---
title: 1 John 5:1
url: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/1-john-5-1/
markdown: https://jw-apologetics.app/verses/1-john-5-1.md
type: verse
perspective: Protestant (historic Nicene) response to Jehovah's Witness teaching
reference: 1 John 5:1
testament: NT
section: Letters
index: https://jw-apologetics.app/llms.txt
---

# 1 John 5:1

## Text (Berean Standard Bible)

> 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.

## JW Usage

The Watchtower applies "born of God" exclusively to the 144,000 anointed class. The great crowd — the vast majority of Jehovah's Witnesses — are not considered "born of God" in Watchtower theology. This verse is rarely emphasised because its universal language ("everyone who believes") conflicts with the two-class distinction.

## Protestant Usage

John writes "everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God." The Greek pas ho pisteuōn ("everyone who believes") is universal — it admits no class distinction. Combined with John 3:3 ("unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God") and 1 John 3:9 ("everyone born of God does not practice sin, because his seed remains in him"), the new birth is both universal to all believers and the source of power to overcome sin. The Watchtower's two-tier system creates a dilemma: either the other sheep are born of God (and the two-class system collapses) or they are not (and they lack access to the divine seed that John says defeats sin's habit). The perfect tense "has been born" (gegennētai) marks a completed past event with ongoing results — not a future hope.

## Arguments Using This Verse

- [You Must Be Born Again](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/born-again.md) — John 3:3 — Not Just for 144,000 [Salvation]
- [Born of God Cannot Go On Sinning](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/1john3-born-of-god.md) — 1 John 3:9 — a promise only available to all believers [Sanctification]
- [All God's Children](https://jw-apologetics.app/arguments/1john3-2.md) — 1 John 3:2 — 'We Shall Be Like Him' [Salvation]