Can you tell me what is meant by 1 John 5:6This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
See All... "water and blood"? What is water? What does "He came by water and blood" mean?

1 John 5:6This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
See All... states, "This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth."

This is a very disputed passage. Most commentators point to the water and blood that flowed from Jesus' side when He was speared (John 19:34But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.
See All...). Others point to the water of baptism or to water as a type of the word of God. Without claiming absolute certainty, I will attempt to give an answer.

Water is one of the most versatile symbols in the Bible. It is clearly used at various times as a picture of everlasting life (John 4:14-15 [14] But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. [15] The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
See All...), the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39 [37] In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. [38] He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. [39] (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
See All...), and the word of God (John 15:3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
See All... with Ephesians 5:26That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
See All...). Since it is the element of water baptism, many see it as a picture of this. However, I see one more use of water as a type in scripture. I believe that it is a type of physical birth.

Water is an appropriate picture of the physical birth since the infant is preserved in a sack of water in the womb. In John 3:5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
See All..., Jesus told Nicodemus, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." I believe that the context of this verse shows that Jesus is referring to natural birth when He speaks of being born of water. In John 3:4Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
See All... Nicodemus asked, "How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?" He is considering the impossibility of a second natural birth. In verse six, Jesus explained, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." He spoke of two kinds of birth: one natural and one spiritual. So, in verse five (the verse in-between the two just mentioned), Jesus stated that there must be two births: one of water and another of the Spirit.

In order to enter the kingdom of God, it is not enough to be born (that is, of water). You must be born a second time of the Spirit. Though this may seem common sense to us today, the Jews thought that they would go to heaven because they were born of Abraham. One of the great teachings of the New Testament is to explain to these who were the people of God by natural birth that this was not enough for them to enter the kingdom of God (John 8:33They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?
See All..., 37-39; Romans 3:28-29 [28] Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. [29] Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
See All...; 9:7-8
See All...; Matthew 8:11-12 [11] And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. [12] But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
See All... w/13:38). They must be born both of water and of the Spirit.

In 1 John 5, John had been dealing with those who denied the coming of Christ in the flesh. 1 John 4:2Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
See All... stated, "Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God." Some were denying that Christ had come in the flesh. "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist" (2 John 1:7For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
See All...). 1 John 5:6This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
See All... declares that though Jesus "came by water," He came "not by water only." He also came by blood. These two items along with the Spirit bear witness to the Son: "And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one" (1 John 5:8And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
See All...).

The water, then, speaks of the physical birth of Christ. This is how He "came" to earth. However, it also bears witness of His heavenly identity. He was born of a virgin and came as God manifest in the flesh. The water bears clear witness of the deity of the Son.

The Spirit also bears witness of His Sonship. Of Jesus Christ it was said, "God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him" (John 3:34For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
See All...). He did all of His works by the power of the Spirit. The Spirit also bare witness of him at His baptism (John 1:32-33 [32] And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. [33] And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
See All...).

Finally, the blood bore witness to the Son. We come to "Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel" (Hebrews 12:24And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things that that of Abel.
See All...). The blood that He willingly shed bore witness to His deity. "And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God" (Mark 15:39And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.
See All...). The centurion was convinced by the witness of Christ as He shed His blood on the cross.

The water, the Spirit, and the blood still bear witness to the person of Jesus Christ today.