“There are three that bear record in heaven…” 1 John 5:7

“There are three that bear record in heaven…” 1 John 5:7

2021-12 - Presented by Edward Bender

 

     “7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.” The words in italics are simply not a part of the generally accepted New Testament manuscripts. Regrettably, in this particular passage some other versions read essentially the same.

 

     “Most Bible commentaries that mention this addition tell us that it is a spurious comment added to the biblical text. Consider the words of The New Bible Commentary: Revised: “Notice that AV [the Authorized Version] includes additional material at this point. But the words are clearly a gloss [an added note] and are rightly excluded by RSV [the Revised Standard Version] even from its margins” (1970, p. 1269).

     “Many other more recent Bible versions likewise recognize the spurious added text and omit it, including the New International Version, American Standard Version and New American Standard Bible, English Standard

Version, New English Bible and Revised English Bible, New American Bible,

Jerusalem Bible and New Jerusalem Bible, Good News Bible, New Living

Translation, Holman Christian Standard Bible, Bible in Basic English and the Twentieth Century New Testament.”                                    –Beyond Today Online

“7 There are three that testify:[b] 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree.”  (RSV).

“Some English versions have a shorter rendition of 1 John 5:7 and 8 than the KJV quoted above.  The King James Version has words that support the Trinity that most modern versions do not have.  How can this be?  The reason that there are different translations of this verse is that some Greek texts contain an addition that was not original, and that addition was placed into some English versions, such as the KJV (the words added to some Greek texts are underlined in the quotation above).  The note in the NIV Study Bible, which is well known for its ardent belief in the Trinity, says, “The addition is not found

in any Greek manuscript or NT translation prior to the 16th century.”                                         --Biblical Unitaria

 

NIV

KJV, NKJV & GB

 

For there are three that

For there are three that testify

bear record

 

in heaven, the Father, the

OMIT

Word, and

OMIT

the Holy Ghost: and these

OMIT

three are one.

OMIT

And there are three that

OMIT

bear record

OMIT

in earth,

OMIT

the Spirit, and the water,

the Spirit, the water, and the

and the blood

blood;

and these three agree in

and the three are in agreement.

one".

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“6 This is HE who, CAME by Water and Blood, --Jesus the ANOINTED one; not by the WATER only but by the WATER and by the BLOOD: and the SPIRIT is THAT which TESTIFIES, Because the SPIRIT is TRUTH. 7 For there are THREE which TESTIFY:  8 the SPIRIT, and the WATER, and the BLOOD: and the THREE are of one.” 1 John 5:6-8, Diaglott.

“6 This is he who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. 7 And the Spirit is the witness, because the Spirit is the truth. 8 There are three witnesses, the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree.” 1 John 5:6-8, RSV/REB.

 

“6 This is the one who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ, not with the water only but with the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one that testifies, for the Spirit is the truth. 7 There are three that testify:[b] 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree.” 1 John 5:6-8, NRSV.

 

“6 This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus Christ. Not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. And it is the Spirit that testified because the Spirit, because the Spirit it is the truth. 7 For there are three who testify, 8 the spirit and the water and the blood; and the three agree in one.”  1 John 5:6-8, N.E.V.

 

“6 This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not [g]with the water only, but [h]with the water and [i]with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 [j]the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are [k]in agreement.” 1 John 5:6-9 NASB.

 

“6 Jesus Christ is the one who came by water and blood—not by the water only, but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify, 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood, and these three are in agreement.” 1 John 5:6-9, NET/NEB.

 

“6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not [a]with the water only, but [b]with the water and [c]with the blood. 7 And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is the truth. 8 For there are three who bear witness, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and the three agree in one.” 1 John 5:6-8, ASV, NASV.

 

“6 This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree.” 1 John 5:6-8, ESV.

 

“6 This is the one who came through water and blood,[b] Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and blood. The Spirit is the one that testifies, and the Spirit is truth. 7 So there are three that testify, 8 the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and the three are of one accord.” 1 John 5:6-8, NAB.

 

“6 Jesus Christ who came by water and blood, not with water only, but with water and blood; with the Spirit as another witness—since the Spirit is the truth—7  so that there are three witnesses, 8 the Spirit, the water and the blood, and all three of the agree.” 1 John 5:6-8, JB/NJB. [This is a Catholic Bible.]