 |
| Erasmus added the Johannine Comma into the Textus Receptus. |
This post goes into the heart of this debate, examining the evidence that supports the inclusion of the Johannine Comma within the New Testament, despite the challenges it faces from critics and textual skeptics.
Introduction to the problem
The Johannine comma is found in most older translations of the bible across European languages, and has been read and memorized by most people who professed Christ. However, most translations made today generally exclude the comma from the New Testament. They generally point to it being lacking in most manuscripts of 1 John in Greek, Aramaic and in other languages except for Latin.
However, this post attempts to argue that the manuscript evidence for the Johannine comma is sufficient for inclusion, contrary to the claims of modern textual criticism.
Greek evidence
There is a general trend to hyperbolicize the Greek evidence against comma. It is often said that the evidence is "thousands against 10", however most of the thousands of Greek manuscripts aren't even manuscripts of the Epistle of John. In reality, the number of Greek manuscripts containing 1 John 5 is only a few hundred.
 |
| The Diastigmai at 1 John 5:7-8 |
The first Greek manuscript which needs discussion is the Codex Vaticanus (325-350ad). This might be a surprising thing to mention, however the manuscript appears to be the earliest Greek manuscript to witness to the Johannine comma. The Codex Vaticanus scribes would mark known variants with three dots, and these textual critical markers appear elsewhere within the manuscript, such as at where the story of the adulteress would begin in John 7:53.
Opponents of the comma Johanneum have generally argued that the author would have known of some other comma in the manuscript rather than the JC. However, the problem is that the scribes did not mark minor variants with the diastigmai (otherwise they would be all over the text). It is highly unlikely that the scribes would have felt the need to mention variants such as the masculine gender lacking in the word for "bear record". Thus, this is the earliest Greek manuscript to witness to the text.
Furthermore, the manuscripts containing the Johannine Comma include 629, 61, 209, 918, 88, 429, 636, 177, 2473, 2318, 221, 635 and Ravianus. These manuscripts are generally later in origin, with Ottobotianus 298, dating to around the 1300s, being among the earliest. However, despite their late dates, their collective witness should not be totally ignored. For comparison, the total number of manuscripts containing even the chapter of 1 John 5 before the 10th century amounts to only 12.
The Greek manuscripts are categorized thus:
 |
| Minuscule 629 |
Codex Montfortianus: Also known as Minuscule 61, this 16th-century manuscript is significant for its inclusion of the Johannine Comma. It has been cited as a source used by Erasmus for the Johannine comma, however the evidence points to him using a now lost and distinct manuscript. This will be expounded upon later.
Minuscule 209: Dating to the 14th century, this manuscript did not originally contain the Johannine comma, but was added later into the margin in Latin. Thus, this manuscript does not give a Greek witness to the Johannine comma, although it shows its continued presence within the Latin text.
Minuscule 918: Another 16th-century manuscript that contains the Johannine Comma, contributing to its textual tradition during the Renaissance period.
Minuscule 88: Similar to Minuscule 918, Minuscule 88 shows the inclusion of the Johannine Comma in later manuscripts. The date at which the comma was added into the margin is unknown.
Minuscule 429: Dated to the 14th century, this manuscript supports the presence of the Comma in the Byzantine textual tradition. However, the comma is added into the margin at a later date.
Minuscule 636: This is an 11th century manuscript, Minuscule 636 includes the Johannine Comma within the margin. The date at which the comma was added into the margin is unknown.
Minuscule 177: An 11th-century manuscript that upholds the inclusion of the Johannine Comma in the New Testament text. It was added into the margin in the 1700s and it differs from all printed versions of the Johannine comma.
Minuscule 2473: Dating to the 17th century, this manuscript continues the tradition of including the Johannine Comma in later Greek manuscripts.
Minuscule 2318: An 18th-century commentary manuscript that includes the Johannine Comma. This is a manuscript which was found in Romania, and although it has been claimed that the source of the comma is the Textus Receptus, it cannot be proven.
Minuscule 221: Dated to the 10th century century which has the Johannine comma added into the margin, this manuscript reaffirms the inclusion of the Johannine Comma in later periods of textual transmission.
