T he longer reading technically known as the comma johanneum is wellknown from the kjv. Cyprian was persecuted again and did not flee from the charges. Schaff, in commenting on cyprians persistent opposition to the pope says. It became a touchpoint for protestant and catholic debates over the doctrine of the trinity in the early modern period.
The omission of the johannine comma involves a grammatical difficulty. Cyprian takes as his model a work on a similar subject by his teacher, tertullian. Timothy dunkin is the author of an online apologetic entitled, a defense of the johannine comma. Comma johanneum is a passage affirming the trinity that appears in 1 john 5.
In fact, it is an argument among cters that the comma was an interpolation that found its way into the text from st. The comma, interpreted a certain way, could actually bolster the sabellian view of the oneness of the father, son, and holy ghost. The support for the comma johanneum in greek manuscripts is staggeringly poor. I and the father are one within the immediate context and use that as their starting point. This clearly shows that cyprian was aware of the comma to the extent that even the anti comma proponent, scrivener, admits this. Still, it is interesting to note that the official text used by the greek orthodox church includes the johannine comma. The appearance of the comma johanneum has many intriguing faces in history. Wallace notes that although cyprian uses 1 john to argue for the trinity, he appeals to this as an. It is true that facundus, a 6thcentury african bishop, interpreted cyprian as referring to the following verse, but, as scrivener 1883 remarks, it is surely safer and more candid to admit that cyprian read the johannine comma in his new testament. The comma johanneum, also known as the comma johannine, is a textual variant in regards to 1 john 5. Out of about 500 extant greek copies of first john, four of them have the comma johanneum in the text. The words spirit, water, and blood are neuter in gender, but in 1 john 5. Therefore, cyprian is quoting et tres unum sunt and three one theyare from 1 john 5.
Why would the johannine comma be absent from some greek manuscripts, but present in the latin manuscripts. And it is the spirit that beareth witness, because the spirit is truth. The comma johanneum and cyprian related media he noted that i had not mentioned cyprian in my essay on this text and that some kjv only folks claimed that cyprian actually quoted the form that appears in the kjv for there are three that bear record in heaven, the father, the word, and the holy ghost. Second, he argues against the sabellians chapters 2628.
Aside from those who refer to cyprian, the eastern fathers are silent about the comma, and in the west it is nowhere to be mentioned in any of the voluminous treatises of st. The first edition of the textus receptus did not contain the comma. One of the most hotly contested passages of scripture is so well known that it has a name the comma johanneum, or johannine comma. Introduction the word comma comes from the greek, meaning a cutoff piece, or, when applied to texts, it means a short clause. The following is a work in progress, an interesting diversion that i attend to from time to time as a curiosity. Comma publications, 1995 38, not only quotes from this passage but also speaks of the significance of cyprians comment, quoting kenyons textual criticism of the new. Upon his execution he became the first bishopmartyr of africa.
He is hereby challenged to a public debate on a number of his statements concerning the comma johanneum and his advocacy of johannine originality. Mar 04, 2020 well we need not assume it is a quote from the comma to do that. Boek maken downloaden als pdf printvriendelijke versie. Cyprian, early christian theologian and bishop of carthage who led the christians of north africa during a period of persecution from rome. The johannine comma is found in twentynine of the fairest, oldest, and most correct of extant vulgate manuscripts maynard, a history of the debate over 1 john 5. Wallace merkt op, dat, ook al lijkt cyprianus i johannes te gebruiken. The english standard version, on the other hand, does not contain the comma johanneum and the esv has no footnote in first john 5. It is also in the text of the nkjv and modern english version with a footnote. Of all the passages in the bible, few have caused as much controversy as 1 john 5. The passage is called the johannine comma and is not found in the majority of greek manuscripts. There is a clause present in the kjv and a few other translations that most modern bibles dont include.
Only 11 late greek manuscripts contain the comma, with 6 of them having it in the margin by an even later hand. Cyprian is a possible witness to the comma, but his testimony may itself be a gloss on scripture rather than a direct quotation. The trinitarian formula known as the comma johanneum made its way into the third edition of erasmus greek nt 1522 because of pressure from the catholic church. If the johannine comma is rejected, it is hard to explain this irregularity. The passage is translated from textus receptus, a greek text published in the 16th century. Evidence for the early existence of the johannine comma is found in the latin versions and in the writings of the latin church. For there are three hat bear t record in heaven, the father, the word, and the holy ghost.
This comma is omitted from most modern translations of the bible because most greek manuscripts do not have them. Erasmus and the comma johanneum the history of thc sludy of the new testament is far fiom being a subject of wide populai inteiest, even among new testament scholais themselves1 yet there is onc episodc in this histoiy which is suiprisingly well known among both theologians and nontheologians i refei to the history of the comma. The johannine comma was returned to the text by erasmus in his 1522 edition at the persistence of other scholars of that time. After his first edition appeared 1516, there arose such a furor over the absence of the comma that erasmus needed to defend himself. This clearly shows that cyprian was aware of the comma to the. Sep 12, 2017 the johannine comma is found in twentynine of the fairest, oldest, and most correct of extant vulgate manuscripts maynard, a history of the debate over 1 john 5.
Matthew henry on the comma johanneum, cyprian, thomas aquinas, and the complutensian polyglot this post originated from a meme and a post in the confessional bibliology facebook group and from the claim of a popular. The niv2011 and the holman christian standard bible do not have the comma johanneum. The word comma simply means short clause, and johanneum means pertaining to john. This clause is so controversial, it even has its own name. The johannine comma says nothing about the incarnation or the manifestation of the deity. The johannine comma, as it is called, is a sequence of extra words in 1 john 5. First, we straightforwardly concede that the johannine comma has the least greek supportive evidence by far of any new testament passage. Introduction the charges made against the johannine comma. The evidence of these three manuscripts, however, is not regarded as very weighty, since the first two are thought to have taken this disputed reading from early printed greek texts and the latter like 61 from the vulgate.
In this case, comma refers not to punctuation but to a clause. Jan 24, 2011 it is interesting that michael maynard, a tr advocate who has written a fairly thick volume defending the comma a history of the debate over 1 john 5. As with tertullian, cyprian would not have given the full quotation because the comma has the word instead of the son. The missing statement had been a part of the latin vulgate for over 1,000 years, and the catholic church, who, in all their faults, was correct in their belief in the trinity, and urged erasmus to include the statement. Mcdonald, biblical criticism in early modern europe. Also it has been pointed out by some scholars that cyprian was one who quotes copiously and textually.
Th ese supporters have found versions which omit the passage without mention. However, there is much to be offered in defending its inclusion in scripture. It shows up at a time and place when many interesting things are occuring. The comma appears in just ten 10th18th century greek manuscripts, in the margins of half of them. This is he that came by water and blood, even jesus christ. The letters in this volume cover the period from mid251 to 254, and reveal details of the persecution under gallus, and the african council meetings over the years 251253. Comma johanneum is an interpolated phrase in verse 5. Nowhere else in scripture do we find the words and these three are one.
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