1 John 5:8

And there are three that bear witness in earth These words also are part of the spurious insertion. The true text of 1 John 5:7 runs: For those who bear witness are three, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and the three agree in one. S. John says -those who bear witness", not simply -the witnesses": they are not merely witnesses who might be called, or who have once been called, but who are perpetually delivering their testimony. The masculine (οἱ μαρτυροῦντες) is evidence of the personality of the Spirit. The Apostle is answering the misgivings of those who fancied that when he, the last of the Apostles, was taken from them, the Church would possess only second-hand evidence, and a tradition ever growing fainter, as to the Person and Mission of the Christ. -Nay", says he, -evidence at first-hand is ever present, and each believer has it in himself" (1 John 5:10). Comp. John 15:26.

are three It is very doubtful whether the Trinity is even remotely symbolized. Perhaps S. John wishes to give the full, complement of evidence recognized by law (Mat 18:16; 2 Corinthians 13:1; Deuteronomy 19:15; comp. John 8:17).

the water, and the blood These of course have the same meaning as before; Christ's Baptism and Death. "The real value of our Lord's baptism and His death may be estimated by supposing that neither had taken place, and that our Lord had appeared on His mission without openly professing His mission from God in submitting to the baptism of John; or that He had died quietly, as other men die" (Jelf).

agree in one Literally, are(united) into the one; or, are for the oneobject of establishing this truth. This may mean either that they are joined so as to become one witness, or that they co-operate in producing one result. "The trinity of witnesses furnish one testimony". -To be one (ἓν εἶναι) occurs John 10:30; John 17:11; John 17:21-22; and (εἶς ἐστε) 1 Corinthians 3:23: -into one" (εἰς ἔν) occurs John 11:52; John 17:23: but -to be into one" or -to be into the one" occurs nowhere else in N. T. -The one" here has been made into an argument for the genuineness of 1 John 5:7. It is said that - theone" plainly implies that -one" has preceded. But this lands us in absurdity by making -one" in 1 John 5:8 mean the same as -one" in 1 John 5:7. -One" in 1 John 5:7 means -one Substance", the -Unity in Trinity". But what sense can -The spirit, the water, and the blood agree m the Unity in Trinity" yield?