I John 5:20

ON I JOHN 5:20

QUESTION:

“Who is the true God mentioned in 1john 5:20? "We know also 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-even in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” The verse clearly said "His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life."

ANSWER:

Sorry, but you used a wrong translation of I John 5:20 because this rendering of the verse contradicts itself. The verse clearly stated that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came. Now, if Jesus is the true God mentioned in the verse, who is the “Jesus” that the same verse mentioned as the “Son of God”? Then there will be two “Jesuses”: the True God and the Son of the True God. This is how  Young’s Literal Translation (take note – literal translation) rendered this verse:

I John 5:20 YLT

“and we have known that the Son of God is come, and hath given us a mind, that we may know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ; this one is the true God and the life age-during!”

 The Son of God which the same verse explicitly said, “in His Son Jesus Christ” came to give us mind (understanding) that  we may know “HIM WHO IS TRUE.” This the verse mentioned “Him who is true” is not Jesus because the verse also said, “in HIS son Jesus Christ.”

The Son of God, Jesus Christ, came to make known “Him who is true” which  the verse referring to when it said “THIS ONE IS THE TRUE GOD.” Thus, the true God mentioned in the verse was not the Son of God, not Jesus Christ, but the one “Him who is true” that Jesus came to make known to us. THIS IS ONE OF THE MISSION OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, TO MAKE KNOWN WHO IS THE TRUE GOD.

Who is the true God Jesus made known to men? This is what the Lord Jesus stated in John 17:1 and 3:

John 17:1 and 3 NIV

“After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.

“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

 The verse said, “he (Jesus) looked toward heaven and prayed: Father…” And Jesus added, “This is eternal life: that they may know YOU, the only true God…” And how did the Lord Jesus introduce Himself? He said, “and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”

Thus, the "True God" mentioned in I John 5:20 is not the Lord Jesus Christ, but the one that the Son of God (Jesus Christ) made known to men as one of the reasons why He came (why He was sent).