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1 Jn.5:7,8 Establishing the Authenticity of the Johannine Comma
The Johannine Comma is a highly discredited Received-Text passage, due to minor manuscript support, but overwhelming textual proof establishes its authenticity beyond all question.
KJV
5:5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
5:6. 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. (the Comma is in bold script below)
5:7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost and these three are one.
5:8. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water and the blood: and these three agree in one.
5:9…this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
NIV
5:6. This is the one who came by water and blood – Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
5:7. For there are three that testify: ? ? ?
5:8. the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.
NASV
5:6. This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with water only, but with the water and with the blood.
5:7. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.
5:8. For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.
Background
The Comma appears in just ten 10th-18th century Greek manuscripts, in the margins of half of them.1 It’s said the Erasmus adopted it on the basis of a falsified Greek manuscript, which is just speculation.2 Latin manuscripts notably support the Comma, the oldest extant being 5th-8th century Old Latin ones & 3rd–4th century notes.3,4,5 Priscillian quoted it ~385 A.D, Cyp- rian in 250 A.D. said the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one (reflecting the Comma - Word is Son), and Tertullian in 215 A.D. said of the Father, Son and Comforter, which three are one essence,6 a likely reference to the Comma.7
The earliest known Latin Bible is the mid-2nd century Old-Latin Italic.8 The 17th-century scholar, Allix, said that the Waldensen Bible was the ancient version called the Italic,9 and Kenyon said the Italic New Testament had a Traditional-Text basis (Received-Text ancestor).10 Tepl/Romaunt Waldensen & Vulgate New Testaments all reflect the Italic overall, but they refute the Vulgate at places,11 likely at Jerome’s 4th-century variance from the Tradit- ional Text. Italic history links the Received Text, and potentially the Comma, to the 2nd century. Actually, as we'll see, the Comma proves to be authentic, tying it to the 1st-century autograph, to the Italic of the 2nd century & the medieval era, to the Received Text, to the KJV.
Censorship marks Comma history, even in the Latin west. A Vulgate prolog- ue notes its removal in 4th-century manuscripts.12 In a 5th century council of Carthage, 400 North African bishops affirmed its authenticity, despite some anti-Comma Arian threats,6 so it was a holy standard under attack at that time. Facundus, 6th-century Latin bishop, censored it, claiming that Cyprian quoted the 1 Jn.5:8 three agree in one.3
Grammatical authentication
A. Comma absence makes a clause divide between verses 5:7 & 8 to make the Spirit, the water and the blood a clause fragment in 5:8, and making a fragment serve as verse 5:7.13 Syntax irregularity is fairly common, but its occurrence by Comma removal indicates the Comma belongs in the passage. In the NIV the irregularity is recognized and is addressed by unique, but in- correct, punctuation.14 In the NASV the irregularity is recognized in mask- ing of it by clause/verse shuffling that joins the 5:7 fragment to 5:8 and creates a verse 5:7 from the latter half of 5:6 (notice how much shorter verse 5:6 is in the NASV, in contrast with that in the NIV). These are just arbitrary textual devices supporting opinions of these translators about a supposed lack of Comma authenticity. They try to take advantage of the fact that early Greek manuscripts lacked punctuation & verse numbers, but the great differ- ence in the ways that they do so proves they have no recognized authority for doing so. Indeed, resorting to such approaches to discredit the Comma is indicative of a lack of any realistic basis for discrediting it.
B. Comma absence makes a verse 5:7 grammatical-masculine participle link directly to the 5:8 grammatical-neuter Spirit, water and blood. Now multiple New-Testament nouns can lack gender agreement, so various gender links occur, but scholars are not comfortable with this masculine-neuter link, and seek a specific explanation.15 It was rejected by Nolan in the early 19th cent- ury6 and by others more recently,16 but they didn't refute the link with detail- ed textual proof; they were correct, as indicated by the detailed textual proof offered below.
To begin, the three neuters are not encumbered by immediate links to other nouns, and can act in unison as one neuter, so linking this to one masculine participle contradicts Greek grammar. As we'll see, the 1 John 5:7 masculine participle doesn't link directly to the three neuters, yet a verse 5:8 masculine participle in the Comma does just that since the neuters do act in unison, in a unique way. This becomes clear as we examine aspects of grammar involv- ing the Comma, and relate our conclusions to context.
1. In verse 5:7 the Comma Father, Word and Holy Ghost is the subject of a participle that is an adjectival substantive (noun-like term) functioning as an appositive that denotes & describes its subject, repeating grammatical gen- der when possible, and the participle repeats the grammatical gender of the Comma masculine Father and Word.
Now some will say the participle is the subject, for it appears first in 5:7, ac- cording to a perceived grammar rule, but that over-generalizes the rule. Word order can't always determine the subject/appositive relationship, for it varies among passages according to emphasis. A term is often emphasized in the Greek by bringing it forward in a clause or sentence. In verse 5:7, emphasis on three, a triune witness that follows & expands a singular 5:6 Spirit witn- ess, places three before divine names, making the participle appear first. The participle serves as an adjectival substantive that denotes divine persons and describes their role, as expected of an appositive. Thus the participle fills the adjectival appositive role, and Trinity names, nominatives, are the subject, so rule over-generalization causes a mere apparent subject/appositive reversal. Emphasis on the real subject would rearrange the language of the Comma, as noted below.
For the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost (subject), that bear record (the appositive) in heaven, are three, and these three are one. And the Spirit, the water and the blood (subject), that bear witness (appositive) on earth, are three, and the three agree in one.
Another subject/appositive apparent reversal by emphasis is seen in Jn.14:26 that says in the Greek, But the Comforter, the Holy Ghost…the Comforter is noted first, for Jesus emphasizes a need of comfort to His disciples. Holy Ghost is the subject, and Comforter is the appositive, an adjectival noun that denotes the Holy Ghost and describes His role.
1 Jn.5:6 illustrates an adjectival participle functioning as an appositive, em- phasis on the Spirit revealing Him as the subject. It says, And it is the Spirit (subject) that beareth witness (appositive), because the Spirit is truth.
2. We consider a proof of authenticity eliminating all grammatical-gender issues. What we understand about the 3-in-1 nature of the Trinity is that three individual persons comprise one essence, as indicated indirectly in various passages. In Mat.3:16,17, individuality of the three persons of the Godhead is seen as the Father declares Jesus as His beloved Son, and the Spirit like a dove descends upon Jesus. In John 10:30 Jesus says, I and my father are one, indicating unity of essence, and in John 3:34 Jesus says that to Him God giveth not the Spirit by measure, so the Spirit is a measureless, or integral, part of Jesus' person in a unity of essence, and the unity of Jesus with the Father and the Spirit establishes that of the Father with the Spirit. Further, Jude 25 says To the only wise God our Savior, which refers to all three persons of the Trinity who are all involved in our salvation, the Father who authorizes it, the Son who delivers it and the Spirit who authenticates it, and to refer to all of them as one God establishes their unity of essence.
Indeed, the Old Testament teaches the Trinity indirectly at Deut. 6:4 that says Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord. The Hebrew for God, Elohim is a plural noun, so in this context the verse speaks of the plurality of God's person in one essence. The Lord Jesus Christ declares this verse in Mk.12: 29 as the main teaching of the law, in a likely subtle reference to His own role in the Trinity. Indeed, in Gen.1:26 Elohim speaks and says, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, which is a reference to the Trinity (the three uses of the personal pronoun even implies the Trinity), for we are in the Trinitarian likeness through our soul, body and spirit, corresponding to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, respectively. Our soul as the controlling power of our personage relates to the Father who is the controlling power of the Trinity, our body relates to the Son's body presently in a supernatural eternal form, and our spirit relates to the Holy Spirit.
