1 John 5:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

His Sonship was declared three times: once at the Baptism in the Jordan, when the Father testified from above that the one being baptized is the beloved Son.

Thus Jesus came by water, that is, He was declared Son of God through the testimony of the Father at the Baptism in water.

He came by blood when, going to the Cross, He said, "Glorify Me, Father!" and when the voice came, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." Those who heard it took it for thunder (Jn 17:5; Jn 12:28-29).

He came by the Spirit when, as God, He rose from the dead. For to raise oneself belongs to God alone, and God is called Spirit by the word, as may be seen in the saying, "God is Spirit" (Jn 4:24).

Who, then, is the one entering the water, if not the man assumed by God the Word, shown forth in hidden manner? For this reason the testimony was necessary.

Thus it is said "by water" because, in the water of Baptism, Jesus was shown to be the Son of God through the testimony of the Father.

It is said "by blood" because, when He was about to be crucified, He said, "Father, glorify Me." And a voice came: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again" (Jn 12:28). Those who heard it thought it was thunder.

Water points to the mystery of Baptism. In both the Old and New Covenants, water is used as an image of cleansing (Lev 14:5; cf. Jn 3:5, 25; Jn 13:5, 10; Tit 3:5; Heb 10:22, 23).

In the words of the Theologian, water depicts the great mystery of Baptism established by Jesus Christ. In it, those who believe in Christ are born again into spiritual life.

Jesus Christ sanctified this mystery by His own example when He received Baptism from John (Mt 3:13-16). All who believed in Him received Baptism (Jn 3:22-26).

Baptism served as the condition for entry into the Church of Christ, or into the community of those who believe in Him (Mt 3:7; Lk 3:16; Jn 1:15).

Before His Ascension into heaven, the Lord commanded His Apostles, and through them the whole universal Church, to baptize all who believe in Him.

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Mt 28:19, 20; cf. Mk 16:15).

The mystery of Baptism is the door that leads into the Church of Christ. It is the condition for receiving all the other gifts of grace communicated in the Church of Christ.

Blood signifies the redeeming death of the Lord Jesus Christ. The death of the promised Redeemer, as a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the world, was central in the ordering of the salvation of the human race.

The Old Testament Prophets repeatedly depicted the promised Redeemer as suffering and dying for the sins of the world (Isa ch. 53; 1 Pet 2:24; Col 1:21, 22).

The blood of the Old Testament sacrifices served as an image of the most holy redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, shed on the Cross for the sins of the whole world (Heb 9:7-14; Heb 11:28; Rom 3:28; Rom 5:9; Eph 1:7).

Not by water only, but by water and blood. Water in itself does not possess the cleansing power attributed to it.

Baptism received its mysterious power of grace and its full significance only after Jesus Christ, through the shedding of His blood on the Cross, offered a propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the whole human race.

There was Baptism in the Old Covenant, but only as an image of what was to come. John the Forerunner also baptized (Mt 3:11).

Yet his Baptism was not a cleansing or saving mystery. It was only a sign of preparatory repentance, so that afterward they might believe and be baptized in Jesus Christ.

To show this advantage belonging to the promised Redeemer, the Apostle says, not by water only, but by water and blood.

The manifestation of the Lord Jesus was marked not only by the establishment of Baptism. It was also marked by His shedding His blood for the sins of the world.

Through this, He gave Baptism its great cleansing and saving power, by which believers in Him are born again into spiritual and grace-filled life.

In the Old Covenant, two modes of cleansing were also used figuratively, namely by water and by blood. The Apostle Paul points to them in Hebrews when he unfolds the mystery of redemption from the Old Testament images (Heb 9:19-22; Heb 10:22).

And the Spirit bears witness of Him. The Spirit bears witness to the divine majesty of Jesus Christ, who came by water and blood.

He bears witness that the Baptism established by Jesus Christ is a saving mystery, giving birth to a new and grace-filled life.

He bears witness that the blood of the Lord Jesus, shed on the Cross, is the redeeming sacrifice and the price of our salvation.

