1 John 5:6-13 extras...

The Spirit of Truth, Life, and Assurance

John’s theology of the Spirit shares some themes with the Synoptic Gospels but also characteristically moves in fresh directions.

will sketch in John’s portrait of the Spirit under the themes of truth, life, and assurance.

First, the Spirit is the Spirit of truth. The Gospel begins with the Baptist bearing witness to Jesus (1:6–8), and

the role of “witness” is a rather prominent theme in this Gospel in its own right (1:26–36; 3:26–30; 5:31–39; 8:13–19; 10:25; cf. 19:35; 21:24).

Interspersed in the Baptist’s witness we find a reference to the Spirit’s role as a witness.

The Baptist observed that the Spirit like a dove descended and remained on Jesus (1:32–33),

equipping him for ministry.

The Spirit’s descent on Jesus also functions as a witness to Jesus

as the truth, demonstrating that Jesus is the Messiah (cf. ).

Jesus speaks the words of God, communicating truth received from above.

Jesus utters truth because God has given the Spirit to him “without measure” (3:34).

It seems, then, that the Spirit inspired Jesus to proclaim God’s words,

that the Spirit was the agent by which Jesus revealed the truth.

In 1 John the Spirit’s role in witnessing to Jesus continues. “Spirits” must be tested,

“for many false prophets have gone out into the world” (4:1).

The Spirit testifies that the historical Jesus is the Christ (4:2).

Those who do not confess Jesus as the human Messiah imbibe the spirit of the antichrist (4:3).

Similarly, John reminds his readers of the anointing that they received (2:18–27).

The context is quite similar to 4:1–6, where John warns against a defective Christology.

So too here, those who deny Jesus as the historical and human Christ are liars and antichrists.

Believers, however, stand in a different place, for they know the truth and have received the anointing.

The anointing represents the work of the Spirit,

which teaches believers the truth about Jesus the Christ.

The anointing work of the Spirit in 1 John is remarkably similar

to the Spirit’s ministry of testifying to Jesus in the Gospel of John.

In 1 John we have a final text that impresses upon readers that the Spirit witnesses to the historical Christ (5:6–8).

Jesus was empowered by the Spirit for ministry at his baptism, but the Spirit did not depart from him at the cross.

The Spirit continued to testify that Jesus is the Christ at his death,

where he spilled his blood for the salvation of human beings.

The Spirit does not bear witness in a vacuum, nor does he work directly upon the minds of believers apart from history.

The Spirit’s work of teaching and testifying is tied to historical events, to Jesus’ baptism and crucifixion.

John emphasizes the eyewitness character of revelation both in his Gospel (e.g., 21:24) and in 1 John (e.g., 1:1–4).

The Spirit always witnesses to Jesus.

Worshiping God “in spirit and truth” () becomes a reality only through the Holy Spirit.

True worship is not realized through human reflection or intelligence.

Given the Holy Spirit’s role in calling attention to Jesus Christ,

the Spirit inspires true worship by directing people to Jesus Christ.

Human beings truly worship when they believe Jesus is the Christ, and that he is glorified and exalted via the cross.

The Spirit is not only the Spirit of truth; he is also the Spirit of life.

New life cannot be produced by human beings, for it is the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit.

John’s Gospel records how Nicodemus was impressed with Jesus and acknowledged that he was from God,

given the signs that he did (3:2).

Jesus brushed aside Nicodemus’s commendation, maintaining that one must be born again in order to see God’s kingdom (3:3).

New life cannot be generated by human beings (3:6).

Indeed, Jesus emphasizes that new life is incalculable,

for the Spirit sovereignly blows wherever he wishes (3:8),

granting new life at his discretion.

Jesus says something quite similar in 6:63: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”

Human beings are unable to produce life because of their weakness, whereas

the Spirit is a spirit of power

who can beget life where there is none.

The life given by the Spirit, however, is tied to the words of Jesus, and in chapter 6 in particular

to Jesus being the bread of life,

to eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood.

Hence, the Spirit gives life as he attests to Jesus’ giving his flesh for the life of the world (6:51).

The Spirit grants life, then, based on the atoning death of Jesus Christ.

The Spirit confirms that Jesus ascends to the Father (6:62) through the cross, so that the cross is the way to life.

John also emphasizes that the Spirit grants assurance.

This theme is especially prominent in 1 John, but it is not completely absent in the Gospel, where it is present by implication.

John’s Gospel was written so that people would know that they have eternal life

if they believe that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God (20:30–31).

The Spirit becomes a means of assurance, for those who enjoy the Spirit

as living water

find that the Spirit springs up to eternal life (4:14).

The Spirit grants life that is imperishable, life that cannot be quenched by death.

Similarly, the Paraclete will abide with the disciples “forever” (14:16).

His residence in believers is not temporary but permanent,

and such permanence suggests life that is sacred or holy,

which in turn grants assurance.

The convicting work of the Spirit (16:7–11) also fortifies assurance and confidence,

for he will convince believers that Jesus is truly the Christ.

The language of “convicting” (elenchō) suggests persuasion (cf. ; ),

and those who are persuaded by the Spirit

have a deeply rooted confidence that Jesus is indeed the Son of God and the Messiah.

The theme of assurance relative to the Spirit comes to the forefront more directly in 1 John.

John penned the epistle so that readers would be convinced that they have eternal life (5:13).

Those who did not belong to God had left the church (2:19),

but believers enjoy an “anointing” (chrisma) from God so that they know the truth (2:20).

The anointing, as noted above, almost certainly refers to the Spirit.

The truth that the Spirit confirms is that the historical Jesus is the Christ,

the one sent by God to accomplish salvation through the cross (2:22–23).

John says twice that believers can have confidence that God abides in them because God has given them his Spirit (3:24; 4:13).

Such assurance cannot be separated from keeping God’s commands and believing that Jesus is the Christ (3:23–24).

The Spirit is present in those who love one another (4:12), and

such love is grounded in God’s love manifested in Jesus Christ (4:7–11).

For anyone who claims assurance from the Spirit but

fails to love fellow believers,

violates God’s commands, or

disbelieves that Jesus is the Christ,

such assurance is just an illusion.

The assurance derived from the Spirit cannot be detached from other grounds of confidence taught by John.

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The Witness of the Spirit as the Testimony of God. According to , the Spirit’s witness appears as God’s testimony that Jesus is his Son.

The witness the Spirit bears is recognizable outwardly to all people and inwardly to believers.

Outwardly, “the signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit” appear as God’s testimony

to the salvation first announced by Jesus and then confirmed by eyewitnesses ().

The tangible evidence of the Spirit’s presence is displayed both in Jesus’ life and in the experience of the church.

The Spirit’s ministry in the church becomes, in effect, incontrovertible evidence to Judaism (and to the nations) that the church’s message about Jesus comes from God.

Jesus foretold that the Spirit will testify about him (). Inwardly,

the Spirit testifies to believers that they are God’s children (; )

and have God’s testimony about Jesus in their hearts ().

The forensic language of these New Testament passages is historically and theologically important.

The Spirit’s witness—yet visible to us even now!—verifies that, historically, Jesus did not receive his divine sonship by adoption.

The witness by water and blood () indicates that Jesus already was God’s Son at the time of his water baptism by John and his death on the cross.

The Spirit of Truth (; ) affirms this. Therefore, as witnesses the water, blood, and the Spirit unanimously agree that Jesus was God’s Son by divine nature, not by divine appointment ().