Nuanced
Later Latin interpolation; absent from earliest Greek MSS; Trinity independently affirmed
Southern Baptist biblical scholarship recognizes the 'Comma Johanneum' (1 John 5:7-8) as a later Latin interpolation, absent from the earliest Greek manuscripts. Modern Baptist study Bibles note this textual issue, and Baptist scholars acknowledge the later origin of this verse. However, this does not disturb Baptist affirmation of the Trinity, which is grounded in the fuller witness of Scripture, the ecumenical creeds, and the BFM2000.
Baptist theology recognizes that the Trinity is so robustly attested throughout Scripture that its truth does not depend on any single verse. The textual question is acknowledged; the doctrinal conviction remains firm.
Key Distinctions
- Textual status:
- later Latin interpolation; absent from earliest Greek MSS
- Trinitarian grounding:
- firmly established throughout Scripture and creeds
- Canonical status:
Scripture References
Sources
- Baptist Faith and Message (2000)