The Comma Johanneum, the Water, and the Blood (I John 5:7-8)

One short passage; two major controversies!Show more

I John 5:7-8 contains the infamous "Comma Johanneum," which is disputed among scholars. Should it be in the Bible? And, if so, what does John mean by the "Spirit, the water, and the blood?"

Here is the passage with the Comma Johanneum in caps:

For there are three that bear witness IN HEAVEN; THE FATHER, THE WORD, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT; AND THESE THREE ARE ONE. AND THERE ARE THREE THAT BEAR WITNESS ON EARTH: the Spirit the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
(I John 5:7-8)

Concerning the first question, some translations include it and others do not because it was not included in many manuscripts. Erasmus recognized this and reluctantly added it to the second edition of his compilation (which later, after many revisions by others, became known as the Textus Receptus). Regardless, whether or not this section is included has no bearing on the overall meaning of the passage.

Concerning the second question, my understanding is that the water refers to the baptism of Jesus and the blood refers to His death. John is taking a stand against Gnosticism, which rejected the deity of Jesus. John was showing that Jesus was God all the way to the end of His life as evidenced by the Spirit's witness at His baptism and the veil being torn at His death. These refer not to how He became God, but how He was revealed as God.

You can read this in article form: http://benhammond.org/the-comma-johanneum-the-spirit-the-water-and-the-blood-i-john-57-8/

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