Have you ever been a witness in a court case or a witness to an auto accident? If so, describe that experience.
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How would you define what it means to be a “witness” for Jesus Christ?
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The apostle John, advanced in years, wrote his first epistle to confront and refute the heretical notions of a growing number of false teachers who had infiltrated the church. These infidels advocated an early form of Gnosticism, a philosophy that denied the true humanity of Christ and prized the intellectual acquisition of spiritual secret “knowledge” over a practical lifestyle of holiness and obedience to Jesus’ teachings.
As part of his final exhortation to the flock of saints that was being bombarded by these heretical teachings, John reminded his readers of the witness of God for Christ. The previous passage described overcomers as those who believed in Jesus as Lord and Savior. Here, John presents God’s own testimony to confirm that Jesus is the Christ. He gives two kinds of testimony: external and internal. The term witness is the dominant theme of this section. The passage concerns the witness, or testimony, of God and the Spirit regarding the great truth of the deity of Jesus Christ.
Bears Witness: The verb “witness” comes from the Greek word, martureo, and means “to testify, to give testimony, to speak well of, or to vouch for.” We get our English word martyr from this Greek term. Both the verb “bear witness” and the noun “testimony” come from the same Greek word and are used a total of nine times in this short section. The basic meaning is “someone who has personal and immediate knowledge of something.”
Read 1 John 5:6–12, noting the key words and definitions next to the passage.
1 John 5:6–12 (NKJV)
6 This is He who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.
water and blood (v. 6)—Water and the blood refer to Jesus’ baptism (water) and death (blood) and constitute external, objective witnesses to who Jesus Christ is.
the Spirit is truth (v. 6)—John no longer stresses apostolic testimony (1:1–4; 4:14) but writes of the testimony of God that comes through the Holy Spirit. Since the Spirit of God cannot lie, His testimony is sure.
7 For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.
three that bear witness (v. 7)—The Old Testament law required “the testimony of two or three witnesses” to establish the truth of a particular matter (Deut. 17:6; 19:15; John 8:17–18).
8 And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit . . . three that bear witness on earth (vv. 7–8)—These words are a direct reference to the Trinity, and what they say is accurate. External manuscript evidence, however, is against their being in the original epistle. They do not appear in any Greek manuscripts dated before about the tenth century AD. No Greek or Latin Father, even those involved in Trinitarian controversies, quote them; no ancient version except the Latin records them (not the Old Latin in its early form or the Vulgate). Internal evidence also militates against their presence, since they disrupt the sense of the writer’s thoughts. Most likely, the words were added much later to the text. There is no verse in Scripture that so explicitly states the obvious reality of the Trinity, although many passages imply it strongly (see 2 Cor. 13:14).
the Spirit, the water, and the blood (v. 8)—At the baptism of Jesus, the Father and the Spirit testified to the Son (see Matt. 3:16–17). The death of Jesus Christ also witnessed to who He was (Matt. 27:54; Heb. 9:14). The Holy Spirit testified throughout Jesus’ life as to His identity (Mark 1:12; Luke 1:35; Acts 10:38).
9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.
10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.
has the witness in himself (v. 10)—John writes of the internal subjective witness to the Son within the believer’s heart (Rom. 8:15–16; Gal. 4:6).
made Him a liar (v. 10)—If someone refuses the testimony of God regarding His Son, such rejection is the ultimate form of blasphemy, for it is tantamount to calling God a liar (Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18).
11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
eternal life . . . in His Son (v. 11)—Life is only in Christ; it is impossible to have it without Him.
12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1) The false teachers of John’s day asserted that a “Christ-spirit” departed from the man Jesus just prior to His death on the cross. How would John’s comments about “water and blood” in verse 6 refute this charge?
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2) How did John describe the Holy Spirit in this short passage?
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3) What three witnesses did John cite as being in agreement about the Son of God?
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4) According to John, to refuse to believe in Jesus is tantamount to calling God what (v. 10)?
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5) What do verses 11 and 12 teach about eternal life?
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John had witnessed Jesus’ glory and heard God’s testimony with his own ears. Read Matthew 17:1–7.
1 Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves;
2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.
7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.”
6) What does Matthew’s account of the transfiguration of Christ reveal and confirm about Jesus’ identity?
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7) When it comes to Christ’s identity, why is God’s testimony (1 John 5:9) greater than man’s testimony (see 1:1–4)?
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8) Why does John stress that there are “three witnesses” (vv. 7–8)? Why is this significant?
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Jesus Christ had to be more than a man; He also had to be God. If Jesus were only a man, even the best of men, He could not have saved believers from their sin. If He were even the right man from the seed of David, but not God, He could not have withstood the punishment of God the Father at the cross and risen from the dead. He could not have overcome Satan, and the world would have been conquered.
If there was ever any question that Jesus was the Son of God, His resurrection from the dead should end it. He had to be man to reach us, but He had to be God to lift us up. When God raised Christ from the dead, He affirmed that what He said was true. As clearly as the horizon divides the earth from the sky, so the resurrection divides Jesus from the rest of humanity. Jesus Christ is God in human flesh.
9) How does the death of Christ also “testify” as to the identity of the Son of God (see Matt. 27:54)?
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10) How could you use 1 John 5:11–12 to share with others in very simple terms what it means to be a Christian? What is the “good news” in these verses?
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11) Remember, 1 John 5:6–12 is a study about “witnessing”—all the different voices (human and divine) and all the various facts (historical and theological) that form a single chorus to say clearly and loudly, “Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world. Trust only in Him.” As you conclude this lesson, ask the Spirit of God to search your heart. Is your life adding to this glorious chorus or detracting from it? How are you witnessing to the reality of the Lordship of Christ in your daily attitudes and behavior?
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Write out additional reflections, questions you may have, or a prayer.
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