1Jo 5:7-8 | KingComments | STEP | . Now John expands on the Person Whom he just mentioned ‘Jesus, the Son of God’ ( ). He tells Who He is and he also tells about the work that He has accomplished. He first points to Him as the One Who has come. That refers to His coming on earth and His whole sojourn on earth. By this He fulfilled what He said to God when He came into the world: ”Behold, I have come … to do Your will, o God” ( ). It proves that He was with the Father and He came into the world. His whole sojourn on earth was characterized by ‘water’. That means that He fully lived through the Word of God ( ), of which the water is a picture ( ). . However, He came “not with the water only”. His blameless, God glorifying life alone was not enough to bring you salvation. He also came “with the blood”. His perfectly devoted life to God had to come to an end by the shedding of His blood. He had to give His blood for your sins. His work on the cross cannot be separated from His life on earth. Without His blood there is no life for us. Jesus Christ has lived through the Word of God and has given His blood. When Christ died, blood and water came out of His side ( ), as a proof that He had truly died. It is also a witness that in that way we were able to receive eternal life. In his Gospel John first speaks about ‘blood’ and then about ‘water’. You may call that the historical order. This is how it happened on the cross. The blood is the foundation for God to be able to redeem men from their sins. In that way He can give eternal life to men. The water puts the cleansing of the sins of the sinner by the power of the Word more in the forefront. Here in his letter John first speaks about ‘water’ and then about ‘blood’. You may call that the practical order. This is how you came into contact with it. First the water cleansed you from your sins, for they were a great obstacle between you and God. Then you saw that the blood has removed all your sins before God. Water refers more to what you needed and blood refers more to what was needed for God. . After the testimony of the water and the blood the testimony of the Spirit follows. “It is the Spirit who testifies” of the Lord Jesus, Who He is and what He has done. Water and blood are metaphorical or symbolic witnesses. They relate to something. The Spirit is not a symbolic but a personal Witness. The Spirit is used as Witness after the witnesses that speak of the life (water) and the dying of the Lord Jesus (blood). He has come as Witness after the Lord Jesus has risen and has been glorified ( ). Through the Spirit we learn the meaning of the metaphorical and symbolic witnesses. “The Spirit is the truth.” You have found the truth of God through the work of the Spirit of the truth. . Therefore there are three witnesses of which each one has a particular testimony, while they together form a unity in their testimony. None of the three witnesses stands apart from the other witnesses. The Spirit speaks from the Word. The Spirit speaks about the water and the blood out of the Word and therefore you have accepted the perfect and indisputable testimony of these three witnesses. The testimony is absolutely reliable, for “every fact is to be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses” ( ). . In this verse John mentions the witnesses again , but now he mentions the Spirit first (cf. ). He does that because the Spirit has caused you to accept the testimony about the Son of God. Because of the work of the Spirit in your heart you have understood and accepted Who the Lord Jesus is and what He has done. The three witnesses “are in agreement” in their testimony about what you needed to partake of the eternal life which was given to you in the Son. This threefold testimony gives the unmistakable assurance that you have the Son as your life. . John compares “the testimony of God” with “the testimony of men”, by which he most probably means the false teachers in particular. Men may say what they want, but if they do not know the meaning of the water and the blood and therefore also do not have the Spirit, they are liars. There are men who claim that they know how you could come into contact with the Son without the blood. They speak, for example, about Jesus in relation to ‘the water alone’. That means that they present Him as a good person and a model that is worthy of imitation. But they actually do not say a word about Him as the Propitiation that a sinner needs. You therefore need to listen carefully to the testimony of God, which is greater than the testimony of any man whosoever. God has testified of His Son when He was baptized in the Jordan and also at His transfiguration on the mountain ( ). The testimony had sounded, but the sound did not fade away. The testimony resounds in full, undiminished force to this day and will do so for all eternity. . If this is the testimony that the triune God has testified concerning His Son, how could it be that you would want to listen to even one single word that people, who do not have the Spirit, say about the Son? They may be the most educated people with the most respectable names who speak in the most impressive way about Jesus, but still they are blind people and fools. Aside from the fact that their testimony is false, you absolutely do not need it. You have the testimony in yourself. You believe in the Son of God. You have accepted the testimony of God about His Son. You have agreed to that. That’s how you obtained new life. You possess it, it is in you. That new life is complete, it does not need any addition. Of course it must grow, but that is something different than that it would lack something of which the false teachers claim to be able to give it you. Those false teachers have not believed “in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son”. They simply do not believe what God has said and therefore they have made Him a liar. This is how also today there are many people who call themselves a Christian, but dispute God’s Word. They explain in their own way what God has said. They think they know better than God and in that way declare Him a liar. . Whatever they may claim, the testimony stands firm and is untouchable from the meanest and crudest attacks. Therefore, you need not be impressed by the fiercest opposition. The content of the testimony is that God has given you eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Therefore it is completely independent from anything from man whatsoever and it is also untouchable for any false doctrine whatsoever. You may know and also experience that you have been brought into relationship with God through the possession of eternal life that you have received from God. Even though you do not understand everything about eternal life, the point is that you have received it. It is in you. Thereby bear in mind that this life is the life which is “in His Son”. He is that true God and eternal life, as it is says further on ( ). You may compare it with your hand that has life, but only in relation to your body. The life of your hand is the life of the whole human being. If you separate the hand from the body, the life will be out of it. In the same way also a leaf on a tree has life. Thus, eternal life cannot be enjoyed or experienced outside the Son. . Despite whatever anyone may say or claim, the brief and powerful conclusion is: If you have the Son you have the life and everything that is in it. If you do not have the Son, you have nothing and you miss everything that is related to life. The great difference is made by whether you have or do not have the Son of God as your life. . John is about to conclude his letter. As an introduction to his closing words he tells you why he has written all the foregoing. When it comes to the assurance of what has been said, the Bible emphasizes the written Word. He has ”written”, so that you may know with your heart and not only with your understanding that you have eternal life. You know that you have it because you have seen what eternal life is. You have seen Who Jesus Christ is, that He is the Son of God. You believe in Him, in His Name. His Name is an indication of the full revelation of Who He is. It embraces all radiance and splendor that this Name contains. To know more of it you have to read and explore God’s Word. Everything you discover in it about Him, you will take into your heart with the greatest love and gratitude. It is like with the people of Israel to whom all blessings of the promised land were given even before they took possession of it. In the book of Deuteronomy Moses presents the rich blessings of the land before the people. But in order to really be able to enjoy those blessings, it was necessary for the people to take possession of it step by step ( ). This is how you are blessed with all spiritual blessing in the heavenly places ( ), which you may summarize with what John calls “eternal life” here. You are in that heavenly land, but you must discover its treasures. You have to put your foot on it in a spiritual sense. Any place you put your foot on, you may call your property, while the whole land is basically given to you. If in that way you discover step by step what all has been given to you in the gift of eternal life, you will also be eager to thank the Father for it (cf. ; ). Now read 1 John 5:6-13 again. Reflection: What does the testimony consist of that God has testified of His Son and what is the meaning of it?

