Some Say 1st John 5:7 as It Reads "Father, Word and Holy Ghost", Was Not in the Original Text and Is an Alteration to the Bible. What Do You Say?
1) Direct Answer
I receive 1 John 5:7 as Scripture as it stands. It is not an alteration to me; it is the Word of God, and it perfectly agrees with the whole Bible’s witness of one God revealed as Father, Word (made flesh as the Son), and Holy Ghost.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- God guards His Word: “Forever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89). “The word of our God shall stand for ever” (Isaiah 40:8). “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
- The wording fits John’s own vocabulary and theme:
- “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God… And the Word was made flesh” (John 1:1,14).
- John’s subject in 1 John 5 is the threefold witness: “This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ… it is the Spirit that beareth witness” (1 John 5:6). Verse 7 gives the heavenly witness; verse 8 gives the earthly witness. That’s John’s pattern of testimony.
- And the truth it declares is taught everywhere else: “Hear, O Israel; the LORD our God is one LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4). “God was manifested in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16). “In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- If “Father, Word, and Holy Ghost” were an intrusion, why does it fit John’s own language (“Word”), his theme of witnesses, and the immediate parallel of verse 8?
- If someone removes verse 7, does the Bible stop teaching one God manifested in Christ? No. The same truth stands in many clear passages.
- The harmony of verse 7 (“these three are one”) with verse 8 (“these three agree in one”) shows a deliberate, Spirit-given structure: one God’s heavenly witness, and His witness in the earth.
Short Reinforcing Statement
I stand with the Scripture as written. 1 John 5:7 is a true, Spirit-breathed witness of the one God—Father, Word, and Holy Ghost—these three are one.
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What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
To take on the whole armor of God
62-0701 §100
I got plenty more here, but I ain't going to say it. Brother, the whole armor of God is the baptism of the Holy Ghost, with the Word behind it. And if anybody says they got the Holy Ghost, and deny one word of this, then it's not the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost wrote this Bible, and He said, "Whosoever shall take anything out of it, or put anything in it, the same will be taken ... his part out of the book of life." The Holy Ghost recognizes the Word only, because that's his Word and He cannot go back on his Word. H...
What was the Holy Ghost given for?
59-1217 §8
Now, you that's keeping these scriptures down, if you would turn with me to St. John again, the fourteenth chapter, we want to begin at the fourteenth chapter of St. John. And let's start about the fourteenth verse, St. John 14:14, and just read a portion of this Scripture. Now, in this you will find much of the context that I want to speak on tonight. And remember, you that have the "red letter" Bibles, it's in red, this is. It's the words that Jesus, Himself, spoke of. So therefore, we can rest assured that it wi...
The Evening Messenger
63-0116 §27
I John 5:7 said, "There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." They are one; you can't have the Father without having the Son, you can't have the Son without having the Holy Ghost. See, they are one. "But there are three bear record in earth, the water, the blood, and the Spirit: and they agree in one." They're not one, but they agree in one. See? Now, you can be justified without being sanctified; you can be sanctified without having the Holy Ghost...
The Godhead explained
61-0425B §68
Now, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost... Now listen, brethren. There is no such a thing as name of the Father, because Father is not a name; it's a title. There is no such a thing as the name of Son, because Son is a title. There is no such a thing as name of Holy Ghost; that's what it is. I was saying that at a ministerial breakfast one morning. One woman---out of order, of course, anybody that would disrupt anything like that---she said, "Wait just a minute! I beg your pardon." Said, "Holy Ghost is...
And knoweth it not
65-0815 §80
Many of them think because their churches and belong to this and this great group and great doctors of divinity... That don't mean that, see. Many think because they speak with tongues, they've got the Holy Ghost. That don't mean that, though the Holy Ghost does speak with tongues. But until that real, genuine Holy Spirit in there will cope with every word... If that Holy Spirit in you makes you speak with tongues, looks back there and doesn't agree with the rest of the Word, then it's the wrong spirit. It's got to...