Ravianus (Berlin Codex): Ravianus is no longer considered a manuscript, as it's facsimile of the Complusentian Polyglot. However, it dates to the 16th century and contains the Johannine comma.
 |
| Minuscule 635 |
However, there is more manuscript data to consider. Erasmus based his reading of the Johannine Comma on a "British codex" and the Complutensian Polyglot. The British codex has often been identified with Montfortianus, but this is highly unlikely. In his annotations, Erasmus wrote that in the Greek manuscript he used, the Johannine comma read as follows:
 |
| The Johannine comma in Montfortianus notice how it differs from how Erasmus described his manuscript. |
This differs from what Codex Montfortianus contains. Erasmus excludes the word "ἅγιον" after "πνεῦμα" and does not include the article "οἱ" before "μαρτυροῦντες." Therefore, the Textus Receptus appears to have derived the comma partially from a now lost manuscript, thereby serving as its own witness to the Johannine comma. Additionally, as mentioned earlier, the Complutensian Polyglot used by Erasmus, despite being a printed edition, provides another example of the Johannine comma in Greek.
(The form of the Johannine comma in the Textus Receptus used today does not read identically to the "British Codex" which Erasmus described).
 |
| John Gill defended the Comma |
And as to its being wanting in some Greek manuscripts, as the Alexandrian, and others, it need only be said, that it is to be found in many others; it is in an old British copy, and in the Complutensian edition, the compilers of which made use of various copies; and out of sixteen ancient copies of Robert Stephens's, nine of them had it (Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible)
John Calvin, in his commentary, noted that the "best" manuscripts of his day contained the comma: "But as even the Greek copies do not agree, I dare not assert anything on the subject. Since, however, the passage flows better when this clause is added, and as I see that it is found in the best and most approved copies, I am inclined to receive it as the true reading" (Calvin's Commentaries).
The comma was also inserted into the official Patriarchal text of the Greek church, produced in the early 1900s, based primarily on lectionary manuscripts from Mount Athos, Constantinople, Jerusalem, and Athens.
In addition to these manuscripts, the Johannine comma is cited by multiple Greek theological writers. Later uncontested examples include Emmanuel Calecas (14th century), Joseph Bryennios (15th century), and Peter Mogila (17th century). However, there are also some earlier Greek witnesses to the Johannine comma from the very early Christian period. Scrivener mentions the writings "Synopsis of Holy Scripture" and "Disputation with Arius," both of which date to around the 5th century, as having mentioned the Johannine comma.
"Τί δὲ καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀφέσεως τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν παρεκτικὸν, καὶ ζωοποιὸν, καὶ ἁγιαστικὸν λουτρόν, οὗ χωρὶς οὐδεὶς ὄψεται τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, οὐκ ἐν τῇ τρισμακαρίᾳ ὀνομασίᾳ δίδοται τοῖς πιστοῖς; Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις πᾶσιν Ἰωάννης φάσκει· «Καὶ οἱ τρεῖς τὸ ἕν εἰσιν.»" (Disputation with Arius)
My own translation: John states/affirms, "and these three are one."
It is also possible that Origen (3rd century) and John Chrysostom (4th century) were aware of the text. However, Origen's reference is ambiguous. In his work on the Psalms, he uses the exact phrase "οἱ τρεῖς ἕν εἰσιν," but admittedly, this could be coincidental. On the other hand, John Chrysostom makes an explicit reference to there being "three witnesses above and three below," which seems too close to 1 John 5:7-8 to be coincidental. He writes:
Κάτω τρεῖς μάρτυρες, ἄνω τρεῖς μάρτυρες, τὸ ἀπρόσιτον τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δόξης δηλοῦντες (Adversus Judaeos) "Below three witnesses, above three witnesses, showing the unapproachable glory of God."
Compare this with 1 John 5:7-8: 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.
Although Greek references to the Johannine comma in this early period are limited, these, along with evidence from the Codex Vaticanus, suggest that the comma was originally written in Greek, not in Latin as some critics claim, asserting that it is a later Latin variant.