He also bears witness that Jesus Christ is the promised Savior, the only-begotten Son of God.

Because the Spirit is truth. This is the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Holy Trinity, the Spirit of truth.

Jesus Christ Himself spoke of Him to His disciples, saying, "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you" (Jn 14:16, 17).

Again He says, "But when the Comforter comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me" (Jn 15:26).

"When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak from Himself, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you" (Jn 16:13, 14).

This Spirit has manifested, and still manifests, His witness to the divinity of Jesus Christ. He does so in the gracious saving power of Baptism and in the redeeming power of Christ's death.

All the gifts of grace of the Holy Spirit, communicated to those who believe in Jesus Christ, are also the witness of the Spirit of truth.

They testify to the divine majesty of Jesus Christ as the only-begotten Son of God and the promised Savior of the world.

Three bear witness in heaven, and three bear witness on earth. That is, they bear witness that Jesus Christ is true God, the promised Savior of the human race.

The Apostle's words may also be set forth in this way: there are three heavenly witnesses and three earthly witnesses.

The heavenly witnesses are exalted, invisible, unapproachable. The earthly witnesses are nearer to us, more accessible to us, visible, or subject to our observation, thought, and feeling.

The Lord pointed to these degrees of exaltation and nearness to us in His conversation with Nicodemus, saying, "If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?" (Jn 3:12).

Both the heavenly and the earthly witnesses confirm the same great truth: Jesus is true God and the Savior of the world.

After pointing to the earthly witnesses, the Theologian speaks of the heavenly witnesses: for there are three who bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one.

There are three great, exalted, unapproachable, and incomprehensible heavenly witnesses in Their divine essence.

God the Father is the first Person of the Holy Trinity. God the Son, or the Hypostatic Word, is the second Person of the Holy Trinity. God the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Holy Trinity.

These are three Persons, yet one divine essence, one God. Therefore the testimonies of the three divine Persons form one great divine testimony.

God the Father bore witness to Jesus Christ by great signs at His Baptism by John in the Jordan (Mt 3:17), at the Transfiguration (Mt 17:5), before His sufferings (Jn 12:28-30), and during His sufferings on the Cross (Mt 27:45, 51-54).

Jesus Christ Himself repeatedly pointed to the witness of God the Father (Jn 5:31, 32, 37; Jn 8:16-18; Jn 10:25).

God the Word, the only-begotten Son of God, repeatedly testifies that He came down to earth, that is, assumed humanity, for the salvation of mankind.

He also testifies to the truth of His witness, or of His teaching. Thus St. John says, "No one has ever seen God; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him" (Jn 1:18).

Jesus Christ says of Himself, "Truly, truly, I say to you: We speak what We know and bear witness to what We have seen" (Jn 3:11).

He also says, "Even if I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you do not know where I come from or where I am going" (Jn 8:14; cf. Jn 5:26; Mt 26:64; Mk 14:62).

The Holy Spirit, that is, the third Person of the Holy Trinity, bore witness of old to Jesus Christ through the Prophets.

Later He bore witness by His acts: by overshadowing the most blessed Virgin Mary (Lk 1:35), and by descending upon Jesus Christ in the form of a dove during His Baptism by John in the Jordan (Mt 3:16; Jn 1:32).

He also bore witness by His visible outpouring, or descent, upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost in the form of fiery tongues (Acts 2:2-36).

And these three are one. As the three divine Persons are, according to essence, one God, so all Their testimonies agree with one another.

They form one great testimony that Jesus Christ is true God, the Savior of the world.

And there are three who bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood. The earthly witnesses, nearest to us and more accessible to our observation or discernment, are the Spirit, the water, and the blood.

These are the same witnesses of whom the Apostle has already spoken in verse 6.

The Apostle mentions them again so that, by joining their witness to the witness of the heavenly witnesses, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, he may present more clearly and majestically the unshakable foundation of the faith that overcomes the world.