Further, we note implications of predicate-nominative grammar three are one in the verse-7 portion of the Comma. Grammatically, this can be interpreted as 3 = 1 so that the meaning would be three different representations or identities of one person, one God appearing as the Father, or the Son, or the Spirit. This interpretation likely caused the Sabellian heresy of the 2nd-3rd centuries (indicating the presence of the Comma in the scripture text during & prior to this period). Thus, the sense of three individuals in one essence requires verification, which is provided by the participle that bear record located outside the Comma in verse 7. Father, Word and Holy Ghost in the Comma are of natural masculinity, so the 5:7 participle describing them is grammatically masculine, the grammatical gender agreeing with the natural, yet participle plurality treats the Trinity persons as individuals. Thus the unique 3-in-1 nature of the Trinity persons in verse 7 is proven, and the authenticity of this portion of the Comma is affirmed. We finalize proof of the authenticity of this Comma portion as we affirm below the authenticity of the verse-8 portion, and affirm the authenticity of the Comma as a whole, to show that it is true scripture inspired by the Spirit, but first we add a little further comment on the Trinity.
Now the verse-7 description of the Trinity 3-in-1 nature was known only to God when 1 John was written, so John could not write this on the basis of his knowledge, further indicating that verse 5:7, with the Comma portion incl- uded, is inspired by the Spirit.* The deity of Jesus Christ and the Spirit were known early, but the relationship of Trinity persons in verse 5:7, including the Comma portion, was unknown to men in the latter 1st-century period when 1 John was written. Elsewhere in scripture the Trinity is described in- directly, and the direct scriptural testimony of the Comma is crucial to verify the implied testimony. Discrediting of the Comma can discount the one direct scriptural testimony to the 3-in-1 doctrine of the Trinity.
*An understanding of the 1 Jn.5 description of the basic nature of the Trinity wasn't realized until Tertullian wrote about it in the early 3rd century. The present writer proposes that the uniqueness of the Trinity and its tie to the neuters in verse 5:8 (see next paragraph) would make Comma validity seem uncertain in the early church, delaying quoting of it. Tertullian cautiously referenced it in the early 3rd century. Cyprian quoted it essentially, but still cautiously, in the mid-3rd century, his Son in place of Word avoiding a direct tie to 1 Jn.5:7. The Trinity was formally established at the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D, and the Comma was fully recognized by the late 4th century when even the non-Trinitarian Priscillian quoted it in its entirety. Such a history of Comma acceptance indicates the early church was slow to under- stand the Comma, which is indicative of its existence in texts from the very beginning, and the delay would result in reluctance to include it in copies of the Traditional-Text (to add to the problem of loss of the Comma in Alex- andrian texts by Gnostic-type tampering - see essay 3).
The Trinitarian pattern repeats as verse 5:8 three agree in one treats gram- matical-neuter Spirit, water and blood, located outside the Comma, as one natural-masculine essence of deity in Jesus, to confer a 5:8 grammatical-masculine participle in the Comma, grammatical & natural genders agreeing. Yet participle plurality reveals individuality of three neuters of one essence, reflecting the divine nature of the Trinity in Jesus Christ (we'll soon verify this). The Trinity image in Jesus Christ in a fully divine form in verse 5:8 relates to the description of the Trinity in verse 5:7, and to the textual evidence there of inspiration by the Spirit.
Combined contextual/grammatical authentication of the Comma
Affirmative evidence: Essential grammar & context centers on verse 5:7 masculines three & the participle that bear record referring to Father, Word and Holy Ghost; the participle reflects the natural masculinity of the three of the Trinity, as well as the grammatical masculinity of Father/Word, and a 5:8 identical number & participle refer to neuters Spirit, water and blood. Thus, as Father, Word and Holy Ghost in heaven testify of Jesus, so Spirit, water and blood in Jesus on earth testify of Him. Contextual parallelism relates natural-masculine Father, Word and Holy Ghost, in their one essence, to the grammatical-neuter nouns, to confer a natural-masculine sense on the neut- ers, justifying an indication of a masculine participle by a relation of three agree in one to the Trinity three are one. Thus the divine Trinity illuminates the neuters, making them reflect the masculine image of the Trinity in the divine Savior.
Further, with the Comma present, verse 5:9 sums-up 5:7,8, saying, this is the witness of God (5:7 Comma-Trinity witness) which he hath testified of His Son (5:8 Comma earthly witness in Jesus). And the Comma Trinity witness in Jesus reflects John’s gospel and other parts of his epistles; in 1 Jn.5:6, Jn. 5:37; 8:18; 16:13,14; 1:1,14, the Father, the Word and the Spirit testify of Jesus.* And Spirit, water and blood (of Jesus) testify on earth, verifying the Comma portion, And there are three that bear witness in earth. And Comma absence omits Word, John’s unique name for Christ (Jn.1:1, 1 Jn.1:1,14, Rev. 19:13). And three agree in one, referring to three divine aspects of Jesus’ person, implies comparison with three are one of the Comma heavenly Trinity.
*Language in the Johannine Comma is rather common in scripture penned by John, the term bear witness appearing a total of 20 times and a related bear record, appearing a total of 8 times.
Conclusive evidence: The above grammatical/contextual points fit with the conclusive proof of Comma authenticity that emerges as we address the main topic of 1 John in chapters 4 & 5. John declares Jesus as God incarnate to refute Gnostic-type attacks on His deity. 1 Jn.4:3 denies a docetist claim that Jesus was a spirit that only seemed to have a body, and 1 Jn.5:6-8 denies a cerinthian claim that Jesus was a man just temporarily indwelled by Christ in a temporary deity. Proof of the authenticity relates to the verse 5:6 by water and blood that scholars say means He came by baptism and blood-shedding, but He came for those acts. Actually, 1 Jn.5:5 declares His deity as God’s Son as the basis of salvation, and 5:6 further says of His deity, This is he that came by water and blood; not by water only, but by water and blood (This relates 5:5 to 5:6, and For in 5:7 relates both to 5:7 and the Comma). Greek grammar indicates by has the sense, by means of,17 so He came by means of power of deity signified by water & blood. Now we discuss the signification, beginning with terms for the deity of Christ in verse 5:8.
Spirit signifies Jesus’ deity by the Holy Spirit. Rom.8:9 equates Spirit of Christ with Spirit of God. In Jn.3:34 the Spirit is in Him beyond measure, an integral part of His person joined to His human spirit.
Water signifies Jesus’ deity by the word, the word as eternal Christ. Washing of water by the word sanctifies (Eph.5:26). Like water, His word cleanses (Jn.15:3). Salvation is by water and the Spirit (Jn.3:5), referring to the Spirit in the word (living water, Jn.4:10). Water signifies the word of Jesus’ human soul that calmed a storm at sea, tied to the divine Word of heaven that spoke the universe into existence, both being part of His person.
Blood signifies Jesus’ divine nature by the Father. His Acts 20:28 blood is that of God, and blood of divine nature, free of sin-stain, stands alone as able to remove sin. The Savior's blood couldn't possibly have been human since a human father is crucial to formation of human blood, and Jesus had no human father; no direct contribution of a mother to the blood occurs in normal human birth, and the Holy Ghost would ensure against any possible contribution by Mary to ensure against any sin-stain* (the precious blood of Christ -1 Pet.1:19). The Holy Ghost would impart to the blood the deity of the Father, who is thus revealed as a part of Jesus’ person. Jesus said the Father is in me in Jn.10:38, and the blood is the logical way this would be so. Col.2:9 says, in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, the Holy Ghost by the Spirit, Christ by the Word and the Father by the blood. The body would be created by the Holy Ghost from Mary's genetics, and thus would be entirely human, being joined to His human soul and spirit. Mary was a descendant of David, qualifying the Savior as the son of David, as taught by Rom.1:3 that says... Jesus Christ, our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.
