Bible Query – Early Manuscripts of 1 John
November 15, 2009
Q: In 1 Jn, what are early New
Testament manuscripts we have preserved today?
A: Here are many of them.
p9 (=Papyrus
Oxyrhynchus 402) 1 John 4:11-12,14-17 third century. The Complete Text of
the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts p.70 has a picture of this
manuscript, and it says the handwriting was not by a trained scribe, it was
written carelessly, and some of the spellings are unintelligible.
3rd
century - 1968 - The Text of the New Testament
3rd century - 1998 - Aland et al. Fourth Revised Edition
p74 (=Bodmer 17)
Acts 1:2-5,7-11,13-15,18-19,22-25; 2:2-4; 2:6-3:26; 4:2-6,8-27; 4:29-27:25;
27:27-28:31; James 1:1-6,8-19,21-23,25,27; 2:1-3,5-15; 18-22, 25-26;
3:1,5-6,10-12,14,17-18; 4:8,11-14; 5:1-3,7-9,12-14,19-20; 1 Peter
1:1-2,7-8,13,19-20,25; 2:6-7,11-12,18,24; 3:4-5; 2 Peter 2:21; 3:4,11,16; 1
John 1:1,6; 2:1-2,7,13-14,18-19,25-26; 3:1-2,8,14,19-20;
4:1,6-7,12,16-17;5:3-4,9-10,17; 2 John 1,6-7,13; 3 John 6,12; Jude 3,7,12,18,24
(7th century)
7th
century - 1968 - The Text of the New Testament has James 2:4 and 1 Peter
1:12
7th
century - 1975 - Aland et al. Third Edition
6th century - 1998 - Aland et al. Fourth Revised Edition
Vaticanus
[B] (325-350 A.D.), Sinaiticus [Si] (340-350 A.D.), and Alexandrinus
[A] (c.450 A.D) have all of 1 John.
Bohairic Coptic
3rd/4th century
Sahidic Coptic
3rd/4rth century
Peshitta
Syriac [Syr P] 411-435 A.D... Over 350 manuscripts.
Philoxenian
Syriac 507/508 A.D. Bishop Philoxenus of Mabug
Harclean
Syriac [Syr H] 616.A.D Thomas of Harkel
Ephraemi Rescriptus
5th century
Armenian
[Arm] from 5th century
Georgian
[Geo] from 5th century
Ethiopic
[Eth] from c.500 A.D.
Q: In 1 Jn, what are the manuscript variations with the Textus
Receptus, the basis for the KJV?
A: Jay P. Green, Sr. in the Interlinear Bible records
variations in approximately 62 words between the Textus Receptus and the
majority text. These are in 21 places. 25 of the words are in one place. Green
does not record any additional alternates.
Q: In 1 Jn, what are some of the
manuscript variations?
A: The book of 1 John has a total of 2,141 Greek words in
104 verses (not counting the Johanine comma). This is the count in both Aland
et al. 3rd edition and Aland et al. 4th revised edition, including 6 words in
brackets. You can see the text of the 3rd edition on-line at
http://www.greekbible.com. 1 John has an estimated word-for-word accuracy
of 98.4%, with 35 words in question. (Since the 25 words of 1 John 5:7-8 is
almost certainly an addition, that is not counted.) The other variations are in
27 verses (30 places). Of these, 29 are single word.
Below are the variations with the primary
choice and the top alternate choice. Aland et al 4th revised edition and
3rd edition), from which this primarily is based, also give a judgment
of the degree of certainty per variation. The list below does not include many
places where the the evidence for a particular reading is so strong that the
alternatives are very unlikely. See the next question for which manuscripts
support which variant.
