1 John

Sunday 7 June 2020

And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 1 John 5:11

John now uses the word translated as, marturia, for the sixth and final time in his epistle. All have been in verses 5:9-11. It is variously translated as “witness,” “testimony,” etc., but it is referring to the same thing, even if translators translate it differently in these verses. Simply translating all six uses as “testimony” would give the right sense to the reader. Concerning this, John begins this verse with, “And this is the testimony:”

It is the testimony which is greater than that of the testimony of man. (5:9)
It is the testimony which God has testified of His Son. (5:9)
It is the testimony one has in himself when he believes in the Son. (5:10)
It is the testimony of God which proves one a liar when he does not accept it. (5:10)
It is the testimony that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. (5:11)

As stated in the last statement, John defines this testimony as concerning the fact “that God Has given us eternal life.” It is an aorist verb, meaning He gave it one time for all time. However, two views are considered. The first is that this is speaking of eternal life being offered to the world, once for all, in the giving of His Son. It is a true statement, but is that the full intent of John’s words? The second is that God gave each person who believes in His Son eternal life, once for all-time.

What seems more probable is that it is the latter of the two. This is because the word “us” is the object – God gave to us. It is a historical fact that God gave Jesus once for all time. It is offered to all, but it only applies to believers and not to non-believers. That would be supported by John 3:16 –

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

The same phrase, zōēn aiōnion, or “eternal life” (without any article), is used in both. It is true that God gave His Son in His love for the world, but it is also true that only “whoever believes” in the Son will be given eternal life. That is because, as John next says, “and this life is in His Son.”

It cannot be argued that God has given His Son to nonbelievers resulting in eternal life. It can only be argued that He has given His Son for this purpose – whether it is ever realized in them or not. It is in Christ that the life is found. Without coming to Christ, one cannot say that, “The Bible says God has given me eternal life because of Jesus,” except in an anticipatory way. Until a person believes in the offer, it remains unappropriated by the person.

As Matthew Poole says, “His testimony, that this is his Son and the Christ, imports so much, that eternal life is in him, as the source and fountain of it; so that he gives it to us in no other way than in and by him.”

Once it is found in Him by a person (through faith), the eternal life has been given. It is done – once for all time. The same thought is generally found in 1 John 3:1 –

“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”

The love of the Father is a fact that is based on being children of God. Eternal life is a fact because we have received the Son.

Life application: “And this is the testimony” is speaking of the internal witness of the previous verse – “He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself.” As noted, the same word is used in the Greek in both instances which ensures us that “the testimony” is understood in this context. In other words, “He who believes in the Son of God has witness in himself…that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” This construct of this verse is another witness to the doctrine of eternal salvation.

The tense of the word “given” when united with the term “eternal life” indicates something that has been granted to us right now. In other words, we don’t need to anticipate an existence which goes on forever. Instead, it is already in our grasp and it has been given by God who cannot lie. The eternal life, which is in His Son, Jesus, is ours to enjoy from the moment we have the witness of Christ in ourselves.

As we walk through our day, failing in our Christian walk, we should be astounded at our eternal state and ever grateful that it was a gift given even when God knew we would continue to err. But, because of Jesus, God is pleased to grant that which is beyond us. This also should help us to reflect on those around us who are lost. As God has given life in His Son, then it must be true that there is no life without His Son. God doesn’t simply grant life to anyone for any reason. Rather, as sons of Adam, we are already separated from Him, and He is under no obligation to redeem us.

However, when He sent Jesus, He opened up an avenue by which restoration is offered, granted, and sealed. This path maintains His holiness and yet satisfies His righteousness. In other words, it is the surest deal in the universe. When the offer is accepted, complete and free access to eternal life is guaranteed.

O God, our God! Thank You for the sure witness we have because of Jesus Your Son. Even when we fall short and fail You, we have no fear that the pardon we received will ever be revoked. With all confidence, we can stand up, brush ourselves off, and continue in Your good grace – all because of the work of Jesus our Lord! Amen.

