Simon Brown.

Join me on this journey. Let's seek the truth together! 💡 Proverbs 8:34-36 Blessed is the man who hears me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my door posts. For whoever finds me finds life, and will obtain favor from Yahweh. But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All those who hate me love death.” Psalm 84: 11 For Yahweh God is a sun and a shield. Yahweh will give grace and glory. He withholds no good thing from those who walk blamelessly. 12 Yahweh of Armies, blessed is the man who trusts in you. 1 John 5:5 Now who is the one overcoming the world, except the one believing that Jesus is the Son of God.

Thursday, 6 August 2026

1 John 5:20 — Who Is "The True God"?

Quick Facts infographic examining 1 John 5:20, asking who "the true God" is by comparing the verse with John 17:3, the Greek text, and the surrounding biblical context.


This Quick Facts infographic examines one of the most debated verses in the New Testament. By comparing 1 John 5:20 with John 17:3 and the surrounding context, this study explores who John identifies as "the true God" and encourages readers to examine the Scriptures carefully before reaching a conclusion.

QUICK FACTS

1 John 5:20 — Who Is "The True God"?

One of the most debated verses in the New Testament is 1 John 5:20.

Many Christians are told that the final words of the verse—

"He is the true God and eternal life."

prove that Jesus is Almighty God.

But is that really what John was teaching?

Let's examine the biblical facts.


The Biblical Facts

  • John begins the verse by saying:

    "The Son of God has come..."

  • John explains why the Son came:

    "...so that we may know Him who is true."

  • The Son comes to reveal Someone else—the One who is true.

  • John had already recorded Jesus praying to the Father:

    "This is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

  • Notice that John uses the same expression:

    • "the true God"

    • "eternal life"

in both John 17:3 and 1 John 5:20.


Compare Scripture with Scripture

John's Gospel teaches:

  • The Father is the only true God.

  • Jesus is the One whom the Father sent.

John does not present these as contradictory ideas. Instead, the same themes appear again in 1 John 5:20.


A Simple Question

If John intended to teach that Jesus is the only true God, why had he already recorded Jesus praying to the Father:

"You are the only true God."

Why would John use the same expression again if he meant something completely different?


What This Article Examines

In this study we will examine:

  • Who is "Him who is true"?

  • Who is "the true God" in 1 John 5:20?

  • How does John 17:3 help explain this verse?

  • What does the Greek grammar and the immediate context indicate?

Rather than relying on assumptions, we will carefully compare Scripture with Scripture and examine John's words in their historical, grammatical, and contextual setting.

FULL NEW ARTICLE HERE: 

Greek text of 1 John 5:20

1 John 5:20 Codex Sinaiticus bible.

1 John 5:20 Codex Sinaiticus bible. Translation by Simon Brown.

What do Trinitarians believe?
Could this be true what most believe, and Trinitarians teach, that St John was teaching in 1 John 5:20, that GOD’s Son Jesus is BOTH the same one true GOD, and also the Son of His GOD?

Could this be true what most believe, and Trinitarians teach, that St John was teaching in 1 John 5:20, that GOD’s Son Jesus is BOTH the same one true GOD, and also the Son of His GOD?

Could this be true what most believe, and Trinitarians teach, that St John was teaching in 1 John 5:20, that GOD’s Son Jesus is BOTH the same one true GOD, and also the Son of His GOD?  Who was St John referring to by saying: He is the true God and eternal life?

1 John 5:20 — Who Is "The True God"?

One of the verses most frequently quoted to support the doctrine of the Trinity is 1 John 5:20. Many Christians believe that John's concluding words—

"He is the true God and eternal life."

refer directly to Jesus Christ.

But before accepting that conclusion, we should ask a very important question:

Is that what John actually intended to say, or does the context point us elsewhere?

As with every passage of Scripture, the immediate context, the wider context of John's writings, and the rest of the Bible should be allowed to explain the verse.

The opening words of 1 John 5:20 tell us that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding. But understanding of whom?

John immediately answers:

"...so that we may know Him who is true."

The obvious question now becomes:

Who is "Him who is true"?

Fortunately, John had already answered this question many years earlier in his Gospel.

Shortly before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed to His Father:

"And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." (John 17:3)

Notice how closely this parallels the language of 1 John 5:20. In both passages John connects the true God with eternal life. Rather than introducing a new doctrine, John appears to be reaffirming the same truth that he had already recorded from the lips of Jesus.

The question, therefore, is not simply who is nearest in the sentence, but who has John consistently identified throughout his Gospel and his letters as "the true God"?

Let us now examine the verse carefully, one phrase at a time, comparing Scripture with Scripture, to discover what John was actually teaching.

The First Important Fact

Before examining the final words of 1 John 5:20, we should begin where John begins.

He writes:

"And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding..."

Notice that John first identifies the Son of God. He does not begin by saying that God Himself has come, but that the Son of God has come.

John then explains why the Son came:

"...so that we may know Him who is true."

This raises a simple but crucial question.

Who is "Him who is true"?

