The Spirit, the Water, and the Blood: Difference between revisions

''This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood.''<Ref>The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011), 1 Jn 5:6.</ref>

This is a reference to the Holy Spirit. The form of the Greek construction indicates that it is as characteristic of the Spirit that he testifies, as it is of Christ that he came (at the beginning of the verse).  But how does the Spirit testify? John appears to be referring to the inward witness of the Holy Spirit, who opens our eyes to see the truth as it is in Jesus (1 Cor. 12:3). Certainly he has written twice already of how the Spirit has been ‘given to us’ as an indwelling possession (1 John 3:24 &4:13), and has twice ascribed our acknowledgment of Christ as the divine-human Lord to the ‘anointing’ or enlightenment of the Spirit (1 John 2:20, 27 & 1 John 4:1–6). We have then here, as in 1 John 4:13–14, two kinds of corroborative testimony, objective and subjective, historical and experimental, water and blood on the one hand and the Spirit on the other.<Ref>John R. W. Stott, The Letters of John: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 19, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 179.</>

The background to John’s reference to the presence of three witnesses is to be found in Jewish law, which required the agreement of at least two witnesses in order to produce reliable evidence (Deut 19:15; John 8:17–18).  “The three of them” give united witness to the reality of God’s work in Christ by the Spirit, both in the believer and in the world; they declare jointly that through Jesus good is ultimately shown to be stronger than evil (1 John 5:5).<ref>Stephen S. Smalley, 1, 2, 3 John, vol. 51, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1984), 283.</ref>

John personifies the spirit, the water and the blood as witnesses that, while referring to the earthly life of Jesus, continue to witness to God’s love and offer of redemption throughout all time.  The witness of the Spirit was prominent in both Jesus’ baptism and his death. Jesus’ public ministry began when the Spirit descended on him at his water baptism (Matt 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–13; Luke 3:21–23; John 1:29–34).<ref>Karen H. Jobes, 1, 2, & 3 John, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014), 222.</ref>

The Spirit, the water, and the blood represent Christ’s continuing powers to bring to life, cleanse, and atone — this is clearly supported in John 6:63; John 13:10; 1 John 1:7; and 1 John 2:2. Zech. 12:10 “They shall look upon him whom they have pierced,” is quoted in John 19:37; and the rest of the Zechariah context speaks of the pouring out of a spirit of compassion, and the opening of a fountain to cleanse from sin (Zech 12:10 & 13:1).<ref>Raymond E. Brown, The Epistles of John: Translated, with Introduction, Notes, and Commentary, vol. 30, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2008), 582.</ref>