约翰一书 1 John 5:1-21 (Scroll down for English)
第五章的难题
6 这借着水和血而来的就是耶稣基督。不是单用水，乃是用水又用血。
如果不清楚本书背景，这几节经文可以叫人读来云里雾里地迷糊。首先第六节：耶稣基督借着水和血而来，不单用水，乃是用水又用血。约翰在说什么呢？
要知道，使徒约翰写这封叫《约翰一书》的书信，重要目的之一，是对付当时嚣尘肆上的异端诺斯底主义。这个异端宣扬的耶稣之一是，耶稣是个人，在他受浸时，基督(the Christ)降临在他身上，在他钉十架之前，基督离他而去。
约翰一书的证道是：耶稣基督的来临，是“借着水和血”；水，指他在约旦河受施洗约翰的浸，从此开始他在地上的事奉。血，指他在十字架上流血，成就了救赎大工。针对诺斯底主义的邪说，约翰强调说：不是单用水，乃是用水又用血”，这一位借着水和血而来，一样也不少的，就是救主耶稣基督，他在地上的救赎工作，三年半的事奉，由水开始，以血终结。在本书起首 1:1-4，约翰以使徒的身份为耶稣基督作见证。
7. 并且有圣灵作见证，因为圣灵就是真理。
第七节还真得花上一些功夫。按钦定本KJV和新钦定本NKJ，第七节的内容是： “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” 但其它各主要英译本，如NIV, NET, ESV, NAU等等，却展现不同的内容：“For there are three that testify.” 查手上两个版本的希腊文本，BGT和BYZ，是
与NIV等后四个英文版本相符。于是读者又觉得茫无头绪。
据圣经研究，原来BGT和BYZ版所展示的内容，存在于14世记之前的手稿中，KJV所翻译过来的内容，只见于14世记之后的手稿。多出的文字，很可能是抄写手稿的文士把个人对经文的理解写在空白处，之后被编辑当作正文收入，成为了KJV第七节，NKJ沿袭KJV，也照旧排版。所以， 较为“年轻”的其他英文版本根据圣经研究，按更可靠的14世记前文本翻译，因此出现版本间的参 差。与路德和加尔文同时期的学者Erasmus在重新整理拉丁文武加大本圣经 (the Vulgate) 的过程中便遇上这一难题，多番周折，不赘。
如果有异端耶和华见证人上门，请不要使用KJV/NKJ的约壹5:8与他们较劲，因为他们被训练知道这节经文的翻译背景，很容易就可以摸出原文本来否定KJV/NKJ的第八节内容，然后“证实” 说，我们错了，他们才对。鬼蜮伎俩。
8 作见证的原来有三，就是圣灵，水，与血。这三样也都归于一。
律法有见证人的要求。这里的见证，有圣灵。圣灵感动先知，预言基督耶稣受施洗约翰的浸，然后他要在十架上受苦受死，代表他在地上事奉的起始和终结。“我们既领受人的见证，神的 见证更该领受了。”这是来自神的见证，准确无误，如果拒绝如诺斯底异端所为，那就是以神为说 谎的，罪莫大焉。
16 人若看见弟兄犯了不至于死的罪，就当为他祈求，神必将生命赐给他。有至于死的罪，我不说当为这罪祈求。
这节经文所承载的信息，“不至于死的罪”，看来好像与保罗“罪的工价就是死”（罗 6:23）相悖。为这困惑，我曾请教一位圣经学者，他的回答是：约翰知道什么是“不至于死的罪”，但我们不知道。因此，聪明的做法是，任何罪都别犯。可惜，这是不可能的。主的门徒不要罪中之乐，但有可能“偶然被过犯所胜”。（加 6:1）那么这一节经文，又当如何理解与应用？
18 我们知道凡从神生的必不犯罪。从神生的必保守自己，（有古卷作那从神生的必保护他），那恶者也就无法害他。
第一句的“不犯罪”，原文
是进行时态，即，“凡从神生的必不习惯性地犯罪”，不会在罪中之乐中不可自拔。恰当理解这一节经文，就可以明白另一节难解的经文 15 节。当中的关系，卖个关子，留给大家思考，并且以神为乐。（大卫王是现成的参考案例） — David Yip
About Some Exegetical Issues, 1 John 5
NKJ 1 John 5:6, 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.
