1 John 5:7-8 — "The Comma Johanneum"

The Church of God (Cleveland) has a nuanced position on 1 John 5:7-8 (the Comma Johanneum). While the Church affirms Trinitarian doctrine strongly, it acknowledges scholarly evidence that the lengthy Trinitarian clause in the Greek text ('the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one') is not found in the earliest manuscripts and is likely a later addition.

The Church does not build its Trinitarian theology primarily on this passage but rather on clearer passages like John 1:1, Matthew 28:19, and 1 Corinthians 13:14. The affirmation of the Trinity is firm, but the Church recognizes that 1 John 5:7-8 in its longer form is textually disputed. The passage may be used supportively but is not essential to the doctrine.