*Our Savior didn't have human blood, both a human father & mother being needed to form it, and He had no human father. Blood forms in the fetus out of direct contact with blood of either parent (Borkert, D.T. - M.D. & Pulliam, K.R. - PhD, "The Blood of Christ www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/cbtj/03-2 _001.pdf )
He came by divine power of Spirit, water and blood, elements of His person signifying the divine Trinity (Son of God, Christ) accompanying a human trinity (Son of man, Jesus), deity and humanity being in each part of His person. These elements testify of His salvation power as perfect God and perfect man, and so perfect mediator for man to God.
Thus Spirit, water & blood reflect the natural-masculine Trinity. Each ap- pears in the form of the natural-neuter gender of a part (it) of Jesus’ person, yet each signifies the natural-masculine gender of Deity (He) declared as in Jesus by a Comma heavenly Trinity witness. The divine Father testifies of His divine-blood tie to Jesus, so blood (it) signifying the Father reflects masculinity of deity; earthly father/son ties are of blood, and Jesus’ divine blood represents the heavenly Father/Son tie, finalized by an eternal divine resurrected body with hand & foot wounds (Lk.24:39,40). The divine Word testifies by the water of Jesus’ word that He came as the Son in a holy body, so water (it) signifying Him reflects masculinity of deity. The divine Holy Ghost testifies of His earthly role as Jesus’ Spirit (it) verifying the water and blood witnesses, so the Spirit on earth reflects masculinity of deity (He). He came as divine Savior by the power of divine blood (Father) and divine water (Word) attested by the divine Spirit (Holy Ghost). His three aspects of deity agree in one essence, reflecting three divine Trinity persons who are one essence. As noted above, three neuters in Him are treated as the image of the masculine Trinity, requiring a grammatical-masculine participle in verse 5:8 of the Comma, and participle plurality signifies individuality of the neuters in the earthly person of Jesus, reflecting the Trinity.
Authenticity proved: God’s Son came to us, not by water only, or not as the eternal Word (Christ) unembodied, as in docetism, or in some man’s body, as in cerinthianism. He came by blood also, divine blood of His own body able to redeem. The body is His, as proven by the divine-blood witness in partic- ular, and by the divine Word and Spirit witnesses. As our study shows, the irrefutable witness of the Comma heavenly divine Trinity proves the deity of the Comma earthly Spirit, water and blood witness in Jesus, defeating gnos- tic heresy. Comma authenticity is proved, its heavenly witness and earthly aspect of the Spirit, water and blood witness being vital to the meaning of 1 Jn.5:6-9. The 1 Jn.5:6-9 passage is all about truth that refutes gnostic-type heresy attacking Jesus’ deity, and the Johannine Comma is this truth, its Trinity heavenly witness irrefutably verifying the deity of the earthly witn- esses in Jesus Christ.
Likely Comma history
Modern scholars believe Westcott & Hort who said there's no evidence of tampering for dogmatic purposes in any Greek manuscripts. But Alexandrian texts promoted by these two show evidence of tampering that favors dogma of Gnostics who attacked the deity of Jesus Christ, and this is no surprise since these texts originated in Alexandria, Egypt, a center of Gnosticism in the first few centuries of the church era. Gnostics served the cause of satan who hates Christ and the Trinity, wanting to take the place of the Son of God (In Isa.14:12-15 satan says, I will be like the most High, a title reserved for the Son of God). In the Comma the entire Trinity declares the deity of Jesus Christ, so it would be a target of Gnostic meddlers. It would be deleted in Alexandrian-type texts that support Gnosticism, and the many Middle-Ages unbiblical churches using the Traditional Text wouldn’t safeguard the text against this.
Likely nature of preservation: The Traditional Text, the ancestor of the Received Text, is far superior to the Alexandrian, yet lacks the Comma in most extant manuscripts, and has other differences from the Received Text. All this is likely due to Roman persecutors destroying most manuscripts of early true churches that wouldn't worship Caesar, and to general indifference to corruption in later manuscripts in later unbiblical churches lacking rever- ence for God's Word. Excellent accuracy and the presence of the Comma in some manuscripts would be due to preservation of autograph originals in true biblical churches, plus correction of corrupt manuscripts circulated to these churches. In the latter case, the 10 more-recent manuscripts with the Comma in the margins, as well as the text, would represent a more recent process of transfer of the Comma from the margins to the text in a final stage of restoration of previously-lost true readings, as described further below.
Preservation by renewal is God’s plan, for it marked the beginning of text history as God restored law tables broken by Moses (Ex.32:15, 34:1). Indeed, a Comma presence in 10 later Greek manuscripts, 5 in the text & 5 in the margins, suggests recognition of a need for renewal and its initiation. The logical way a renewal would begin is by first placing it in the margin, and evidently the presence of the Comma in the margins and text represents the beginning and the end of the renewal process, for the benefit of readers. In the process of Providential renewal, each entry in the margin of a faulty manuscript will be an act of a Bible-believer aware of Comma authenticity, followed by Providential direction of renewal in the text of another manuscript. Thus the greater average age of manuscripts with the Comma in the margins would indicate the delay in renewing it in later manuscript copying as God directs preservation of His Word by directing His people. This view contrasts with that of modern scholars who suggest the Comma improperly entered the text as a result of first appearing in the margins, but their view is just more of the natural skepticism predominant today.
The Traditional Text shows other cases of renewal in progress. For example, Eph.3:9 in the Received Text has the term fellowship and the clause God who created all things by Jesus Christ. Alexandrian texts have faulty administration for fellowship and omit by Jesus Christ in the verse. Eliminating the latter clause would suit Cerinthians, and use of administration would be favored by Gnostics in general who saw themselves as administrators of hidden knowledge. The genuine phrase by Jesus Christ appears in Traditional-Text manuscripts, as does the faulty adminstration, to produce what looks very much like a partially-complete renewal frozen in time for centuries, evidently to ensure that readers can see an example of renewal in progress.
The Received-Text role: This text would finalize renewal of passages lacking major or earliest Greek support in Traditional-Text history. A renewal like the Comma in the Received Text, that nullifies Cerinthian dogma depicting Jesus as a mere man, would be of special note. Col.1:14 on Jesus’ blood as crucial to remission of sin and Acts 8:37 on the eunuch confessing Jesus Christ as the Son of God are other notable examples of this. The Received Text, as finalized by KJV translators,18 corrected limited error in the Traditional Text to renew inerrancy for all newly-established true churches.
The Received Text in its final state in the 16th-17th centuries, perfected by outstanding scholars like Erasmus, Beza the Elzevirs & KJV translators 18 shows much evidence of being God's final plan for New-Testament history. Indeed, this text and its Johannine Comma declare God's text-renewal plan, following soon after invention of movable- type printing that ended all error associated with hand-written manuscripts, and soon after Constantinople in the eastern Roman empire fell and sent Greek scholars west with Traditional-Text manuscripts that became the basis for the Received Text. Soon the Reformation spread this text throughout Europe, and later to all churches faithful to the KJV, and soon the text was given chapters, punctuation & verse numbers to greatly enhance readability for all interested parties. Ultimately, the Received Text was the true mark of the end of the Dark Ages in Europe as the light of God's inerrant Word, enabling all to know the true Word for themselves in order to apply it, and thus be able to give a proper account of themselves to God one day.
Providential timing in great historical events marks the Received Text, the Comma and all renewals as God’s Word preserved from the autographs. And potential Comma ties to its autograph by references dating to the early 3rd century and Italic texts dating to the mid-2nd century now appear to be logical ties to the autograph.
