1 John 5:8

8 the^[a] Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.

1 John 5:8 in Other Translations

8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.

8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree.

8 the Spirit, the Baptism, the Crucifixion. And the three in perfect agreement.

8 For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three agree in one.

8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood. These three witnesses agree.

8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood-and these three are in agreement.

8 They are the Holy Spirit, the baptism of Jesus and his death. And the three of them agree.

1 John 5:8 Meaning and Commentary

1 John 5:8

And there are three that bear witness on earth
To the same truth of the sonship of Christ:

the Spirit, and the water, and the blood;
by the "Spirit" is not meant the human Spirit or soul of Christ; for however that may be a witness of the truth of his human nature, yet not of his divine sonship: and moreover cannot be said to be a witness in earth; rather the Gospel, called the Spirit, which is a testimony of Christ's person, office, and graces and is preached by men on earth; or else the gifts of the Spirit bestowed on men on earth, both in an extraordinary and ordinary way, by which they have been qualified to bear witness to this truth; or it may be the Holy Spirit itself is intended, as he is in the hearts of his people here on earth, where he not only witnesses to the truth of their sonship, but also of the sonship of Christ, and is that witness a believer has within himself of it, mentioned in ( 1 John 5:10 ) . By water is designed, not internal sanctification, which though an evidence of regeneration and adoption, yet not of Christ's sonship; but water baptism, as administered on earth in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; and which is a noble and standing testimony to the proper, natural, and eternal sonship of Christ: and by "blood" is intended, not justification by the blood of Christ, but rather the blood of the saints, the martyrs of Jesus, who have shed it on earth, in testimony of their faith in the Son of God, and thereby sealing the truth of it; or rather the ordinance of the Lord's supper, which is the communion of the blood of Christ; and represents that blood which was shed for the remission of sins, and has a continual virtue to cleanse from all sin, which is owing to his being the Son of God. The three witnesses on earth seem therefore to be the Gospel, attended with the Spirit and power of God, and the two ordinances of baptism, and the Lord's supper:

and these agree in one;
in their testimony of Christ, the word and ordinances agree together; and the sum and substance of them is Christ; they come from him, and centre in him; they are like the cherubim over the mercy seat, that looked to one another, and to that; and the two ordinances are the church's two breasts, which are equal, and like to one another; there is a great agreement between them, they are like to two young roes that are twins.

1 John 5:8 In-Context

6 This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

7 For there are three that testify:

8 the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.

9 We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son.

10 Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.

Footnotes

• [a]. Late manuscripts of the Vulgate "testify in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. " 8"And there are three that testify on earth: the" (not found in any Greek manuscript before the fourteenth century)