Earliest related Latin evidence
c. AD 210 — Tertullian, Against Praxeas 25, related three-one theological language.
1 John 5:7
The Heavenly Witnesses
KJV Reading Defended
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
Why the KJV Reading Is Retained
Modern critical editions omit the heavenly witnesses clause, while the TR/KJV includes it.
Disputed unit
The heavenly-witness clause and its associated earthly-witness wording; distinct Greek Comma forms remain separate from the Latin biblical, non-continuous quotation, patristic and printed evidence.
Doctrinal variantComplex evidenceLatin supportPatristic supportLimited Greek support
Evidence assessment
Ten late Greek manuscripts contain a Comma form: five in the biblical text and five as later marginal variants. The forms are heterogeneous rather than ten identical copies of the final Textus Receptus wording. The overwhelming Greek transmission omits the clause. The reading has an earlier and broader Latin reception, beginning with related third-century usage, an explicit complete form in Priscillian, a fifth-century non-continuous Scripture-quotation witness, and seventh-century continuous Latin biblical witnesses.
Primary support for the KJV reading
Late heterogeneous Greek presence witnesses with much earlier Latin literary and biblical reception
King James Bible reading
1 John 5:7 in the King James Bible
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
Evidence sources
Where the evidence on this page comes from.
Sources used for the witnesses, readings, dates, and notes on this page. Complete citations appear in the References section at the end of the page.
Governing apparatus and count scope
The complete ten-artifact Greek presence roster verified against manuscript images and catalog records, together with the named Latin manuscript and literary witnesses represented in Galiza and Reeve and the official Vetus Latina manuscript register. Aggregate Greek and Vulgate statements are labeled as traditions rather than universal itemized counts.
- ECM Catholic Letters / official CBGM 2.0
- Elijah Hixson, The Greek Manuscripts of the Comma Johanneum
- H. A. G. Houghton, The Latin New Testament
- INTF Kurzgefasste Liste / NTVMR manuscript metadata
- Rodrigo B. Galiza and John W. Reeve, The Johannine Comma (1 John 5:7–8): The Status of Its Textual History and Theological Usage in English, Greek, and Latin
- Vetus Latina New Testament manuscript register (ITSEE, University of Birmingham)
Earliest KJV-supporting evidence
The earliest reviewed support at a glance.
Early debated verbal evidence
c. AD 250 — Cyprian, On the Unity of the Church 6; the verbal relationship is debated.
Earliest explicit full Latin formula listed here
c. AD 380 — Priscillian, Liber Apologeticus 1, gives the Father, the Word, and the Spirit bearing witness in heaven and being one.
Earliest Latin Scripture-quotation witness listed here
Fifth century — Codex Speculum (m) contains the Comma in a non-continuous collection of Latin Scripture quotations.
Earliest surviving Greek support: AD 1362–1363 — GA 629, Codex Ottobonianus, is the earliest dated Greek main-text witness listed here.
Earliest extant continuous Latin biblical witnesses listed here
Seventh century — the Catholic-Epistle leaves of the Fragmenta Frisingensia and the León Palimpsest contain Comma forms. Codex Fuldensis, copied in AD 546, omits the Comma in its biblical text; its prologue is separate literary evidence.
Primary support for the KJV reading
Late heterogeneous Greek presence witnesses with much earlier Latin literary and biblical reception
The sections below preserve each supporting, competing, and related record under its proper evidence type.
Source scope and denominator
The complete ten-artifact Greek presence roster verified against manuscript images and catalog records, together with the named Latin manuscript and literary witnesses represented in Galiza and Reeve and the official Vetus Latina manuscript register. Aggregate Greek and Vulgate statements are labeled as traditions rather than universal itemized counts.
Greek support in the cited corpus
10 Greek presence artifacts: 5 main-text forms and 5 later marginal forms
Greek competing evidence in the cited corpus
The overwhelming Greek manuscript tradition
Lectionary evidence
Not presented as a lectionary-supported reading
Principal competing witnesses named in the snapshot
- Codex Sinaiticus
- Codex Vaticanus
- Codex Alexandrinus
- Codex Fuldensis (Latin biblical text)
Evidence represented on this page
Greek manuscripts
Represented
Ancient versions
Represented
Church fathers
Represented
Printed editions
Represented
Complete source-scoped roster
Complete roster within the stated source scope.