Saturday, 6 June 2020

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. 1 John 5:10

John now builds on his words of the previous verse. He begins with, “He who believes in the Son of God.” However, the translation is faulty. The Greek uses the preposition eis, rather than en – “on” rather than “in.” This is the first time he has used it this way in 1 John. However, he uses it almost forty times in the Gospel of John.

It is a stronger and more sure belief that doesn’t merely believe in the existence of a thing or person, but instead has a confidence in every aspect of that thing or person. When hiking, one may believe in his friend to help if trouble arises, but that may not be the same as believing on the brother to help. “I know that he is willing to help, but I am not sure if he is capable of helping.” Trusting on the Son of God is placing a full trust on every aspect of the Son of God.

Further, the verb “believes” is a present participle. It is an ongoing belief in the Son of God. With this belief in the Son of God, John says such a person “has the witness in himself.

For clarity, some translations add in the words “of God” here – “has the witness of God in himself.” This is correct. John just said in the previous verse –

“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.”

It is this “witness of God” that John is referring to, and it is greater than the witness of men. The contrast is given so that a person can have the confidence that his witness (of God) is rightly placed. He has rightly believed in the truth of God because he has believed in the Son of God. Again, as John has consistently done throughout the epistle, He is focusing most specifically on the incarnation of Jesus Christ. If one believes in this precept, he has this sure witness of God. However, “he who does not believe God has made Him a liar.”

John has taken “the witness of God,” and he has now turned it into a personal aspect of God. To believe in the testimony which God gives is to believe Him. The two are spoken of as one reality. The acceptance of the message of God is to accept God as He has revealed Himself. And in this, there is a new reality for the believer –

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

It is belief in the Son that, in turn, demonstrates a person possesses the witness of God. And to possess that witness is to become a child of God. However, John – though making this clause a personal note concerning God – wrote it in the negative. He said, “he who does not believe God.” Such a person “has made Him a liar.”

This goes back to verse 2:4 –

“He who says, ‘I know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

As seen then, keeping the commandments of God is to believe on the One whom He has sent. That was evidenced in Jesus’ words from John 6 –

“Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.’”

To believe in the Son is to believe God who sent the Son. To not believe in the Son is to not believe God, and it is the mark of a liar. This is “because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.”

The verb form of the previous clause (in 1 John 5:10) which said, “has made,” and the verb form of the words, “has not believed,” here are both in the perfect tense. The past non-belief continues into the present in the one who does not believe. The person was a liar, and he continues to be a liar because of his failure to accept the witness of God found in the Son.

Vincent’s Word Studies highlights the Greek here. Rather than “believed the testimony,” the Greek more specifically says, “believed on the testimony.” The object is not directly personal – “testimony.” But it is indirectly personal because the testimony is that which speaks of Christ Jesus. God has tied who He is into who the Son of God is. The two are united in one thought. To have the Son is to have the Father. To not have one is to have neither.

Life application: John sums up the objective evidence of the preceding verses in this concise and precise thought. The objective witnesses are:

1) That He who came by water and blood.
2) The testimony of the Spirit.
3) The witness of the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit (which are one).
4) The Spirit, the water, and the blood (which are in agreement as one).
5) The witness of God – meaning the entire Godhead mentioned in item 3.

These evidences now ask each person who hears to act upon their testimony and their witness, and either accept or reject them at face value. He who “believes in” (or rather “on”) is speaking of trust on the Person who is the Son of God. If a person has this ongoing trust, he also has the “witness in himself.” This isn’t speaking of initial salvation, but it is indicating that the individual has become an objective witness to the surety of the proclamation.

John then says that any person who “does not believe” – here he leaves off “in” to indicate that it is not speaking of the work of God, but rather the truthfulness of God – “has made Him a liar.” If these evidences, all of which point to both the humanity and the deity of Jesus Christ, are not believed, then the man has called God a liar. There is, and there can be, no salvation for a person who denies this fundamental truth. He must repent of this (change his mind about the Son) and believe on the Son of God as the Bible reveals Him.