Thus, as a summary of the Greek evidence, we have the following data:
Manuscripts
1 Codex Vaticanus (4th century), contains diastigmai to imply knowledge of the comma
2 Miniscule 629 (14th century)
3 Miniscule 209 (15th century)
4 Now lost "Codex Britannicus" (Somewhere before the 1520s)
5 Codex Montfortianus (16th century)
6 Miniscule 918 (16th century)
7 Ravianus (16th century)
8 Miniscule 88 (16th century)
9 Miniscule 429 (16th century)
10 Miniscule 636 (16th century)
11 Miniscule 177 (16th century)
12 Miniscule 2473 (17th century)
13 Miniscule 2318 (18th century)
14 Miniscule 221 (19th century)
15 Miniscule 635 (somewhere after the 11th century)
16 Nine copies of Stephanus (Somewhere before 1550)
List of Greek printed editions with the Johannine comma:
1 Textus Receptus (16th century)
2 Complutensian Polyglot (16th century)
3 Patriarchal Text (20th century)
List of Greek quotations of the Johannine comma:
1 Synopsis of Holy Scripture (4th century)
2: John Chrysostom (4th century)
3 Pseudo-Athanasius (5th century)
4 Acts of the Lateran Council (13th century)
5 Emmanuel Calecas (died 1410)
6 Joseph Bryennius (1350 – 1431/38)
7 Orthodox Confession of Moglas (1643)
8 (Possibly Origen, 3rd century)
The Johannine comma has a real presence in the Greek textual tradition. Although it is a minority reading, there are sufficient references to suggest that the Johannine comma existed in Greek before it entered the Latin tradition, where it became the majority reading. Next, I will address the extensive Latin references to the Johannine comma and their early origins.
Latin evidence
The Johannine comma is found in the majority of all Latin witnesses. It is quoted early by Latin writers and has very strong support inside both the Vetus Latina and Vulgate manuscripts. Some Latin manuscripts to include the JC include:
Codex Speculum (m)
Date: 5th century
Place: Saint Cross monastery (Sessorianus), Rome
Other Information: Contains scripture quotations.
 |
| Codex Fuldensis |
Codex Fuldensis (F)
Date: 546 AD
Place: Fulda, Germany
Other Information: The main text does not include the Comma, but the Vulgate Prologue discusses the verse.
Frisingensia Fragmenta (r) or (q)
Date: 5th-7th century
Place: Bavarian State Library, Munich
Other Information: Spanish origin.
León palimpsest (l) Beuron 67
Date: 7th century
Place: León Cathedral
Other Information: Spanish origin, "and there are three which bear testimony in heaven, the Father, and the Word, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one in Christ Jesus," earthly witnesses mentioned before the heavenly witnesses.
Codex Cavensis (C)
Date: 9th century
Place: La Cava de' Tirreni, Biblioteca della Badia, ms memb. 1
Other Information: Spanish origin, earthly witnesses mentioned before the heavenly witnesses.
Codex Ulmensis (U or σU)
Date: 9th century
Place: British Museum, London 11852
Other Information: Spanish origin.
Codex Complutensis I (C)
Date: 927 AD
Place: Biblical University Centre 31; Madrid
Other Information: Spanish origin, purchased by Cardinal Ximenes, used for Complutensian Polyglot, earthly before heavenly, "one in Christ Jesus."
Codex Theodulphianus
Date: 8th–9th century
Place: National Library, Paris (BnF) - Latin 9380
Other Information: Franco-Spanish origin.
Codex Sangallensis 907
Date: 8th–9th century
Place: Abbey of St. Gallen
Other Information: Franco-Spanish origin.
.jpg) |
| Codex Sangallensis 63 (9th century) |
Codex Lemovicensis-32 (L)
Date: 9th century
Place: National Library of France, Latin 328, Paris
Other Information: Contains the Johannine Comma.
Codex Vercellensis
Date: 9th century
Place: Rome, Biblioteca Vallicelliana ms B vi
Other Information: Represents the recension of Alcuin, completed in 801.
Codex Sangallensis 63
Date: 9th century
Place: Abbey library of Saint Gall
Other Information: Latin, added later into the margin.
Codex Gothicus Legionensis
Date: 960 AD
Place: Biblioteca Capitular y Archivo de la Real Colegiata de San Isidoro, ms 2
Other Information: Contains the Johannine Comma.
