John 1
1
Prologue
1In the beginning#Gn 1:1; Col 1:18 was the Word,#Jn 1:14; 1Jn 1:1; Rv 19:13 and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.#Jn 20:28; Php 2:6 2He was with God in the beginning.#Jn 8:38; 17:5; Ac 26:4 3All things were created#Col 1:16; Heb 1:2 through him,#Rm 11:36 and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4In him was life,#1:3–4 Other punctuation is possible:... not one thing was created. What was created in him was life#1Jn 2:5 and that life was the light#Ps 36:9; Jn 12:46 of men. 5That light shines#1Jn 2:8 in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome#1:5 Or grasp, or comprehend, or overtake; Jn 12:35 it.#Php 3:12
6There was a man sent from God whose name was John.#Mk 1:4 7He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him.#1:7 Or it (the light) 8He was not the light, but he came to testify#Jn 15:26 about the light. 9The true light#Jn 12:46 that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.#1:9 Or The true light who comes into the world gives light to everyone, or The true light enlightens everyone coming into the world.#Jn 18:37; 1Jn 2:8
10He was in the world, and the world was created#Jn 1:3 through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12But to all who did receive#2Jn 10 him,#Jn 5:43 he gave them the right#Mk 1:22; Ac 9:14 to be#1:12 Or become children#Lk 1:7 of God,#Mt 5:9; Jn 11:52; Rm 8:16; 1Jn 3:1 to those who believe#Jn 3:16 in his name,#Jn 10:25; 1Jn 3:23 13who were born,#1Pt 1:3 not of natural descent,#1:13 Lit blood or of the will#1Co 7:37; 16:12; Eph 2:3; 2Tm 2:26; 2Pt 1:21 of the flesh,#Php 3:3 or of the will of man,#1:13 Or not of human lineage, or of human capacity, or of human volition but of God.#1Pt 1:3; 1Jn 2:29
14The Word#Jn 1:1 became flesh#Php 2:7; 1Jn 4:2; 5:20 and dwelt#1:14 Or and dwelt in a tent; lit and tabernacled among us. We observed his glory,#Mk 10:37; Jn 17:24 the glory as the one and only#Heb 11:17; 1Jn 4:9 Son#1:14 Son is implied from the reference to the Father and from Gk usage. from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15(John testified concerning him and exclaimed, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘The one coming after me#Mt 3:11; Mk 1:7; Jn 1:27,30 ranks ahead of me,#Col 1:19 because he existed before me.’”)#Jn 3:13; 8:58; 10:30; 14:7–9,23; Php 2:6 16Indeed, we have all received grace#Ac 15:11; 2Pt 3:18 upon#1:16 Or in place of grace from his fullness, 17for the law was given through Moses;#Ps 77:20; Mt 8:4; Heb 3:2 grace and truth#Ps 119:142; Jn 14:6; 2Th 2:10 came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God. The one and only#1Jn 4:9 Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s#Mt 5:16; 11:27; Jn 8:42 side#1:18 Other mss read The one and only Son, who is at the Father’s side — he has revealed him.#Mt 11:27; Lk 10:22; 1Jn 2:24
John the Baptist’s Testimony
19This was John’s testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem#Mt 23:37 sent priests#Ac 4:1 and Levites#Ex 6:19; Lk 10:32 to ask him, “Who are you?”
20He didn’t deny it but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”#Mt 1:17; Eph 5:2
21“What then?” they asked him. “Are you Elijah?” #Mal 4:5; Mt 11:14; 17:10–13; Mk 8:28; Lk 1:17
“I am not,” he said.
“Are you the Prophet?” #Dt 18:15; Mt 2:23
“No,” he answered.
22“Who are you, then?” they asked. “We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What can you tell us about yourself?”
23He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord#1:23Is 40:3#Is 40:3 — just as Isaiah#Mt 3:3; 4:14; 12:17 the prophet said.”
24Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.#Mk 7:3 25So they asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”
26“I baptize with#1:26 Or in, also in vv. 31,33 water,”#Mk 1:8 John answered them. “Someone stands among you, but you don’t know him. 27He is the one coming after me,#1:27 Other mss add who came before me#Jn 1:15 whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.” 28All this happened in Bethany#1:28 Other mss read in Bethabara across the Jordan,#Mk 10:1; Lk 3:3 where John was baptizing.
