1 Corinthians 8:6 and The Holy Trinity

“But to us one God, the Father, of Whom all things, and we in Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom all things, and we by Him. And one Holy Spirit, in Whom all things and we in Him” (Original Letter by The Apostle Paul)

The words, “καὶ ἐν πνεῦμα ἅγιον, ἐν ᾧ τὰ πάντα καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐν αὐτῷ”, were removed at a very early time. Like 1 John 5:7, which also very clearly Testifies to the Holy Trinity.

There is some Greek manuscript evidence for this reading, and also known to the early Church Fathers, both in their Greek and Latin New Testaments, dating from the 4th century. This verse with the reference to the Holy Spirit, was also used as Bible proof of the Holy Trinity. At this Council, there were over 200 Bishops present, from the Greek and Latin Church, who would have had this reading in their copies of the Greek and Latin New Testament, in the 6th century.

The textual evidence for this reading is better than what we had when for Colossians 2:2, the reading “τοῦ θεοῦ Χριστοῦ”, was accepted as the correct one, from about 14 variants! At the time when Westcott and Hort used this reading for their Greek Testament in 1881, there was ONE Greek manuscript, the Codex Vaticanus, of the 4th century. And ONE Latin Church Father, Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, who also lived in the 4th century! Yet, the reading found in Clement of Alexandria (150-215), “τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ” (God in Christ), which is over 100 years older, and in Greek, was not accepted! The discovery of the Chester Beatty Greek manuscript, P46, dating from AD175-225, reads “τοῦ θεοῦ Χριστοῦ”, but this still makes it TWO manuscripts, and not ONE Greek Church Father! The reading, “τοῦ θεοῦ ὃ ἐστιν Χριστός” (of God which is Christ), is better attested, by the Codex Bezae, a Greek-Latin manuscript of the 5th century. The Old Latin Version of the 2nd century. The Latin Vulgate of the 4th century. Augustine in the 4th century, who knew both Greek and Latin. And the 4th century Greek Church father, Ephraem.

The famous “Woman take in Adultery” of John’s Gospel (7:53-8:11), is found in the Codex Bezae, which is 5th century. Yet, the scholar Jerome, who gave us the Latin Vulgate, writing some 50 years before, says that this passage was present in “many Greek and Latin manuscripts”, in his time. Augustine also comments that “enemies of the faith”, had removed this passage!

Like Colossians 2:2; 1 John 5:7; 1 Timothy 3:16, John 1:18, etc, etc, verses that are clear Testimonies to the Deity of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Trinity, have been attacked from a very early time, and where possible, corrupted.

I have no doubt from the good textual evidence that we have, that 1 Corinthians 8:6, in the Original Letter by Paul, did also include the reference to the Holy Spirit.

Greek Manuscript

Uncial 0142, 10th century of the Byzantine text-type (Dr A Souter Novvm Testamentvm Graece.1962)

Minuscule 460, 11th century (Souter; Expositors Greek Testament), dated by F Scrivener

Minuscule 618, 12th century of the Byzantine text-type (Souter; EGT)

Minuscule 234, 13th century of the Byzantine text-type (Souter; EGT)

ATHANASIUS (293-373) – Greek

“As it is thus written, it is clear that the Spirit is not a creature, but takes part in the act of creation. The Father creates all things through the Word in the Spirit; for where the Word is, there is the Spirit also”

HILARY OF POITIERS (315-368) – Latin

“For God the Father is One, from Whom are all things; and our Lord Jesus Christ the Only-begotten, through Whom are all things, is One; and the Spirit, God's Gift to us, Who pervades all things, is also One” (On the Trinity (Book II, ch.1)

Although Hilary, who was a close friend of Athanasius, does not use “in Whom all things”, that fact is that he does refer to the Holy Spirit in this context, which is clearly from 1 Corinthians 8:6. The words are a free quote, as we have “the only-begotten”, etc, here for Jesus.

EPIPHANIUS OF SALAMIS (315-403 - Greek

According to Nestle-Aland's Novum Testamentum Graece (26th edition)

GREGORY OF NAZIANZUS (329-389) – Greek

“For to us there is but One God, the Father, of Whom are all things, and One Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things; and One Holy Ghost, in Whom are all things” (Oration XXXIX, ch.xii)

BASIL THE GREAT (330-379) - Greek

“in the words of the Apostle, "One God and Father of whom are all things,...and one Lord Jesus Christ by whom are all things." 1 Corinthians 8:6 "Whatever, then," he goes on, "is the relation of these terms to one another, such will be the relation of the natures indicated by them; and as the term 'of whom' is unlike the term 'by whom,' so is the Father unlike the Son." On this heresy depends the idle subtlety of these men about the phrases in question. They accordingly assign to God the Father, as though it were His distinctive portion and lot, the phrase “of Whom;” to God the Son they confine the phrase “by Whom;” to the Holy Spirit that of "in Whom,"” (De Spiritu Sancto, Chap. 2)

AMBROSE OF MILAN (339-397) – Latin & Greek

“So, then, as we read that all things are of the Father, so, too, that all things can be said to be of the Son, through Whom are all things; and we are taught by proof that all things are of the Spirit in Whom are all things” (On The Holy Spirit, Bk.2, ch.9. 96)

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO (354-430) – Latin & Greek

“God, not only the Father, but also the Son and the Holy Spirit, “of whom are all things, and through whom are all things, and in whom are all things” (On the Trinity, chapter XV. 25)

“Of whom are all things, through whom are all things, in whom are all things” (On the Origin of the Soul, Bk.I, ch. 24)

“from whom are all things, by whom are all things, in whom are all things” (Against Two Letters of the Pelagianas, Ch. 16)

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA (died 444) - Greek

According to Dr Souter, and The Expositor's Greek Testament.

JOHN OF DAMASCUS (675-749) – Greek

“But to us there is but one God, the Father, of Whom are all things, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom are all things, and one Holy Spirit, in Whom are all things” (Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, Chapter X)

FIFTH GENERAL COUNCIL AT CONSTANTINOPLE, 5 MAY A.D.553

“If anyone shall not confess that the nature or essence of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is one, as also the force and the power; [if anyone does not confess] a consubstantial Trinity, one Godhead to be worshipped in three subsistences or Persons: let him be anathema. For there is but one God even the Father of whom are all things, and one Lord Jesus Christ through whom are all things, and one Holy Spirit in whom are all things” (The Capitula of the Council, The first "anathema”)

At the Council held in A.D.553, the then Emperor, Justinian I, sought to settle once and for all, the dangers of “Monophysitism”. At this Council, there were some 164 Bishops, who were mainly of the Greek speaking Church, with about 68 who were from the North African Church, which was mainly Latin speaking. Without going into too much detail of what took place at this Council, we shall look at one section of a document that was the outcome of this Council. We are told that “a series of 14 articles, or anathemas, was prepared, most of them corresponding closely with the articles of Justinian's 'confession of faith', in which the orthodox faith as to the Trinity and Incarnation was restated” (Dr H Wace, and W Piercy; A Dictionary of Christian Biography, p.612)

The evidence to the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 8:6, is in my opinion, very strong. Its omission is no doubt due to the corruption by those who were enemies to the Bible Teaching on the Holy Spirit.