Debunking Erasmus’ inclusion of 1 John 5:7 (also known as the Johannine Comma or Comma Johanneun) in the third edition of the Textus Receptus is considered a trump card in the discrediting of both Erasmus and his text.
A frequently made allegation, is that the "Comma" should not be included in scripture, because it is not included in ancient manuscripts. The passage in question says, “For there are three that bear record in Heaven, The Father, The Word and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”
Below, is a statement that shows up in almost any online search concerning 1 John 5:7: “… it is not present in any manuscripts (Greek or otherwise) dating prior to the 16th century, and is not present in the passage as quoted by any of the early Church fathers—even though they would have had plenty of reason to quote it in the Trinitarian debates, had it really existed back then….” (Wikipedia)
Now, anyone who has researched the subject knows this is simply not true. In this instance, Wikipedia is guilty of presenting false evidence as fact. But because they carry the title of “encyclopedia,” there are those who automatically assume they must be both correct and impartial, when, in fact, they are neither.
Here is the official policy of the English Wikipedia, which is a reader edited online encyclopedia: “…When editing this page, please ensure that your revision reflects consensus… All Wikipedia articles and other user-facing content must be written from a neutral point of view, representing views fairly and without bias.”
Wow, Wikipedia’s neutral point of view consists of nothing less than the popular consensus. Facts are subordinate to consensus—groupthink reigns supreme.
If, as Wikipedia and other enemies of the Received Text claim, the comma was not present in any manuscript dating prior to the 16th century, how could…:
- it have been found in a Syriac manuscript dated from around A.D. 170 (2nd century), or in a Latin manuscript from around 200 A.D. (3rd century)?
- it have been included in resolutions made at the Council of Carthage in A.D. 415 (5th century)?
- Cassiodorus have quoted it in A.D. 480 (5th century)?
- 400 Bishops have quoted and discussed it at length in their defense of the trinity in A.D. 484 (5th century)?
Cyprian wrote about it around A.D. 250 (3rd century), “The Lord says, ‘I and the Father are one’ and likewise it is written of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, ‘and these three are one.’”
The truth is, that 1 John 5:7 has been found in manuscripts and quotes dating from the 2nd century. So, any claims that it cannot be found before the 16th century are patently false.
When Erasmus was presented with proof that the comma was not only seen in antiquity, but that it had actually been widespread, he was convinced for good reason that it was indeed part of the true Word of God and included it in the third edition of his Textus Receptus.
The translators of the King James Version were being neither irresponsible nor bowing to Trinitarian pressures when they included 1 John 5:7 in their translation. They were simply acknowledging the facts, and the common consensus of the priesthood of believers, that from the earliest days of the church, the words of the Johannine Comma were indeed the Word of God and were rightly attributed to the apostle John, who consistently defended—in all of his writings—the deity, and the rightful place within the Godhead, of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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