Introduction
In the article “Is the True God the Father or the Son? – 1 John 5:20“, we will explore the interpretation of the verse that declares Jesus as the “true God” and eternal life. From this passage, many questions arise: Does the term “true God” does refer to Jesus Christ or to God the Father? How do different Bible translations influence our understanding of the text? Throughout this study, we will examine other verses that may shed light on the meaning of “TRUE” and investigate the broader context to understand who, in fact, is the “true God” mentioned in 1 John 5:20.
The True God – Who Does the Text Refer to?
1 John 5:20 – “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, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.“
Many use the text above to justify that Jesus Christ is the true God presented in the Bible. These people claim that if He is the “true God“, therefore he is eternal together with God the Father. But are these words actually referring to Jesus in this verse?
The text is not very clear and may raise doubts in the reader. This lack of clarity was possibly a consequence of the translations that the Bible underwent before reaching our languages.
Considering Other Versions
A translation of this verse that leaves no doubt as to the content of the text is the one found in the Catholic version. See for example how the text reads:
1 John 5:20 – “We know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know the true One. And we who are in his Son Jesus Christ are in the true One. This is the true God and eternal life.” (Catholic version)
Another translation we can consider for this analysis is the NTLH:
1 John 5:20 – “We also know that the Son of God has already come and given us understanding so that we may know the true God. Our life is united with the true God, united with his Son, Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and this is eternal life.” (New Living Translation)
Comparing Different Versions
Notice the difference between the three translations (1) :
Almeida version
“and we are in what is true, that is, in his Son Jesus Christ“
Catholic Version
“And we are in the True One, we who are in His Son Jesus Christ“
New Translation in Today’s Language
“Our life is united with the true God, united with his Son, Jesus Christ.“
The Almeira Version implies that Christians are in Him who is “TRUE“, and then immediately clarifies that this word is a reference to Jesus Christ. The Catholic version, on the other hand, makes it very clear that the “TRUE” is a reference to God the Father, as it then mentions that they are only in the “TRUE” to those who are in “Your Son Jesus Christ“The NTLH makes very clear the difference between the “True God” and Jesus Christ as His Son.
The True God in Other Bible Verses
The reference of the term “TRUE” is not a problem, since both the Father and the Son can normally receive such a title. The problem arises with the end of the verse where it says that “This is the true God and eternal life“. It is at this point that the definition to whom the title of “TRUE” ends up becoming relevant. Is the Father or the Son the true God?
To find the answer to this question, we need to look for other biblical texts that can help us correctly understand the meaning of the text. We should start by asking the following question: Are there other biblical texts where the word “TRUE” is used to refer to God? If so, to which of the two persons is it being applied in each context? Having the answers to these two questions, we will certainly be able to understand the correct application of this title used in the text of 1 John 5:20. The first passage we can analyze is the one Paul wrote to the Thessalonians:
1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 – “For they themselves report concerning us what manner of reception we had among you, and how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivereth us from the wrath to come.“
In this text, Paul calls the Father “Living and true God“. There are two other texts in which the Father is called “TRUE“, only this time it is Christ who calls Him this way:
John 7:28 – “Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching, and saying, ‘You both know me and know where I am from; and I have not come of myself, but he who sent me is true, whom you do not know.“‘
John 17:3 – “And this is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent“
He Who Is Always Referred To As The True God
As we saw in the verses above, the title of “TRUE” is always applied to God the Father, and not to His Son Jesus. The interesting thing about the passages read above is that of John 17:3, because in it the Lord Jesus Himself refers to His Father as being the “one true God“. Reflecting a little on His words, it is not difficult to see that Jesus categorized the Father as being the “One True God“, ruling out the possibility of him also being “ another True God .” This only confirms to us that the words found in 1 John 5:20 cannot be referring to Jesus as being the “true god“, since this exclusivity belongs solely to the person of the Father.
Through another Bible translation, we discovered a possible alternative to understanding the verse in question (1 John 5:20), and we also used the Bible itself to show us to whom we should apply the term “TRUE” within that passage.
Conclusion
We therefore conclude that the words “This is the true God and eternal life” refer to the person of the Father, whom Jesus came to reveal to us, as John begins the biblical verse “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, so that we may know Him who is true.“. As a curiosity, I leave the explanation of a biblical commentary where the authors themselves are Trinitarians, however, they still demonstrate that such passage refers to the Father:
We are in the true God. Obviously, God the Father.
This is the true God. It is possible to apply these words to Jesus Christ, but their most likely application is to the Father, because of the context. —The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, p. 752
May God bless the reader.
Notes:
(1) It is not the objective of this study to analyze the best manuscripts used in each translation, nor to discuss which are the best existing Bible versions, but only to show that there are other possible translations of the passage in question.