1 Jn 1:4a
“our” vs. “your” (1 letter difference)
1 Jn 1:4b
“our” vs. “your” (1 letter difference)
1 Jn 1:7
“blood of Jesus” (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Ephraemi Rescriptus, Coptic, Latin,
Syriac) vs. “blood of Jesus Christ” (Byzantine)
1 Jn 2:4
“the truth” vs. “the truth” (additional word for the)
1 Jn 2:6
“so to walk “ vs. “to walk”
1 Jn 2:7a “friends” (most manuscripts) vs “brothers” (K, L,
Byzantine) (1 word not counted in the totals)
1 Jn 2:7b “heard” vs. “heard from the beginning” (K, L) (2
words not counted in the totals)
1 Jn 2:14a “I wrote” (most manuscripts) vs. “I wrote” (some
Byzantine, so not counted in the totals)
1 Jn 2:14b
“I worked” vs. “I wrote”
1 Jn 2:17 “lust of it” vs. “lust” (not counted in the
totals)
1 Jn 2:18
“that the Antichrist” vs. “that Antichrist”
1 Jn 2:20
“all” (singular vs. plural)
1 Jn 2:23 “neither the Father, whoever confess the Son also
has the Father” vs. “neither the Father” (K, L, most miniscules, Tetus
Receptus) (8 words not counted in the totals)
1 Jn 2:25 “us” (most manuscripts) vs. “you (plural) (only
Vaticanus, Italic h, so 1 word not counted in the totals)
1 Jn 2:27 “[the] his anointing” vs. “[the] of him anointing”
(only Alexandrinus, K, L, Bohairic Coptic) (1 letter difference) (1 word not
counted in the totals)
1 Jn 2:28 “if he should appear” vs. “when he should appear)
(only most of the Byzantine tradition so not counted in the totals)
1 Jn 2:25
“us” (Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus, Ephraemi Rescriptus, Byzantine Lectionary,
Sahidic Coptic, Bohairic Coptic, Armenian) vs. “you” (plural) (Vaticanus)
1 Jn 3:1 “And that is what we are” vs. (absent) (New Age
Bible Versions Refuted p.19 says the Greek evidence for “And such as we
are” is overwhelming, and the KJV was incorrect to omit it. A Textual
Commentary of the New Testament 2nd edition p.642 points out that this is
in both Alexandrian and Western types of text. (2 words but not counted)
(homoiteleuton)
1 Jn 3:1
“and we are” vs. (absent) (in the Byzantine Lectionary)
1 Jn 3:5
Add “our” before “sin”.
1 Jn 3:13
(absent) “And” as the first word of the verse.
1 Jn 3:14
“because we love” vs. “because we love the brothers”
1 Jn 3:19a
“we shall know” vs. “we know” (Byzantine Lectionary)
1 Jn 3:19b
“and in this”. vs. “and this"
1 Jn 3:21a
“our heart” vs. “heart"
1 Jn 3:21b
“accuses” vs. “accuses us”
1 Jn 3:23 “the name of his Son Jesus Christ” vs. “in his
name, Jesus Christ” (only Alexandrinus and some Vulgate) (2 words not counted
in the totals)
1 Jn 4:1-2 “many false prophets have gone forth into the
world. By this know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus
Christ has come in flesh is from God. And every spirit which does not confess
that Jesus Christ has come in flesh is not from God; and this is the
antichrist” vs. “many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye
the Spirit of God : Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in
the flesh is of God; and every spirit which separates Jesus Christ is
not of God, but is of antichrist.” Vulgate, Irenaeus Against Heresies
Book 3 ch.16.8 p.443, Origen, also Socrates 7.32 p.381. Tertullian Against
Marcion 5.16 mentions both readings.) (See The Ante-Nicene Fathers
vol.1 p.443)
1 Jn 4:3a “which not confesses” (Almost all early
manuscripts) vs. “which loosens / denies”
1 Jn 4:3b
“the Jesus” (almost all manuscripts and some Christian writers) vs. “Jesus
Christ” vs. “the Jesus Christ is come in the flesh” (Philoxenian Syriac,
Herclean Syriac, Armenian, Georgian) vs. “Jesus Christ in the flesh
(Sinaiticus) vs. “Jesus Christ come in the flesh” (Byzantine, Ethiopic) (See New
Age Bible Versions Refuted p.21 for more info.) (5 words) (probably a
homoiteleuton)
1 Jn 4:10
“we have loved” vs. “we loved”
1 Jn 4:15 “Jesus” vs. “Jesus Christ” (only in Vaticanus so
not counted in the totals)
1 Jn 4:19
“we love” vs. “we love God” vs. “we love Him”
1 Jn 4:20
“on” vs. “how”
1 Jn 5:1
“loves and” vs. “loves”
1 Jn 5:2
“we do” vs. “we keep”
1 Jn 5:5 “Jesus is the Son of God” vs. “Jesus Christ is the
Son of God” (only in Armenian, 33, 378) so not counted in the totals)
1 Jn 5:6a
“water and blood” vs. “water and spirit”
1 Jn 5:7-8 “bear witness” vs. “bear witness in heaven: the
Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one. And there are
three that bear witness on earth:” (NKJV) (25 words in Greek) The General
Introduction to the Bible p.484 says, “In fact, the acceptance of the
longer rendering as a genuine part of the text of 1 John violates almost every
major canon of textual criticism.” (Since I believe there is less than 1%
chance these words were in the original, this variation is not counted in the
totals.) See the discussion on 1 Jn 5:7-8 for which manuscripts support each
variant.