This roster preserves every named or grouped state recovered in the governing sources, including exact readings, competing readings, corrections, related forms, lacunae, versions, and aggregate traditions. When Maj or Byz appears on the KJV side, it marks the numerically dominant Greek transmission at that unit. The green Majority Text card above supplies the best available passage-specific estimate. The grouped siglum is then retained so it is not mistaken for one individual manuscript.
Apparatus and roster scope
The complete ten-artifact Greek presence roster verified against manuscript images and catalog records, together with the named Latin manuscript and literary witnesses represented in Galiza and Reeve and the official Vetus Latina manuscript register. Aggregate Greek and Vulgate statements are labeled as traditions rather than universal itemized counts.
- Greek support in cited scope
- 10 Greek presence artifacts: 5 main-text forms and 5 later marginal forms
- Greek competing evidence in cited scope
- The overwhelming Greek manuscript tradition
- Evidence classification
- Late heterogeneous Greek presence witnesses with much earlier Latin literary and biblical reception
Comma Johanneum presence
KJV/TR unit: The Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one
Greek manuscripts with a Comma form in the biblical text
Related or qualified evidence629 61 918 2473 2318
Presence roster, not five identical forms. 629: AD 1362–1363; 61: c. AD 1495–1521; 918: c. AD 1573–1578; 2473: AD 1634; 2318: eighteenth-century commentary manuscript.
Later Greek marginal or variant additions
Related or qualified evidence429mg 177mg 221mg 88mg 636mg
429mg after AD 1522; 177mg c. AD 1785; 221mg after AD 1854; 88mg and 636mg are later hands of uncertain date and do not inherit the dates of their base manuscripts.
Early major Greek omission witnesses
Competing reading01 A B 048 P L Ψ K 049 33 2464 056 0142 1739
Grouped evidence: Overwhelming Greek manuscript tradition
Earliest named non-continuous Latin Scripture-quotation witness
Related or qualified evidenceCodex-Speculum-(m)
Fifth century. Contains the Comma in a collection of Latin Scripture quotations, not in a continuous biblical codex.
Earliest named continuous Latin biblical witnesses
Supports the KJV/TR formFragmenta-Frisingensia-(VL64) León-Palimpsest-(l)
The Catholic-Epistle replacement leaves of VL 64 were copied in the first half of the seventh century, probably in Spain. The León Palimpsest is seventh century.
Further named medieval Latin biblical witnesses
Supports the KJV/TR formCodex-Wizanburgensis Codex-Theodulphianus Codex-Sangallensis-907 Codex-Cavensis Codex-Ulmensis Codex-Lemovicensis Codex-Vercellensis Codex-Complutensis-I Codex-Gothicus-Legionensis Codex-Toletanus Codex-Demidovianus
Wizanburgensis: eighth century, disputed; Theodulphianus and Sangallensis 907: eighth–ninth century; Cavensis, Ulmensis, Lemovicensis, and Vercellensis: ninth century; Complutensis I: AD 927; Gothicus Legionensis: AD 960; Toletanus: tenth century; Demidovianus: second half of the thirteenth century.
Latin marginal addition
Related or qualified evidenceCodex-Sangallensis-63-margin
Ninth-century base manuscript; the date of the marginal addition is not independently established.
Latin biblical-text omissions
Competing readingCodex-Fuldensis Codex-Amiatinus
Codex Fuldensis: AD 546. Codex Amiatinus: c. AD 700.
Separate literary evidence
Related or qualified evidenceCodex-Fuldensis-prologue
The prologue discusses the disputed clause, while the biblical text omits it.
Later medieval Latin reception
Supports the KJV/TR formGrouped evidence: Later medieval Vulgate tradition
Printed Latin and received-text reception
Related or qualified evidenceComplutensian-Polyglot Erasmus-1522 Stephanus-1550 Beza-editions Clementine-Vulgate-1592
Printed editions are reception-history witnesses and remain separate from manuscripts.