Codex Toletanus
Date: 10th century
Place: Madrid, Biblioteca Nacional ms Vitr. 13-1
Other Information: Spanish origin, earthly before heavenly.
It has sometimes been questioned if the Latin Vulgate contained the Johannine comma originally, since two Vulgate manuscripts lack it. However, it is unusual for the Vulgate to have "tres unum sunt" because this phrase translates "τρεις εν εισιν" from the JC, rather than "τρεις εις το εν εισιν" from verse 8. In verse 8, the Greek text includes the preposition "εις". The presence of "εις" ("in" in Latin) alters the meaning of the passage. Later editions of the Vulgate have reintroduced this preposition. The 20th-century Nova Vulgata reads "tres in unum sunt," and John Calvin's Latin translation has "tres in unum conveniunt." There is no reason for a translation of "τρεις εις το εν εισιν" in verse 8 to omit the preposition unless verse 8 was influenced by the wording of the Comma. Therefore, the Comma has influenced all Vulgate editions and is certainly a part of the original Latin Vulgate, written in the late 4th century.
Latin writers
As for quotations, the earliest proposed Latin quotation is from Tertullian. Tertullian uses similar language as Latin manuscripts which include the Johannine comma, writing "tres unum sunt" in Against Praxeas. However, this reference is more ambigious.
A more explicit reference to the CJ is from the writings of Cyprian, who wrote in the 3rd century. This seems to be our earliext explicit reference to the JC, as he writes:
"The Lord says, "I and the Father are one; " and again it is written of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, "And these three are one." (Unity of the Church)
"The Lord says, "I and the Father are one; " and again it is written of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, "And these three are one." (Unity of the Church)
Although some might contend that Cyprian was interpreting 1 John 5:8 through a theological lens, Cyprian explicitly states "scriptum est" (it is written).
Later, Priscillian of Avilla in 380ad quotes the JC as authentic scripture in the most explicit terms, writing:
"As John says and there are three which give testimony on earth the water the flesh the blood and these three are in one and there are three which give testimony in heaven the Father the Word and the Spirit and these three are one in Christ Jesus"
No writers dispute that Priscillian knew about the Johannine Comma, showing its early presence in the Latin tradition. An important citation is also found in the Council of Carthage around 484. It's often argued that the Johannine Comma wasn't original because it wasn't cited in Trinitarian debates. However, contrary to their claims, we can see that it actually was cited in such debates! The Council of Carthage, attended by hundreds of bishops, cited the Johannine Comma as proof for the Trinity, reading as follows:
"And so, no occasion for uncertainty is left. It is clear that the Holy Spirit is also God and the author of his own will, he who is most clearly shown to be at work in all things and to bestow the gifts of the divine dispensation according to the judgment of his own will, because where it is proclaimed that he distributes graces where he wills, servile condition cannot exist, for servitude is to be understood in what is created, but power and freedom in the Trinity. And so that we may teach the Holy Spirit to be of one divinity with the Father and the Son still more clearly than the light, here is proof from the testimony of John the evangelist. For he says: "There are three who bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one." Surely he does not say "three separated by a difference in quality" or "divided by grades which differentiate, so that there is a great distance between them"? No, he says that the "three are one". But so that the single divinity which the Holy Spirit has with the Father and the Son might be demonstrated still more in the creation of all things, you have in the book of Job the Holy Spirit as a creator: "It is the divine Spirit""
Another important point to note is Jerome's Prologue to the Canonical Epistles. It has often been claimed to be Pseudo-Jerome, due to the argument that the original Vulgate did not contain the Johannine comma. However, as previously examined, the Latin grammar implies that it did contain the verse, and thus there is no reason to assume the Prologue is pseudonymous. Additionally, even if it was Pseudo-Jerome, the Prologue must be dated early, as it is found in the early 6th-century Codex Fuldensis. In this Prologue, Jerome claims that there has been poor handling of the Epistle of John by some scribes, arguing that scribal corruption is the reason for why it has been omitted from some manuscripts:
 |
| Jerome of Stridon (347 – 420) |
"If the letters were also rendered faithfully by translators into Latin just as their authors composed them, they would not cause the reader confusion, nor would the differences between their wording give rise to contradictions, nor would the various phrases contradict each other, especially in that place where we read the clause about the unity of the Trinity in the first letter of John. Indeed, it has come to our notice that in this letter some unfaithful translators have gone far astray from the truth of the faith, for in their edition they provide just the words for three [witnesses]—namely water, blood and spirit—and omit the testimony of the Father, the Word and the Spirit, by which the Catholic faith is especially strengthened, and proof is tendered of the single substance of divinity possessed by Father, Son and Holy Spirit."
