independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
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Faith born of God overcomes the world 5:1–5
vv. 1–3 — born of God: faith, love, and commandments not burdensome
1
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God,independent — the thesis — the ὅτι of the confession internal to the subject phrase
and everyone who loves the one who begot loves also the one born of him.independent — the family inference — love for the Begetter entails love for the begotten
2
By this we knowindependent — the ἐν τούτῳ formula — pointing forward to the ὅταν clause
that we love the children of God,content — what is known — the love-test turned around
whenever we love God and do his commandments.conditional — ὅταν — conditional-temporal, unpacking ἐν τούτῳ; backward-leaning, so anchored
3
For this is the love of God,independent — the definition — γάρ grounding v. 2
that we keep his commandments —content — epexegetic ἵνα — the content of the love, not its purpose
and his commandments are not burdensome,independent — the added assurance — cf. Mt 11:30
vv. 4–5 — the victory that has conquered the world: our faith
4
because everything born of God conquers the world;cause — the ground — neuter πᾶν τὸ γεγεννημένον: the new birth itself carries conquering power
and this is the victory that has conquered the world:independent — the identification — aorist νικήσασα: the decisive conquest already won
our faith.phrase modifier — the apposition — the victory named
5
And who is the one who conquers the worldindependent — the clinching question
except the one who believesconditional — εἰ μή — exceptive, verbless
that Jesus is the Son of God?content — the confession again — now ‘Son of God’
The three witnesses and God's testimony 5:6–12
vv. 6–8 — water, blood, and Spirit: three witnesses, one testimony (the Johannine Comma absent)
6
This is the one who came through water and blood,independent — the Comer — baptism and cross together
Jesus Christ —phrase modifier — apposition — the Comer named
not in the water onlyphrase modifier — the correction — against a baptism-only Christ (a Cerinthian-type denial of the cross)
but in the water and in the blood;phrase modifier — the insistence — the blood repeated with its own ἐν
and the Spirit is the one who testifies,independent — the living witness introduced
because the Spirit is the truth.cause — the witness's credential
7
For there are three that testify:cause — the ground — the Johannine Comma (‘in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit…’) is absent from the critical text; nothing intervenes here
8
the Spiritphrase modifier — the first witness
and the waterphrase modifier — the second
and the blood,phrase modifier — the third
and the three are unto the one.cause — the ὅτι carried on — three witnesses converge εἰς τὸ ἕν, on the one testimony
vv. 9–12 — God's greater testimony: life in his Son
9
If we receive the testimony of men,conditional — protasis — leans on the apodosis below; the a-fortiori premise
the testimony of God is greater;independent — apodosis — how much more his witness
for this is the testimony of Godcause — the ground
that he has testified concerning his Son.content — the ὅτι-chain — the second ὅτι epexegetic of αὕτη
10
The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself;independent — the believer — ἑαυτῷ read here (some editions αὐτῷ)
the one who does not believe God has made him a liar,independent — the verdict — perfect πεποίηκεν: a standing state
because he has not believed in the testimonycause — the ground of the verdict
that God has testified concerning his Son.relative — the testimony specified
11
And this is the testimony,independent — the summary formula
that God gave us eternal life,content — the content — the gift itself
and this life is in his Son.content — the content continued — the life located in the Son
12
The one who has the Son has the life;independent — the antithesis — possession
the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.independent — the antithesis — privation; the fuller title ‘Son of God’ on the dark side
Assurance and intercession 5:13–17
vv. 13–15 — that you may know: boldness in asking
13
These things I wrote to youindependent — the letter's stated aim — cf. Jn 20:31
that you may knowpurpose — the purpose — assurance, not doubt
that you have eternal life,content — what is to be known
to you who believe in the name of the Son of God.phrase modifier — delayed dative apposition to ὑμῖν — the addressees defined by their faith
14
And this is the confidenceindependent — παρρησία — boldness of speech before him
that we have toward him,relative — the confidence located
that if we ask anything according to his willconditional — the ὅτι rides the protasis — a condition nested inside the content; κατὰ τὸ θέλημα the governing qualifier
