Verse 6
This "water" probably refers to John the Baptist’s baptism of Jesus in water. The "blood" probably refers to His atoning death by crucifixion. [Note: See Ryrie, "The First . . .," p. 1476.]
Some false teachers in the early church taught that the divine Christ descended on the human Jesus at His baptism but left Him before His crucifixion, for example, Cerinthus and other Gnostics. [Note: See Barclay, p. 10.] John referred to this teaching in this verse. He considered this teaching untrue. Jesus Christ, one Person, came at His first advent not just to experience baptism in water but also to die.
"The true identity of Jesus, the writer appears to be saying, is only to be discovered by looking at the whole of his life, including its end." [Note: Marshall, p. 278.]
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