I John 5:7 Grammar argument

“The arguments in favor of I John 5:7’s claim to genuineness include an argument from Greek grammar. The complete text of verses 7 and 8 with the disputed words in brackets is:

7 ὅτι τρεῖς εἰσιν οἱ μαρτυροῦντες [ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, ὁ πατήρ, ὁ λόγος καὶ τὸ ῞Αγιον Πνεῦμα· καὶ οὗτοι οἱ τρεῖς ἕν εἰσι. 8 καὶ τρεῖς εἰσιν οἱ μαρτυροῦντες ἐν τῇ γῇ,] τὸ Πνεῦμα καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ τὸ αἷμα· καὶ οἱ τρεῖς εἰς τὸ ἕν εἰσιν.

“The internal evidence based on the grammar is that if the words in brackets are omitted the words, Πνεῦμα, ὕδωρ and αἷμα, three neuters, are made to agree with the masculine article οἱ. If, however, the words in brackets are allowed to remain, the masculine article in οἱ τρεῖς agrees with the two masculines and one neuter, ὁ πατήρ, ὁ λόγος, καὶ τὸ ῞Αγιον Πνεῦμα, and, according to the rule of syntax, the masculines among the group control the neuter connected with them. Then the occurrence of the masculines in verse 8 agreeing with the neuters Πνεῦμα, ὕδωρ and αἷμα may be accounted for by the power of attraction, well known in Greek syntax.”

This grammatical argument for the Johannine Comma was made by Stephen Mills Reynolds, a member of the New International Version translation committee and the primary translator of The Holy Bible: a Purified Translation. This article may be found in it as “I John 5:7, A Part of Scripture,” p. 568.