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  1 JOHN 5:8
  by John Gill
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Summary: The three witnesses on earth, the Gospel, water baptism, and
the Lord's supper, agree in one, testifying to the sonship of Christ.

Topics: "Witness of Christ", "The Testimony of Faith"
Scripture References: Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 28:19, John 3:36, Acts 1:8, Romans 8:16, 1 Corinthians 11:25, Hebrews 9:22, 1 John 5:8, 1 John 5:10, Revelation 12:11

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DESCRIPTION
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John Gill expounds on 1 John 5:8, emphasizing the three witnesses on
earth that testify to the truth of Christ's sonship: the Spirit, the
water, and the blood. He clarifies that the Spirit refers to the Gospel
and the Holy Spirit's work in believers, while the water symbolizes
baptism as a public declaration of faith, and the blood represents the
Lord's Supper and the martyrdom of believers. These witnesses
collectively affirm the truth of Christ's divine sonship and are unified
in their testimony. Gill illustrates the harmony between the Gospel and
the ordinances, highlighting their central focus on Christ.

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CONTENT
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Ver. 8. And there are three that bear witness on earth,.... To the same
truth of the sonship of Christ:

the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; by the "Spirit" is not meant
the human Spirit or soul of Christ; for however that may be a witness of
the truth of his human nature, yet not of his divine sonship: and
moreover cannot be said to be a witness in earth; rather the Gospel,
called the Spirit, which is a testimony of Christ's person, office, and
graces and is preached by men on earth; or else the gifts of the Spirit
bestowed on men on earth, both in an extraordinary and ordinary way, by
which they have been qualified to bear witness to this truth; or it may
be the Holy Spirit itself is intended, as he is in the hearts of his
people here on earth, where he not only witnesses to the truth of their
sonship, but also of the sonship of Christ, and is that witness a
believer has within himself of it, mentioned in 1Jo 5:10. By water is
designed, not internal sanctification, which though an evidence of
regeneration and adoption, yet not of Christ's sonship; but water
baptism, as administered on earth in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost; and which is a noble and standing testimony
to the proper, natural, and eternal sonship of Christ: and by "blood" is
intended, not justification by the blood of Christ, but rather the blood
of the saints, the martyrs of Jesus, who have shed it on earth, in
testimony of their faith in the Son of God, and thereby sealing the
truth of it; or rather the ordinance of the Lord's supper, which is the
communion of the blood of Christ; and represents that blood which was
shed for the remission of sins, and has a continual virtue to cleanse
from all sin, which is owing to his being the Son of God. The three
witnesses on earth seem therefore to be the Gospel, attended with the
Spirit and power of God, and the two ordinances of baptism, and the
Lord's supper:

and these agree in one; in their testimony of Christ, the word and
ordinances agree together; and the sum and substance of them is Christ;
they come from him, and centre in him; they are like the cherubim over
the mercy seat, that looked to one another, and to that; and the two
ordinances are the church's two breasts, which are equal, and like to
one another; there is a great agreement between them, they are like to
two young roes that are twins.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/john-gill/1-john-58/
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