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MARK - Those who believe in the triune God quote scriptures such as the following to support their belief.
1 John 5: 7:
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.How do we respond to this?
JOEL - There is a well known issue concerning the phrase, "in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one". This phrase is not found in the oldest Greek manuscripts of 1 John that contain verse 7, and none of the very early church fathers include it when quoting or referencing 1 John 5:7. This phrase is called the "Comma Johanneum" and in Greek manuscripts it is not seen until the 15th century A.D.
Some ancient scribe, either intentionally or accidentally added the phrase to a Latin manuscript, perhaps to clarify the meaning, and then that addition was copied thousands of times and was perpetuated through many Bible translations including the King James translation.
The NIV translation of the Bible correctly omits that phrase. It says only:
7. For there are three that testify:
If you include verse 8 it makes it more understandable what the true meaning is:
8. Just as the spirit, water and blood are in agreement, so too are the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost are in agreement.
This relates to what Jesus suggested in Matthew that His disciples should be one in agreement and purpose like He and His Father are; not three beings in one.
"And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:" (John 17:11,21,22)
Because the Comma Johanneum phrase was something that was added to the Bible it is not a legitimate reference to the concept of the trinity and it should therefore come under the condemnation of the Revelation scripture (Revelation 22:18) against adding to the scriptures like many claim the Book of Mormon does.
Since we don't have the original manuscripts of everything in the bible how can we know that other things have not been added to other translations like this one was? Hence the reason for our 8th article of faith, "We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly."
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