the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and these three are in agreement.
Parallel translations
- WEB the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and the three agree as one.
- KJV And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
- NKJV And there are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
- NASB the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.
- NLT the Spirit, the water, and the blood—and all three agree.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The Spirit, the water, and the blood all testify and agree as one. Their united witness confirms the truth of who Jesus is.
Overview
John names the three witnesses: the Spirit's inward testimony and the historical realities of Jesus' baptism (or incarnate ministry) and atoning death. Their agreement provides the legally sufficient testimony required by the law of multiple witnesses. The combined evidence assures believers that their faith in the Son of God rests on solid, God-given ground.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- 1 Jn 5:6–7This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ—not by water alone, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies to this, because the Spirit is the truth.
- John 15:26When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.
- 1 Pet 3:21And this water symbolizes the baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body, but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
- Acts 2:2–4Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
- Rom 8:16The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.
- Matt 26:26–28While they were eating, Jesus took bread, spoke a blessing and broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is My body.”
- 2 Cor 1:22placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come.
- Matt 28:19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,
- Mark 14:56For many bore false witness against Jesus, but their testimony was inconsistent.
- Heb 6:4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,
- Heb 13:12And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate, to sanctify the people by His own blood.
- Acts 15:15The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Jesus is the Word of life made manifest, the propitiation for our sins, the Son in whom is eternal life — 'that you may know that you have eternal life.'
How 1 John 5:8 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.