Church Fathers and literary witnesses
Precisely located citations and additional names reported by the controlling apparatus are kept separate. An apparatus-level attribution is not presented as an independently verified exact quotation.
Tertullian
c. AD 210Against Praxeas 25
Supporting witnessCitation type: Close quotation
Tertullian joins the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with the three-one wording in Against Praxeas 25. It is classified here as a supporting witness.
Locator: Tertullian, Against Praxeas 25
Open sourceCyprian
c. AD 250On the Unity of the Church 6
Supporting witnessCitation type: Direct quotation
Cyprian introduces the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit wording with ‘it is written’ and concludes, ‘And these three are one.’ It is classified here as a supporting witness.
Locator: Cyprian, On the Unity of the Church 6
Open sourceExpositio Fidei
AD 367–400Expositio Fidei
Supporting witnessCitation type: Direct quotation
Explicit Latin Father/Word/Spirit three-one form
Locator: Explicit Latin Father, Word, and Spirit three-one form; Galiza and Reeve, AUSS 56.1 (2018): 63–89
Open sourcePriscillian
c. AD 380Liber Apologeticus 1.4
Supporting witnessCitation type: Direct quotation
Earliest explicit full Latin formula listed on the site
Locator: CSEL 18, 6; Conti, Complete Works, p. 34
Open sourceContra Varimadum
c. AD 450Contra Varimadum
Supporting witnessCitation type: Direct quotation
Explicit heavenly-witness form
Locator: Explicit heavenly-witness form; Galiza and Reeve, AUSS 56.1 (2018): 63–89
Open sourceCarthaginian confession under Huneric
AD 484Confession of the African bishops
Supporting witnessCitation type: Direct quotation
Explicit heavenly-witness form
Locator: Explicit heavenly-witness form preserved in the Vandal persecution account; Galiza and Reeve, AUSS 56.1 (2018): 63–89
Open sourceCassiodorus
AD 501–600Complexiones in Epistolis Apostolorum
Supporting witnessCitation type: Direct quotation
Explicit Father/Son/Spirit form
Locator: Explicit Father, Son, and Spirit form; Galiza and Reeve, AUSS 56.1 (2018): 63–89
Open sourceFulgentius of Ruspe
c. AD 527Contra Arianos
Supporting witnessCitation type: Direct quotation
Explicit heavenly-witness citation
Locator: Explicit heavenly-witness citation; Galiza and Reeve, AUSS 56.1 (2018): 63–89
Open sourceFulgentius of Ruspe
c. AD 527Contra Fabianum
Supporting witnessCitation type: Direct quotation
Explicit three-one form
Locator: Explicit three-one form; Galiza and Reeve, AUSS 56.1 (2018): 63–89
Open sourceFulgentius of Ruspe
c. AD 527De Trinitate ad Felicem
Supporting witnessCitation type: Direct quotation
Explicit heavenly-witness citation
Locator: Explicit heavenly-witness citation; Galiza and Reeve, AUSS 56.1 (2018): 63–89
Open sourceIsidore of Seville
AD 601–633Testimonia Divinae Scripturae et Patrum
Supporting witnessCitation type: Direct quotation
Explicit heavenly-witness citation
Locator: Explicit heavenly-witness citation; Galiza and Reeve, AUSS 56.1 (2018): 63–89
Open sourceAmbrose Ansbert
AD 701–800Commentary on Revelation
Supporting witnessCitation type: Direct quotation
Explicit heavenly-witness citation
Locator: Explicit heavenly-witness citation; Galiza and Reeve, AUSS 56.1 (2018): 63–89
Open sourceRoster distinctions
- GA 635 does not contain the Comma.
- The ten Greek witnesses contain heterogeneous forms and are not ten exact final-TR copies.
- Codex Speculum is a non-continuous collection of biblical quotations. The Fragmenta Frisingensia and the León Palimpsest are the earliest continuous Latin biblical witnesses listed here.