If you have denied either the humanity or the deity of God, you have called God a liar. Go back, research the testimony which has been given, and accept God as truthful. Believe and be saved!

Jesus, we believe with all of our hearts and souls that You are fully God and also fully Man. We believe You are the infinite united to the finite – the God/Man – who has come so that we can know and understand the depth of the love of God which was hidden in ages past. Glory to You our Lord. And thank You, O God, for revealing Yourself to us in the Person of Jesus! Amen.

Friday, 5 June 2020

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. 1 John 5:9

John has noted that there are three that bear witness in heaven, and there are three that bear witness on the earth. These witnesses testify to the truth of Jesus Christ, and their Source is from God. Because of this, John puts forth a proposition to consider. He says, “If we receive the witness of men.” The verb is in the indicative mood. Thus, it assumes that the proposition is a fact. It is something we do constantly.

We receive the witness of men in news, we do so in our courts of law, we do so in things we are not specialists in – trusting that someone else has the information that will keep us safe, financially secure, and so on. We also receive the witness of family members. Very little would get done in this world if we did not receive the witness of other men. If we go to a stockbroker with our life savings, we are entrusting that to the witness of a man. “This is my very life, please look after it.” As this is so, John puts forth the second half of his proposition, “the witness of God is greater.”

Understanding the nature of God, we can know – even apart from the words of Scripture – that God cannot lie. God cannot err. God is perfect in all His ways. These things can be known through a process of simple logic being thought through to its inevitable conclusion. However, we cannot know this about men. Man may be lying – be it in a court of law, be it about the safety of the bridge we want to cross, or be it even about our life savings. And yet, we still receive the witness of men.

As this is so, and it is undeniable that it is the case, then we should all the more willingly receive the testimony of God. God’s testimony is not only surer than that of men, it is infinitely more so. The author of Hebrews states this truth to us –

“Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, ¹⁸ that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.” Hebrews 6:17, 18

As God cannot lie, the only consideration that we must take into account is, “Are we dealing with the true God?” There are various religions in the world, all of which claim to be rooted in the truth of God. But they cannot all be so. Their paths to pursuing God, meaning whatever supposed source of inspiration is used, contradict one another. But there is no contradiction in God. Therefore, if God has actually revealed Himself in some way, we should be able to discern it.

There is no doubt that God has revealed Himself in Scripture. It displays wisdom, it accurately reflects the state of man and the state of the world, it prophetically confirms itself again and again, it reveals God in the way that logic can deduce He must be revealed, and so on. With this sure witness, and because that witness is of God, it is “far greater” than that coming from men.

Because of this, John then says, “for this is the witness of God.” This is referring to the three-fold witness in heaven and of the three-fold witness on earth. These combine to become the “witness of God.” Both of these combine into one thought – that God has united with human flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ. This is evidenced by the spirit, the water, and the blood. It is in this form whereby “He has testified of His Son.”

The Man came, He lived among men, He gave His life up for them, and He rose again on the third day. And these facts are testified to by men –

“For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. ⁶ After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. ⁷ After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. ⁸ Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.” 1 Corinthians 15:1-8

The apostles (which include John) witnessed and testified to this truth. Five hundred also saw and testified to it. And the word, which comes from God (is inspired by the Spirit of God), has recorded this truth, also testifying to it. If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater. There is no reason at all to disbelieve. Heaven and earth bear witness, man has borne witness, and God – who cannot lie – has born witness. The God/Man – Jesus Christ – has come.

Life application: In this verse, John presents an a fortiori argument – from the lesser to the greater. The law mandates that there be two or three witnesses in order to establish a true testimony. If we are willing to receive human witnesses in such circumstances, how much more God! Humans are fallible and often make faulty judgments. They also are prone to telling lies, even in testimony which is under oath. This is the reason for obtaining more than one witness. However, even this method of validation is subject to abuse.

