TEXT

Jesus Christ — he is the one who came by water and blood, not by water only, but by water and by blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water, and the blood — and these three are in agreement. If we accept human testimony, God’s testimony is greater, because it is God’s testimony that he has given about his Son. The one who believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself. The one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I have written these things to you who believe so that you may know that you have eternal life.
1 John 5:6–13

TEXTUAL ISSUES

EXTRA TEXT IN KJV

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood:
1 John 5:7–8, KJV

Here’s the thing you have to understand: there is no such thing as a perfect translation. There’s always interpretation/tradeoffs, and they’re only as good as the sources they’re translating from.

The Greek text which stands behind the King James Bible is demonstrably inferior in certain places. The man who edited the text was a Roman Catholic priest and humanist named Erasmus.

There was an uproar in some Roman Catholic circles because [1 John 5:7-8] did not read “there are three witnesses in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit.” Erasmus said that he did not put that in the text because he found no Greek MSS which had that reading.

In 1520, a scribe at Oxford named Roy made such a Greek MS (codex 61, now in Dublin). Erasmus’ third edition had the second reading because such a Greek MS was ‘made to order’ to fill the challenge!
David Wallace

It is certain that the phrase beginning with “in heaven” (5:7) through “on earth” are not a part of John’s original letter and should be omitted. There are no Greek manuscripts with this additional phrase before the 15th century. Steven Cole

WHAT DO WHATER & BLOOD MEAN?

Incarnation
Pierced in the side
Baptism & Communion in the Church

Part of the reason John’s written this book was to warn of the false teachers, beginnings of Gnosticism, denied Jesus’ humanity/divinity.

One of their leaders taught that Jesus was a regular guy, became Messiah at baptism, left before death.
Most scholars agree that this is talking about Jesus’ baptism & death.

Don’t want to get hung up too long in that. “The plain things are the main things, and the main things are the plain things.”

The main point: you can know that you have eternal life.

I have written these things to you who believe
so that you may know that you have eternal life.
1 John 5:13

Q: How can I know I have eternal life?

A: Believe in the name of the Son of God.

Q: What happens if I believe in his name?

A: You will have the Son of God.

The one who has the Son has life. The one who does
not have the Son of God does not have life.
1 John 5:12

In the film, Passage to India, there was a young Indian doctor who had been arrested for allegedly assaulting a young English woman in India. The case became an explosive point of tension between the Indian people who longed for independence and the colonial English government. The whole colonialist power structure seemed to make the doctor’s case hopeless even though everybody knew his integrity was above question. He was too poor to afford a lawyer.

But the most famous and able lawyer in all India got word of the case. He had a reputation of liking to take on the British and standing up for the Indian underdogs. For me one of the most powerful scenes in the film was when two of the doctor’s friends bring him word in the jail that the famous lawyer is willing to defend the doctor—and then, as if it were too good to be true, they say, “And he’s not even going to charge a fee!”

Now the doctor has a lawyer. He HAS a lawyer. The lawyer is going to do his thing for the doctor. All his reputation, all his eloquence, all his skill are now going to be used to save the doctor.

John Piper, “He Who Has the Son Has Life

Q. Why should I believe in the Son of God?

A: Because God’s testimony is trustworthy.

This is not a philosophy. This is not something that man thinks. It is not human imagination; it is not a myth. We claim that we have here a revelation from God, and the reason for believing this message is that it is the witness and testimony of God Himself.
Martin Lloyd-Jones

Q: What’s is God’s testimony?

A: It comes in three parts…

1. The Spirit inside you.

2. The blood shed for you.

3. The baptism.

God always finishes what he starts… including me and you.

The waters of Christ’s baptism are a reservoir of joy. Drink deeply.
Trevor Lawrence

Pastor in Salem, NC, not quarterback in Jacksonville, FL!

Q: What’s the effect of knowing I have eternal life?

A: Victory, fellowship, and joy

…our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus
Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
1 John 1:3–4

WATER: “You are my beloved son/daughter, well pleased.”

BLOOD: “It is finished; paid in full.” Veil torn, full access.

SPIRIT: “It’s true; he’s true. Cry out ‘Abba, Father’”

This is the victory that has conquered the world: our faith.
1 John 5:4