The answer is found in the very next words.

John writes:

"...and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ."

Notice carefully that John distinguishes between "Him who is true" and "His Son Jesus Christ."

There are therefore two persons mentioned:

  1. Him who is true.

  2. His Son, Jesus Christ.

The Son comes to reveal Someone else—the One whom John calls "Him who is true."

This should immediately remind us of Jesus' own words recorded earlier by John.

In John 17:3, Jesus prayed to His Father:

"And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

Notice the striking similarity.

In both passages:

  • Jesus is the Son who has been sent.

  • The Father is the One believers are to know.

  • Eternal life is connected with knowing the true God.

John is therefore not introducing a new teaching in 1 John 5:20. Rather, he appears to be reaffirming the very truth he had already recorded from the lips of Jesus Himself.

Before we assume that the final words, "He is the true God," refer to Jesus, we should first allow John's own Gospel to explain what he consistently meant by "the true God."

Did John Contradict Himself?

If the last words of 1 John 5:20 mean that Jesus is "the true God," then we must ask another important question.

Would John be contradicting what he had already written in his Gospel?

Remember what John recorded from the lips of Jesus:

"And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." (John 17:3)

Here Jesus clearly distinguishes between:

  • The Father, whom He calls "the only true God."

  • Jesus Christ, the One whom the Father sent.

Now compare that with 1 John 5:20.

John again speaks of:

  • The Son of God, who has come.

  • Him who is true, whom the Son reveals.

  • Eternal life.

The same themes appear in both passages.

John is not introducing a new doctrine. Instead, he is repeating the same truth he had already recorded many years earlier.

This is important because the apostle John was a remarkably consistent writer. Throughout both his Gospel and his first letter, he carefully distinguishes between God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

If John had suddenly intended to teach that Jesus Himself is "the only true God," we would expect him to say so clearly. Instead, he continues to describe Jesus as the Son of God, the One sent by the Father to reveal Him.

The evidence therefore suggests that 1 John 5:20 should be understood in harmony with John 17:3, not in opposition to it.

The next question is therefore the most important of all:

To whom does the final expression, "He is the true God and eternal life," naturally refer when the whole context is taken into account?

Who Gives Eternal Life?

John's final words in 1 John 5:20 are:

"He is the true God and eternal life."

Before deciding who "He" refers to, we should ask another simple question.

According to the rest of John's writings, who is the source of eternal life?

The answer is found just a few verses earlier.

John writes:

"And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in His Son." (1 John 5:11)

Notice the order carefully.

  • God gives eternal life.

  • Eternal life is found in His Son.

The Father is the source.

The Son is the One through whom the Father gives that life.

This agrees perfectly with Jesus' own words:

"For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:40)

Again, Jesus points to His Father as the author of the plan of salvation, while He Himself is the One appointed to accomplish His Father's will.

The same pattern is found throughout the New Testament.

Paul writes:

"Yet for us there is one God, the Father... and one Lord, Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 8:6)

Once again, we see the distinction between the one God, the Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ.

When these passages are read together, they fit naturally with John's teaching in 1 John 5:20.

Rather than introducing a new doctrine, John continues to present the Father as the true God, while the Son is the One sent to reveal the Father and bring eternal life to all who believe in Him.

The question we must now consider is this:

Does the grammar of 1 John 5:20 support this understanding, or does it require the final words to refer to Jesus?

Let us now examine the language of the verse more carefully.

Does the Context Decide the Meaning?

One of the most important principles of Bible study is this:

Never interpret one sentence in isolation.

Instead, we should allow the surrounding context—and the author's own writings—to explain what he meant.

In 1 John 5:20, John writes:

"And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life."

Notice the flow of John's thought.

  • The Son of God comes.

  • The Son gives us understanding.

  • The purpose is that we may know Him who is true.

  • We are in Him who is true, by being in His Son Jesus Christ.

John consistently distinguishes between "Him who is true" and "His Son Jesus Christ."

This is exactly the same pattern found throughout John's Gospel.

For example, Jesus said:

"I have manifested Your name to the people whom You gave Me." (John 17:6)

Jesus came to reveal His Father, not Himself as the Father.

Likewise, John writes in 1 John 5:20 that the Son came to give us understanding so that we might know Him who is true.

This naturally points back to the Father—the One whom Jesus continually revealed during His earthly ministry.

The final words,

"He is the true God and eternal life,"

therefore fit naturally with everything John has already written.

Rather than changing the subject at the very end of the verse, John appears to be concluding the same thought: the Father is the true God, whom the Son has come to reveal, and knowing Him is eternal life.

This also harmonizes perfectly with Jesus' own prayer:

"This is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." (John 17:3)

When Scripture is allowed to interpret Scripture, John's message remains beautifully consistent from beginning to end.

Five "Brother Scriptures"

One of the strongest ways to understand 1 John 5:20 is to compare it with other passages that use the same expression:

"the true God."

When we do this, an interesting pattern emerges.

1. 2 Chronicles 15:3

"For a long time Israel was without the true God..."

