1 John 5:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.

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

NASB: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.

CSB: the Spirit, the water, and the blood —and these three are in agreement.

NLT: the Spirit, the water, and the blood — and all three agree.

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

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

This verse adds the identities of the three who testify, and emphasizes their agreement. A textual controversy exists between the end of verse 7 and the beginning of verse 8. The Textus Receptus, which was used in translating the King James Version, adds a reference to a witness on earth. While used in the majority of later handwritten Greek manuscripts, this reading is not found in the earliest manuscripts. Nor was it in the earliest versions of the Textus Receptus, being added later in the publishing process.

It is likely that this difficult passage was harmonized in early liturgy, which are readings adapted for worship gatherings. This harmonization, the disputed portion between verses 7 and 8, was likely used later in manuscripts which became part of the majority text. The majority text was greatly popularized when included in the Latin Vulgate. Interestingly, the early German translations of the Bible did not include the reference to a witness on earth found in the Textus Receptus, so this particular controversy is most common among English speaking interpreters of Scripture.

First John 5:6–12 explains some of the evidence that Jesus Christ is, in fact, the Son of God. God's voice at Jesus' baptism, the events of Jesus' death and resurrection, and the internal witness of the Holy Spirit are all described. Because of this multi-part testimony, Christians can have confidence in what they have been taught. Those who reject these facts, in effect, accuse God of lying.

Chapter 5 concludes the book of 1 John, once again emphasizing the supremacy of love in the Christian experience. Those who put their faith in Christ can know, for sure, that they have eternal life. This assurance comes by trusting what we know of the life of Jesus Christ, as well as the evidence of the Holy Spirit within us. Following God's commands, particularly love, results in confidence of our salvation, as well as strength against the temptations of the world.

First John 5 completes the letter by summarizing how Christians can know that they have eternal life. Prior chapters have explained the various signs of ''abiding'' with God, but the key measurement is love. In this final passage, love is once again used as the supreme measurement. In light of the rest of the letter, love for God and love for others is shown to be both a source of confidence and a sign of faith.

First John seems to assume that the reader is familiar with the gospel. Rather than re-state these facts, John is concerned with building confidence in Christian believers. At the same time, his words encourage believers to examine their own lives for signs of their relationship with Christ. This letter also challenges false teachers and their incorrect claims about Jesus. Many themes are shared with the Gospel of John.