Since John also remembered the birth of children, saying, “Everything
that is born of God” (1 Jn. 5:4): these things, however, happen to us through
sacred baptism; therefore he says: “This is he who came by water and blood,
Jesus Christ.” And for what purpose did he come? To renew us and make us
children of God. For this is also understood as a consequent statement, so that
this is the meaning. “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world.” But how
was it born? He says, by water and blood. Indeed, Jesus Christ who came renews
through water and blood. John adds again, repeating the statement,
saying: not by water only, namely, regenerating, but by water and
blood. For he wishes first to show the name of Christ who adopted us: since
the man who was in him, the first adopted by God, also gave us through his
adoption such dignity, which has been demonstrated three times: namely in the
baptism in the Jordan, when the heavenly Father testified that he who was being
baptized was his beloved Son. (Matt. 3:17)
But who was he that entered the water except the man who was taken up
together with the Word of God? (Certainly, he who appeared in secret, for he
needed a testimony. Therefore, by the water, that is, in the baptism
that takes place through water, the Son of God, Jesus, was demonstrated
to be so by the testimony of the Father. And by the blood, when he was
to be crucified, he said: “Glorify me, Father,” (Jn. 17:1) and a voice was
heard: “And I have glorified and will glorify again;” (Jn. 12:28) which those
who heard thought to be thunder.
By the Spirit, however, when He rose from the dead as God. For
it is left to God alone to raise Himself. Furthermore, by the term Spirit,
God is signified: since the Spirit is God. (Jn. 4:24) Therefore, since three
bear witness to Jesus’ adoption, namely baptism, crucifixion, and
resurrection, there is no uncertainty in the Lord’s adoption: by which adoption
He also granted us, us He who was the first fruits of the entire human mass (Rom.
11:16), to be children of God. And these three are united in one Christ:
for that is what it signifies, saying: “These three are one,” that is,
as a testimony concerning Christ. IT should be noted that some of the fathers received
the Spirit, not because of the resurrection, but the Father Himself when
He cried out in the Jordan: “This is my beloved Son (Matt. 17:5);” because God
is also called Spirit, as we have predicted. (Commentary on the
Catholic Epistles by Oecumenius (6th Century) [trans. John Litteral; 2025],
184-85)