By the Spirit, as noted above, the same Holy Spirit is meant, but considered in His acts, which He performs in the Church of Christ.

These include all the gifts of grace given in the mysteries and communicated to the souls of believers according to their faith and prayer.

According to the Apostle's teaching, such gifts include love, joy, peace, longsuffering, and others (Gal 5:22).

They also include extraordinary or miraculous acts in the spread of the Gospel, in the conversion of unbelievers, and the like.

The water and the blood, the mystery of Baptism and the redeeming death of the Lord and Savior, also manifest great power for the salvation of the world through the action of the Holy Spirit.

And these three agree in one. That is, they bear witness to one thing: that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who came into the world according to the ancient promises and prophecies, the Savior of the human race.

"I and the Father are one" (Jn 10:30). "I know where I came from and where I am going" (Jn 8:14). "The works that I do bear witness of Me, that My Father has sent Me" (Jn 5:36).

Having spoken of the heavenly witnesses that confirm our faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the revealer of God's mysteries immediately points to the threefold earthly testimony.

In it the heavenly testimony is reflected, having been accomplished and still being accomplished on earth. This testimony is the Spirit, the blood, and the water.

According to the explanation of the Fathers of the Church, the Spirit is the immutability of Christ's teaching, which proceeds from its inner power, or divine strength.

Christ, and therefore His most holy teaching, is "the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb 13:8).

Blood signifies the sufferings of believers for Christ. For it is said, "A servant is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted Me, they will persecute you" (Jn 15:20).

And elsewhere: "They will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will beat you" (Mt 10:17).

Water signifies the conversion of sinners to the path of repentance and righteousness.

Christ said, "If I am lifted up from the earth," when blood and water flow from My side on the Cross, "I will draw all to Myself" (Jn 12:32).

That is, all who are burdened with sins but come to Me with repentance, I will wash, whiten like wool, heal, cure, and give rest (Mt 11:28).

The stated testimony of the Spirit, that is, the immutability of Christ's teaching, the testimony of blood, that is, the sufferings of the saints, and the testimony of water, that is, the conversion of sinners, have one and the same object.

They prove that Jesus Christ, the founder of the Gospel teaching, the head of the martyrs, and the source of salvation for repentant sinners, is true God, the light of the world and life.

Baptism and suffering are the two most important events in the life of Jesus Christ. They testify to His coming to earth and to His divine dignity.

To these two testimonies the Apostle adds the testimony of the Spirit. Jesus Christ, having come into the world, manifested Himself also by the Spirit.

This is, of course, the Holy Spirit, Who descended upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost and gave the strongest and most indubitable testimony concerning Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ Himself foretold this of Him (Jn 15:26).

The certainty of the testimony is confirmed by the certainty of the witness: "because the Spirit is truth." In speaking of the testimony of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle sets his readers before the face of the Witness Himself.

He does this so that no one may think that what he has said about the Son of God is his own reasoning. It is as though the Apostle says this.

You will now hear indisputable testimonies that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God, incarnate for our salvation. These testimonies are not mine, but those of the Spirit of God Himself, Who is truth.

Therefore hear verse 7: "There are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one."

The coming of the Son of God to earth in flesh and blood was testified to by all the Persons of the Most Holy Trinity. God the Father testified to Him at the Baptism and the Transfiguration (Mt 3:17; Mt 18:5), calling Him His beloved Son.

To testify concerning Him, the Father sent John the Forerunner (Jn 1:8; Jn 5:33). He also gave works, miracles, to the Son Himself (Jn 5:36).

God the Word Himself also testifies to His descent to earth when He says, "If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is true, for I know whence I came and where I am going. But you do not know whence I come and where I am going" (Jn 8:14).

This is because "no one has ascended into heaven but He Who descended from heaven, the Son of Man, Who is in heaven" (Jn 3:13). Still more, by His works, teaching, and life He testified that He is truly the Son of God.

The testimony of the Holy Spirit was given at the Baptism of Jesus Christ (Mt 3:16; Jn 1:32-35), in His teaching (Lk 4:18, 22), and in His miracles (Mt 12:28).