The "true God" here is clearly Yahweh, the God of Israel.

2. Jeremiah 10:10

"But Yahweh is the true God; He is the living God and an everlasting King."

Again, the expression refers to the Father, the Creator of heaven and earth.

3. 1 Thessalonians 1:9

"...you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God."

Paul is speaking about turning away from false gods to worship the one true God.

4. John 17:3

Jesus prayed:

"This is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

Here Jesus explicitly identifies His Father as the only true God.

5. 1 John 5:20

John concludes:

"He is the true God and eternal life."

Notice something remarkable.

Every other occurrence of the expression "the true God" refers to the Father—never to Jesus.

This is exactly what we would expect if John is simply repeating the teaching he had already recorded in John 17:3.

Rather than introducing a completely different meaning in his final letter, John appears to be reaffirming the same truth that Jesus Himself taught:

  • The Father is the only true God.

  • Jesus is the Son whom the Father sent.

This interpretation keeps John's writings in perfect harmony and avoids creating a contradiction between John 17:3 and 1 John 5:20.

The question every reader should therefore ask is not:

"Can this verse be interpreted another way?"

But rather:

"Which interpretation best agrees with everything John consistently wrote about the Father and His Son?"

The Simple Conclusion

After examining the context, comparing John's Gospel with his first letter, and allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture, the evidence points in one consistent direction.

John is not introducing a new doctrine in 1 John 5:20.

He is reinforcing the very same truth he had already recorded from the lips of Jesus.

Jesus declared:

"This is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent." (John 17:3)

Years later, John wrote:

"The Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true... He is the true God and eternal life."

The themes are identical.

  • The Son of God has come.

  • The Son reveals the Father.

  • Believers come to know the true God.

  • Knowing the true God brings eternal life.

John is not changing his message.

He is repeating it.

This understanding also agrees with the rest of the New Testament.

Paul writes:

"Yet for us there is one God, the Father... and one Lord, Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 8:6)

Likewise, Jesus consistently spoke of His Father as His God, the One who sent Him, gave Him authority, and raised Him from the dead.

The Bible therefore presents a beautiful harmony:

  • One true God — the Father.

  • One Lord and Messiah — Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

That is the consistent testimony of Jesus, John, Paul, and the rest of the New Testament.

A Final Challenge

Whenever we study a difficult passage, we should never build a doctrine upon one verse while ignoring dozens of others that speak more plainly.

Instead, we should allow the clearer passages to explain those that are more difficult.

As Jesus Himself said:

"If you continue in My word... you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:31–32)

My encouragement is simple.

Read 1 John 5:20 carefully.

Read John 17:3 alongside it.

Compare every related passage.

Pray for wisdom.

Then ask yourself one question:

Which interpretation best fits everything John wrote from beginning to end?

The answer should be based, not on later theological traditions, but on the testimony of Scripture itself.


Questions We Must Answer

Before reaching a conclusion, every sincere Bible student should honestly ask:

  • If John meant that Jesus is "the true God," why did he previously record Jesus praying to the Father:

    "You are the only true God." (John 17:3)

  • Why does John repeatedly distinguish between the Father and His Son throughout both his Gospel and his first letter?

  • Why does John begin 1 John 5:20 by saying "the Son of God has come," and then say the Son came so that we may know "Him who is true"?

  • Why does John write that God gave us eternal life, and that this life is in His Son (1 John 5:11), instead of simply saying that Jesus is the only true God?

  • Which interpretation best agrees with the whole testimony of John's writings?

  • Is it wise to build an important doctrine upon one disputed phrase while overlooking many clearer passages that plainly identify the Father as the only true God?

These are questions every Christian should prayerfully consider.


Quick Review

✔ The Son of God came to reveal Him who is true.

✔ Jesus prayed to the Father:

"You are the only true God." (John 17:3)

✔ John teaches that God gave us eternal life, and that this life is found in His Son (1 John 5:11).

✔ Throughout his Gospel and his first letter, John consistently distinguishes between the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

✔ The expression "the true God" should therefore be understood in harmony with John's entire message, not in isolation from it.


Final Conclusion

After carefully examining the context of 1 John 5:20, comparing it with John 17:3, and allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture, the evidence points to one consistent conclusion.

John is not introducing a new doctrine that Jesus is the only true God.

Instead, he is reaffirming the same truth he had already recorded from the lips of Jesus—that the Father is the only true God, and that His Son came into the world to reveal Him and to bring eternal life to all who believe.

The Bible repeatedly presents this beautiful relationship:

  • One true God — the Father.

  • One Lord, Messiah, and Son of God — Jesus Christ.

Rather than allowing one difficult verse to overturn dozens of clear passages, we should interpret 1 John 5:20 in harmony with the rest of John's writings and the whole testimony of Scripture.

As always, I encourage every reader to do what the Bereans did:

"They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." (Acts 17:11)

Search the Scriptures.

Pray for wisdom.

Compare every passage carefully.

Then follow the evidence wherever it leads.

"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)

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