What does 1 John 5:9 mean?
John assumes people will receive the testimony of men, so they ought to be willing to accept statements from God. John observes that "the testimony of God is greater." He argues from the lesser to the greater, noting the obvious belief to his readers that God is greater than people.The second part of this verse gives further evidence that water and blood, as seen in verse 6, do not refer directly to Jesus. Instead, they draw a connection between God the Father and God the Spirit, and their testimony regarding Jesus. God the Father spoke clearly at the "water," the baptism of Jesus, calling Him "my beloved Son" (Matthew 3:17). At the death of Jesus, the centurion declared, "Truly this was the Son of God!" (Matthew 27:54). John the Baptist likewise spoke of the testimony of the Spirit at the baptism of Jesus: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him" (John 1:32). John the Baptist said, "I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God" (John 1:34).