Editing Article:And These Three Are One by Jesse Boyd (section)

==Literary Analysis==

In addition to the matter of historical context, the literary context of [[1 John 5:7|I John 5:7]]-[[1 John 5:8|8]] demands our attention.  All three levels of literary analysis—canonical, remote, and immediate contexts—are important.  With regard to the text's place in the New Testament canon, the Johannine Comma is the only clear affirmation of the [[Trinity]] throughout the entire [[New Testament]].  Apart from it, the triune nature of God is only arrived at after having pieced numerous passages together (e.g. [[Matthew 28:18]] + [[John 10:30]] + [[John 1:1]] + [[Acts 5:3]]-[[Acts 5:4|4).If a later scribe interpolated the passage to make a case for the Trinity, there are many other places that it could have been inserted so as to disguise its spuriousness.  For example, the statement "these three are one" would have made a nice addition to the phrase "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" in [[Matthew 28:19]].
The Johannine Comma also fits the remote context of the entire epistle of I John.  This can be seen by focusing upon the book's genre.  I John has long been classified as an epistle proper, a letter written to simply edify other believers in the faith.  However, it lacks the external form as is characteristic of other New Testament epistles.  I John contains no formal greeting or benediction, and the author and readers are not mentioned or specified.  Hayes argues, "There is no suggestion of any particular occasion for the writing of I John.  It might have been written at almost any time and in almost any place and under almost any conditions.  Its contents are suitable for all times and places and conditions of men."[13]These facts have caused some to cast aside the notion of "epistolary form" in favor of the theological treatise such as is found in the Book of Hebrews.  However, this classification also has its problems because I John is not "a production sent forth in the form of a treatise, but a thoroughly epistolary outpouring of thought and feelings."[14]

Perhaps the best classification of I John can be arrived at by blending epistle and treatise.  Vedder argues that the affinities of this book are with the Wisdom literature.  He writes, "The lack of continuity of thought, so perplexing to those who persist in regarding this as epistolary in literary form, becomes appropriate and even characteristic in a composition of the Wisdom order."[15]In other words, one sees a collection on brief essays or thought, more or less connected to a general theme - the fellowship of the believer.  "A brief prologue states this theme, and an equally brief epilogue sums up what the writer regards as the chief things established by what he has written."[16]One, however, cannot completely dismiss the epistolary connotation.  I John is a letter in which the author expresses a personal relation to a definite class of readers.  "The writer is concerned throughout with a given situation.  He takes for granted that his readers are acquainted with the persons and events he has in mind, and makes allusions, in almost every paragraph, to which the clue has now been lost."[17]With all of this in mind, the word "Epistolary Treatise" can be coined to fit I John.  The Book contains numerous brief discourses dealing with a wide range of subjects.  At the same time, however, while the Apostle chooses not to use the set epistolary forms, he approaches the readers as a community, briefly addressing them in the prologue (1:1-4) as well as the epilogue (5:21).Furthermore, the theological discussions contained therein are laced with personal emotion and feeling which is common in New Testament epistles.

How does the genre of I John relate to the Comma?  If the book is properly recognized as an "Epistolary Treatise," then the theological teaching contained in 5:7-8 fits the structure of the epistle neatly.  Such a statement, in fact, would be expected.  The Epistle of I John can be broken down in the following manner: 

I.  Prologue (1:1-4) 

II.  Our Advocate (1:8-2:2) 

III.  Obedience (2:3-6) 

IV.  Purpose (2:12-14) 

V.  Love of the World (2:15-17) 

VI.  Antichrist (2:18-28) 

VII.  Character of God's Children (2:29-3:12) 

IX.  Love (3:13-24) 

X.  Test of the Spirit (3:24-4:6) 

XI.  God is Love (4:7-21) 

XII.  Victory of Faith (5:1-5) 

XIII.  Three Witnesses (5:6-13) 

XIV.  Prayer (5:14-17) 

XV.  Epilogue[18] 


Each aforementioned section, excluding the prologue and epilogue, constitutes a brief discourse on a different theological topic.  While no particular order is apparent, each discourse serves to heighten the readers understanding of Christian fellowship, the overriding theme of I John. 

The Comma is found in the midst of a brief discourse dealing with three witnesses.  This discourse contributes to the overall theme of the Book by promulgating a consequence of Christian fellowship, the verification of Christ's credentials.  The Comma, nicely aligned with the structure of the entire book, shows plainly that Christ is one with the Father and the Spirit as he bears witness in heaven. At the same time, his baptism, crucifixion, and the earthly ministry of the Holy Spirit bear witness on earth.  It is these witnesses that verify Christ's identity as the Son of God.  In light of these facts, the believer can have fellowship with God Almighty.  If the Comma is omitted from the passage, the structure breaks down.  The theological argument of 5:6-12 becomes vague and one is left trying to figure out how to apply these verses.  They most definitely do not fall in line with the preceding discourse (Victory of Faith) or the one that follows (Prayer). 

Finally, I John 5:7-8 fits the immediate context; in fact, it is an indispensable component of the surrounding verses.  [[Bruce Metzger|Metzger]], in his [[Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament]], argues that "as regards intrinsic probability, the passage [[[The Johannine Comma]]] makes an awkward break in the sense."[19]Upon close examination of the immediate context, however, one finds that this assertion is far from true.  For example, if the Comma is omitted, verse 6 and verse 8 are thrown together, "which gives a very bald, awkward, and meaningless repetition of the Spirit's witness twice in immediate succession."[20]Furthermore, the omission causes the concluding phrase of verse 8 (and these three agree in one) to contain an unintelligible reference.[21]What is "that one" (to en) to which "these three" are said to agree?  In other words, "that one" in verse 8 which designates One to whom the reader has already been introduced does not have antecedent presence in the passage.  "Let verse 7 stand, and all is clear, and the three earthly witnesses testify to that aforementioned unity which the Father, Word, and Spirit constitute."[22]The passage makes absolutely no sense if the Comma is omitted.  The phrase "in earth" in verse 8 as well as the entire ninth verse would also have to be knocked out to regain the sense because both infer that the "witness of God," as promulgated in the Comma, has already been introduced. 

In a slightly broader immediate context, John has asserted in the previous six verses that faith is the bond of the believer's spiritual life and his consequent victory over the world.  Such faith must have a solid warrant, and the truth by which it is to be assured is none other than the Sonship and Deity of Jesus Christ (cf. I John 5:5, 11, 12, 20).This warrant is first presented in 5:6, in Jesus' earthly ministry and the witness of the Holy Ghost speaking by way of inspired men.  In 5:7, it comes in the words of the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit, asserting and confirming by miracles the unity of Christ with God the Father.  Thirdly, the warrant appears in 5:8 through the work of the Holy Spirit in conjunction with Christ's baptism and crucifixion, all of which verify the atoning work of the Saviour.[23]Finally, as promulgated in 5:10, the warrant lies in the spiritual consciousness of the believer himself, certifying to him his divine charge.  "How harmonious is all thus if we accept the 7th verse as genuine, but if we omit it, the very keystone of the arch is wanting, and the crowning proof that the warrant of our faith is divine (5:9) is struck out."[24]