It was given especially in the outpouring of extraordinary gifts upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:2-4). These three testimonies "are one," that is, they agree with one another.

They agree because the Witnesses Themselves are one according to Their divine essence. Thus in the Gospel the Savior says, "I am One Who bears witness of Myself, and the Father Who sent Me bears witness of Me" (Jn 8:18).

In another place He directly explains the meaning of such testimony by saying that He and the Father are one (Jn 10:30).

The words of verse 7, "in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one," and the beginning of verse 8, "And there are three that bear witness on earth," are not found in any ancient Greek manuscript known up to now before the fifteenth or sixteenth century.

They are also absent from the Syriac and other Eastern translations. They were inserted into the German translation twenty-eight years after Luther's death. Slavonic manuscripts of the Apostle did not have them before the printed edition of the Bible.

In the works of the ancient Greek Fathers, who wrote against the Arians and had occasion to speak of the Trinity of Persons and Their consubstantiality, there is no trace or hint that they knew or read this verse.

Detailed commentaries on the First Epistle, for example that of blessed Theophylact, do not contain this passage. Therefore the newer critical editions of the New Testament, beginning with Griesbach (1806), Scholz (1836), Tischendorf (1842), and others, completely omit these words and do not acknowledge their authenticity.

The appearance of these words in the text of the Epistle first belongs to the printed edition of the Complutensian Polyglot (1517-1520). From there they passed into all editions printed from the Vulgate.

Among Greek manuscripts, only one British manuscript, now the Montfortian, of the sixteenth or seventeenth century, has this passage. Even handwritten copies of the Latin Bible omit it.

A few later copies place it in the margins, in the form of an interpretation. Yet despite such unanimous omission of this text by the ancient manuscripts, all new editions and translations of the New Testament accepted and approved by the Eastern and Western Churches receive it as authentic apostolic words.

They regard it as the best expression of the dogma of the consubstantiality of the three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity.

Scholarly investigations of the texts and ancient patristic writings have revealed that in many Latin Bibles before the invention of printing, this verse was placed sometimes in the margins and sometimes in the text itself.

Sometimes it appeared before verse 8, and sometimes after it. The oldest of these copies, belonging to the Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Pres in Paris, was written in 809 and is now in Saint Petersburg.

It is a copy from another more ancient manuscript belonging to the seventh, or even the sixth, century. Among Western writers this passage occurs much earlier.

The first clear literal citation of this passage, with an indication that it belongs to the Apostle John, is found in the Confession of Faith of the four hundred African bishops.

They sent it in 484 to the Vandal king Huneric the Arian, in defense of their Orthodox teaching. Finally, indications of this verse are found in Augustine, c. Maximin. 2:22 and Speculum.

They are also found in Saint Cyprian, De unitate Ecclesiae, and in Tertullian, c. Praxeam, ch. 25. In recently published fragments from Origen and Apollinarius, Chronicon paschale, there are traces that this passage was known to Eastern writers.

Without doubt, it was found in the original text.

In conclusion, it should be said that the inclusion of this passage does not in any way make the reading of the text difficult. It contains nothing contrary to the spirit, content, and expressions of the Apostle John.

In connection with the following discourse, it even appears necessary, because it speaks of the testimony of God, to which verse 9 then points.

The beginning of the verse in the original reading is this: "This is He Who came by water and blood," and by the Spirit, the Slavonic and Russian translations add.

They probably do so on the entirely correct ground that immediately after these words the testimony of the Spirit is mentioned. This One is Jesus Christ.

That is, this Jesus Who came from Nazareth is the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Son of God, the God-man, the Savior of the world, or of the whole human race, and the Conqueror of the world.

He is the Conqueror of all that is evil and hostile to God. By His power the one who believes in Christ conquers this world.

This Jesus, Who came into the world, or was revealed or appeared in the world (cf. Jn 1:9, 11; 1 Tim 1:15), came by water and blood, and by the Spirit.

