1 John 4:15
in 1 John 4If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abideth in him, and he in God.
KJV
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
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This verse in 1 John 4
Commentary
14 notes on this verseBut "whosoever shall confess that (Jesus) Christ is the Son of God" (not the Father), "God dwelleth in him, and he in God. " We believe not the testimony of God in which He testifies to us of His Son.
This site's exposition
By this we know that we remain in Him
on 1 John 4:13-15
Assurance rests on the Spirit's presence: He has given us of His Spirit. The apostles have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world, the witness of 1:1. Verse 15 returns to the confession of verses 2 and 3.
This site's exposition
If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God
Confession here means open agreement with the truth about Jesus. Whoever makes it has God abiding in him and abides in God. The same mutual abiding was tied to love at verse 12 and to the Spirit at verse 13.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
"Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him and he in God." Now we may say it in not many words; "Whosoever shall confess;" not in word but in deed, not with tongue but with the life. For many confess in words, but in deeds deny.
This needs to be properly understood. God will not dwell in anyone who does not obey his commandments, however much he may confess him with his lips. Some people are confused by the various names of Jesus, because they do not interpret the Scriptures correctly. …
A commentator
Lucius Caecilius Firmianus LactantiusCommentary (church-history corpus) · Written before 325.
proposed
Nor let the Jews, or philosophers, flatter themselves respecting the Supreme God. He who has not acknowledged the Son has been unable to acknowledge the Father.
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in …
The Medieval Church1 voice
Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, etc. He speaks of the perfect confession of the heart, which can neither be corrupted by the deceit of heretics who wrongly persuade, nor be shattered by the tortures of pagan persecutors, nor falter by the …
6 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
This refers to what was said a little above (v. 2): every spirit that confesses the Lord Jesus, who has come in the flesh. The apostle has sufficiently proved that believers are children of God and that God abides in them; and he proved this …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
This confession seems to include faith in the heart as the foundation of it, acknowledgment with the mouth to the glory of God and Christ, and profession in the life and conduct, in opposition to the flatteries or frowns of the world. Thus no man says that Jesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost, by the external attestation and internal operation of the Holy Ghost, 1 Cor. xii.
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God,....
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God - In the true sense, and from the heart. This will always prove that a man is a Christian. But the passage cannot mean that if he merely says so in words, or if he does it insincerely, or without any proper sense of the truth, it will prove that he is a Christian. On the meaning of the sentiment here expressed, see the notes at 1Jn 4:2. Compare the notes at Rom 10:10.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
shall confess--once for all: so the Greek aorist means. that Jesus is the Son of God--and therefore "the Saviour of the world" (1Jo 4:14).
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
Whosoever shall confess - Much stress is laid on this confession, because the false teachers denied the reality of the incarnation; but this confession implied also such a belief in Christ as put them in possession of his pardoning mercy and indwelling Spirit.
The words behind it
20 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ὃς | hos | Who[ever] | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| ἐὰν | ean | maybe | G1437 → | 352 times |
| ὁμολογήσῃ | homologese | shall confess | G3670 → | 26 times |
| ὅτι | hoti | that | G3754 → | 1292 times |
| Ἰησοῦς | iesous | Jesus | G2424 → | 908 times |
| ἐστιν | estin | is | G1510 → | 2333 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| υἱὸς | huios | Son | G5207 → | 377 times |
| τοῦ | tou | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεοῦ, | theou | of God, | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| ὁ | ho | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεὸς | theos | God | G2316 → | 1312 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| αὐτῷ | auto | him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| μένει | menei | abides | G3306 → | 118 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| αὐτὸς | autos | he | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἐν | en | in | G1722 → | 2738 times |
| τῷ | to | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θεῷ. | theo | God. | G2316 → | 1312 times |
ὃςWho[ever]
hosG3739 →1405 times
ἐὰνmaybe
eanG1437 →352 times
ὁμολογήσῃshall confess
homologeseG3670 →26 times
ὅτιthat
hotiG3754 →1292 times
ἸησοῦςJesus
iesousG2424 →908 times
ἐστινis
estinG1510 →2333 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
υἱὸςSon
huiosG5207 →377 times
τοῦ<the>
touG3588 →19766 times
θεοῦ,of God,
theouG2316 →1312 times
ὁ<the>
hoG3588 →19766 times
θεὸςGod
theosG2316 →1312 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
αὐτῷhim
autoG846 →5565 times
μένειabides
meneiG3306 →118 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
αὐτὸςhe
autosG846 →5565 times
ἐνin
enG1722 →2738 times
τῷ<the>
toG3588 →19766 times
θεῷ.God.
theoG2316 →1312 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 10:9that if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
it leads to
- Luke 12:8
I tell you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will also confess him before the angels of God.
- Acts 16:31
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”
- Philippians 2:11
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
- Matthew 10:32–33
Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven.
- 1 John 4:2–3
By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
- Luke 12:8
Through
Matthew 10:32Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father in heaven.
it leads to
- Revelation 3:5
Like them, he who overcomes will be dressed in white. And I will never blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and His…
- Revelation 3:5
Through
1 John 4:2By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
it leads to
- 1 John 5:1
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves those born of Him.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
- 1 John 5:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies9
On this verse
About 1 John
This page draws on 15 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, Ten Homilies on 1 John 8; Bede, Commentary on the Catholic Epistles; Didymus the Blind, COMMENTARY ON 1 JOHN; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on 1 John; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Lucius Caecilius Firmianus Lactantius, Commentary (church-history corpus); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Oecumenius, Commentary on 1 John; Tertullian, Against Praxeas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on 1 John.