who testifies
The word "testifies" comes from the Greek μαρτυρέω (martyreō), meaning to bear witness or give evidence. In the ancient world, a testimony was a solemn declaration of truth, often given in a legal context. John's testimony is not just a recounting of events but a declaration of the truth of Jesus Christ's life and mission. His witness is foundational for the Christian faith, as it provides an eyewitness account of the Gospel's core events.

to these things
"These things" refers to the events and teachings recorded in the Gospel of John. The phrase encompasses the entirety of Jesus' ministry, His miracles, His teachings, His death, and His resurrection. John's Gospel is unique in its focus on the divinity of Christ and the deeper theological implications of His work. By testifying to "these things," John emphasizes the importance of understanding and believing in the full scope of Jesus' life and mission.

and who wrote them down
The act of writing, indicated by the Greek word γράφω (graphō), was a deliberate and careful process in the ancient world. Writing served to preserve important teachings and events for future generations. John's decision to write down his testimony ensures that the message of the Gospel would endure beyond his lifetime, providing a permanent record for the early church and all subsequent believers.

We know
The phrase "We know" suggests a collective affirmation of the truth of John's testimony. This could imply the agreement of the early Christian community or the other apostles who recognized the authority and accuracy of John's account. The use of "we" indicates a shared belief and confidence in the reliability of the Gospel message.

that his testimony is true
The word "true" is translated from the Greek ἀληθής (alēthēs), meaning genuine, real, or trustworthy. In a world where false teachings and heresies were prevalent, the assurance of truth was crucial for the early church. John's testimony is not only true in the sense of being factually accurate but also in its spiritual and theological significance. It aligns with the broader narrative of Scripture and the revelation of God through Jesus Christ. This affirmation of truth provides believers with confidence in the Gospel's message and its power to transform lives.

And we know that his testimony is true.--Our first and natural thought is that these are not the words of the writer of the Gospel, but the additional witness of persons knowing him and testifying to his writing. It is usual to explain the "we know" by referring to 1John 5:18-20; but the plural of a letter ought not to be quoted to explain the plural in an historic document, and it is probable that the natural thought is the true one. But though the words are an addition, they are a contemporaneous addition present in every important MS. and version, and an undoubted part of the original text. We cannot tell who are the persons whose words we here read--Andrew it may be, or Philip, or some of the seventy disciples who had been witnesses of the work of Christ, or some of the Ephesian Church, as Aristion or John the Presbyter, who felt that the Apostle's personal character gave the stamp of truth to all he said, and add here the conviction that all these words were true. (Comp. Introduction, p. 377.)

(4) Note of subsequent editors with reference to the authorship and the fullness of unrecorded traditions touching the words and deeds of Jesus. Verse 24. - This is the disciple who testifieth concerning these things - whether those narrated in the twenty-first chapter or in the entire Gospel. He is still testifying. He has not yet departed. He still proclaims his gospel of the love of God, his memories of "the Word made flesh," of "the Light of the world," his doctrine of the "eternal life which was with the Father, and has been manifested unto us." And wrote these things - compare "these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full" (1 John 1:4) - and we know (as a matter of fact, οϊδαμεν) that his testimony is true (ἀληθής), "veracious." We know him; we believe in his representation; we know without any shadow of doubt upon our mind that what he has said answers to the fact. It does not need that any of the elders should have seen the Lord to justify the use of οϊδαμεν. Meyer supposes that these words, notwithstanding their plural form, simply show that John identifies himself with his readers, and, from the peculiar delicacy of his mind, hides himself and his individuality among them or behind them. Alford compares it with John 1:14, "We have seen his glory," and 1 John 4:14, 16; 1 John 5:18. Chrysostom and Theophylact read, in place of οϊδαμεν οϊδα μέν," I indeed know that his testimony is true." This ingenious method is rejected by modern scholars, on the principle that the writer would not thus have passed from third person to first. This does not seem to be insuperable: Paulus adopted this solution. The chief difficulty of admitting that these words are a note by the Ephesian presbyters, and of ignoring Chrysostom's suggestion, is that ver. 25 contains an unquestionable reintroduction of the first person in the οϊμαι. This difficulty is, however, surmounted by Meyer, on the supposition that the last verse is not Johannine. Meyer and Tischendorf (who excludes it from his text) suppose it to have been a gloss by later hands, one which departs from the gravity and dignity of an apostle by its strong hyperbole. Still no codex but the Sinaitieus omits it, and the omission may be due to the loss of the last folio, on which it may have been written; while every other codex contains it. Godet thinks the writer was one of the elders who had joined in the previous authentication, and refers to "the strange notice which Tischendorf records from a manuscript in the Vatican, that Papias was the secretary to whom John dictated the entire Gospel," and imagines that the hyperbolic style of sores of the extant fragments of Papias might account for the extravagance of the statement it contains. Lange and Alford regard the whole verse, together with ver. 24, as Johannine, and suppose that John here speaks in propria persona when the fullness of his memory baffled all expression. Some treat the οϊμαι, etc., as a possible saying of John's which was added by the authors of both verses. We think that the presence of the οϊμαι (a very unusual word in the New Testament) is possibly accounted for by the recollection which some of those who had often heard the beloved apostle speak may have had of his way of describing the superlative richness of the life of our Lord, and that the brief appendix by those who bore this testimony to the veracity and authenticity and apostolic origin of the whole narrative is of priceless value. Undoubtedly it asserts with perfect clearness that John the son of Zebedee was the author of the Gospel. If, nevertheless, the work be that of a forger, who secured an accomplice in his deed of imposition, he is a moral anomaly; for, while acting so unworthily, he was nevertheless glorifying the doctrine that God is true, and that every lie is of the devil (John 8:44), and has produced a work which turns from end to end on a realization of the truth. The words on which so many speculations have been raised are -

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