The Lamb of God
29The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God,#Is 53:7; Ac 8:32; 1Pt 1:19; Rv 5:6 who takes away the sin#Jn 15:22; 1Jn 3:5 of the world! 30This is the one I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’ 31I didn’t know him,#Jn 7:28 but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed#2Co 4:11; 1Jn 1:2 to Israel.” 32And John testified, “I saw the Spirit#Ps 51:11; Jn 1:33; Ac 2:4; Rm 8:9; Gl 5:25; Ti 3:5; 1Jn 5:8; Rv 3:22 descending from heaven like a dove, and he rested on him.#Jms 4:5 33I didn’t know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The one you see the Spirit descending and resting on — he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’#Mt 3:11; Mk 1:8; Lk 3:16; Ac 11:16 34I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”#1:34 Other mss read is the Chosen One of God#Mt 3:17; 4:3; Jn 1:49; 5:19; Heb 1:2
35The next day, John was standing with two of his disciples. 36When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
37The two disciples heard him say this and followed Jesus. 38When Jesus turned and noticed them following him, he asked them, “What are you looking for?”
They said to him, “Rabbi”#Jn 11:8 (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
39 “Come and you’ll see,” he replied. So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon.#1:39 Lit about the tenth hour
40Andrew,#Mt 4:18–22; Mk 1:16–20; Lk 5:2–11 Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John and followed him. 41He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah”#1:41 Both Hb Messiah and Gk Christos mean “anointed one”#Mt 1:17 (which is translated “the Christ”),#Ex 29:29 42and he brought Simon to Jesus.
When Jesus saw him, he said, “You are Simon, son of John.#1:42 Other mss read “Simon, son of Jonah You will be called Cephas”#1Co 1:12; 3:22; 9:5; 15:5; Gl 1:18; 2:9,11,14 (which is translated “Peter”#1:42 Both Aramaic Cephas and Gk Petros mean “rock”).
Philip and Nathanael
43The next day Jesus#1:43 Lit he decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip#Mk 3:18 and told him, “Follow me.”
44Now Philip was from Bethsaida,#Jn 12:21 the hometown of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found Nathanael#Jn 1:46–49; 21:2 and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law (and so did the prophets#Mt 2:23; Ac 7:52; Rm 3:21): Jesus the son of Joseph,#Mt 1:16; Lk 1:27; 2:4,16,33; 3:23; Jn 6:42 from Nazareth.”#Mk 1:9
46“Can anything good#Gn 1:31 come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael asked him.
“Come and see,” Philip answered.
47Then Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said about him, “Here truly is an Israelite#2Co 11:22 in whom there is no deceit.”
48“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
“Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you,” Jesus answered.
49“Rabbi,”#Jn 11:8 Nathanael replied, “You are the Son#Jn 5:19 of God; you are the King of Israel!” #Mt 27:42; Mk 15:32; Jn 12:13
50Jesus responded to him, “Do you believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” 51Then he said, “Truly I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God#Lk 12:8–9; 15:10; Ac 10:3 ascending and descending#Gn 28:12 on the Son of Man.”#Mk 2:10
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John 1: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
John 1
1
1 IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself. [Isa. 9:6.]
2 He was present originally with God.
3 All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being.
4 In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men.
5 And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it].
6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. [Mal. 3:1.]
7 This man came to witness, that he might testify of the Light, that all men might believe in it [adhere to it, trust it, and rely upon it] through him.
8 He was not the Light himself, but came that he might bear witness regarding the Light.
9 There it was–the true Light [was then] coming into the world [the genuine, perfect, steadfast Light] that illumines every person. [Isa. 49:6.]
10 He came into the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him [did not know Him].
11 He came to that which belonged to Him [to His own–His domain, creation, things, world], and they who were His own did not receive Him and did not welcome Him.
12 But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name–[Isa. 56:5.]
13 Who owe their birth neither to bloods nor to the will of the flesh [that of physical impulse] nor to the will of man [that of a natural father], but to God. [They are born of God!]
