is writing to early Christian believers, summarizing the core message he wants them to remember. John is making a clear statement: the life God promises—eternal life—comes only through a relationship with Jesus, whom John calls God’s Son. This verse serves as a kind of summary or testimony about what God has done and where true life is found.

The Greek behind 1 John 5:11

  • μαρτυρία (martyria, "record"): This word is often understood as "testimony" or "witness." John is presenting what God has done as a formal, trustworthy declaration, not just an opinion or idea.
  • αἰώνιος (aiōnios, "eternal"): The Greek word here means not just "endless," but also "of the age to come"—a quality of life that is both unending and of a different, divine kind.
  • ἐν (en, "in"): The preposition "in" stresses that this life is located "in" the Son, meaning it is found by being connected to Jesus, not just by knowing about Him.

Why 1 John 5:11 matters

  • 1 John 5:11 clarifies that eternal life is not something people can earn or find on their own; it is a gift from God, given through Jesus.
  • The verse emphasizes that the focus is not just on "life after death," but on a present, ongoing relationship with Jesus as the source of true life.
  • In the context of the letter, this statement draws a clear line: assurance and confidence for believers come from being "in the Son," not from any other source or teaching.

Where else these words appear

“record” Greek G3141 · used in 33 verses

  • Mark 14:55 And the chief priests and all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to death; and found none.
  • John 5:32 There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true.
  • 1 John 5:9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.

“eternal” Greek G166 · used in 69 verses

  • Matthew 18:8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
  • John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
  • 1 Timothy 6:16 Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

“life” Greek G2222 · used in 126 verses

  • Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
  • John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
  • Colossians 3:3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.