If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
And may it be that we say this over-hastily? Let the apostle himself make this plain in what follows. Remember what was said at the outset of our discourse, that the present epistle commends charity: God is light, says he, and in Him is no dark ness at all. And what said he above? That ye may have fellowship with us, and our fellowship may be with God the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. But moreover, if God be light, and in Him is no darkness at all, and we must have fellowship with Him, then from us also must the darkness be driven away, that there may be light created in us, for darkness cannot have fellowship with light. To this end, see what follows: If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie. 1 John 1:6 You have also the Apostle Paul saying, Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 2 Corinthians 6:14 You say you have fellowship with God, and you walk in darkness; and God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all: then how should there be fe...
This is He who cometh by water and blood, Jesus Christ. This is Messias, the Son of God, the Saviour and Redeemer of the world, whom the Prophets foretold should come to redeem the world by His Blood, and purify it by the water of baptism, as is plain from Ezekiel 36:47, and Zechariah 12:13. John proves that Jesus Christ is the Son of God; that Isaiah , that Jesus is true Man and true God. He does this, 1st Because He is He who came, Greek, ό ε̉λθὼν, i.e, Hebrews , the Coming One, the Messias, who indeed the Prophets promised should come: whom the Scripture ( Isaiah 9:6. and elsewhere) signified should be God and the Son of God. Wherefore Coming or About to come is the Name of Messiah. For so the Jews called Him from the prophetic oracles. This is plain from S. John 1:15, &c.
Again, he proves the same thing from the water and the blood of which the Body of Christ was constituted, and which He shed for us. For they signify, 1That Christ was a true Prayer of Manasseh , and n...
This is He who cometh by water and blood. Some Greek codices add καί πνεÏματος, i.e, and by spirit: not by water only, but by water and blood, and by spirit.
And the Spirit it is which testifies that Christ is Truth. (Vulg.) The Greek has ότι τὸ πνεÏμα Îστιν ή α̉λήθεια, i.e, The Spirit is the Truth. This is also the reading of the Syriac. The meaning Isaiah , It is the Spirit who recently at Pentecost testified that Christ is the Son of God. Him therefore we must believe because He is the Spirit of Truth, and the Truth Itself. But the genuine reading Isaiah , Because Christ is Truth. For the Apostle is here treating of Christ, and Christ"s proper name is the Truth.
To the obscure and as it were dead testimony of water and blood, is added the clear and living witness of the Holy Ghost. For He as well during Christ"s (earthly) life, in which He wrought miracles by Him to bear witness to this, as also after His death and resurrection, when He was s...
