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John 5 1-13

godislove260godislove260
edited December 1969 in Faith Issues
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. 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.

Could someone please elaborate on what is meant here?
And if it has something to do with the water and blood coming out of Christ's side while He was on the cross, what is its meaning and significance...?

Thanks in advance,
Gb

Comments

  • miskandemiskande
    Hi Godislove,
    I was just reading this verse this morning and had to think about it for a few minutes. From what I understood, water is used to symbolize the Holy Spirit in the gospel sometimes (for example: baptism is in water and it is where we receive the Holy spirit) and blood symbolizes humanity. soo...I think St. John is saying that Jesus Christ came by not only water (not only His divinity), but by water and blood (humanity and divinity)...which is a typical topic for St. John to discuss: the humanity and divinity of Christ.
    Hope that helps
  • godislove260godislove260
    Thanks for your answer omelnour, but the problem is that it says the spirit AND the water, meaning they must refer to two different things, also, but what you said might apply to the blood and water coming out of Christ's side maybe...

    Thanks again, plz if other's have more views, plz post :D
  • HezekielHezekiel
    [quote author=Godislove260 link=topic=7892.msg102397#msg102397 date=1241018526]
    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. 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.

    Could someone please elaborate on what is meant here?
    And if it has something to do with the water and blood coming out of Christ's side while He was on the cross, what is its meaning and significance...?

    Thanks in advance,
    Gb




    I was trying to read the whole chapter to get the context and see if I could figure out something, but for some reasons I can not find these verses in  John 5 1:13. Am I using a funny bible or a mistake in verse..
  • godislove260godislove260
    [quote author=Ηεζεκιελ link=topic=7892.msg102407#msg102407 date=1241035706]
    [quote author=Godislove260 link=topic=7892.msg102397#msg102397 date=1241018526]
    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. 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.

    Could someone please elaborate on what is meant here?
    And if it has something to do with the water and blood coming out of Christ's side while He was on the cross, what is its meaning and significance...?

    Thanks in advance,
    Gb




    I was trying to read the whole chapter to get the context and see if I could figure out something, but for some reasons I can not find these verses in  John 5 1:13. Am I using a funny bible or a mistake in verse..


    sorry it's 1 John 5
  • miskandemiskande
    1John 5:1-13

    ;)
  • HezekielHezekiel
    While I agree with Omelnoor on the water referring to Baptism which is dedicated to the Holy Trinity, I believe the blood here refers to the presence of our Lord in the Holy Communion, which continues to reveal the death and atoning sacrifice of our Lord till his second coming.

    My 2 cents.
  • childoforthodoxy
    Hello my brothers and sisters in Christ,

    +Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!+

    The interpretation of these verses is given to us by Blessed Augustine, as can be found in the Ante-Nicene, Nicene and Post-Nicene series.

    "I would not have thee mistake that place in the epistle of John the apostle where he saith, "There are three witnesses: the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three are one." Lest haply thou say that the Spirit and the water and the blood are diverse substances, and yet it is said, "the three are one:" for this cause I have admonished thee, that thou mistake not the matter. For these are mystical expressions, in which the point always to be considered is, not what the actual things are, but what they denote as signs: since they are signs of things, and what they are in their essence is one thing, what they are in their signification another. If then we understand the things signified, we do find these things to be of one substance. Thus, if we should say, the rock and the water are one, meaning by the Rock, Christ; by the water, the Holy Ghost: who doubts that rock and water are two different substances? yet because Christ and the Holy Spirit are of one and the same nature, therefore when one says, the rock and the water are one, this can be rightly taken in this behalf, that these two things of which the nature is diverse, are signs of other things of which the nature is one. Three things then we know to have issued from the Body of the Lord when He hung upon the tree: first, the spirit: of which it is written, "And He bowed the head and gave up the spirit:" then, as His side was pierced by the spear, "blood and water." Which three things if we look at as they are in themselves, they are in substance several and distinct, and therefore they are not one. But if we will inquire into the things signified I by these, there not unreasonably comes into our thoughts the Trinity itself, which is the One, Only, True, Supreme God, Father and Son and Holy Ghost, of whom it could most truly be said, "There are Three Witnesses, and the Three are One:" so that by the term Spirit we should understand God the Father to be signified; as indeed it was concerning the worshipping of Him that the Lord was speaking, when He said, "God is a Spirit:" by the term, blood, the Son; because "the Word was made flesh:" and by the term water, the Holy Ghost; as, when Jesus spake of the water which He would give to them that thirst, the evangelist saith, "But this said He of the Spirit which they that believed on Him were to receive." Moreover, that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are "Witnesses," who that believes the Gospel can doubt, when the Son saith, "I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me, He beareth witness of me." Where, though the Holy Ghost is not mentioned, yet He is not to be thought separated from them. Howbeit neither concerning the Spirit hath He kept silence elsewhere, and that He too is a witness hath been sufficiently and openly shown. For in promising Him He said, "He shall bear witness of me." These are the "Three Witnesses, and the Three are One, because of one substance. But whereas, the signs by which they were signified came forth from the Body of the Lord, herein they figured the Church preaching the Trinity, that it hath one and the same nature: since these Three in threefold manner signified are One, and the Church that preacheth them is the Body of Christ. In this manner then the three things by which they are signified came out from the Body: of the Lord: like as from the Body of the Lord sounded forth the command to "baptize the nations in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." "In the name:" not, In the names: for "these Three are One," and One God is these Three. And if in any other way this depth of mystery which we read in John's epistle can be expounded and understood agreeably with the Katholik faith, which neither confounds nor divides the Trinity, neither believes the substances diverse nor denies that the persons are three, it is on no account to be rejected. For whenever in Holy Scriptures in order to exercise the minds of the faithful any thing is put darkly, it is to be joyfully welcomed if it can be in many ways but not unwisely expounded.""

    I will continue to search for interpretations if there remains a need, but I believe that this will suffice for the topic for now.

    Pray for me and my weakness,
    childoforthodoxy
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