In 1 Kings 21, we read the account of a man named Naboth who owned a choice piece of land which the King of Israel – Ahab – wanted for himself. Naboth refused to sell it, so false witnesses were obtained in order to convict him of something he didn’t do. The result is recorded for our learning –

“And two men, scoundrels, came in and sat before him; and the scoundrels witnessed against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, ‘Naboth has blasphemed God and the king!’ Then they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died.” 1 Kings 21:13

Here we are, accepting fallible and even falsified human testimony to establish matters of importance. How much more should we then accept the witness of God! The Father verbally acknowledged His Son at His baptism and on the mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 3:17 & 17:5); the Word testifies in the Son through human activity (John 5:39); and the Holy Spirit continues to testify to the work of Jesus even now (John 15:26).

Let us trust the word of God, stand firm on its precepts, and search for Jesus Christ in its pages – knowing that God has given it to us for our understanding, doctrine, and even for our very life.

Surely we have the infallible proof and witness of the work of Jesus Christ – all accomplished on our behalf! And all You ask us to do, O God, is to receive it… receive it by faith. And so, we acknowledge in faith that Jesus is Lord. We will forever continue to acknowledge His strong and guiding hand in our lives. Hallelujah and Amen – we receive Jesus. Amen.

Thursday, 4 June 2020

And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one. 1 John 5:8

As with the previous verse, there is argument over whether the first clause is genuine or not. Verses 7 and 8 taken together, and from the two varying views, will read –

“For there are three that testify: ⁸ the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.” (NASB)

“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.” (NKJV)

Going under the conservative assumption that the NKJV (et al) is correct, John begins this verse with, “And there are three that bear witness on earth.” There is actually an article before “earth.” Thus, it reads, “the earth.” Just as there are three that bear witness in “the heaven,” there are three that witness in “the earth.”

John is again using the precept concerning “two or three witnesses” to establish the truth of His claim. Though this is a precept found in the Law of Moses, it extends beyond that. As noted in the previous verse, Paul uses the precept in the New Covenant as well. Just as the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit witness in the heaven, so on the earth, there are “the Spirit, the water, and the blood.”

What John is referring to here is highly debated. First, unlike the previous verse which said “Holy Spirit,” this one only says, “Spirit.” Thus, if the previous words are not spurious, there could be a distinction between the two. Some say this is speaking of either the gospel, or of the gifts of the Spirit found among believers – the “manifestations of the Spirit.” However, because some texts do not include the “Holy Spirit” in the previous verse, it is claimed that this is referring to the Holy Spirit by some.

From there, “the water” is likewise debated over. Is it Christ’s baptism as some state? Others claim it is Christ’s untainted God-like purity. And “the blood” is claimed by some scholars to be referring to His crucifixion. Others state that it is speaking of the testimony Christ bore to the truth of the gospel.

The point of John’s words is to testify to the truth of God in Christ. John has stressed the nature of Christ again and again. He has shown what the spirit of the Antichrist is – denying that Christ Jesus came in the flesh, meaning that He is fully Man and also fully God. He will continue to speak of the Father/Son relationship in the next verses. Therefore, it is highly unlikely this is referring to Christ’s baptism and His crucifixion. These are things which occurred after His initial entrance into human existence.

Likewise, symbolically representing these things as gifts of the Spirit, or the purity of His life, take something concrete and turn it into something less so. John is referring to Spirit, water, and blood; and they should be considered in that light. These things testify in the earth, and they do so, as John says, in a way that “these three agree as one.”

The Greek literally reads, as Vincent’s Word Studies notes, “are for the one. They converge upon the one truth, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, come in the flesh.” The previous verse showed that the heavenly witnesses are one. This verse states that the earthly witnesses are for the one. Both the heavenly witnesses and the earthly witnesses point to one reality. Jesus Christ is the Subject of the witness.

Understanding this, the Spirit, the water, and the blood are surely referring to what was presented and evaluated in the commentary of verse 5:6, which said, “This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood.”