Comma authenticity summarized
Comma divine authority refutes two well-known 1st-2nd century heresies. Doceticism was officially denounced in 110 A.D. by Ignatius of Antioch, and Cerinthianism in 170 A.D. by Irenaeus, so they were pestilent heresies by that time. 1 Jn.5:5-9 refutes both, saying Jesus Christ is God incarnate, not just a spirit or a man.
Internal proof: A Comma origin in the 1 John autograph of the 1st-century is verified by the following textual proofs:
1. Comma divine witness proves the error of well-known 1st-century heresy.
2. Comma topics & terms are common in John’s gospel & epistles.
3. There is an implied comparison of three agree in one outside the Comma with three are one in the Comma.
4. Comma portions in verses 7,8 are textually linked to portions outside the Comma, proving the authenticity of Comma portions, and authenticity of the Comma is verified by an implied 3-in-1 Trinitarian nature of the Godhead in Mt.3:16,19, Jn.10:30 & 3:34.
5. The Comma Trinity explains verse 5:7 participle masculinity, and the 5:8 Comma masculine participle is explained by the masculine deity indicated by three agree in one.
6. Spirit inspiration of the Comma is required to introduce in scripture the basic 3-in-1 nature of the Trinity and the image of the Trinity in Jesus Christ, otherwise unknown.
7. With the Comma present, verse 5:9 sums up verses 5:7,8
8. With the Comma present, Spirit, water and blood masculine-gender treatment is explained on the basis of both grammar and context parallelism.
9. Comma absence omits John’s unique term Word for Son,
10. Comma absence omits in earth tied to the earthly nature of Spirit, water and blood.
11. Comma absence improperly divides a clause between two verses, as seen by the NIV unique punctuation and by NASV clause/verse shuffling needed to create logical syntax in the absence of the Comma.
12. Comma authenticity is conclusively proved by its heavenly and earthly-witness role in explaining the meaning of 1 Jn.5:6-9.
External proof: Comma continuity in Latin-church quotes dated to the early 3rd century and a mid 2nd century origin of the Italic Old Latin text, offer a potential link to the 1 John autograph.19 This history & providential timing endowing the Received Text in a text-renewal plan of God, finalize authenticity proven by internal evidence.
Manuscript weight
Proven Comma authenticity reveals the error of text-criticism in ignoring tampering. Traditional-Text minor support of the Comma is attributable to early persecution of true churches, and to many copyists in many large unbiblical eastern churches repeat- ing limited tampering vs. a few copying the true text in small true churches. From early times, some readings likely were preserved only in true churches. And Comma Latin-church history, its presence in 10th-18th century Greek manuscripts and its wide appearance in the providentially-timed Received Text, qualify it as part of a text- renewal plan of God defeating a history of censorship. Comma authenticity illustrates the fact of God’s Hand guiding chosen servants to determine content of the traditional texts of His people, and this is the final authority, not scholars’ textual criticism and man’s faulty hand on manuscripts.
Conclusion
No passage could have greater textual proof of its authenticity than the Comma, and this seems to illustrate a plan of God to inform people of faith when manuscript support is minimal due to satan’s work. We depend on God, not on self-appointed scholars who pass judgment on the text. Renewal is a part of God’s preservation plan to ensure that we have His inerrant Word in texts He has ordained. We either trust God to intervene in text history to preserve His Word for His people by guiding His chosen servants in handling of manuscripts, or we trust scholars who try to find truth often obscured by man’s faulty hand on widely variant texts, using textual criticism so faulty that it's blind to evidence of text tampering. Those who trust God view the Comma, the one direct scriptural testimony to the doctrine of the Trinity, as inspired by the Spirit and thus totally authentic. Further, it reveals to them Jesus Christ’s sacred relationship in the divine Trinity guaranteeing the success of his salvation mission. The authenticity and history of the Comma prove that God's Word never dies.
End Notes
1. Dr. T. Holland. 2000. Crowned with Glory. AV1611.com/kjbp/faq/Holland_1Jo5 _7.html
2. Maynard, M. A History of the Debate over 1 John 5:7-8. p2659. Scrivener, F.H.A. A Plain Introduction to N.T. Criticism. Vol.2. p42-3.
3. Hills, E. The King James Version Defended. Des Moines. Christian Research Press. p209-12.
4. Bultmann, R. 1973. The Johannine Epistles. Phila. Fortress Press. p81.
5. Clarke’s Commentary. N.Y. Abingdon Cokesbury Press. p931-33.
6. Nolan, F. 1815. An Inquiry into the Integrity of the Greek Vulgate…London
7. Tertullian’s one essence, not one person, is the sense of are one. Cyprian cited the Comma are one, not a suggested 5:8 agree in one. Greek for are one & agree in one differ, and the Greek texts read agree in one at 1 Jn.5:8.
8. Scrivener, F.H.A. A Plain Introduction to N.T. Criticism. Vol.2. p42.
9. Allix, P. Remarks upon the Ecclesiastical History of the Ancient Churches of the
Albigenses. Ch.7, p51. 1989 ed. Reprinted from 1821 ed.
10. Kenyon, F. 1951. Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts. N.Y. Harper. p169-71.
11. Hurst, J.F. 1897. History of the Chrisian Church. Vol. 1. Eaton & Mains
12. See www.LibertyparkUSAfd.org/lp/Burgon/support.htm for a detailed Comma history.
13. A lack of punctuation, verse numbers and chapters in early Greek manuscripts won't negate reading sense necessary to any language.
14. The NIV has a colon after testify and a semicolon after blood to incorrectly suggest complete thoughts in both cases, but in the Greek both are commas, and a Greek comma functions like an English one. In verse 7 the comma serves to indicate a pause and more wording to follow, which can only be that of the Johannine Comma since the first phrase in verse 8, that seems to connect with verse 7, is just a fragment with no verb and wouldn't belong in verse 8 grammatically if this syntax were correct.
15. A theory that the 5:7 masculine participle ties to a 5:9 masculine them is unlikely (Wallace, D.B. Greek Beyond the Basics. p332) No likely such tie exists, any witness of men being contrasted with that of God in the Trinity and Jesus' person by the Comma.
16. Dr. Thomas Strouse reported on the lack of gender agreement in, Refutation of Dr. Daniel Wallace's Rejection of the KJV as the Best Translation. wwwEmmanuel-Newington.org/Seminary/Resources/ Refutation
17. In the 1 Jn.5:6 first clause, genitive water & blood are with dia, meaning through in the sense of by means of (gen. of means). Another use of dia as by means of is at 1 Jn.4:9
18. Comments on the Greek Received Text of F.H.A. Scrivener. www.WCBible.org
19. An Italic mid-2nd century origin places it close to autographs, and the Greek basis places it still closer. Comma references (not always exact, but clear) in Latin-church history show it’s acceptance throughout that history: i.e. Tertullian 215 A.D, Cyprian 258, Idacius Clarus 350, Priscillian 385, Cassian 435, Carthage council 484, Cassiodorus 580, Old Latin texts Speculum, r and Wianburgensis 5-8th centuries, Vulgate ~800 A.D & 13th -15th century Waldensen versions. This partial listing, supported by Athanasius (4th-century Greek church) and 10th-18th century Greek manuscripts, indicates Comma acceptance throughout Latin-church history, with Greek-church support (N.T. texts all lack major extant pre-200 A.D. evidence).
The Italic is the best O. L. text, others having much error. Augustine said… among the translations themselves the Italian (Italic) is to be preferred to the others, for it keeps closer to the words without prejudice to clarity of expression. Metzger, B.M. 1977. Early Versions of the N. T. Clarendon. p290-93. And he said of the Itala (Italic), which is more faithful in its renderings and more intelligible in its sense. Nicol, T. 1915. The Old Latin Versions. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
1 Jn.5:7,8 Establishing the Authenticity of the Johannine Comma
The Johannine Comma is a highly discredited Received-Text passage, due to minor manuscript support, but overwhelming textual proof establishes its authenticity.
