Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. - 1 John 5:1
QUESTION: Does the Greek word (gennaô) in the perfect tense, as in "has been born" denotes an action that precedes a human action regarding 1 john 5:1?
CHATGPT: In 1 John 5:1, the Greek word "γεννάω" (gennaô) in the perfect tense does denote an action that precedes and establishes the conditions for subsequent human actions. Let's look at the verse for clarity:
1 John 5:1 (ESV): "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him."
The Greek for the first part of this verse is: Πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός, ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ γεγέννηται (Pas ho pisteuōn hoti Iēsous estin ho Christos, ek tou Theou gegennētai).
Here, "γεγέννηται" (gegennētai) is the perfect tense form of "γεννάω" (gennaô), meaning "has been born."
1. **Action Preceding Human Action**: The use of "γεγέννηται" in the perfect tense indicates that the action of being born of God is a completed action with an ongoing result. This divine action (being born of God) precedes and enables the human action of believing in Jesus as the Christ. In other words, the new birth from God (a divine action) precedes and results in the believer's faith in Jesus.
2. **Theological Implication**: Theologically, this means that the state of having been born of God (a completed action with continuing effects) is what enables and precedes the human response of faith. This supports the idea that divine regeneration (spiritual rebirth) is the basis for a person’s faith in Christ.
Therefore, in 1 John 5:1, "γεννάω" in the perfect tense indeed denotes an action that precedes and establishes the conditions for subsequent human action, specifically the action of believing in Jesus as the Christ.
By ChatGPT / Aaron Fisher