he hears us.content — apodosis — the content's core: he hears
15
And if we knowconditional — protasis — ἐάν with the indicative οἴδαμεν: the condition assumed real
that he hears uscontent — what is known
in whatever we ask,relative — ὃ ἐάν — indefinite relative
we knowindependent — apodosis — knowing doubled: assurance built on assurance
that we have the requestscontent — the possession is present tense
that we have asked of him.relative — perfect ᾐτήκαμεν — requests already lodged
vv. 16–17 — the sin not unto death
16
If anyone sees his brotherconditional — protasis — the case for intercession
sinning a sin not unto death,participial — supplementary participle — the sin qualified from the start
he shall ask,independent — apodosis — future with imperatival force
and he will give him life —independent — the giver — best read as God, answering the prayer (the asker as subject is possible)
for those who sin not unto death.phrase modifier — the singular generalized — plural dative resuming αὐτῷ
There is a sin unto death;independent — the declaration — deliberate apostasy in view: the secessionists' settled denial
concerning that, I do not sayindependent — the restraint — prayer for it not enjoined (nor quite forbidden)
that he should ask.content — ἵνα as content of λέγω — the indirect command withheld
17
All unrighteousness is sin,independent — the balance — no sin trivialized
and there is sin not unto death.independent — the door left open — intercession keeps its scope
The three οἴδαμεν and the closing charge 5:18–21
vv. 18–20 — the closing column: we know, we know, we know
18
We know that everyone born of God does not keep sinning,independent — first οἴδαμεν — the ὅτι internal; present ἁμαρτάνει: no settled sinning
but the One begotten of God keeps him,content — ὁ γεννηθείς (aorist) — the Son, the Begotten One, keeps the born-of-God; the variant ἑαυτόν (‘keeps himself’) declined
and the evil one does not touch him.content — the guard's effect — ἅπτεται: not so much as touch
19
We know that we are of God,independent — second οἴδαμεν — origin
and the whole world lies in the evil one.content — the counter — κεῖται: the world lies passively in his grip
20
And we know that the Son of God has come,independent — third οἴδαμεν — ἥκει: he is here
and has given us understandingcontent — the content continued — διάνοια: the given faculty
that we may know the True One;purpose — the purpose of the gift
and we are in the True One,independent — from knowing to abiding
in his Son Jesus Christ.phrase modifier — epexegetic — to be in the True One is to be in the Son
This one is the true God and eternal life.independent — οὗτος — the nearer antecedent, Jesus Christ: the Son called true God and eternal life (others refer it to the Father; the layout reads it christologically)
v. 21 — the coda
21
Little children, keep yourselves from idols.independent — the coda — the letter's last word against every counterfeit
Analysis. 1 John 5 closes the letter in three textures, and the shape shows them. Verses 1–5 are the lattice of flush-left πᾶς-sentences — everyone who believes, everyone who loves — with the ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν test and the αὕτη-ἐστίν definitions hanging their ἵνα- and ὅτι-lines one step in; the ὅταν clause is read as conditional-temporal unpacking ἐν τούτῳ, and the ἵνα of v. 3 as epexegetic — the content of love, not its purpose. Verses 6–12 are the witness section: the Comer through water and blood with the correction pair (not in the water only — but in the water and in the blood), then the three witnesses — Spirit, water, blood — stacked as a suspended column under οἱ μαρτυροῦντες; the so-called Johannine Comma is absent from the critical text, so nothing stands between ‘three that testify’ and ‘the Spirit and the water and the blood,’ and the a-fortiori conditional of v. 9 lifts the whole to God's own greater testimony, defined twice over (ὅτι… ὅτι) and issuing in the have/have-not antithesis of v. 12. Verses 13–17 turn to assurance: Ταῦτα ἔγραψα with its purpose chain, the παρρησία definition with a protasis nested inside the ὅτι, and the sin-not-unto-death instruction. Verses 18–21 are the closing column: three flush-left οἴδαμεν lines, then the coda against idols. Sides taken: in v. 18 ὁ γεννηθείς (aorist, against the perfect of the born believer) is the Son — the Begotten One keeps him — with the variant ἑαυτόν (‘keeps himself’) noted and declined; in v. 16 δώσει is read with God as giver, and the sin πρὸς θάνατον is taken as deliberate apostasy — the secessionists' settled denial — not a catalogued offense; and in v. 20 οὗτος takes the nearer antecedent, Jesus Christ: the Son is called ὁ ἀληθινὸς θεὸς καὶ ζωὴ αἰώνιος (many refer it to the Father; the layout reads it christologically).