KJV
5:5. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
5:6. 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. (the Comma is in bold script below)
5:7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost and these three are one.
5:8. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water and the blood: and these three agree in one.
5:9…this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
NIV
5:6. This is the one who came by water and blood – Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.
5:7. For there are three that testify: ? ? ?
5:8. the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.
NASV
5:6. This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with water only, but with the water and with the blood.
5:7. And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is truth.
5:8. For there are three that bear witness, the Spirit and the
water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.
Background
The Comma is in just ten 10th-18th century Greek manuscripts, in the margins of half of them.1 It’s said Erasmus adopted it on the basis of a falsified Greek manuscript, which is just speculation.2 Latin manuscriptss notably support the Comma, the oldest extant being 5th-8th century Old Latin ones & 3rd–4th century notes.3,4,5 Priscillian quoted it ~385 A.D, Cyprian in 250 A.D. said the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one (reflecting the Comma - Word is Son), and Tertullian in 215 A.D. said of the Father, Son and Comforter, which three are one essence,6 a likely reference to the Comma.7
The earliest known Latin text is a mid-2nd century Old-Latin Italic.8 A 17th-century scholar, Allix, said the Waldensen Bible was the ancient version called the Italic,9 and Kenyon said the Italic New Testament had a Traditional-Text basis (Received-Text ancestor).10 Tepl/Romaunt Waldensen & Vulgate New Testaments all reflect the Italic overall, but they refute the Vulgate at places,11 likely at Jerome’s 4th-century variance from the Traditional Text. Italic history links the Received Text, and potentially the Comma, to the 2nd century. Actually, as we'll see, the Comma proves to be authentic, tying it to the 1st-century autograph, to the Italic of the 2nd century & medieval era, to the Received Text, to the KJV.
Censorship marks Comma history, even in the Latin west. A Vulgate prologue notes its removal in 4th-century manuscripts.12 In a 5th century council of Carthage, 400 North African bishops affirmed its authenticity, despite anti-Comma Arian threats,6 so it was a holy standard under attack then. Facundus, 6th-century Latin bishop, censored it, claiming that Cyprian quoted the 1 Jn.5:8 three agree in one.3
Grammatical authentication
A. Comma absence makes a clause divide between verses 5:7 & 8 to make the Spirit, the water and the blood a clause fragment in 5:8, and make a fragment serve as verse 5:7.13 Syntax irregularity is fairly common, but its occurrence by Comma removal indicates the Comma belongs in the passage. In the NIV the irregularity is recognized and addressed by unique, but incorrect, punctuation.14 In the NASV the irregularity is recognized in masking of it by clause/verse shuffling that joins the 5:7 fragment to 5:8 and creates a verse 5:7 from the latter half of 5:6 (notice how much shorter verse 5:6 is in the NASV in contrast with that in the NIV). These are just arbitrary textual devices supporting opinions of these translators about a supposed lack of Comma authenticity. They try to take advantage of the fact that early Greek manuscripts lacked punctuation & verse numbers, but the great difference in the ways that they do so proves they have no recognized authority for doing so. Indeed, resorting to such approaches to discredit the Comma is indicative of a lack of any realistic basis for discrediting it.
B. Comma absence makes a verse 5:7 grammatical-masculine participle link directly to the 5:8 grammatical-neuter Spirit, water and blood. Now New-Testament multiple nouns can lack gender agreement, so various gender links occur, but scholars are not really comfortable with this masculine-neuter link, and seek a specific explanation.15 It was rejected by Nolan in the early 19th century6 and by others more recently,16 but they didn't refute the link with detailed textual proof; that they were correct is indicated by the detailed textual proof offered below.
To begin, the three neuters aren't encumbered by immediate links to other nouns, and can act in unison as one neuter, so linking this to one masculine participle contradicts Greek grammar. As we'll see, the 1 John 5:7 masculine participle doesn't link directly to the three neuters, yet a verse 5:8 masculine participle in the Comma does just that since the neuters do act in unison, in a unique way. This becomes clear as we examine aspects of grammar involving the Comma, and relate our conclusions to context.
1. In verse 5:7 the Comma Father, Word and Holy Ghost is the subject of a participle that is an adjectival substantive (noun-like term) functioning as an appositive that denotes & describes its subject, repeating grammatical gender when possible, and the participle repeats the grammatical gender of the Comma masculine Father and Word.
Now some will object, saying the participle is the subject, for it appears first in 5:7, in accord with a perceived grammar rule, but that's an over-generalization of the rule. Word order cannot consistently determine the subject/appositive relationship since it varies among passages according to emphasis. A term is commonly emphasized in the Greek by bringing it forward in a clause/sentence. In verse 5:7, emphasis on three, a triune witness that follows & expands a singular 5:6 Spirit witness, places three before divine names to make the participle appear first. The participle serves as an adjectival substantive that denotes divine persons and describes their role, as expected of an appositive. The participle fills the adjectival appositive role, and Trinity names, which are nominatives, are the subject, so rule over-generalization causes a mere apparent subject/appositive reversal. Emphasis on the real subject would rearrange language of the Comma, as noted below.
“For the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost (subject), that bear record (appositive) in heaven, are three, and these three are one. And the Spirit, the water and the blood (subject), that bear witness (appositive) on earth, are three, and the three agree in one.
Another subject/appositive apparent
reversal by emphasis is seen in Jn.14:26 that says in the Greek, But
the Comforter, the Holy Ghost…Comforter
is noted first, for Jesus emphasizes a need of comfort to His
disciples. Holy Ghost
is the subject, and the term Comforter
is the appositive, an adjectival noun that denotes
the Holy Ghost and describes
His role.
Further, 1 Jn.5:6 illustrates an adjectival participle functioning as an appositive, with emphasis on the Spirit revealing Him as the subject. It says, And it is the Spirit (subject) that beareth witness (appositive), because the Spirit is truth.
2. Now we consider a proof of authenticity eliminating all grammatical-gender issues. What we understand about the 3-in-1 nature of the Trinity is that three individual persons comprise one essence, as indicated indirectly in various passages. In Mt.3:16, 17, the individuality of the three persons of the Godhead is seen as the Father declares Jesus as His beloved Son, and the Spirit like a dove descends upon Jesus. In John 10:30 Jesus says, I and my father are one, indicating unity of essence, and in John 3:34 Jesus says that to Him God giveth not the Spirit by measure, so the Spirit is a measureless, or integral, part of Jesus' person in a unity of essence, and the unity of Jesus with the Father and the Spirit establishes that of the Father with the Spirit. Further, Jude 25 says To the only wise God our Savior, which refers to all three persons of the Trinity who are all involved in our salvation, the Father who authorizes it, the Son who delivers it and the Spirit who authenticates it, and to refer to all of them as one God establishes their unity of essence.
Indeed, the Old Testament teaches the Trinity indirectly at Deut. 6:4 that says Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord. The Hebrew for God is Elohim that is a plural noun, so in this context the verse speaks of the plurality of God's person in one essence. The Lord Jesus Christ declares this verse in Mk. 12:29 as the main teaching of the law, in a likely subtle reference to His own role in the Trinity. Indeed, in Gen.1:26 Elohim speaks and says, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, which can only be a reference to the Trinity (Even the three uses of the personal pronoun implies the Trinity), for we are in the Trinitarian likeness through our soul, body and spirit, corresponding to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, respectively. Our soul as the controlling power of our personage relates to the Father who is the controlling power of the Trinity, our body relates to the Son's body presently in an eternal supernatural form, and our spirit relates to the Holy Spirit.