1 Jn 5:9 “his son” (p46, original Sinaiticus, Alexandrinus,
Vaticanus, Sahidic Coptic, Bhoairic Coptic, others) vs. “his son who [god] sent
as a savior upon earth. And the son bore witness on earth by fulfilling the
Sceriptures; and we bear witness because we have seen him, and we proclaim to
you that you may believe for this reason.” (only Bezae Cantabrigiensis
and Byzantine among early manuscripts so not counted in the originals)
1 Jn 5:10a
“himself” vs. “of him”
1 Jn 5:10b
“God” vs. “Son” (No important manuscript has “Son” except Alexandrinus (c.450
A.D.)
1 Jn 5:13 “eternal life.” (Sinaiticus, Sahidic Coptic,
Ethiopic, Armenian, Syriac) vs. “eternal life, and that you may (believe
/continue to believe) in the name of the Son of God.” (NKJV has the second)
(approximately 9 words not counted in the totals)
1 Jn 5:18a “having been born of God” vs. various
clarifications by later manuscripts and writers (no counted in the totals)
1 Jn 5:18b
“keeps him” vs. “keeps himself”
1 Jn 5:20a “the Son of God has come” vs. “the Son of God has
come and was clothed with flesh for our sake, and suffered, and arose from the
dead; he has received us and given…” (only in a few Latin manuscripts and no
Greek, so 16 Latin words not counted in the totals)
1 Jn 5:20a
“the True [One/God is implied]” vs. “the True God”
1 Jn 5:21 (absent) (Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, Alexandrinus) vs.
Add “amen” at the end (Byzantine Lectionary and late manuscripts) (1 word not
counted in the totals)
Some manuscripts add the postscript, “Of John Letter general
First”
Bibliography for this question: The Greek New Testament
Third Edition by Kurt Aland et al., The Greek New Testament Fourth
Edition by Kurt Aland et al., Interlinear Greek-English New Testament by
George Ricker Berry, the Interlinear Bible by Jay P. Green, The
Expositor’s Bible Commentary volume 8, A Textual Commentary on the Greek
New Testament 2nd edition by Bruce M. Metzger, The Orthodox corruption
of Scripture by Bart Ehrman, The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture by
Bart Ehrman, The Complete Text of the Earliest New Testament Manuscripts
edited by Philip W. Comfort and David P. Barrett, The Expositor’s Greek
Testament edited by W. Robertson Nicoll, and footnotes in the NASB, NIV,
NKJV, and NRSV Bible translations. Manuscripts of the Greek Bible : An
Introduction to Paleography by Bruce M. Metzger also has interesting information
on the characteristics and quality of the copying of each manuscript.
A: The table below shows each of the places in question, and
the number says which variant is in each manuscript.
