1YHN 5:6 Parallel Verse View

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Text critical issues=small word differences Clarity of original=clear Importance=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Yeshua the messiah is the one who was born by water and blood and spirit—not by water only, but by water and by blood

Key: khaki:verbs, light-green:nominative/subject, pink:genitive/possessor, cyan:dative/indirect object, red:negative.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT This is the one having come by water and blood: Jesus Christ—not in water alone, but in water and in blood. And the Spirit is the one testifying, because the Spirit is truth.

UST Jesus the Messiah is the one who came to earth from God, experiencing both the water of his baptism and the blood of his death on the cross. God showed that he had truly sent Jesus not only when John baptized Jesus in water, but also when Jesus’ blood flowed from his body when he died. And God’s Spirit declares truthfully that Jesus the Messiah did these things, because the Spirit always tells the truth.

BSB This 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.

BLB This is the One having come by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and by blood. And the Spirit is the One testifying, because the Spirit is the truth.

AICNT This is the one who came by water and blood [[and Spirit]],[fn] Jesus Christ, not in the water only, but with the water and [in][fn] the {blood};[fn] and the Spirit is the one bearing witness, because the Spirit is the truth.

5:6, and Spirit: Some manuscripts include. ℵ(01) A(02)d

5:6, in: NA28 SBLGNT ‖ Absent from some manuscripts. THGNT BYZ TR

5:6, blood: ℵ(01) B(03) NA28 SBLGNT THGNT ‖ A(02) reads “Spirit.”

OEB Jesus Christ, the one who came by water and blood – not by water only but by water and blood – and the Spirit testifies to this because the Spirit is truth.

WEBBE This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

WMBB This is he who came by water and blood, Yeshua the Messiah; not with the water only, but with the water and the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

NET Jesus Christ is the one who came by water and blood – not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

LSV This One is He who came through water and blood—Jesus the Christ, not in water only, but in the water and the blood; and the Spirit is the [One] testifying, because the Spirit is the truth,

FBV He is the one who came through water and blood, Jesus Christ. He did not only come by water, but by water and blood.[fn] The Spirit gives evidence to confirm this, for the Spirit is the truth.

5:6 This is often interpreted to mean the water of baptism and the blood meaning his death.

TCNT This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

T4T Think about Jesus Christ. He is the one who came to earth from God. God showed that he had truly sent Jesus when Jesus was baptized in water [MTY] and when Jesus’ blood flowed from his body when he died. God showed this not only when Jesus was baptized [MTY], but also when Jesus’ blood flowed from his body when he died. And God’s Spirit declares truthfully that Jesus Christ came from God. The Spirit always speaks what is true.

LEB This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ, not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.

BBE This is he who came by water and by blood, Jesus Christ; not by water only but by water and by blood.

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Wymth Jesus Christ is He who came with water and blood; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And it is the Spirit who gives testimony— because the Spirit is the Truth.

ASV This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood.

DRA This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus Christ: not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit which testifieth, that Christ is the truth.

YLT This one is he who did come through water and blood — Jesus the Christ, not in the water only, but in the water and the blood; and the Spirit it is that is testifying, because the Spirit is the truth,

Drby This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus [the] Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that bears witness, for the Spirit is the truth.

RV This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood.

Wbstr This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth testimony, because the Spirit is truth.

KJB-1769 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.

KJB-1611 This is hee that came by water and blood, euen Iesus Christ, not by water onely, but by water and blood: and it is the Spirit that beareth witnesse, because the Spirit is trueth.
(This is he that came by water and blood, even Yesus/Yeshua Christ, not by water only, but by water and blood: and it is the Spirit that beareth witnesse, because the Spirit is truth.)

Bshps This Iesus Christe, is he that came by water and blood: not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the spirite that beareth witnesse, because the spirite is trueth.
(This Yesus/Yeshua Christ, is he that came by water and blood: not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the spirit that beareth witnesse, because the spirit is truth.)

Gnva This is that Iesus Christ that came by water and blood: not by water onely, but by water and blood: and it is that Spirit, that beareth witnesse: for that Spirit is trueth.
(This is that Yesus/Yeshua Christ that came by water and blood: not by water only, but by water and blood: and it is that Spirit, that beareth witnesse: for that Spirit is truth. )

Cvdl This is he that cometh with water and bloude, euen Iesus Christ: not with water onely, but with water and bloude. And it is the sprete that beareth wytnes: for the sprete is the trueth.
(This is he that cometh/comes with water and blood, even Yesus/Yeshua Christ: not with water only, but with water and blood. And it is the spirit that beareth wytnes: for the spirit is the truth.)

TNT This Iesus Christ is he that cam by water and bloud not by water only: but by water and bloud. And it is the sprete that beareth witnes because the sprete ys trueth.
(This Yesus/Yeshua Christ is he that came by water and blood not by water only: but by water and blood. And it is the spirit that beareth witness because the spirit is truth. )

Wyc This is Jhesus Crist, that cam bi watir and blood; not in water oonli, but in watir and blood. And the spirit is he that witnessith, that Crist is treuthe.
(This is Yhesus Christ, that came by water and blood; not in water oonli, but in water and blood. And the spirit is he that witnessith, that Christ is truth.)