Further, we note implications of predicate-nominative grammar three are one in the verse-7 portion of the Comma. Grammatically, this can be interpreted as 3 = 1 so that the meaning would be three different representations or identities of one person, One God appearing as the Father or the Son or the Spirit. This interpretation likely caused the Sabellian heresy of the 2nd-3rd centuries (indicating the presence of the Comma in the scripture text during & prior to this period). Thus the sense of three individuals in one essence requires verification, which is provided by the participle that bear record located outside the Comma in verse 7. Father, Word
and Holy Ghost in the Comma are of natural masculinity, so the 5:7
participle describing them is gram- matically masculine, the grammatical gender agreeing with the
natural, and participle plurality treats
the Trinity persons as individuals. Thus the unique 3-in-1 nature of the Trinity persons in verse 7 is proven, and authenticity of this portion of the Comma is affirmed. We finalize proof of the authenticity of this Comma portion as we affirm below the authenticity of the verse-8 portion and affirm the authenticity of the Comma as a whole, to show that it is true scripture inspired by the Spirit, but first we add a little further comment on the Trinity.
Now the verse-7 description of the Trinity 3-in-1 nature was known only to God when 1 John was written, so John could not write this on the basis of his own knowledge, further indicating that verse 5:7 with the Comma portion included is inspired by the Spirit.* The deity of Jesus Christ and the Spirit were known early, but the relationship of Trinity persons in verse 5:7, including the Comma portion, was unknown to men in the latter 1st-century period when 1 John was written. Elsewhere in scripture the Trinity is described indirectly, and the direct scriptural testimony of the Comma is crucial to verify the implied testimony. Discrediting of the Comma can discount the one direct scriptural testimony to the 3-in-1 doctrine of the Trinity.
*An understanding of the 1 Jn.5 description of the basic nature of the Trinity wasn't realized until Tertullian wrote about it in the early 3rd century. The present writer proposes that uniqueness of the Trinity and its tie to the neuters
in verse 5:8 (see next paragraph) would make Comma validity seem uncertain in the early church, delaying quoting
of it. Tertullian cautiously
referenced it in the early 3rd century. Cyprian quoted it essentially, but still cautiously, in the mid-3rd century, his Son in
place of Word avoiding a direct tie to 1 Jn.5:7. The Trinity was formally established at the Council of Nicea in 325 A.D, and the Comma was fully recognized by the late 4th century when even the non-Trinitarian Priscillian quoted it in its entirety. Such a history of Comma acceptance indicates the early church was slow to understand the Comma, which is indicative of its existence in texts from the beginning, and the delay would result in reluctance to include it in copies of the Traditional-Text (to add to the problem of loss of the Comma in Alexandrian texts by Gnostic-type tampering - see essay 3).
The Trinitarian pattern repeats as verse 5:8 three agree in one treats grammatical-neuter Spirit, water and blood, located outside the Comma, as one natural-masculine essence of deity in Jesus, to confer a 5:8 grammatical-masculine participle in the Comma, grammatical & natural genders agreeing. Yet participle plurality reveals individuality of three neuters of one essence, reflecting the divine nature of the Trinity in Jesus Christ (we'll soon verify this). The Trinity image in Jesus Christ in a fully divine form in verse 5:8 relates to the description of the Trinity in verse 5:7, and to the textual evidence there of inspiration by the Spirit.
Combined contextual/grammatical authentication of the Comma
Affirmative evidence: Essential grammar & context centers on verse 5:7 masculines three & the participle that bear record referring to Father, Word and Holy Ghost; the participle reflects the natural masculinity of the three of the Trinity, as well as the grammatical masculinity of Father/Word, and a 5:8 identical number & participle refer to neuters Spirit, water and blood. Thus, as Father, Word and Holy Ghost in heaven testify of Jesus, so Spirit, water and blood in Jesus on earth testify of Him. Contextual parallelism relates natural-masculine Father, Word and Holy Ghost, in their one essence, to grammatical-neuter nouns, to confer a natural-masculine sense on the neuters, justifying an indication of a masculine participle by a relation of three agree in one to the Trinity three are one. Thus the divine Trinity illuminates the neuters so that they reflect the masculine image of the Trinity in the divine Savior.
Further, with the Comma present, verse 5:9 sums-up 5:7,8, saying, this is the witness of God (5:7 Comma-Trinity witness) which he hath testified of His Son (5:8 Comma earthly witness in Jesus). And the Comma Trinity witness in Jesus reflects John’s gospel and other parts of his epistles; in 1 Jn.5:6, Jn.5:37; 8:18; 16:13,14; 1:1,14, the Father, the Word and the Spirit testify of Jesus.* And Spirit, water and blood (of Jesus) testify on earth, verifying the Comma portion, And there are three that bear witness in earth. And Comma absence omits Word, John’s unique name for Christ (Jn.1:1, 1 Jn.1:1,14, Rev.19:13). And three agree in one, referring to three divine aspects of Jesus’ person, implies comparison with three are one of the Comma heavenly Trinity.
*Language in the Johannine Comma is rather common in scripture penned by John, the term bear witness appearing a total of 20 times and a related term bear record, appearing a total of 8 times.
Conclusive evidence: The grammatical/contextual points above fit with conclusive proof of Comma authenticity that emerges as we address the main topic of 1 John in chapters 4 & 5. John declares Jesus as God incarnate to refute Gnostic-type attacks on His deity. 1 Jn.4:3 denies a docetist claim that Jesus was a spirit that only seemed to have a body, and 1 Jn.5:6-8 denies a cerinthian claim that Jesus was a man just temporarily indwelled by Christ in a temporary deity. Proof of the authenticity relates to the verse 5:6 by water and blood that scholars say means He came by baptism and blood-shedding, but He came for those acts. Actually, 1 Jn.5:5 declares His deity as God’s Son as the basis of salvation, and 5:6 further says of His deity, This is he that came by water and blood; not by water only, but by water and blood (This relates 5:5 to 5:6, and For in 5:7 relates both to 5:7 and the Comma). Greek grammar indicates by has the sense, by means of,17 so He came by means of power of deity signified by water & blood. Now we discuss the signification, beginning with terms for the deity of Christ in verse 5:8.
Spirit signifies Jesus’ deity by the Holy Spirit. Rom.8:9 equates Spirit of Christ with Spirit of God. In Jn.3:34 the Spirit is in Him beyond measure, an integral part of His person joined to His human spirit.
Water signifies Jesus’ deity by the word, the word as the eternal Christ. Washing of water by the word sanctifies (Eph.5:26). Like water, His word cleanses (Jn.15:3). Salvation is by water and the Spirit (Jn.3:5), referring to the Spirit in the word (living water, Jn.4:10). Water signifies the word of Jesus’ human soul that calmed a storm at sea, tied to the divine Word of heaven that spoke the universe into existence, both being part of His person.
Blood signifies Jesus’ divine nature by the Father. His Acts 20:28 blood is that of God, and blood of divine nature, free of sin-stain, stands alone as able to remove sin. The Savior's blood couldn't possibly have been human since a human father is crucial to formation of human blood, and Jesus had no human father; no direct contribution of a mother to the blood occurs in normal human birth, and the Holy Ghost would ensure against any possible contribution by Mary to ensure against any sin-stain* (the precious blood of Christ -1 Pet.1:19). The Holy Ghost would impart to the blood the deity of the Father, who is thus revealed as part of Jesus’ person. Jesus said the Father is in me in Jn.10:38, and the blood is the logical way this would be so. Col.2:9 says, in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, the Holy Ghost by the Spirit, Christ by the Word and the Father by the blood. The body would be created by the Holy Ghost from Mary's genetics, and thus would be entirely human, being joined to His human soul and spirit. Mary was a descendant of David, qualifying the Savior as the son of David, as taught by Rom.1:3 that says... Jesus Christ, our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.
