1 John 5:6 
Context| 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 1 the Spirit is the truth. |
| NIV © | This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. |
| NASB © | 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. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. |
| NLT © | And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross ––not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit also gives us the testimony that this is true. |
| MSG © | Jesus--the Divine Christ! He experienced a life-giving birth and a death-killing death. Not only birth from the womb, but baptismal birth of his ministry and sacrificial death. And all the while the Spirit is confirming the truth, the reality of God's presence at Jesus' baptism and crucifixion, bringing those occasions alive for us. |
| BBE © | This is he who came by water and by blood, Jesus Christ; not by water only but by water and by blood. |
| NRSV © | This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth. |
| NKJV © | This is He who came by water and blood––Jesus Christ; not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth. |
| KJV | |
| NASB © | |
| GREEK | |
| NET © [draft] ITL | Jesus <2424> Christ <5547> is <1510> the one who came <2064> by <1223> water <5204> and <2532> blood <129> – not <3756> by <1722> the water <5204> only <3440> , but <235> by <1722> the water <5204> and <2532> the blood <129> . And <2532> the Spirit <4151> is <1510> the one who testifies <3140> , because <3754> the Spirit <4151> is <1510> the truth .<225> |
| 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 1 the Spirit is the truth. |
| NET © Notes |
1 tn This ὅτι (Joti) is best understood (1) as causal. Some have taken it (2) as declarative, giving the content of the Spirit’s testimony: “and the Spirit is the One who testifies that the Spirit is the truth.” This is certainly possible, since a ὅτι clause following the cognate verb μαρτυρέω (marturevw) often gives the content of the testimony (cf. John 1:34; 3:28; 4:39, 44). But in the Gospel of John the Spirit never bears witness on his own behalf, but always on behalf of Jesus (John 15:26, 16:13). There are, in fact, some instances in the Gospel of John where a ὅτι clause following μαρτυρέω is causal (8:14, 15:27), and that is more likely here: “and the Spirit is the One who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.” |