Luth Dieser ist‘s, der da kommt mit Wasser und Blut, JEsus Christus, nicht mit Wasser allein, sondern mit Wasser und Blut. Und der Geist ist‘s, der da zeuget, daß Geist Wahrheit ist.
(Dieser ist‘s, the/of_the there comes with water and blood, Yesus Christ, not with water allein, rather with water and blood. And the/of_the spirit ist‘s, the/of_the there zeuget, that spirit truth is.)

ClVg Hic est, qui venit per aquam et sanguinem, Jesus Christus: non in aqua solum, sed in aqua et sanguine. Et Spiritus est, qui testificatur quoniam Christus est veritas.[fn]
(Hic it_is, who he_came through waterm and sanguinem, Yesus Christus: not/no in water solum, but in water and sanguine. And Spiritus it_is, who testificatur quoniam Christus it_is veritas. )

5.6 Hic est, etc. Quia sola fides et confessio divinitatis non sufficit ad salutem et ad viucendum mundum, addit et de humanitate: propterea expressit sanguinem. Spiritus. Id est, humana anima quam emisit in passione; aqua et sanguis, quæ fluxerunt de latere. Hoc fieri non posset, si veram carnis naturam non haberet. Sed et ante passionem, sudor qui factus est sicut guttæ sanguinis ostendit veritatem carnis. Hoc autem quod de latere jam mortui contra naturam aqua sanguis vivaciter fluxit, testabatur quod corpus Domini post mortem melius esset victurum, et mors ejus vitam nobis daret. Quod vero sudor sicut sanguis in terram fluebat, signabat quod suo sanguine Ecclesiam toto orbe lavaret.

5.6 Hic it_is, etc. Because sola fides and confessio divinitatis not/no sufficit to salutem and to viucendum the_world, addit and about humanitate: propterea expressit sanguinem. Spiritus. That it_is, humana anima how emisit in passione; aqua and sanguis, which fluxerunt about latere. This to_be_done not/no posset, when/but_if veram carnis naturam not/no haberet. But and before passionem, sudor who factus it_is like guttæ blood ostendit words carnis. This however that about latere yam mortui on_the_contrary naturam water sanguis vivaciter fluxit, testabatur that body Master after mortem melius was victurum, and mors his life us daret. That vero sudor like sanguis in the_earth/land fluebat, signabat that his_own sanguine Ecclesiam toto orbe lavaret.

UGNT οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐλθὼν δι’ ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος, Ἰησοῦς Χριστός; οὐκ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι μόνον, ἀλλ’ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι καὶ ἐν τῷ αἵματι. καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμά ἐστιν τὸ μαρτυροῦν, ὅτι τὸ Πνεῦμά ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια.
(houtos estin ho elthōn di’ hudatos kai haimatos, Yaʸsous Ⱪristos; ouk en tōi hudati monon, all’ en tōi hudati kai en tōi haimati. kai to Pneuma estin to marturoun, hoti to Pneuma estin haʸ alaʸtheia.)

SBL-GNT Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐλθὼν διʼ ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος, Ἰησοῦς Χριστός· οὐκ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι μόνον ἀλλʼ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι καὶ ⸀ἐν τῷ αἵματι· καὶ τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν τὸ μαρτυροῦν, ὅτι τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια.
(Houtos estin ho elthōn diʼ hudatos kai haimatos, Yaʸsous Ⱪristos; ouk en tōi hudati monon allʼ en tōi hudati kai ⸀en tōi haimati; kai to pneuma estin to marturoun, hoti to pneuma estin haʸ alaʸtheia.)

TC-GNT Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐλθὼν δι᾽ ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος, Ἰησοῦς [fn]Χριστός· οὐκ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι μόνον, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι καὶ [fn]τῷ αἵματι. Καὶ τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστι τὸ μαρτυροῦν, ὅτι τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια.
(Houtos estin ho elthōn di hudatos kai haimatos, Yaʸsous Ⱪristos; ouk en tōi hudati monon, all en tōi hudati kai tōi haimati. Kai to pneuma esti to marturoun, hoti to pneuma estin haʸ alaʸtheia. )

5:6 χριστος ¦ ο χριστος TR

5:6 τω ¦ εν τω ECM^† NA SBL WH

Key for above GNTs: yellow:punctuation differs, red:words differ (from our SR-GNT base).

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

Early Christian Heresies

The Greek word hairesis, originally meaning “choice,” designates a sect or faction. For example, the Sadducees were a sect within Judaism (Acts 5:17), as were the Pharisees (Acts 15:5). The early believers in Jesus as the Messiah were known as “the sect of the Nazarenes” (Acts 24:5). In each of these verses, the word hairesis denotes nothing more than a sect.

After the church grew and developed, any factious group within a local church was called a hairesis—that is, a sect that held opinions contrary to the truths established by the apostles. This is what Paul meant when he warned the Corinthian church that factious sects would develop among them (1 Cor 11:19).