*Our Savior didn't have human blood, both a human father & mother being needed to form it, and He had no human father. Blood forms in the fetus out of direct contact with blood of either parent (Borkert, D.T. - M.D. & Pulliam, K.R. - PhD, "The Blood of Christ www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/cbtj/03-2 _001.pdf )
He came by divine power of Spirit, water and blood, elements of His person signifying the divine Trinity (Son of God, Christ) accompanying a human trinity (Son of man, Jesus), deity and humanity being in each part of His person. These elements testify of His salvation power as perfect God and perfect man, and so perfect mediator for man to God.
Thus Spirit, water & blood reflect the natural-masculine Trinity. Each appears in the form of the natural-neuter gender of a part (it) of Jesus’ person, yet each signifies the natural-masculine gender of Deity (He) declared as in Jesus by a Comma heavenly Trinity witness. The divine Father testifies of His divine-blood tie to Jesus, so blood (it) signifying the Father reflects masculinity of deity; earthly father/son ties are of blood, and Jesus’ divine blood represents the heavenly Father/Son tie, finalized by an eternal resurrected divine body with hand & foot wounds (Lk.24:39,40). The divine Word testifies by the water of Jesus’ word that He came as the Son in a holy body, so water (it) signifying Him reflects masculinity of deity. The divine Holy Ghost testifies of His earthly role as Jesus’ Spirit (it) verifying the water and blood witnesses, so the Spirit on earth reflects masculinity of deity (He). He came as divine Savior by the power of divine blood (Father) and divine water (Word) attested by the divine Spirit (Holy Ghost). His three aspects of deity agree in one essence, reflecting three divine Trinity persons who are one essence. As noted above, three neuters in Him are treated as the image of the masculine Trinity, requiring a grammatical-masculine participle in verse 5:8 of the Comma, and participle plurality signifies individuality of the neuters in the earthly person of Jesus, reflecting the Trinity.
Authenticity proved: God’s Son came to us, not by water only, or not as the eternal Word (Christ) unembodied, as in docetism, or in some man’s body, as in cerinthian- ism. He came by blood also, divine blood of His own body able to redeem. The body is His, as proved by the divine-blood witness in particular, and by the divine Word and Spirit witnesses. As our study shows, the irrefutable witness of the Comma heavenly divine Trinity proves the deity of the Comma earthly Spirit, water and blood witness in Jesus, defeating gnostic heresy. Comma authenticity is proved, its heavenly witness and earthly aspect of the Spirit, water and blood witness being vital to the meaning of 1 Jn.5:6-9. The 1 Jn.5:6-9 passage is all about truth that refutes gnostic-type heresy attacking Jesus’ deity, and the Johannine Comma is this truth, its Trinity heavenly witness irrefutably verifying the deity of the earthly witnesses in Jesus Christ.
Likely Comma history
Modern scholars believe Westcott & Hort who said there's no evidence of tampering for dogmatic purposes in any Greek manuscripts. But Alexandrian texts promoted by these two show evidence of tampering that favors dogma of Gnostics who attacked the deity of Jesus Christ, and this is no surprise since these texts originated in Alexandria, Egypt, a primary center of Gnosticism in the first few centuries of the church era. Gnostics served the cause of satan who hates Christ and the Trinity, wanting to take the place of the Son of God (In Isa.14:12-15 satan says, I will be like the most High, a title reserved for the Son of God). In the Comma the entire Trinity declares the deity of Jesus Christ, so it would be a target of Gnostic meddlers. It would be deleted in Alexandrian-type texts that support Gnosticism, and the many unbiblical Middle-Ages churches using the Traditional Text wouldn’t safeguard the text against this.
Likely nature of preservation: The Traditional Text, the ancestor of the Received Text, is far superior to the Alexandrian, yet lacks the Comma in most extant manu- scripts, and has other differences from the Received Text. All this is likely due to harsh Roman persecutors destroying most manuscripts of early true churches that wouldn't worship Caesar, and to general indifference to corruption in later manuscripts in later unbiblical churches lacking reverence for God's Word. Excellent accuracy and the presence of the Comma in some manuscripts would be due to preservation of the text of autograph originals in true biblical churches, plus correction of corrupt manu- scripts circulated to these churches. In the latter case, the 10 more-recent manuscripts with the Comma in the margins, as well as the text, would represent a more recent process of transfer of the Comma from the margins to the text in a final stage of restoration of previously-lost true readings, as described further below.
Preservation by
renewal is God’s plan, for it marked the beginning of text history
as God restored law tables broken by Moses (Ex.32:15, 34:1). Indeed, a
Comma presence in 10 later Greek manuscripts, 5 in the text & 5
in the margins, suggests recognition of a need for renewal and its
initiation. The logical way a renewal would begin is by first placing
it in the margin, and evidently the presence of the Comma in the
margins and text represents the beginning and the
end of the renewal process, for the benefit of readers. In the process of Providential renewal, each entry in the margin of a faulty manuscript will be an act of a Bible-believer aware of Comma authenticity, followed by Providential direction of renewal in the text of another manuscript. Thus the greater average age of manuscripts with the Comma in the margins would indicate the delay in renewing it in later manuscript copying as God directs preservation of His Word by directing His people. This view contrasts with that of modern scholars who suggest the Comma improperly entered the text as a result of first appearing in the margins, but their view is just more of the natural skepticism predominant today.
The Traditional Text shows other cases of renewal in progress. For example, Eph.3:9 in the Received Text has the term fellowship and the clause God who created all things by Jesus Christ. Alexandrian texts have faulty administration for fellowship and omit by Jesus Christ in the verse. Eliminating the latter clause would suit Cerinthians, and use of administration would be favored by Gnostics in general who saw themselves as administrators of hidden knowledge. The genuine phrase by Jesus Christ appears in Traditional-Text manuscripts, as does the faulty adminstration, to produce what looks very much like a partially-complete renewal frozen in time for centuries, evidently to ensure that readers can see an example of renewal in progress.
The Received-Text role: This text would finalize renewal of passages lacking major or earliest Greek support in Traditional-Text history. A renewal like the Comma in the Received Text, that nullifies Cerinthian dogma depicting Jesus as a mere man, would be of special note. Col.1:14 on Jesus’ blood as crucial to remission of sin and Acts 8:37 on the eunuch confessing Jesus Christ as the Son of God are other notable examples of this. The Received Text, as finalized by KJV translators,18 corrected limited error in the Traditional Text to renew inerrancy for all newly-established true churches.
The Received Text in its final state in the 16th-17th centuries, perfected by outstanding scholars like Erasmus, Beza the Elzevirs & KJV translators 18 shows much evidence of being God's final plan for New-Testament history. Indeed, this text and its Johannine Comma declare God's text-renewal plan, following soon after invention of movable- type printing that ended all error associated with hand-written manuscripts, and soon after Constantinople in the eastern Roman empire fell and sent Greek scholars west with Traditional-Text manuscripts that became the basis for the Received Text. Soon the Reformation spread this text throughout Europe, and later to all churches faithful to the KJV, and soon the text was given chapters, punctuation & verse numbers to greatly enhance readability for all interested parties. Ultimately, the Received Text was the true mark of the end of the Dark Ages in Europe as the light of God's inerrant Word, enabling all to know the true Word for themselves in order to apply it, and thus be able to give a proper account of themselves to God one day.
Providential timing in great historical events marks the Received Text, the Comma and all renewals as God’s Word preserved from the autographs. And potential Comma ties to its autograph by references dating to the early 3rd century and Italic texts dating to the mid-2nd century now appear to be logical ties to the autograph.