14 And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth. [Isa. 40:5.]
15 John testified about Him and cried out, This was He of Whom I said, He Who comes after me has priority over me, for He was before me. [He takes rank above me, for He existed before I did. He has advanced before me, because He is my Chief.]
16 For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.
17 For while the Law was given through Moses, grace (unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ. [Exod. 20:1.]
18 No man has ever seen God at any time; the only unique Son, or the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known]. [Prov. 8:30.]
19 And this is the testimony of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him, Who are you?
20 He confessed (admitted the truth) and did not try to conceal it, but acknowledged, I am not the Christ!
21 They asked him, What then? Are you Elijah? And he said, I am not! Are you the Prophet? And he answered, No! [Deut. 18:15, 18; Mal. 4:5.]
22 Then they said to him, Who are you? Tell us, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?
23 He said, I am the voice of one crying aloud in the wilderness [the voice of one shouting in the desert], Prepare the way of the Lord [level, straighten out, the path of the Lord], as the prophet Isaiah said. [Isa. 40:3.]
24 The messengers had been sent from the Pharisees.
25 And they asked him, Why then are you baptizing if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?
26 John answered them, I [only] baptize in (with) water. Among you there stands One Whom you do not recognize and with Whom you are not acquainted and of Whom you know nothing. [Mal. 3:1.]
27 It is He Who, coming after me, is preferred before me, the string of Whose sandal I am not worthy to unloose.
28 These things occurred in Bethany (Bethabara) across the Jordan [at the Jordan crossing], where John was then baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming to him and said, Look! There is the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! [Exod. 12:3; Isa. 53:7.]
30 This is He of Whom I said, After me comes a Man Who has priority over me [Who takes rank above me] because He was before me and existed before I did.
31 And I did not know Him and did not recognize Him [myself]; but it is in order that He should be made manifest and be revealed to Israel [be brought out where we can see Him] that I came baptizing in (with) water.
32 John gave further evidence, saying, I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and it dwelt on Him [never to depart].
33 And I did not know Him nor recognize Him, but He Who sent me to baptize in (with) water said to me, Upon Him Whom you shall see the Spirit descend and remain, that One is He Who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.
34 And I have seen [that happen–I actually did see it] and my testimony is that this is the Son of God!
35 Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples,
36 And he looked at Jesus as He walked along, and said, Look! There is the Lamb of God!
37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Him.
38 But Jesus turned, and as He saw them following Him, He said to them, What are you looking for? [And what is it you wish?] And they answered Him, Rabbi–which translated is Teacher–where are You staying?
39 He said to them, Come and see. So they went and saw where He was staying, and they remained with Him that day. It was then about the tenth hour (about four o'clock in the afternoon).
40 One of the two who heard what John said and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
41 He first sought out and found his own brother Simon and said to him, We have found (discovered) the Messiah!–which translated is the Christ (the Anointed One).
42 Andrew then led (brought) Simon to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, You are Simon son of John. You shall be called Cephas–which translated is Peter [Stone].
43 The next day Jesus desired and decided to go into Galilee; and He found Philip and said to him, Join Me as My attendant and follow Me.
44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the same city as Andrew and Peter.
45 Philip sought and found Nathanael and told him, We have found (discovered) the One Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote about–Jesus from Nazareth, the [legal] son of Joseph!
46 Nathanael answered him, [Nazareth!] Can anything good come out of Nazareth? Philip replied, Come and see!
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said concerning him, See! Here is an Israelite indeed [a true descendant of Jacob], in whom there is no guile nor deceit nor falsehood nor duplicity!
48 Nathanael said to Jesus, How do You know me? [How is it that You know these things about me?] Jesus answered him, Before [ever] Philip called you, when you were still under the fig tree, I saw you.
49 Nathanael answered, Teacher, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!
50 Jesus replied, Because I said to you, I saw you beneath the fig tree, do you believe in and rely on and trust in Me? You shall see greater things than this!
51 Then He said to him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you all, you shall see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man! [Gen. 28:12; Dan. 7:13.]
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