Among other early references is the book "Contra Varimadum", written in the 400s. This book was widely influential, and read thus:
"John the Evangelist, in his Epistle to the Parthians (i.e. his 1st Epistle), says there are three who afford testimony on earth, the Water, the Blood, and the Flesh, and these three are in us; and there are three who afford testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, and these three are one"
Multiple other important Latin citations can be found, such as from Fulgentius of Ruspe (6th century), writing thus:
"In the Father, therefore, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we acknowledge unity of substance, but dare not confound the persons. For St. John the apostle, testifieth saying, "There are three that bear witness in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, and these three are one." (Responsio contra Arianos)
Around the same time as Fulgentius, it was cited by Cassidorius as authentic:
"On earth three mysteries bear witness, the water, the blood, and the spirit, which were fulfilled, we read, in the passion of the Lord. In heaven, are the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one God." (Complexiones in Epistolis Apostolorum)
There are many others to mention, as its status within the Latin tradition was very strong. It was also universally accepted in the medieval period as authentic within the west. McDonald, G.R. (although he rejects the authencity of the JC) in his thesis "Raising the ghost of Arius : Erasmus, the Johannine comma and religious difference in early modern Europe" cites the following Latin writers as using the JC:
Peter Damian (c. 1007-1072), Rupert of Deutz (c. 1070-1129/1130), Bernard of Clairvaux (c. 1090-1153), Peter Lombard (c. 1095-1160), Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), Petrus Cellensis (1115-
1183), Baldwin of Canterbury († 1190), Guillaume of Saint-Jacques de Liège (twelfth century), Peter Abelard (1079-1142), Alexander of Ashby (c. 1150-c. 1208), Bonaventure (1217/1218-1274), Guillaume Durand (1237-1296), Franciscus of Marchia (1285/1290-after 1343), Thomas of Cobham († c. 1333/1336) and William of Ockham (c. 1290/1300-c. 1349/1350).
Other evidence
It is often argued that there is no evidence for the Johannine comma outside a few Greek and mostly Latin witnesses, however this is inaccurate and will be dealt with in this post.
The first important thing to note is the Peshitta, which dates to the early 400s. Although the JC is mostly lacking from the text, there seems to be an indiciation of the JC within the text. The phrase "And there are..." in 1 John 5 appears only in Bibles that include the JC. This is because the clause following verse 6 begins with "For there are..." without the Comma's presence. The phrase "And there are..." appears only if the Comma is included. In Bibles without the Comma, the phrase should only be "For there are...":
.jpg) |
| The Syriac Peshitta |
"οτι τρεις εισιν οι μαρτυρουντες, το πνευμα και το υδωρ και το αιμα, και οι τρεις εις το εν εισιν." (Nestle-Aland 27)
"For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree." (ESV)
There is no reason for the Syriac to translate the Greek causal conjunction "οτι" as the copulative Waw (ܘ) conjunction. The Syriac translates "οτι" as "because" in the previous verse and also at 1 John 5:4. The phrase "οτι τρεις εισιν οι μαρτυρουντες" clearly introduces a "cause" or "reason" for the preceding phrase. The Syriac seems to be translated from a Greek manuscript that contained "και τρεις εισιν," which is a remnant of the Comma. Although this manuscript apparently did not include the Comma or the phrase "in earth," it still retained a trace of the Comma.
The Catholic Encyclopedia also mentions that the Johannine Comma is found in some Armenian sources, however admitedly it is due to the influence of the Latin Vulgate in the Armenian tradition. It was however also quoted as scripture in the Armenian council of Sis in the 13th century.
Scrivener also mentions the existence of the Johannine Comma within some Slavonic manuscripts, and that it is found in the margin of the Moscow edition in the 17th century.
No comments:
Post a Comment