Eventually, the word heresy came to connote teaching that deviates from the norm and causes individuals to break away from orthodoxy. Thus, Peter warned Christians about false teachers who would try to deceive believers with their heretical teachings (2 Pet 2:1). In the modern era, this is how the word heresy is usually understood; it is unorthodox teaching that damages the faith of some believers and causes divisive factions within the church.

Two heresies were particularly prevalent in the church around the time of John’s writings: Gnosticism and Docetism.

Gnosticism is characterized by claims to obscure and mystical knowledge. Many Gnostics believed in a hierarchy of beings in which there was an eternal god, from whom came a series of emanations of lesser spiritual beings, including the creator god, who was considered evil. This creator god fashioned the material world, including human beings. Thus, bearing similarities with Platonic thought, this strand of Gnostics believed that everything material was evil and that there was a more “real” spiritual realm. The goal for these Gnostics was to discover the spiritual seed within them—through secret knowledge (gnōsis)—which would enable them to leave the physical realm and join the spiritual realm. This generated varied responses to the physical realm, with some Gnostics practicing strict, ascetic avoidance of physical pleasure, while others indulged heavily in the “flesh,” regarding their actions in relation to this world as inconsequential.

Gnosticism developed through the interweaving of Christianity with Greek philosophy and emphasizes the need for additional, special knowledge that redefines the terms and practices of orthodox Christianity into something quite different. The Gnostics often incorporated Christ into their belief system, considering the Christ to be one of the various emanations from the supreme being. According to many Gnostics, this Christ taught some of his followers how to discover the spiritual spark within them and join the spiritual realm.

A significant amount of Christian writings from the first couple of centuries of the church’s existence were penned as a response to Gnostic heresy.

Docetism, a form of Gnosticism, held that Christ only seemed to have a human body with physical birth, death, and resurrection (dokeō is a Greek verb meaning “to seem”). An early Docetist was Cerinthus, who argued that the spiritual “Christ” came upon the human Jesus at his baptism and was present with him during his ministry, but departed prior to his suffering and death. This movement was concerned with protecting the divinity of God from being polluted by the human nature of Jesus. According to early church tradition, John vehemently opposed Cerinthus’s teachings (see Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.3.4; cp. 1 Jn 5:5-8; 2 Jn 1:7).

True Christians believe in the Incarnation—God becoming a real human being with flesh and blood. Jesus’ humanity was not a facade. He was truly human, sharing our flesh and blood, so that he could provide salvation for humanity through his own flesh and blood. Ignatius, a student of the apostle John and later the bishop of Antioch, wrote a series of letters refuting Docetism. Ignatius was the first one outside the New Testament writers to speak of the virgin birth of Jesus. He also emphasized the fact that the apostles touched the body of their risen Lord, and he said it was possible for him to face martyrdom with courage because of the real suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross and his physical resurrection.

Passages for Further Study

Acts 8:9-24; 2 Cor 11:1-15; Col 1:23; 2:6-23; 1 Tim 6:20; 2 Pet 2:1-22; 1 Jn 4:2-3; 5:5-8; 2 Jn 1:7-11; 3 Jn 1:9-12; Rev 2:2, 14-16, 20-25

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐλθὼν δι’ ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος

this is the_‹one› /having/_come by water and blood

John is specifying here what it means to believe fully that “Jesus is the Son of God,” as he described in the previous verse. The terms water and blood are metonyms representing different important ways that the Son of God came to us. You may want to clarify these meanings in the text or do so in a footnote. The blood represents Jesus’ death on the cross, when he shed his blood as the Savior of the world. The water could stand for: (1) Jesus’ baptism. When John baptized Jesus in the water of the Jordan River, the Son of God began his ministry of reconciling the world to God. See the UST. (2) Jesus’ birth. There was the breaking of the birth water when the Son of God was born as a man. Alternate translation: “This is the one who came through the water of human birth and the blood of his sacrificial death”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

ὁ ἐλθὼν

the_‹one› /having/_come

If it would be helpful to your readers, you could state more explicitly what having come means, as UST does.

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

δι’ ὕδατος καὶ αἵματος

by water and blood

John is using a metaphor that pictures water and blood conveying Jesus to us or Jesus coming to us through water and through blood. The meaning is that Jesus became our Savior as he experienced baptism in water and submitted himself to death on the cross. Alternate translation “as our Savior, undergoing baptism and death”

Note 4 topic: grammar-connect-exceptions

οὐκ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι μόνον, ἀλλ’ ἐν τῷ ὕδατι καὶ ἐν τῷ αἵματι

not by ¬the water only but by ¬the water and by ¬the blood

If it sounds confusing in your language to say not in water … but in water, you could reword this to avoid repeating the phrase in water. Alternate translation: “not in water alone, but also in blood”

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor

τὸ Πνεῦμά ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια

the Spirit is the Spirit is the truth

Like the statement “God is love” in 4:8 and 4:16, which describes God’s character, this is a metaphor that describes the character of the Holy Spirit. Alternate translation: “the Spirit always tells the truth”

Parallel 1YHN 5:6