‏ 1 John 5:7-8

God’s Testimony Concerning His Son

1Jn 5:6a. Now John expands on the Person Whom he just mentioned ‘Jesus, the Son of God’ (1Jn 5:5). He tells Who He is and he also tells about the work that He has accomplished. He first points to Him as the One Who has come. That refers to His coming on earth and His whole sojourn on earth. By this He fulfilled what He said to God when He came into the world: ”Behold, I have come … to do Your will, o God” (Heb 10:5-7). It proves that He was with the Father and He came into the world.

His whole sojourn on earth was characterized by ‘water’. That means that He fully lived through the Word of God (Mt 4:4), of which the water is a picture (Eph 5:26).

1Jn 5:6b. However, He came “not with the water only”. His blameless, God glorifying life alone was not enough to bring you salvation. He also came “with the blood”. His perfectly devoted life to God had to come to an end by the shedding of His blood. He had to give His blood for your sins. His work on the cross cannot be separated from His life on earth. Without His blood there is no life for us. Jesus Christ has lived through the Word of God and has given His blood.

When Christ died, blood and water came out of His side (Jn 19:34), as a proof that He had truly died. It is also a witness that in that way we were able to receive eternal life. In his Gospel John first speaks about ‘blood’ and then about ‘water’. You may call that the historical order. This is how it happened on the cross. The blood is the foundation for God to be able to redeem men from their sins. In that way He can give eternal life to men. The water puts the cleansing of the sins of the sinner by the power of the Word more in the forefront.

Here in his letter John first speaks about ‘water’ and then about ‘blood’. You may call that the practical order. This is how you came into contact with it. First the water cleansed you from your sins, for they were a great obstacle between you and God. Then you saw that the blood has removed all your sins before God. Water refers more to what you needed and blood refers more to what was needed for God.

1Jn 5:6c. After the testimony of the water and the blood the testimony of the Spirit follows. “It is the Spirit who testifies” of the Lord Jesus, Who He is and what He has done. Water and blood are metaphorical or symbolic witnesses. They relate to something. The Spirit is not a symbolic but a personal Witness. The Spirit is used as Witness after the witnesses that speak of the life (water) and the dying of the Lord Jesus (blood). He has come as Witness after the Lord Jesus has risen and has been glorified (Jn 7:39). Through the Spirit we learn the meaning of the metaphorical and symbolic witnesses. “The Spirit is the truth.” You have found the truth of God through the work of the Spirit of the truth.

1Jn 5:7. Therefore there are three witnesses of which each one has a particular testimony, while they together form a unity in their testimony. None of the three witnesses stands apart from the other witnesses. The Spirit speaks from the Word. The Spirit speaks about the water and the blood out of the Word and therefore you have accepted the perfect and indisputable testimony of these three witnesses. The testimony is absolutely reliable, for “every fact is to be confirmed by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (2Cor 13:1).