- Codex Fuldensis omits the Comma in its biblical text. Its prologue is separate literary evidence and is not counted as a biblical-text witness.
- The three Fulgentius rows are separate works, not duplicate database records.
Evidence notes
Important distinctions in the evidence.
- GA 635 does not contain the Comma.
- The ten Greek witnesses contain heterogeneous forms and are not ten exact final-TR copies.
- Codex Speculum is a non-continuous collection of biblical quotations. The Fragmenta Frisingensia and the León Palimpsest are the earliest continuous Latin biblical witnesses listed here.
- Codex Fuldensis omits the Comma in its biblical text. Its prologue is separate literary evidence and is not counted as a biblical-text witness.
- The three Fulgentius rows are separate works, not duplicate database records.
Evidence assessment
Why the KJV reading is retained
Ten late Greek manuscripts contain a Comma form: five in the biblical text and five as later marginal variants. The forms are heterogeneous rather than ten identical copies of the final Textus Receptus wording. The overwhelming Greek transmission omits the clause. The reading has an earlier and broader Latin reception, beginning with related third-century usage, an explicit complete form in Priscillian, a fifth-century non-continuous Scripture-quotation witness, and seventh-century continuous Latin biblical witnesses.
Primary support for the KJV reading
Late heterogeneous Greek presence witnesses with much earlier Latin literary and biblical reception
Evidence represented on this page
Evidence types, without turning rows into votes.
GreekRepresented
LatinRepresented
Other versionsRepresented
FathersRepresented
Printed editionsRepresented
Separate evidence category
Printed editions and reception history
Printed editions are presented apart from handwritten manuscripts and ancient versions. Edition-group summaries appear first; named supporting and competing editions then follow chronologically.
Edition evidence for both readings
Sources for the dates and readings in this section
Catalogued records
10
Named / aggregate
10 / 0
Date span
AD 1514–1611
| Witness | Date range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Complutensian Polyglot Named witnessPrinted edition | AD 1514–1520 | Contains the Comma |
Erasmus 1st Edition Named witnessCompeting witness | AD 1516 | Does not contain the Comma |
Erasmus 2nd Edition Named witnessCompeting witness | AD 1519 | Does not contain the Comma |
Erasmus 3rd Edition Named witnessPrinted edition | AD 1522 | Contains the Comma |
Stephanus Greek NT Named witnessPrinted edition | AD 1550 | Contains the Comma |
Geneva Bible Named witnessPrinted edition | AD 1560 | Contains the Comma |
Beza Greek NT Named witnessPrinted edition | AD 1565–1598 | Contains the Comma |
Douay–Rheims New Testament Named witnessPrinted edition | AD 1582 | English Catholic New Testament containing the Comma |
Clementine Vulgate Named witnessPrinted edition | AD 1592 | Official Clementine edition containing the Comma |
King James Bible Named witnessPrinted edition | AD 1611 | English received-text translation containing the Comma |
References
Editions and works cited.
Institut für Neutestamentliche Textforschung. New Testament Virtual Manuscript Room. Münster: University of Münster.
Aland, Barbara, et al., eds. Novum Testamentum Graece. 28th rev. ed. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 2012.
Robinson, Maurice A., and William G. Pierpont. The New Testament in the Original Greek: Byzantine Textform 2018. Nürnberg: VTR Publications, 2018.
Tyndale House, Cambridge, ed. The Greek New Testament. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017.
Elijah Hixson, The Greek Manuscripts of the Comma Johanneum
ECM Catholic Letters / official CBGM 2.0
INTF Kurzgefasste Liste / NTVMR manuscript metadata
Rodrigo B. Galiza and John W. Reeve, The Johannine Comma (1 John 5:7–8): The Status of Its Textual History and Theological Usage in English, Greek, and Latin. Andrews University Seminary Studies 56.1 (2018): 63–89.
Vetus Latina New Testament manuscript register (ITSEE, University of Birmingham). VL 64, Fragmenta Frisingensia, including the seventh-century Catholic-Epistle replacement leaves.