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Comma Johanneum

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1 John 5:7-8 - KJV

7. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

1 John 5:7 is famously known as the Comma Johanneum (Latin for "Johannine clause"). It is one of the most well-known textual differences in the New Testament.

To see the difference clearly, we have to look at 1 John 5:7 and 1 John 5:8 together, because the translations that exclude this clause combine the surrounding text.

Here is how the passage compares across different major translation families.

1. Translations That INCLUDE The Comma

These Bibles are based on the Textus Receptus (a Greek text compiled in the 1500s) or the Latin Vulgate. In these versions, the text includes an explicit reference to the Trinity.

2. Translations That EXCLUDE The Comma

Modern translations are based on "Critical Texts" (like the Nestle-Aland or United Bible Societies editions). These scholars rely on the oldest and earliest discovered Greek manuscripts. In these Bibles, the Trinitarian clause is absent from the main text (though usually noted in a footnote), making the passage much shorter.

Why The Difference Exists

The discrepancy comes down to a difference in ancient manuscripts.

The Early Greek Manuscripts:

The explicit Trinitarian wording ("the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost...") is not found in any of the oldest Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. In fact, it doesn't appear in any Greek manuscript before the 14th century, except as a note scribbled in the margins. Because of this, modern translators overwhelmingly agree that the Apostle John did not originally write these words.

How It Got Into The Bible:

Historians believe the Comma Johanneum started as a "gloss" which is a marginal note written by a scribe in a Latin copy of the Bible hundreds of years after the text was originally authored. The scribe likely wrote it to explain that the "Spirit, water, and blood" were symbolic of the Trinity. Over time, later copyists mistakenly thought this margin note was part of the actual scripture and copied it directly into the main text of the Latin Vulgate.

When the scholar Erasmus compiled the first published Greek New Testament in 1516, he originally left the Comma Johanneum out because he couldn't find a single Greek manuscript that contained it. However, under heavy pressure from church officials who were used to the Latin version, he eventually added it into his later editions. His later edition became the foundation for the Textus Receptus, which the 1611 King James translators relied upon.

Here is exactly how it happened:

✅ First and Second Editions: 1516 & 1519

Erasmus published his first Greek New Testament in 1516, and a revised edition in 1519. In both, he left out the Comma Johanneum. He noted that he simply translated what was in the Greek texts, none of which contained the Trinitarian verse.

✅ Fierce Backlash: 1519–1521

Erasmus faced intense fire from Catholic theologians, most notably Lopez de Zúñiga (Stunica) and Edward Lee. Because the verse was in the Latin Vulgate (the official Bible of the Church), they accused Erasmus of tampering with scripture and secretly promoting Arianism (the denial of the Trinity).

✅ The 'Discovered' Manuscript: 1522

To appease his critics, Erasmus included the verse in his third edition. His justification was that a single Greek manuscript containing the verse had finally been presented to him: Codex Montfortianus (also known as Minuscule 61).

✅ The King James Version: 1611

Subsequent publishers of the Greek New Testament—such as Robert Estienne (Stephanus) in 1550 and Theodore Beza in 1598—based their work on Erasmus's later editions. The 1611 King James translators relied heavily on Beza's Greek text, cementing the Comma Johanneum into the English Bible for centuries.

The Nuance: The "Made-To-Order" Manuscript

Modern historians add an important piece of context regarding the manuscript that forced Erasmus's hand.

There is a popular legend that Erasmus made a "rash wager," promising his critics he would insert the verse if they could produce just one Greek manuscript containing it. According to the eminent textual scholar Bruce Metzger, there is no evidence in Erasmus's writings that he ever actually made this wager.

However, the reality is just as dramatic. The manuscript presented to him—Codex Montfortianus—was not an ancient document. Scholars today know it was created around 1520,right in the middle of the controversy, likely by a Franciscan friar named Froy. It is widely believed that this manuscript was "made to order"—specifically forged by translating the Latin Vulgate's text back into Greek just to give Erasmus the excuse he needed to include it.

Erasmus was no fool. In his notes for the 1522 edition, he explicitly stated his suspicion that the manuscript had been retro-translated from Latin into Greek to deceive him. Nevertheless, rather than endure continued accusations of heresy, he inserted the Comma Johanneum into the text, where it remained in the dominant Greek text (the Textus Receptus) for over 300 years.

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