Jesus Christ came into humanity in the way that all humans come. He was conceived, and His conception and natal period is signified by the water. Therefore, He had real blood as any human does, and He came through the water of birth – just as any human being would. The “Spirit,” then, would refer to the spirit which animates the human. This is why John focused on this aspect of Christ at the moment of His death, using the same phrase, to pneuma, or “the spirit,” as he does here in this verse –

“So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, ‘It is finished!’ And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” John 19:30

Just as the previous verse spoke of the deity of Christ, a verse which testifies of this “in the heaven,” this verse testifies of the humanity of Christ “in the earth.” John is not making up a new presentation to consider at all. He is building upon the same presentation that has been given since the first words of the epistle – Jesus Christ is the God/Man. In believing in Him – and in this fact alone concerning His nature – can a person be reconciled to God.

There would be no point if Jesus were only divine, and not truly human. God wouldn’t need to present a “Jesus” at all. The infinite gap would remain. There would be no earthly witness of Him. If Jesus were only human, and not truly divine, then heaven could not bear witness to Him, and no atonement could be effected for man. Again, the infinite gap would remain. But Jesus Christ is both, and both the heaven and the earth testify to this fact.

Life application: In Deuteronomy 19:15 (and as is repeated elsewhere in both the Old and New Testaments) we read, “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.”

John is making a legal case for the Person and work of Jesus, and he is thus refuting any Gnostic heresies which had already developed in his lifetime and which continue today in various cults and sects. John states in the present tense that the three “bear witness.” This means that they testify continuously to the facts that have been and are presented, and as are recorded in the word.

His words that “these three agree as one” are a united front against doctrinal heresy. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” What testifies to this fact? It is that which is recorded concerning Jesus Christ – the God/Man.

Because we have the testimony of these three, and because all matters are to be established by two or three witnesses, then Jesus has provided the infallible proof that He is the God/Man and that His work is the work of the Messiah. If doubts are arising in your mind concerning Jesus and His work, then simply look to the evidence provided. It has legal standing – and not in a mere human court, but in the eternal court of the Living God.

Lord, as doubts arise, we can see that all we need to do is return to Your word and search it for answers. You have not only left us with a testimony of Your work in the stream of humanity, but You have left us with an infallible one. What You have given us is more than reasonable – it is the very legal proof we need! Thank You for this gift, the Holy Bible. Amen.

Wednesday, 3 June 2020

For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. 1 John 5:7

This verse is known as the Johanine Comma (the “exception” of John) and is one of the most disputed verses in the Bible. Many translations leave out the part which says, “the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.” Even if this part isn’t completely left out, it is often only footnoted to indicate its disputed nature. For a breakdown of what manuscripts include it, and which do not, one can refer to Joseph Benson’s (or several other commentators) commentary on the verse at this link: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/1_john/5-7.htm

Because it is included in many manuscripts, and because no theology is damaged because of its inclusion, it will be evaluated as if it is true and original.

John begins with, “For there are three that bear witness.” The words speak of a testimony or a record. They are a present participle – they are “bearing testimony,” and they do so “in heaven.” There is actually an article before “heaven.” Thus, it reads, “the heaven.” The importance of there being three is that of unity of testimony, and a confirmation of what is said.

The Law of Moses required the testimony of “two or three witnesses” for establishing a matter. Solomon speaks of “a threefold cord” which is not easily broken, signifying that there is strength in numbers. In Matthew 18, Jesus speaks of “two or three witnesses” as a confirmation of a matter. Paul repeats this in 2 Corinthians 13:1. Jesus also appeals directly to this type of thought in John 5 –

“If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true. ³² There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. ³³ You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. ³⁴ Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. ³⁵ He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. ³⁶ But I have a greater witness than John’s; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. ³⁷ And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form. ³⁸ But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.” John 5:31-38

Multiple witnesses form a principle of establishing firmness in a matter. EW Bullinger notes that the number three in Scripture “stands for that which is solid, real, substantial, complete, and entire.” Therefore, it is right that such a witness be presented, even if it is found “in heaven.” These words are disputed as being in the original or not, but they form a contrast to the words “on earth” of the next verse in John’s letter. As John has presented numerous contrasts in this epistle, it is likely he would do so here as well.