Comma authenticity summarized
Comma divine authority refutes two well-known 1st-2nd century heresies. Doceticism was officially denounced in 110 A.D. by Ignatius of Antioch, and Cerinthianism in 170 A.D. by Irenaeus, so they were pestilent heresies by that time. 1 Jn.5:5-9 refutes both, saying Jesus Christ is God incarnate, not just a spirit or a man.
Internal proof: A Comma origin in the 1 John autograph of the 1st-century is verified by the following textual proofs:
1. Comma divine witness proves the error of well-known 1st-century heresy.
2. Comma topics & terms are common in John’s gospel & epistles.
3. There is an implied comparison of three agree in one outside the Comma with three are one in the Comma.
4. Comma portions in verses 7,8 are textually linked to portions outside the Comma, proving the authenticity of Comma portions, and authenticity of the Comma is verified by an implied 3-in-1 Trinitarian nature of the Godhead in Mt.3:16,19, Jn.10:30 & 3:34.
5. The Comma Trinity explains verse 5:7 participle masculinity, and the 5:8 Comma masculine participle is explained by the masculine deity indicated by three agree in one.
6. Spirit inspiration of the Comma is required to introduce in scripture the basic 3-in-1 nature of the Trinity and the image of the Trinity in Jesus Christ, otherwise unknown.
7. With the Comma present, verse 5:9 sums up verses 5:7,8
8. With the Comma present, Spirit, water and blood masculine-gender treatment is explained on the basis of both grammar and context parallelism.
9. Comma absence omits John’s unique term Word for Son,
10. Comma absence omits in earth tied to the earthly nature of Spirit, water and blood.
11. Comma absence improperly divides a clause between two verses, as seen by the NIV unique punctuation and by NASV clause/verse shuffling needed to create logical syntax in the absence of the Comma.
12. Comma authenticity is conclusively proved by its heavenly and earthly-witness role in explaining the meaning of 1 Jn.5:6-9.
External proof: Comma continuity in Latin-church quotes dated to the early 3rd century and a mid 2nd century origin of the Italic Old Latin text, offer a potential link to the 1 John autograph.19 This history & providential timing endowing the Received Text in a text-renewal plan of God, finalize authenticity proven by internal evidence.
Manuscript weight
Proven Comma authenticity reveals the error of text-criticism in ignoring tampering. Traditional-Text minor support of the Comma is attributable to early persecution of true churches, and to many copyists in many large unbiblical eastern churches repeat- ing limited tampering vs. a few copying the true text in small true churches. From early times, some readings likely were preserved only in true churches. And Comma Latin-church history, its presence in 10th-18th century Greek manuscripts and its wide appearance in the providentially-timed Received Text, qualify it as part of a text- renewal plan of God defeating a history of censorship. Comma authenticity illustrates the fact of God’s Hand guiding chosen servants to determine content of the traditional texts of His people, and this is the final authority, not scholars’ textual criticism and man’s faulty hand on manuscripts.
Conclusion
No passage could have greater textual proof of its authenticity than the Comma, and this seems to illustrate a plan of God to inform people of faith when manuscript support is minimal due to satan’s work. We depend on God, not on self-appointed scholars who pass judgment on the text. Renewal is a part of God’s preservation plan to ensure that we have His inerrant Word in texts He has ordained. We either trust God to intervene in text history to preserve His Word for His people by guiding His chosen servants in handling of manuscripts, or we trust scholars who try to find truth often obscured by man’s faulty hand on widely variant texts, using textual criticism so faulty that it's blind to evidence of text tampering. Those who trust God view the Comma, the one direct scriptural testimony to the doctrine of the Trinity, as inspired by the Spirit and thus totally authentic. Further, it reveals to them Jesus Christ’s sacred relationship in the divine Trinity guaranteeing the success of his salvation mission. The authenticity and history of the Comma prove that God's Word never dies.
End Notes
1. Dr. T. Holland. 2000. Crowned with Glory. AV1611.com/kjbp/faq/Holland_1Jo5 _7.html
2. Maynard, M. A History of the Debate over 1 John 5:7-8. p2659. Scrivener, F.H.A. A Plain Introduction to N.T. Criticism. Vol.2. p42-3.
3. Hills, E. The King James Version Defended. Des Moines. Christian Research Press. p209-12.
4. Bultmann, R. 1973. The Johannine Epistles. Phila. Fortress Press. p81.
5. Clarke’s Commentary. N.Y. Abingdon Cokesbury Press. p931-33.
6. Nolan, F. 1815. An Inquiry into the Integrity of the Greek Vulgate…London
7. Tertullian’s one essence, not one person, is the sense of are one. Cyprian cited the Comma are one, not a suggested 5:8 agree in one. Greek for are one & agree in one differ, and the Greek texts read agree in one at 1 Jn.5:8.
8. Scrivener, F.H.A. A Plain Introduction to N.T. Criticism. Vol.2. p42.
9. Allix, P. Remarks upon the Ecclesiastical History of the Ancient Churches of the
Albigenses. Ch.7, p51. 1989 ed. Reprinted from 1821 ed.
10. Kenyon, F. 1951. Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts. N.Y. Harper. p169-71.
11. Hurst, J.F. 1897. History of the Chrisian Church. Vol. 1. Eaton & Mains
12. See www.LibertyparkUSAfd.org/lp/Burgon/support.htm for a detailed Comma history.
13. A lack of punctuation, verse numbers and chapters in early Greek manuscripts won't negate reading sense necessary to any language.
14. The NIV has a colon after testify and a semicolon after blood to incorrectly suggest complete thoughts in both cases, but in the Greek both are commas, and a Greek comma functions like an English one. In verse 7 the comma serves to indicate a pause and more wording to follow, which can only be that of the Johannine Comma since the first phrase in verse 8, that seems to connect with verse 7, is just a fragment with no verb and wouldn't belong in verse 8 grammatically if this syntax were correct.
15. A theory that the 5:7 masculine participle ties to a 5:9 masculine them is unlikely (Wallace, D.B. Greek Beyond the Basics. p332) No likely such tie exists, any witness of men being contrasted with that of God in the Trinity and Jesus' person by the Comma.
16. Dr. Thomas Strouse reported on the lack of gender agreement in, Refutation of Dr. Daniel Wallace's Rejection of the KJV as the Best Translation. wwwEmmanuel-Newington.org/Seminary/Resources/ Refutation
17. In the 1 Jn.5:6 first clause, genitive water & blood are with dia, meaning through in the sense of by means of (gen. of means). Another use of dia as by means of is at 1 Jn.4:9
18. Comments on the Greek Received Text of F.H.A. Scrivener. www.WCBible.org
19. An Italic mid-2nd century origin places it close to autographs, and the Greek basis places it still closer. Comma references (not always exact, but clear) in Latin-church history show it’s acceptance throughout that history: i.e. Tertullian 215 A.D, Cyprian 258, Idacius Clarus 350, Priscillian 385, Cassian 435, Carthage council 484, Cassiodorus 580, Old Latin texts Speculum, r and Wianburgensis 5-8th centuries, Vulgate ~800 A.D & 13th -15th century Waldensen versions. This partial listing, supported by Athanasius (4th-century Greek church) and 10th-18th century Greek manuscripts, indicates Comma acceptance throughout Latin-church history, with Greek-church support (N.T. texts all lack major extant pre-200 A.D. evidence).
The Italic is the best O. L. text, others having much error. Augustine said… among the translations themselves the Italian (Italic) is to be preferred to the others, for it keeps closer to the words without prejudice to clarity of expression. Metzger, B.M. 1977. Early Versions of the N. T. Clarendon. p290-93. And he said of the Itala (Italic), which is more faithful in its renderings and more intelligible in its sense. Nicol, T. 1915. The Old Latin Versions. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.
