1Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God. Whoever loves the Father also loves the child who is born of him. 2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments. 3For this is loving God, that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not grievous. 4For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world: your faith. 5Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?
6This 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. 7For there are three who testify: 8the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and the three agree as one. 9If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is God’s testimony which he has testified concerning his Son. 10He who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. He who doesn’t believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning his Son. 11The testimony is this: that God gave to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12He who has the Son has the life. He who doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have the life.
13These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
14This is the boldness which we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he listens to us. 15And if we know that he listens to us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions which we have asked of him.
16If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life for those who sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I don’t say that he should make a request concerning this. 17All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.
18We know that whoever is born of God doesn’t sin, but he who was born of God keeps himself, and the evil one doesn’t touch him. 19We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20We know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.
21Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
John now describes Jesus’ incarnation and deity. “Water and blood” has been interpreted in four major ways: (1) it refers to the water of Jesus’ baptism and the blood shed at His death; (2) Jesus’ incarnation with water and blood referring to his birth ; (3) the water and blood that flowed from Jesus’ side; and (4) the water of believer’s baptism and the “blood” of the Lord’s Supper. The first option seems the best. This may have been prompted by the false teachings of a man named Cerinthus, who was a false teacher of John’s day. He taught that Jesus was just a man and that the Christ “spirit” descended on Jesus at His baptism and departed just before His crucifixion. This was a form of Docetism, a system of thought that denied the humanity of Jesus.
John follows his statement by pointing to the Holy Spirit as a witness to this truth. Where Jesus referred to Him as “the Spirit of truth” (John 14:17) and, thus, whom they can trust, John affirms that the Spirit “is truth.” John sees the Spirit as truth personified. He is the originator of truth, its source.