First Epistle of John - Comma Johanneum

Comma Johanneum

Among the most controversial verses of the Bible is what some consider an explicit reference that supports the doctrine of the trinity, the Comma Johanneum, (1 John 5:7–8). Although verse 7 does not appear in any version of the Greek text prior to the ninth century, it appears in most of the Latin manscripts, especially in the Vetus Itala (Old Latin predating Jerome). According to some textual critics, it was subsequently translated into Greek and added to later Greek manuscripts. It was later included in the King James Bible, something Isaac Newton commented on in An Historical Account of Two Notable Corruptions of Scripture. This is sometimes used as evidence to counter the King-James-Only Movement. Bart Ehrman suggests in his book Misquoting Jesus that the King James Version would not have included the passage if Desiderius Erasmus had not given in to pressure to include it in the Textus Receptus even though he doubted its authenticity.

The majority of modern translations (for example English Standard Version and New American Standard Bible) do not include this text. Albert Barnes (1798–1870) said regarding its authenticity:

On the whole, therefore, the evidence seems to me to be clear that this passage is not a genuine portion of the inspired writings, and should not be appealed to in proof of the doctrine of the Trinity.