What does this saying mean? In the Old Testament, in Levitical worship, the principal acts through which sinners were cleansed from sins and reconciled with God were purification by water and purification by sacrificial blood (Num 19:9; Lev 14:5-7).

These acts, like the whole ritual law of Moses, had a typological meaning in relation to Christ and the salvation of humanity accomplished by Him (Heb 10:1; 1 Cor 10:1 and following).

Christ abolished the typological in the Old Testament and replaced it with the very essence of things, or truth. Yet He did so under an image, or symbol, because an image is necessary for man, who consists of body and soul, to understand truth.

The type is replaced by an image, beneath which the essence of the truth must be understood only by spirit and mind. In the present case the type is the Levitical purification by water and by sacrificial blood.

The image is Christ's baptism with water by John in the Jordan, and His baptism by blood in the redeeming sacrifice on the Cross at Golgotha.

The essence is redemption, or reconciliation with God, by the saving death of the Redeemer, and the peace of the world in regeneration through baptism.

Thus the coming of Jesus Christ by water and blood is the Savior's institution of the mystery of baptism and His accomplishment of the redeeming sacrifice for the whole world.

By His baptism with water in the Jordan, the Lord Jesus consecrated Himself, or inaugurated His ministry to the human race, as Redeemer of the world.

By His baptism with blood, or death on the Cross, He completed His redeeming ministry to the human race. Through baptism in the name of Christ, believers are regenerated and become sons of God.

Through the redeeming sacrifice they are sanctified and become partakers of the divine nature. Thus Christ came, or was revealed, in the world by water and blood, by baptism with water and baptism with blood.

He came by water baptism and by death on the Cross. "Therefore Jesus came by water, that is, He was declared Son of God through the testimony of the Father at the baptism in water.

"He came by blood when, going to the Cross, He said, 'Glorify Me, O Father' (Jn 17:5)" (Theophylact).

And by the Spirit, the Holy and divine Spirit, Who bears witness concerning Christ. See further in this same verse and in 1 Jn 5:8.

"Not by water only, but by water and blood." This intensified, repeated, and explanatory expression points to the special importance of the action, so that no one might reinterpret the expression and distort this lofty apostolic teaching.

Christ was revealed as Redeemer of the world not by water only, not by baptism only, but by water and blood, by baptism and by death on the Cross, a redeeming death.

"By water and blood. And again he adds, repeating the word: not by water only, but by water and blood. For he wishes first to prove the glorification of Christ, Who adopts us as sons.

"For first the man existing in Christ was adopted by God, and then Christ, through His own sonship, bestowed this dignity also upon us" (Theophylact).

In itself, water did not and does not have cleansing spiritual power and meaning in baptism. Its power and meaning lie in Christ's shedding of His Blood for the sins of the world.

By this, great cleansing and saving power is imparted to baptism. By water and blood Christ accomplished the great mystery of the redemption of the human race (cf. Heb 9:19-22; Heb 10:22).

The Apostle speaks with particular insistence of Christ's coming by water and blood, with the deliberate indication, "not by water only, but by water and blood."

It may be held with certainty that he had in view the false teaching of Cerinthus, a false teacher and deceiver contemporary with the Apostle.

This false teaching concerned the union in Jesus Christ of His divinity and humanity. According to it, the divinity was united to the humanity of Jesus Christ at His baptism and separated from Him at His suffering.

Thus, according to this false teaching, it was not the Son of God who suffered, but a mere man. Against this the Apostle's thought is directed, concerning Christ's coming not by water only, but by water and blood.

That is, Jesus Christ is the true God-man, both in His baptism and in His sufferings. Otherwise, if He had not suffered, He would not have accomplished His ministry to the human race.

He would not have done so either in the baptism with water or in the baptism with blood, either in the Jordan or on the Cross of Golgotha. He is the God-man, Redeemer of the world, and purifier (Jn 2:2; Jn 3:10), both by water and by blood.

