1 John 5v6-12

6 This is the one Acoming-2a through water and blood, Jesus the Christ; not in the water only but in the water and the blood.  And the spirit is the one Abearing witness because the spirit is the truth.

  • What do the water and the blood represent?
  • Picture from the Old Testament priests – read Exodus 29v4&21;
  • Water – Jesus’ water baptism;
  • Blood – sacrifice/crucifixion;
  • The Spirit (the oil in the OT picture) bears witness – the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus at His baptism;
  • This would go against the Gnostic teachings – that the Christ came upon a man called Jesus at his baptism and left before the crucifixion;
  • Variant translation of ‘because the spirit is the truth’ – Latin Vulgate has a variant which reads ‘Christ is the truth’ so this could read ‘that the Christ is the truth’;
  • Would possibly fit better with the definite article ‘the’ before truth as ‘the truth’ is a title/attribute of Jesus.

7 Because three are the ones Abearing witness in the heaven, the father, the word and the holy spirit and these the three are one.

8 And three are the ones Abearing witness in the earth, the spirit and the water and the blood and the three are into the one.

  • Highlighted portion is disputed – should it be here?
  • Not sure but it is not required to establish the Trinity and yet does not go against any NT theology either;
  • Without the highlighted portion the text would read:

7 Because three are the ones Abearing witness, 8 the spirit and the water and the blood and the three are into the one.

  • 3 witnesses into one – the spirit, the water and the blood;
  • One can understand why the connection with the Trinity.

9 If we Areceive the witness of the men, the witness of (the) God is greater because this is the witness of (the) God which he has Aborn witness concerning the son of him.

  • Witness of men – by the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses a testimony became valid;
  • If we receive that of men surely we should receive the greater witness of God;
  • He has provided 3 concerning His son – the spirit, the water and the blood.

10 The one Abelieving into the son of (the) God Ahas the witness in himself. 

  • We will come to ‘the witness in himself’ in v11&12.

The one not Abelieving (the) God, liar Ahas made him because he has not Abelieved into the witness which (the) God has Aborn witness concerning the son of him.

  • If you’re not believing God you do not believe the witness God has given – the spirit, the water and the blood i.e. Jesus’ Spirit baptism, Jesus’ water baptism and His crucifixion.

11 And this is the witness that (the) God Agive-a to us: age-lasting life and this is: the life in the son of him.

This verse explains the witness in himself from verse 10:

  • 1st witness is age-lasting life;
  • 2nd witness is having the life;
  • We need at least 2 witnesses – God had given 3 previously for Jesus;
  • The 2nd witness of ‘the life’ could be subdivided further into the blood and the spirit as Jesus’ blood (crucifixion) was required for ‘holy spirit’ to dwell within a believer.

Note: The diagram above is only a model based upon Romans Ch8 and 1 John Ch5.  We are told in Galatians Ch4 that ‘spirit of Christ’ or ‘holy spirit’ is in our hearts but I am unsure as to where man’s spirit or ‘spirit of God’ resides.

12 The one Ahaving the son Ahas the life; the one not Ahaving the son of (the) God Ahas not the life.

  • How do you have the Son?
  • Through ‘holy spirit’.

How do the water, the blood and the spirit apply to us?

  • In the OT picture with the priests, these were all external;
  • In the NT these are all internal, although water baptism still applies;
  • Water – the washing of regeneration (Titus 3v5) – age-lasting life;
  • Blood – hearts sprinkled (Heb 9v14&10v22) – the life;
  • Spirit – renewal in holy spirit (Titus 3v5) – the life.