|
Place |
words |
p74 |
Si |
A |
B |
C |
Sah |
Boh |
Fay |
Iren |
Origen |
Ital |
Ital b |
Ital d |
Ital ff |
Lucif. |
Vulgate |
Pelag |
Eth |
Byz |
Arm |
Geo |
Syr Pal |
Syr Ph |
Syr P |
Syr H |
|
1 Jn 1:4a |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1/ 2 |
2 |
|
- |
- |
1/ 2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
2 |
- |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
1 Jn 1:4b |
1 |
|
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
- |
- |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1/ 2 |
- |
2 |
1/2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
|
1 Jn 1:7 |
1 |
|
1* |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
(2) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1/2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
2* |
|
1 Jn 2:4 |
1 |
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
- |
- |
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
- |
3 |
1 |
|
2 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
1 Jn 2:6 |
1 |
|
1 |
2A |
2A |
1 |
2A |
1 |
|
- |
(1)/2 |
|
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
2 |
|
1 |
|
1 |
- |
|
2A |
1 |
|
1 Jn 2:14 |
1 |
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
1? |
1/ 2 |
|
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
1 Jn 2:17 |
1 |
|
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1/ 2 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 Jn 2:18 |
1 |
|
1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
2 |
2 |
|
|
2 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 Jn 2:20 |
1 |
|
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
2 |
2 |
|
1 Jn 2:25 |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
1/ 2? |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
1 Jn 3:1 |
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 Jn 3:1 |
1 |
1? |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
1/ 2 |
|
1 |
2 |
|
1 |
|
|
(1) |
1 |
|
1 Jn 3:5 |
1 |
|
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1?/ 2? |
1 |
2 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
1/2/ 3? |
|
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
2 |
1 |
|
1 Jn 3:13 |
1 |
|
1 |
2 |
2 |
1? |
2 |
2 |
2 |
|
|
1/ 2 |
|
|
|
2 |
2 |
|
1 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
1 |
2 |
|
1 Jn 3:14 |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1/ 3 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
1/ 3 |
|
|
|
1 |
2?/3? |
|
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
3 |
3 |
|
1 Jn 3:19a |
1 |
|
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1?/2 |
2 |
|
|
1/ 2 |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
1 |
(3) |
|
1 Jn 3:19b |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
2/ 3 |
|
|
|
|
1?/2 |
|
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
1 Jn 3:21a |
1 |
|
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
1/ 2 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
1 Jn 3:21b |
1 |
|
2 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
1/ 2 |
|
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
|
2 |
2 |
|
1 Jn 4:3a |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
- |
1 |
1 |
|
1 Jn 4:3b |
5 |
|
4 |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
1 |
|
|
|
1/ 2 |
|
|
|
1 |
1/ 2? |
|
5 |
5 |
3 |
3 |
|
- |
3 |
3 |
|
1 Jn 4:10 |
1 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
- |
|
1 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
- |
- |
- |
|
1 Jn 4:19 |
1 |
|
2 |
1 |
1 |
- |
4 |
2/4? |
|
|
|
2/4 |
|
|
|
|
1/ 2 |
|
(4) |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
- |
2 |
2 |
|
1 Jn 4:20 |
1 |
|
1 |
2 |
1 |
- |
1 |
2 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
2 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
|
- |
2 |
- |
|
1 Jn 5:1 |
1 |
|
2 |
1 |
3 |
- |
3 |
1/3 |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
- |
1 |
1 |
|
1 Jn 5:2 |
1 |
|
2 |
3? |
1 |
- |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
- |
1 |
1 |
|
1 Jn 5:6 |
1 |
|
3 |
3 |
1 |
- |
3 |
3 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
1/ 3/4 |
|
3 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
|
- |
1 |
3 |
|
1 Jn 5:7-8 |
25 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
1/ 3 |
|
|
|
|
1/ 2/3 |
|
1 |
1 |
1/ 2? |
1 |
|
- |
1 |
1 |
|
1 Jn 5:10a |
1 |
|
1 |
3 |
3 |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
2 |
1 |
|
|
- |
- |
- |
|
1 Jn 5:10b |
1 |
|
1 |
- |
1 |
- |
3 |
1/3? |
|
|
|
1/ 2 |
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
(2) |
1 |
3 |
2 |
|
- |
1 |
1 |
|
1 Jn 5:13 |
9 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 Jn 5:17 |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
3 |
3? |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
1/3 |
|
- |
1 |
3 |
1 |
|
- |
- |
2 |
|
1 Jn 5:18a |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
- |
3 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
3 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
- |
- |
- |
|
1 Jn 5:18b |
1 |
|
3 |
2 |
2 |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
- |
- |
- |
|
1 Jn 5:20 |
1 |
|
2 |
3 |
1 |
- |
2 |
1/2/3? |
|
|
|
1/3 |
|
|
|
|
3 |
|
3 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
|
- |
1 |
1 |
|
1 Jn 5:21 |
1 |
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
1/ 2 |
|
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
- |
1 |
1 |
|
Place |
words |
p74 |
Si |
A |
B |
C |
Sah |
Boh |
Fay |
Iren |
Origen |
Ital |
Ital b |
Ital d |
Ital ff |
Lucif. |
Vulgate |
Pelagi |
Eth |
Byz |
Arm |
Geo |
Syr Pal |
Syr Ph |
Syr P |
Syr H |