Johanneum Comma and Clement of Alexandria: Difference between revisions

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[[image:Clement_alexandrin.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Clement of Alexandria]]
#REDIRECT [[Johannine Comma and Clement of Alexandria]]
[[image:Clement_1_John_5.7.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Clement of Alexandria with allusions to the Comma Johanneum [https://books.google.com.au/books?id=P2nWxN5XVfYC&pg=PA46&dq=%22before+the+Father+and+the+Son+and+the+Holy+Spirit;+before+whom%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjx1b-btu_oAhUt63MBHQUjBCoQ6AEIMDAB#v=onepage&q&f=false].]]
Another reference that is studied is from [[Clement of Alexandria]] (c. [[200 AD|200]]) in ''[http://www.poesialatina.it/_ns/Greek/testi/Clemens/Eclogae_propheticae.html Prophetic Extracts]'':
:Every promise is valid before two or '''<u>three witnesses</u>''', before '''<u>the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit</u>'''; before whom, '''<u>as witnesses</u>''' and helpers, what are called the commandments ought to be kept. <small>''Eclogae propheticae 13.1''[https://books.google.com/books?id=GX4UAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA277 Ben David, Monthly Review, 1826 p. 277)]</small>
 
In Greek comparison to the text of Beza's 1598:
 
:Πᾶν ῥῆμα ἵσταται ἐπὶ δύο καὶ '''<u>τριῶν</u>''' '''<u>μαρτύρων</u>''', ἐπὶ '''<u>πατρὸς</u>''' καὶ '''<u>υἱοῦ</u>''' '''<u>καὶ                ἁγίου πνεύματος</u>''', ἐφ᾿ ὧν <u>μαρτύρων</u> [[https://scaife.perseus.org/reader/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0555.tlg005.opp-grc1:13/?highlight](Clement)
 
:ὅτι '''<u>τρεῖς</u>''' εἰσιν οἱ '''<u>μαρτυροῦντες</u>''' εν τῷ οὐρανῷ, ὁ '''<u>πατήρ</u>''', ὁ '''<u>λόγος</u>''', '''<u>καὶ</u>''' τὸ '''<u>ἅγιον Πνεῦμα</u>'''· (Beza)
 
With some of the non highlighted words removed, a comparison is clearer. Note, Logos and Uios are placed side by side as synonymous here. The Π in Πνεῦμα was also made small, for better comparison:
{|border=1 cellpadding=5 style="text-align:left; border-collapse: collapse;
|-
!|Clement
!|Beza 1598
|-
|valign=top align=left|τριῶν
|valign=top align=left|τρεῖς
|-
|valign=top align=left|μαρτύρων
|valign=top align=left|μαρτυροῦντες
|-
|valign=top align=left|πατρὸς
|valign=top align=left|πατήρ
|-
|valign=top align=left|υἱοῦ
|valign=top align=left|λόγος
|-
|valign=top align=left|καὶ
|valign=top align=left|καὶ
|-
|valign=top align=left|ἁγίου
|valign=top align=left|ἅγιον
|-
|valign=top align=left|πνεύματος
|valign=top align=left|πνεῦμα
|-
|}
 
This is seen by some such as [[Johann Albrecht Bengel|Bengel]], [[John Gill]], Ben David, and Thomas Burgess, as allusion evidence that Clement was familiar with the verse.
 
We can also compare this to [[Matthew 28:19]], in which it is difficult not to see the similarities:
 
:'''<u>πατρὸς καὶ</u>''' ...... '''<u>υἱοῦ</u>''' '''<u>καὶ</u>''' ...... '''<u>ἁγίου πνεύματος</u>''' (Clement)
:'''<u>Πατρὸς καὶ</u>''' τοῦ '''<u>Υἱοῦ</u>''' '''<u>καὶ</u>''' τοῦ '''<u>Ἁγίου Πνεύματος</u>''' (Beza)
:'''<u>πατήρ</u>''', ........ ὁ '''<u>λόγος</u>''', '''<u>καὶ</u>''' τὸ '''<u>ἅγιον Πνεῦμα</u>'''· (Beza - 1 John 5:7)
 
But, this does not explain why Clement spoke of witnesses twice, in a verse with a clear reference to the Father, Son, and Spirit, with μαρτύρων appearing twice.
 
Critics of the Comma claim that is absent from an extant fragment of Clement through [[Cassiodorus]] (6th century), with homily style verse references from 1 John, including verse [[1 John 5:6]] and [[1 John 5:8]] without verse 7, the heavenly witnesses.
 
:He says, "This is He who came by water and blood"; and again, - For there are three that bear witness, the spirit, which is life, and the water, which is regeneration and faith, and the blood, which is knowledge; "and these three are one. For in the Saviour are those saving virtues, and life itself exists in His own Son."<small>[http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/clement-fragments.html "Fragments of Clemens Alexandrius"], translated by Rev. William Wilson, section 3.</small>
 
Charles Forster in [https://books.google.com/books?id=EKwCAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA54 ''A new plea for the authenticity of the text of the three heavenly witnesses'' p 54-55 (1867)] notes that the quote of verse 6 is partial, bypassing phrases in verse 6 as well as verse 7. And that Clement's "words ''et iterum'' clearly mark the interpolation of other topics and intervening text, between the two quotations". ''Et iterum'' is "and again" in the English translation.
 
According to the UBS textual apparatus, support for this shorter reading is found in Clement of Alexandria (before 215).
 
==See Also==
* [[Johanneum Comma]]
* [[Clement of Alexandria]]
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Latest revision as of 08:08, 13 May 2020