The Certainty of God’s Witness
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6 This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.
7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
8 And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.
10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.
11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
Here John illustrates the three witnesses that God provides to show that Jesus is the Christ: water, blood, and Spirit.
By believing God’s testimony, we can have eternal life through his Son.
Three Witnesses to Jesus’ Identity (5:6–8)
Three Witnesses to Jesus’ Identity (5:6–8)
There are three that testify to who Jesus is—fully God and fully man: water, blood, and Spirit.
6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
7 For there are three that testify:
8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.
The phrase “He who came” refers to the historic fact. John 1:15
15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ ”
27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”
“Water” here likely refers to Jesus’ baptism.
Jesus also came by blood, which likely refers to his crucifixion.
Cerinthus who lived and taught Gnostic heresy during this time which was around 50-100 AD/CE, taught that the divine Christ descended on the man Jesus at His baptism and left Him before His crucifixion.
Thus he denied that one Person, Jesus Christ, came by both water and blood.
Cerinthus was doubtless not alone in such views, which John regarded as utterly false and contrary to the true testimony of the Holy Spirit.
Indeed, there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and the three are in agreement. The Spirit’s witness may be thought of as coming through the prophets (including John the Baptist).
The Spirit’s witness, then, was augmented by the historical realities involved in “the water” and “the blood.”
Both the baptism and the crucifixion of Jesus are strongly attested historical facts (cf. John 1:32–34; 19:33–37).
32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.
33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.
34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.
35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.
36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.”
37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”
All three witnesses (“water” and “blood” are personified) “are in agreement” that a single divine Person, Jesus Christ, was involved in these events. Born of flesh yet divine in nature.
The Testimony of God (YHWH): Eternal Life (5:9-13)
The Testimony of God (YHWH): Eternal Life (5:9-13)
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.
If human testimony is accepted on the basis of three witnesses, how much more should God’s testimony be accepted.
John of course is referring to Deut. 19:15
15 “One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.
Two points are made before specifying God’s testimony in verses 11–12.
First, divine testimony should be accepted because it is greater than human testimony, which everyone accepts.
Second, willful unbelief is sin. If we trust people to be true to their word, why would we not trust God, who is more trustworthy than humans?
11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
So what is being testified to? That eternal life comes from God through his Son Jesus and through no other way.
This statement is very likely directed at the antichrists who charged that the readers did not really have eternal life through Christ.
Scripture makes it clear that we do have eternal life through Jesus. To deny this is to deny God’s testimony and to call God a liar.
John clearly stated his purpose for writing the Gospel of John: (John 20:31)
31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
The Gospel of John was written to non-Christians to lead them to become Christians.
In a parallel way, toward the end of his first epistle, John stated his purpose for writing it:
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
First John is written to those who are Christians to give them assurance that they are saved.