Translations
Original
Notes
there are three that testify: The Holy Spirit came down on Jesus at his baptism (see John 1:32–34). The water refers to the water in which John baptized Jesus (see Matthew 3:13–15; Mark 1:9–11). The blood refers to the blood Jesus shed when he died on the cross (see Mark 15:37–39). These three (the Spirit, the water, and the blood) together proclaim that Jesus is God’s Son (1 John 5:6).
After the phrase three that testify, a few very late manuscripts add the phrase in heaven—the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. And we have three witnesses on earth. This longer reading was written in Latin several centuries after John. It was meant to explain the three elements in the passage (water, blood, and Spirit) as symbols of the Trinity.
Later, this explanation appeared in some Latin copies of 1 John, including later versions of the Latin Vulgate. Erasmus eventually translated it into Greek and included it in the Textus Receptus, which means “received text.” Because of this, the longer reading was included in the King James Version.
However, the longer reading is not found in any Greek manuscript before the 1700s. None of the early church fathers mention it. For these reasons, most modern English translations do not include the longer reading as part of the original text of 1 John.
Glossary
Topics
Agreement Jesus, the Christ: Other Scriptures Relating to his Messiahship Trinity: The Holy Unity of God: Consistent with the Deity of Christ and of the Holy Spirit Witness of the Holy Spirit: Borne to Christ in Heaven Word: A Title of Jesus