According to Johann Bengel, Eugenius Bulgaris, John Oxlee and Daniel Wallace, each article-participle phrase (οἱ μαρτυροῦντες bearing-witness) in 1 John 5:7–8 functions as a substantive and agrees with the natural gender (masculine) of the idea being expressed (persons), to which three subsequent appositional (added for clarification) articular (preceded by an article) nouns (ὁ πατὴρ ὁ λόγος καὶ τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα Father, THE Word and THE Holy Spirit / τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ τὸ αἷμα Spirit and THE water and THE blood) are added.