I do understand what you're saying. I spoke to Jehovahs witnesses and Muslims, and i longed for something like 1 Jn 5:7.
But the question isn't what I want in my Bible, a JW or Muslim will immediately point out that this verse isn't in the oldest manuscripts. They'll rightly assert that it was most likely inserted at a later date. They will then dismiss any other argument I make because now I appear to not know the history of my own book.
The issue isn't what would I like. It's what did God say.
The oldest manuscripts are not the most reliable. Just because something is older does not make it more reliable. That is a flawed assumption. Time does not make something automatically more trust worthy. The devil existed in the Garden and corrupted God's Word even back in the beginning of time. The way to test something is not by Historical Science but it is by Observational Science.
For we do not have a time machine to confirm what is in the past. We can only go by what we see today by doing a fruits test on the two different vines (i.e. the Textus Receptus vs. the Critical Text).
However, on the other hand, if you want Historical Science, here ya go:
A Trail of Evidence:
We find mention of 1 John 5:7, from about 200 AD through the 1500s. Here is a useful timeline of references to this verse:
200 AD Tertullian wrote "which three are one" based on the verse in his
Against Praxeas, chapter 25.
250 AD Cyprian of Carthage, wrote, "And again, of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost it is written: "And the three are One" in his
On The Lapsed, On the Novatians, (
see note for Old Latin)
350 AD Priscillian referred to it [Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum, Academia Litterarum Vindobonensis, vol. xviii, p. 6.]
350 AD Idacius Clarus referred to it [Patrilogiae Cursus Completus, Series Latina by Migne, vol. 62, col. 359.]
350 AD Athanasius referred to it in his
De Incarnatione
398 AD Aurelius Augustine used it to defend Trinitarianism in
De Trinitate against the heresy of Sabellianism
415 AD Council of Carthage appealed to 1 John 5:7 when debating the Arian belief (Arians didn't believe in the deity of Jesus Christ)
450-530 AD Several orthodox African writers quoted the verse when defending the doctrine of the Trinity against the gainsaying of the Vandals. These writers are:
A) Vigilius Tapensis in
"Three Witnesses in Heaven"
B) Victor Vitensis in his
Historia persecutionis[Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum, Academia Litterarum Vindobonensis, vol. vii, p. 60.]
C) Fulgentius in
"The Three Heavenly Witnesses" [Patrilogiae Cursus Completus, Series Latina by Migne, vol. 65, col. 500.]
500 AD Cassiodorus cited it [Patrilogiae Cursus Completus, Series Latina by Migne, vol. 70, col. 1373.]
550 AD
Old Latin ms r has it
550 AD The "Speculum" has it [The Speculum is a treatise that contains some good Old Latin scriptures.]
750 AD Wianburgensis referred to it
800 AD Jerome's Vulgate has it [It was not in Jerome's original Vulgate, but was brought in about 800 AD from good Old Latin manuscripts.]
1000s AD miniscule 635 has it
1150 AD minuscule ms 88 in the margin
1300s AD miniscule 629 has it
157-1400 AD Waldensian (that is, Vaudois) Bibles have the verse
1500 AD ms 61 has the verse
Even Nestle's 26th edition Greek New Testament, based upon the corrupt Alexandrian text, admits that these and other important manuscripts have the verse: 221 v.l.; 2318 Vulgate [Claromontanus]; 629; 61; 88; 429 v.l.; 636 v.l.; 918; l; r.
Source:
A Trail of Evidence.