1Jn 5:8. In this verse John mentions the witnesses again , but now he mentions the Spirit first (cf. 1Jn 5:6). He does that because the Spirit has caused you to accept the testimony about the Son of God. Because of the work of the Spirit in your heart you have understood and accepted Who the Lord Jesus is and what He has done. The three witnesses “are in agreement” in their testimony about what you needed to partake of the eternal life which was given to you in the Son. This threefold testimony gives the unmistakable assurance that you have the Son as your life.

1Jn 5:9. John compares “the testimony of God” with “the testimony of men”, by which he most probably means the false teachers in particular. Men may say what they want, but if they do not know the meaning of the water and the blood and therefore also do not have the Spirit, they are liars. There are men who claim that they know how you could come into contact with the Son without the blood. They speak, for example, about Jesus in relation to ‘the water alone’. That means that they present Him as a good person and a model that is worthy of imitation. But they actually do not say a word about Him as the Propitiation that a sinner needs.

You therefore need to listen carefully to the testimony of God, which is greater than the testimony of any man whosoever. God has testified of His Son when He was baptized in the Jordan and also at His transfiguration on the mountain (Mt 3:17 ; Mt 17:5). The testimony had sounded, but the sound did not fade away. The testimony resounds in full, undiminished force to this day and will do so for all eternity.

1Jn 5:10. If this is the testimony that the triune God has testified concerning His Son, how could it be that you would want to listen to even one single word that people, who do not have the Spirit, say about the Son? They may be the most educated people with the most respectable names who speak in the most impressive way about Jesus, but still they are blind people and fools. Aside from the fact that their testimony is false, you absolutely do not need it. You have the testimony in yourself. You believe in the Son of God. You have accepted the testimony of God about His Son. You have agreed to that. That’s how you obtained new life. You possess it, it is in you. That new life is complete, it does not need any addition. Of course it must grow, but that is something different than that it would lack something of which the false teachers claim to be able to give it you.

Those false teachers have not believed “in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son”. They simply do not believe what God has said and therefore they have made Him a liar. This is how also today there are many people who call themselves a Christian, but dispute God’s Word. They explain in their own way what God has said. They think they know better than God and in that way declare Him a liar.

1Jn 5:11. Whatever they may claim, the testimony stands firm and is untouchable from the meanest and crudest attacks. Therefore, you need not be impressed by the fiercest opposition. The content of the testimony is that God has given you eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Therefore it is completely independent from anything from man whatsoever and it is also untouchable for any false doctrine whatsoever.

You may know and also experience that you have been brought into relationship with God through the possession of eternal life that you have received from God. Even though you do not understand everything about eternal life, the point is that you have received it. It is in you. Thereby bear in mind that this life is the life which is “in His Son”. He is that true God and eternal life, as it is says further on (1Jn 5:20). You may compare it with your hand that has life, but only in relation to your body. The life of your hand is the life of the whole human being. If you separate the hand from the body, the life will be out of it. In the same way also a leaf on a tree has life. Thus, eternal life cannot be enjoyed or experienced outside the Son.

1Jn 5:12. Despite whatever anyone may say or claim, the brief and powerful conclusion is: If you have the Son you have the life and everything that is in it. If you do not have the Son, you have nothing and you miss everything that is related to life. The great difference is made by whether you have or do not have the Son of God as your life.

1Jn 5:13. John is about to conclude his letter. As an introduction to his closing words he tells you why he has written all the foregoing. When it comes to the assurance of what has been said, the Bible emphasizes the written Word. He has ”written”, so that you may know with your heart and not only with your understanding that you have eternal life.

You know that you have it because you have seen what eternal life is. You have seen Who Jesus Christ is, that He is the Son of God. You believe in Him, in His Name. His Name is an indication of the full revelation of Who He is. It embraces all radiance and splendor that this Name contains. To know more of it you have to read and explore God’s Word. Everything you discover in it about Him, you will take into your heart with the greatest love and gratitude.

It is like with the people of Israel to whom all blessings of the promised land were given even before they took possession of it. In the book of Deuteronomy Moses presents the rich blessings of the land before the people. But in order to really be able to enjoy those blessings, it was necessary for the people to take possession of it step by step (Jos 1:2-3). This is how you are blessed with all spiritual blessing in the heavenly places (Eph 1:3), which you may summarize with what John calls “eternal life” here.

You are in that heavenly land, but you must discover its treasures. You have to put your foot on it in a spiritual sense. Any place you put your foot on, you may call your property, while the whole land is basically given to you. If in that way you discover step by step what all has been given to you in the gift of eternal life, you will also be eager to thank the Father for it (cf. Deu 26:1-2; Jn 4:10 ; 14 ; 23-24).

Now read 1 John 5:6-13 again.

Reflection: What does the testimony consist of that God has testified of His Son and what is the meaning of it?