1 John 5:8

1 John 5:8 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
• New International Version (NIV)the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.
• English Standard Version (ESV)the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.

Context of 1 John 5:8

6This is He who came through water and blood [His baptism and death], Jesus Christ—not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. It is the [Holy] Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. [He is the essence and origin of truth itself.] 7For there are three witnesses: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three are in agreement [their testimony is perfectly consistent]. 9If we accept [as we do] the testimony of men [that is, if we are willing to take the sworn statements of fallible humans as evidence], the testimony of God is greater [far more authoritative]; for this is the testimony of God, that He has testified regarding His Son. 10The one who believes in the Son of God [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies confidently on Him as Savior] has the testimony within himself [because he can speak authoritatively about Christ from his own personal experience]. The one who does not believe God [in this way] has made Him [out to be] a liar, because he has not believed in the evidence that God has given regarding His Son.

1 John 5:8 word by word

τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ τὸ αἷμα, καὶ οἱ τρεῖς εἰς τὸ ἕν εἰσιν.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• there areεἰμίeimi · to beG1510
• threeτρεῖςtreis tria · ThreeG5140
• that bear witnessμαρτυρέωmartureō · to testifyG3140
• inἐνen · in/on/amongG1722
• earthὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• earthγῆgē · earth: planetG1093
• the spiritπνεῦμαpneuma · spirit/breath: spiritG4151
• the waterὕδωρhudōr hudatos · waterG5204
• the bloodαἷμαaima · bloodG129
• inεἰςeis · towardG1519
• oneεἷςheis · oneG1520

Cross-references for 1 John 5:8

• 1 John 5:7For there are three witnesses:
• 1 John 5:6This is He who came through water and blood [His baptism and death], Jesus Christ—not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. It is the [Holy] Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. [He is the essence and origin of truth itself.]
• Matthew 26:26Now as they were eating Jesus took bread, and after blessing it, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
• Matthew 28:19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations [help the people to learn of Me, believe in Me, and obey My words], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
• John 15:26“But when the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, He will testify and bear witness about Me.
• Romans 8:16The Spirit Himself testifies and confirms together with our spirit [assuring us] that we [believers] are children of God.
• Hebrews 6:4For [it is impossible to restore to repentance] those who have once been enlightened [spiritually] and who have tasted and consciously experienced the heavenly gift and have shared in the Holy Spirit,
• Acts 2:2and suddenly a sound came from heaven like a rushing violent wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
• 2 Corinthians 1:22it is He who has also put His seal on us [that is, He has appropriated us and certified us as His] and has given us the [Holy] Spirit in our hearts as a pledge [like a security deposit to guarantee the fulfillment of His promise of eternal life].
• Hebrews 13:12Therefore Jesus also suffered and died outside the [city] gate so that He might sanctify and set apart for God as holy the people [who believe] through [the shedding of] His own blood.
• 1 Peter 3:21Corresponding to that [rescue through the flood], baptism [which is an expression of a believer’s new life in Christ] now saves you, not by removing dirt from the body, but by an appeal to God for a good (clear) conscience, [demonstrating what you believe to be yours] through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
• Mark 14:56For many [people] were giving false testimony against Him, but their testimonies were not consistent.
• Acts 15:15The words of the Prophets agree with this, just as it is written [in Scripture],

Commentaries on 1 John 5:8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8The Spirit, and the water, and the blood - This verse is supposed to mean "the Spirit - in the word confirmed by miracles; the water - in baptism, wherein we are dedicated to the Son, (with the Father and the Holy Spirit), typifying his spotless purity, and the inward purifying of our nature; and the blood - represented in the Lord's Supper, and applied to the consciences of believers: and all these harmoniously agree in the same testimony, that Jesus…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8And there are three that bear witness in earth - This is a part of the text, which, if the reasoning above is correct, is to be omitted. The genuine passage reads, 1 John 5:7, “For there are three that bear record (or witness, ͂ marturountes) - the Spirit, and the water, and the blood.” There is no reference to the fact that it is done “in earth.” The phrase was introduced to correspond with what was said in the interpolated passage, that there are three…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 6-8Verses 6-8 We are inwardly and outwardly defiled; inwardly, by the power and pollution of sin in our nature. For our cleansing there is in and by Christ Jesus, the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Some think that the two sacraments are here meant: baptism with water, as the outward sign of regeneration, and purifying from the pollution of sin by the Holy Spirit; and the Lord's supper, as the outward sign of the shedding Christ's…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7-8there are three that testify: The Holy Spirit came down on Jesus at his baptism (see John 1:32–34). The water refers to the water in which John baptized Jesus (see Matthew 3:13–15; Mark 1:9–11). The blood refers to the blood Jesus shed when he died on the cross (see Mark 15:37–39). These three (the Spirit, the water, and the blood) together proclaim that Jesus is God’s Son (1 John 5:6). After the phrase three that testify, a few very late manuscripts add…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. agree in one--"tend unto one result"; their agreeing testimony to Jesus' Sonship and Messiahship they give by the sacramental grace in the water of baptism, received by the penitent believer, by the atoning efficacy of His blood, and by the internal witness of His Spirit (1Jo 5:10): answering to the testimony given to Jesus' Sonship and Messiahship by His baptism, His crucifixion, and the Spirit's manifestations in Him (see on 1Jo 5:6). It was by His…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 John 5:8

• Blood
• Holy Spirit
• Jesus, the Christ

In the dictionaries

• Idol
• Agree
• Blood and Water
• Criticism of the Bible
• Hope
• John, the Epistles of
• Sacrifice
• Trinity
• testimony, testify, witness, eyewitness, evidence

Commentaries on 1 John 5

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings