oRDER MY NEW BOOK HERE
1 John 5:6-8 “6. This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ: not in water only, but in the water and in the blood. 7. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth. 8. For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.”
Before I get into this, I want to state that I quoted the New American Standard that has ‘in’ in the margin as the literal translation for the 2nd and 3rd segment of verse 6 (“not IN water only” as opposed to “not BY water only”).
This is a fascinating passage and the commentaries are varied in their interpretations. So hang in there and do your best to follow me as I put forth some things to consider that I have not found to be suggested as yet.
Most commentaries say that the water is referring to Christ’s baptism. One commentary by someone named Wetstein said it is referring to Christ’s manhood meaning that he “he had all the properties of a human being–a spirit or soul, blood, and the watery humours of the body”. I strongly believe it goes far deeper than baptism or the human body.
What is curious about this is that John says that Jesus did not come in water ONLY. I wonder why he said it that way. In other words, it seems John recognizes that someone would easily accept that the Messiah Son of God might come in water only. John is emphatic that he came in water AND blood. I think Wetstein is getting warm. But why water only?
Here’s what I’m thinking about…
First, let’s look at where Yahweh lives and where Yeshuah came from. Gen. 1:6 says “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.”
Psalm 104:3 says that He “lays the beams of His chambers in the waters”. In the same psalm it says in verse 13, “He waters the mountains from His chambers”.
Psalm 148:4 says, ‘Praise Him, heaven of heavens and the waters that are above the heavens”.
Amos 9:6 says “The One who builds His upper chambers in the heavens, and has founded His vaulted dome over the earth, He who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the face of the earth, the Lord is His name.”
God dwells above the firmament above the earth in waters. That seems clear from Scripture. I realize that Amos is not describing the waters above the firmament, I included it because it goes along with the verse that says His chambers are there. And God is spirit (John 4:24).
Ok, He’s spirit, what’s that got to do with it? Well, maybe everything. Again, I’m just exploring this, I haven’t formed any conclusions. Let’s bring in another verse to consider. Stay with me.
Luke 11:24 says, “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’”
What this verse seems to indicate is that these spirits (granted they are unclean or demons) must find habitation made up of water. Remember when Jesus exorcised a man of the demon Legion (Luke 8:27-33)? That demon begged to be sent into a herd of pigs rather than the abyss.
The abyss is the lowest part of the earth where evil spirits are imprisoned and there is no water (1 Peter 3:18, Jude 6). It wanted to be in a living creature. All life is water based. We are 70% water.
Now, these were unclean spirits but spirits nonetheless. See where I’m going?
Now I want to bring in the Book of Enoch. This book is credible reliable spiritual history. The reason I can say that is because the Bible quotes it. That means God affirms it. I’m not saying it’s Scripture, but I believe at minimum it is as close as you can get.
In Enoch 22: 9-13 it says this: “9. At that time therefore I inquired respecting him, and respecting the general judgment, saying, Why is one separated from another? He answered, Three separations have been made between the spirits of the dead, and thus have the spirits of the righteous been separated. 10. Namely, by a chasm, by water, and by light above it. 11. And in the same way likewise are sinners separated when they die, and are buried in the earth; judgment not overtaking them in their lifetime. 12. Here their souls are separated. Moreover, abundant is their suffering until the time of the great judgment, the castigation, and the torment of those who eternally execrate, whose souls are punished and bound there for ever. 13. And thus has it been from the beginning of the world. Thus has there existed a separation between the souls of those who utter complaints, and of those who watch for their destruction, to slaughter them in the day of sinners.”
What Enoch is saying is there are 3 things that separate the unsaved from the saved who are dead (that was pre-cross; now the saved go straight to heaven). There is a chasm, water and light above the water. (As an aside, Enoch also affirms the destruction of the lost)
Remember the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-26)? It says the rich man asked if Lazarus could dip his finger in the water and put it on the rich man’s tongue. Abraham said there was a chasm that may not be crossed. Both passages describe the chasm and water. Jesus is actually affirming Enoch in his telling of this story.
Getting back to Jesus and 1 John 5:6, what I’m wondering is if John understood that God’s dwelling is in the waters as Spirit. Please do not understand me to be saying that God MUST reside in water, it may just be that He chooses to. We too are spirit and reside in water, just as the unclean spirits seek watery residence. They have no rest without water. It seems that our spirit must, as well.
Was John saying that Jesus did not come in just water – as he understood God to reside in – but he also came in blood as a man? I think it could very well be the case.
To be continued…
Dan Baker