The lectionary epistle for today presents only a partial reading of a powerful message that 1 John's text puts before us. The lesson formally begins with verse 9, where the text reflects on the difference between the "human testimony" and the "testimony of God." The greatness of God's testimony has been demonstrated to humanity, 1 John proclaims, by the fact that the Divine has "testified to his Son." But to understand just what "testimony" is being talked about here, we must move back a few verses. Verse 6 introduces these divine witnesses, while verses 7-8 sum up that, "There are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree." Spirit, water and blood are the three witnesses that make up God's testimony through the Son.

Verses 6-9 focus on the historica…