And the Spirit bears witness concerning Him as the Son of God, Who renewed the world by baptism with water and blood, and as the promised Savior of the world Who has come.

The Lord Himself repeatedly testified to this testimony of the Holy Spirit concerning Christ as the Son of God (cf. Jn 14:16-17; Jn 15:26; Jn 16:13-14 and the notes).

He promised to send His disciples another Comforter and witness. This promise was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.

"The Spirit is truth." That is, the testimony of the Holy Spirit concerning Christ the Son of God is not false, but unquestionable testimony, since the Spirit Himself is truth, just as Christ is truth (Jn 14:6; Jn 15:26).

This highest truth is that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, Who redeemed the world by water and blood. It is witnessed not only by the Holy Spirit, Whose testimony the Apostle has just mentioned.

The testimony of Him alone would have been sufficient to assure us of this, since He is truth. Yet there are many witnesses to this.

According to the law of Moses (Deut 19:15), two or three witnesses are needed to establish the truth. To establish this truth concerning Christ Jesus, however, there are twice three witnesses: three in heaven and three on earth.

Heaven and earth have manifested to the world three witnesses each concerning this. Therefore this truth is more than indisputable.

These remarkable words require understanding, first, according to their literal meaning. Jesus Christ came by water. What does this mean?

The Apostle's thought is clear. Jesus Christ manifested and proved His messianic and God-manhood dignity, and also the redeeming power of His appearance on earth, through water.

The Apostle's expression concerning blood and the Spirit has the same meaning. Through them also Jesus Christ revealed Himself as the Messiah.

But how is this so? Clearly, blood and water on the Apostle's lips have the meaning of metaphor. He takes them as symbolic signs in place of what they signify.

Water is a symbol of cleansing. Under this symbol, as is known, the Old Covenant depicted the cleansing action of the Messiah for all mankind.

"In that day," says the prophet Zechariah, "there shall be opened a fountain for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for the washing away of sin and uncleanness" (Zech 13:1).

When the times of the Messiah had truly come, Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan went out to John.

They expected to see in him the Messiah Himself, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins (Mt 3:5, 6).

The blood of animals, abundantly poured out upon the altars, was also a symbol of cleansing, and at the same time of redemption.

Thus, according to the interpretation of the holy Apostle Paul, "almost everything is cleansed with blood according to the law, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Heb 9:22).

Therefore, if in the expression of the holy Apostle John about the coming of Jesus Christ by water and blood we put in place of the symbols what they signify, the expression takes this simplest form.

"Jesus Christ, in fulfillment of prophecies and Old Testament expectations, came, because He revealed Himself as the Savior of mankind through His cleansing and redeeming power, symbolized by water and blood."

But the Lord Jesus Christ was pleased to give these substances something more than symbolism in the New Covenant.

He made water the mysterious instrument of human regeneration in the font of Baptism. As an image of this, He Himself received Baptism from John before the beginning of His ministry to the human race.

He made blood the mysterious instrument of men's closest communion with Himself in the mystery of the Eucharist, which He established at the end of His ministry.

Moreover, He gave such force to His command concerning these substances in both mysteries that "unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (Jn 3:5).

Likewise, "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves" (Jn 6:53).

In Christ the Savior Himself, the mysterious meaning of blood and water, in their mutual union, was manifested solemnly and visibly on the Cross.

It appeared at His death, in that concluding event of His redeeming work. Then from His pierced side, as from a true man and not an apparition, as the Docetists later proclaimed Christ to be, blood and water flowed in abundance.

It is noteworthy that when the holy Apostle John records this event in his Gospel, he does not omit to mention the purpose of his narration.

It was "that we may have faith in the Son of God" (Jn 19:35). In the same way, in his Epistle, he directs the testimony of water and blood toward our conviction "that Jesus is the Christ" (1 Jn 5:5, 6).

Thus it is clear that, in the view of Christ's Apostle, the event of water and blood flowing from Christ's side contained more than its natural possibility.

