Reading for August 5th

Read 1 John 5.1-12. In 5.1-12: Christological test: Faith is the basis of love. In verses 1-3: Right faith is the test for the claim to be a child of God. So is love for the children of God (2.28-29; 3.1). In verses 4-5: Faith, far from being an intellectual abstraction, becomes the story that conquers the world. In verse 6: Water and blood, perhaps a reference to baptism and death, or to the effusion of water and blood at Jesus' death (Jn 19.34-35). According to Jn 15.26, the Spirit is the one who testifies an the Spirit in the truth (see 4.6). In verses 9-10: Those with correct faith have the testimony in their hearts, apparently an appeal to the witness of the Spirit (4.13). In verses 11-12: God's witness has two sides: the Son and the eternal life he brings. To know Christ is to know his benefits (see Jn 3.15-16, 36; 5.24). Comments or Questions..