John next continues with the words which are the most disputed, saying, “the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit.” The three members of the Trinity are presented here, each being a separate witness to the Person and work of Jesus Christ, demonstrating a fulness within the Godhead. One argument against the reliability of this clause is presented by Albert Barnes, stating, “The ‘language’ is not such as John would use. He does, indeed, elsewhere use the term ‘Logos,’ or ‘Word’ – ὁ Λόγος ho Logos, John 1:1, John 1:14; 1 John 1:1, but it is never in this form, ‘The Father, and the Word;’ that is, the terms ‘Father’ and ‘Word’ are never used by him, or by any of the other sacred writers, as correlative.”

That is a fallacy known as an “argument from silence,” meaning it “is to express a conclusion that is based on the absence of statements in historical documents, rather than their presence” (Wikipedia definition). If that argument is used, much of the Bible would have to be ignored as it is a book which constantly introduces new words and concepts which are never again used in its pages, even among individual writers.

John is making a theological point about the number of witnesses in heaven, and he therefore includes both the Father and the Word together. Stating “the Word,” rather than “the Son,” demonstrates the preexistence of the second member of the Trinity as based on his words both in his gospel and in his epistle, such as –

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life— ² the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us— ³ that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1:1-3

John then finishes with, “and these three are one.” There is nothing surprising here. John was present when Jesus stated this in Matthew 28 –

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Matthew 28:18, 19

In Jesus’ statement, the word “name” is in the singular. In other words, though the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three Persons, they are one essence. Therefore, John is again stating this truth. By using “Word” instead of “Son” John is actually confirming that Jesus is both the Son and the Word. He has always existed within the Godhead, and His union with humanity has not changed that status. He is the eternal Son of God, and He is the eternal word of God – dwelling in the single essence of the Godhead.

It should be noted that if the words, “the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one” are removed, there is then a gender mismatch in the text. It would read –

“For there are three that testify: ⁸ the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.” (NASB)

The problem with this is that the words, “For there are three that testify,” are masculine. However, the words, “the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement,” are neuter. Because of this, the words, “the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one,” actually appear necessary for a correct reading because they are masculine.

Either way, the unity within the Godhead can be determined elsewhere, and the truth of the statement concerning each member being in heaven and capable of testifying which is found in this verse can be verified elsewhere as well. Therefore, claims of “heresy” towards those who hold to the shorter reading are not well-founded.

Life application: Despite it not being in many ancient manuscripts, the contents of this verse date back to the time of Cyprian who lived in the 3^rd century and it survives in his treatise against heretics who denied the Trinity. Of this verse, John Calvin said, “However, the passage flows better when this clause is added, and as I see that it is found in the best and most approved copies, I am inclined to receive it as the true reading.”

The term “best and most approved” in regard to manuscripts are subjective, as may also be his point about the passage flowing better, but he chose to accept the words as a true part of John’s epistle. On the other side, those who dismiss the words here will use the same terminology – “best copies,” “best manuscripts,” and “best editions,” to deny the authenticity of the words.

In the end, God knows the truth of whether this verse belongs in the Bible or not, but one thing we can know is that the verse is truthful, regardless of its authenticity. Apart from this verse, the Bible teaches that the Father, the Word (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit are One (as noted above), therefore, nothing is damaged in one’s theology by accepting the words here as true and reliable.

In the end, we are asked to study in order to show ourselves approved when studying and examining Scripture. When something difficult, such as this verse, is presented, we are asked to carefully consider each side of the debate, pray about the matter, and be ready to defend why we accept one side or the other – while being charitable in our stand towards those who feel otherwise, if their argument is not based on faulty doctrine or heresy.

Thank You, O God, for the mysteries in Your word… things that challenge us to even stronger faith and things which ask us to diligently study matters rather than accepting or dismissing their true intent without careful thought and contemplation. What a wonderful gift You have given us in the pages of Your reliable and trustworthy word, the Holy Bible! Amen.