A certain special mystery of water and blood was revealed in it.

The holy Apostle John testified in his Gospel to the outpouring of water and blood from Christ's side, and he alone did so.

He did not record it as a natural and ordinary phenomenon, nor merely to confirm the reality of the Savior's death.

This is clear because, if the phenomenon were natural, only a few drops of water might have appeared. John himself could scarcely have noticed them, though he stood near the Cross.

Nor was it his purpose at all to confirm the Savior's death, for no one then doubted it.

Moreover, for people untrained in science, the flowing of water and blood from a pierced wound could hardly have been an undoubted proof that death had occurred.

Its significance came to be applied to all later times of Christ's Church in water Baptism and in the Eucharist.

Thus the above saying of the Apostle John concerning the coming of Jesus Christ by water and blood receives its full meaning.

"Whereas in the Old Covenant the cleansing and redemption of men were only symbolically prefigured by sacred water and sacrificial blood, in the New Covenant Christ Jesus, as the once-for-all and universal sacrifice, poured forth blood and water from His side on the Cross.

He thereby made these very substances both a testimony to the accomplished work of redemption and mysterious instruments of the cleansing and regeneration of men through the two mysteries of Baptism and the Eucharist."

But what does the Apostle John's expression mean, that Jesus Christ came not only by water and blood, but also by the Spirit?

By this last term, as everything shows, the Apostle directly means the Holy Spirit. Without any metaphor or symbolism, he calls Him the third witness to Christ's messianic dignity.

That the Apostle truly means by the Spirit the third Person of the Holy Trinity is clear, even though he omits his usual title "Holy."

In place of it, as it were, he calls this Spirit truth itself, for he says, "And the Spirit bears witness of Him, because the Spirit is truth."

That is, the Spirit bears witness of Jesus, that He is Christ the Savior.

Thus the Apostle's expression, that Jesus Christ, who came by water and blood, also came by the Spirit, may be expressed and interpreted in connection with the preceding thoughts of the Apostle.

"Jesus Christ came to men by water, that is, He brought them cleansing and regeneration by establishing the mystery of water Baptism.

Jesus Christ came by blood, that is, He brought redemption to men by shedding His blood once on the Cross and establishing the New Covenant mystery of His Body and Blood.

He also came to men by the Spirit, that is, being Himself, according to His humanity, filled with the Spirit of God (Lk 4:18, 21), He seals unto salvation all who receive faith and are baptized (Mk 16:16) with the gifts of the Holy Spirit."

The first testimonies are indicated by the Apostle in the three most important sacred events: the Lord's Baptism, His Passion, and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles.

In these events the chief elements had great significance: water, blood, and fire. For this reason the Apostle calls these testimonies earthly.

The second triad of witnesses is heavenly: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit. Their testimony was clearly expressed in the three most important events of the divine economy of our salvation.

These events were accompanied by extraordinary manifestations and divine signs. At the Baptism of Jesus Christ, the voice of God the Father was heard: "This is My beloved Son" (Mt 3:17; Mk 9:7).

The Spirit of God appeared there in the form of a dove. During Christ's sufferings, the saving Blood was shed, cleansing sinners and clearly testifying that the Sufferer was not a phantom.

In the descent of the Holy Spirit, sent by the Son of God from the Father, the wondrous gift of tongues was given to believers.

Many doubts are expressed against the authenticity of verse 7, and especially against our reading of its ending. This is because the verse is absent from some manuscripts of this Epistle.

For this reason some theologians do not cite it in confirmation of the doctrine of the Trinity. Yet the force of John's proofs concerning the divine dignity of Jesus Christ remains the same even without verse 7.

For he speaks of the testimony of the Spirit in verse 6, and of the testimony of the Father in verse 9.

Moreover, the omission of verse 7 in only some texts is not proof that it is inauthentic. One may think that the ending of verse 7, identical with the ending of verse 8, gave certain early copyists an easy opportunity for an accidental omission.

These faulty copies then served as models for those manuscripts in which verse 7 is absent.