1 John 5:8Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

"And these three are in one," that is, with respect to the testimony concerning Christ. They show that He was adopted by God the Father, and that what He Himself received He handed on to the worthy, who believe in His name.

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.

Others refer these witnesses to the mysteries of Baptism and Communion and to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which give Christians sure testimony concerning Jesus Christ.

"And the three are one," kai hoi treis eis to hen eisin. These words are absent in the Complutensian Bible and in some Latin manuscripts.

They are considered an addition by Arians, supposedly made by them to weaken the force of the testimony of the preceding verse.

On the contrary, as is evident from allegorical interpretations of these words, for example Augustine's, the Arians would more likely have removed them from the text, since they exposed their error.

These words are found in all Greek manuscripts and editions.

It is noteworthy that "three," hoi treis, in the masculine gender, refers to spirit, water, and blood, which in Greek are all neuter.

The same occurs at the beginning of verse 7. This may partly serve as proof that under the words hoi treis at the beginning of verse 7, persons, not things, were understood.

As in the preceding verse, so also in this one, the subject is the unity of the testimony concerning Christ.

"And these three testify to one thing," namely that Christ is the Son of God, who accomplished the redemption and renewal of the world.

He conquered the world hostile to Him and granted victory over it to those who believe in Him (1 Jn 5:4-5).

"If we receive the testimony of men," the Apostle adds, "the testimony of God is greater" (1 Jn 5:9). That is, should we not all the more rightly receive the greater testimony from God?

For is not this testimony concerning the Son of God, that is, Christ, from God Himself? (Theophylact).

So it ought to be, yet it is not always so. Unbelief and faith have always divided people, and will divide them, into two different camps.

Therefore, however important and reliable the witnesses named above may be, their voice reaches only hearts that are pure, uncorrupted, and capable of faith.

For this reason the Apostle says further: "He who believes," that is, a man with a pure and uncorrupted heart, "in the Son of God has the witness in himself."

"He who does not believe God," that is, a man with a corrupted and proud heart, "has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has testified concerning His Son" (1 Jn 5:10).

He does not believe that "God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son" (1 Jn 5:11).

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.