Without the background knowledge, it is not easy to understand John’s terms water and blood. The one of the main goals for the epistle is to fight against the Gnosticism. As a cult, their false theology asserts that Jesus is a man and the Messiah possessed him at his baptism, and departed before Jesus the man was crucified.
The verse nullifies the Gnosticism theology. It maintains the truth that Jesus Christ came “by water and blood”. Water indicates his baptism by John the Baptist, marking the beginning of his earthly ministry; and blood signifies he bled and died on the cross, successfully completing his ministry of salvation. Against the Cultic theology John, the author of the epistle, emphasizes “not only by water, but by water and blood”. As the savior, Jesus Christ perfectly completed his earthly ministry. John himself testified earlier in 1:1-4 with his unique identity as one of the physical and spiritual followers of Jesus the Christ.
7. NIV 1 John 5:7 For there are three that testify.
Not only NIV, some other versions such as NAU, NET, ESV also renders identical text. However, KJV and NKJ are found to present a different text, “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.” The textual variation is likely to puzzle the serious Bible students.
Two of the original Greek versions are available in my personal library and both are looked into for verification. Identically, the Greek text from both versions, the BGT and the BYZ, is
The NIV, ASU, NET, and ESV rendering is thought to fit the Greek text more than that of the KJV and NKJ.
Why there is such a discrepancy? It is reported that the Greek text quoted above is in the many manuscripts prior to the 14 century. Not until after that time that the Greek variation, which is adopted and translated by the KJV start is emerging. Therefore, the more contemporary English versions render according to the more reliable pre-fourteenth century resources, whereas the NKJ decides to follow her predecessor KJV. This is why such a discrepancy exists among the different versions. Regardless, there is no harm, whatsoever, to the truth of God.
One side note is that it is not recommended to debate against the JW cult with the version of the KJV family. They are trained to know the above background, and they will go around with the Greek text to “prove” that they are more “biblical” than you.
8. For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. (NAU)
The Law requires witnesses. The Holy Spirit is the witness to Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit breathed to prophesy that Jesus would be baptized by John the Baptist, and he would suffer and die on the cross, foretelling about his complete ministry on earth. “f we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for the witness of God is this, that He has borne witness concerning His Son.” This is a precise and inerrant witness from God for His Son. If reject as does the Gnostics, what they are doing is telling that God is a liar.
16. If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death, he will ask, and He will give him life for those who commit sin not leading to death. There is sin leading to death. I do not say that he should pray about that.
The message “a sin which does not lead to death” tends to be a statement of interest, because it seems to be contradictory to the apostle Paul’s famous teach, “a sin which does not lead to death.” (Rom 6:23) I once sought help from a scholar. His opinion was that the author knew what that sin was, but we did not know. So, the best thing we could do would be to not sin. I was still in a great dissatisfaction after the conversation, for I knew that it would be hardly possible to not sin, even if we had been saved by grace.
How, then, should this verse be fathomed and understood? Please continue to read…
18. We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.
Praise be to God for this verse so priceless, and the good work from the NIV team to render accurately. While many other versions render simple present tense for the verb
“sin”, the NIV correctly shows its tense as present continuous. With this kept in mind, the NIV’s rendering is much appreciated, i.e. the one who was born of God may be “caught in a sin”, (Gal 6:1) but he/she will not continue to sin. One is suggested to pay attention to its singular form, “a sin”. Note that “a sin” also appears in v. 16.
Now, we should be able to praise God again for the light to understand both vv.16 and 18. — David Yip
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