John 1
1
1In the beginning the Word already was.#1:1. In other words, the Word existed from eternity past. The concept of the Word means more than letters making up a word: it is the divine mind, the expression of God, the active aspect of divinity that speaks into existence as in Genesis 1:1. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2From the very beginning he was with God. 3Everything came into being through him; nothing came into being without him. 4In him was life, the life that was the light of everyone. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not extinguished it.#1:5. The word in the original can also mean “overpowered” or “understood.”
6God sent a man named John. 7He came as a witness to explain about the light so that everyone might believe through him. 8He himself was not the light, but he came to witness to the light.
9The true light was coming into the world to give light to everyone. 10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world didn't know who he was.#1:10. Or “didn't recognize him.” 11He came to his own people, but they didn't accept him.#1:11. Or “He came to his own home but his own people did not welcome him.” 12But to all those who accepted him and trusted in him, he gave the right to become God's children. 13These are the children born not in the usual way, not as the result of human desire or a father's decision, but born of God. 14The Word became human and lived among us, and we saw his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only#1:14. Literally, “only begotten.” This refers to position and uniqueness rather than birth. Son, full of grace and truth.
15John gave his testimony about him, shouting out to the people, “This is the one I was telling you about when I said, ‘The one who is coming after me is more important than me, for before I ever existed he already was.’” 16We have all been recipients of his generous nature, one gracious gift after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18While no one has ever seen God, God the one and only, who is close beside the Father, has shown us what God is like.#1:18. Or “has made him known.”
19This is what John publicly stated when the Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20John declared plainly and clearly without hesitation, “I am not the Messiah.”
21“So then, who are you?” they asked. “Elijah?”
“No, I'm not,” he answered.
“Are you the Prophet?”#1:21. In Jewish thought a special prophet was expected before the End.
“No,” he replied.
22“Well, who are you, then?” they asked. “We have to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23“I am a voice calling in the desert, ‘Make the Lord's way straight!’” he said, using the words of the prophet Isaiah.#1:23. Quoting Isaiah 40:3.
24The priests and Levites#1:24. “Priests and Levites”: implied from verse 19. sent by the Pharisees 25asked him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you're not the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”
26John replied, “I baptize with water, but standing among you is someone you don't know. 27He is coming after me, but I am not even worthy to untie his sandals.” 28This all happened in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29The next day John saw Jesus approaching him, and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man who is coming after me is more important than me, for before I ever existed he already was.’ 31I didn't know myself who he was, but I came baptizing with water so that he could be revealed to Israel.”
32John gave his evidence about him, saying, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove and rest upon him. 33I wouldn't have known him except he who sent me to baptize with water had told me, ‘The one you see the Spirit descend to and rest upon, he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34I saw it happen and I declare that this is the Son of God.”
35The next day John was standing there with two of his disciples. 36He saw Jesus passing by, and said, “Look! This is the Lamb of God!” 37When the two disciples heard what he said they went and followed Jesus.
38Jesus turned round and saw them following him. “What are you looking for?” he asked them.
“Rabbi (which means ‘Teacher’), where are you staying?” they asked in reply.
39“Come and see,” he told them. So they went with him and saw where he was staying. It was about four p.m., and they spent the rest of the day with him.
40Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of these two disciples who had heard what John said and followed Jesus. 41He went at once to find his brother Simon and told him, “We've found the Messiah!” (which means “Christ”).#1:41. Both Messiah and Christ mean “the Anointed One.” 42He took him to Jesus. Looking directly at Simon, Jesus said, “You are Simon, son of John. But now you will be called Cephas,” (which means “Peter”).#1:42. Cephas and Peter both mean “rock” or “stone.”
43The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. Jesus found Philip there, and told him, “Follow me.” 44Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town that Andrew and Peter came from.
45Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We've found the one that Moses wrote about in the law and that the prophets did too—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46“From Nazareth? Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael wondered.
“Just come and see,” Philip replied.
47As Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said about him, “Look, here's a true Israelite! There's nothing false about him.”
48“How do you know who I am?” Nathanael asked.
“I saw you there under the fig tree, before Philip called you,” Jesus replied.
49“Rabbi, you are the Son of God, the king of Israel!” Nathaniel exclaimed.
50“You believe this just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree?” Jesus replied. “You'll get to see much more than that!” 51Then Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, you will all see heaven open, and the angels of God going up and down on the Son of man.”#1:51. Referring to Jacob's experience in Genesis 28:12, with the term “Son of man” replacing the word “ladder.”
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John 1: FBV
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
St John 1
1
1IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2The same was in the beginning with God.
3All things were made by him: and without him was made nothing that was made.
4In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
5And the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7This man came for a witness, to give testimony of the light, that all men might believe through him.
8He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light.
9That was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world.
10He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in his name.
13Who are born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we saw his glory, the glory as it were of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
15John beareth witness of him, and crieth out, saying: This was he of whom I spoke: He that shall come after me, is preferred before me: because he was before me.
16And of his fulness we all have received, and grace for grace.
17For the law was given by Moses; grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
18No man hath seen God at any time: the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
19And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent from Jerusalem priests and Levites to him, to ask him: Who art thou?
20And he confessed, and did not deny: and he confessed: I am not the Christ.
21And they asked him: What then? Art thou Elias? And he said: I am not. Art thou the prophet? And he answered: No.
22They said therefore unto him: Who art thou, that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself?
23He said: I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaias.
24And they that were sent, were of the Pharisees.
25And they asked him, and said to him: Why then dost thou baptize, if thou be not Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet?
26John answered them, saying: I baptize with water; but there hath stood one in the midst of you, whom you know not.
27The same is he that shall come after me, who is preferred before me: the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to loose.
28These things were done in Bethania, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29The next day, John saw Jesus coming to him, and he saith: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who taketh away the sin of the world.
30This is he, of whom I said: After me there cometh a man, who is preferred before me: because he was before me.
31And I knew him not, but that he may be made manifest in Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
32And John gave testimony, saying: I saw the Spirit coming down, as a dove from heaven, and he remained upon him.
33And I knew him not; but he who sent me to baptize with water, said to me: He upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining upon him, he it is that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
34And I saw, and I gave testimony, that this is the Son of God.
35The next day again John stood, and two of his disciples.
36And beholding Jesus walking, he saith: Behold the Lamb of God.
37And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38And Jesus turning, and seeing them following him, saith to them: What seek you? Who said to him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
39He saith to them: Come and see. They came, and saw where he abode, and they stayed with him that day: now it was about the tenth hour.
40And Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who had heard of John, and followed him.
41He findeth first his brother Simon, and saith to him: We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
42And he brought him to Jesus. And Jesus looking upon him, said: Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is interpreted Peter.
43On the following day, he would go forth into Galilee, and he findeth Philip. And Jesus saith to him: Follow me.
44Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith to him: We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets did write, Jesus the son of Joseph of Nazareth.
46And Nathanael said to him: Can any thing of good come from Nazareth? Philip saith to him: Come and see.
47Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him: and he saith of him: Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile.
48Nathanael saith to him: Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered, and said to him: Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
49Nathanael answered him, and said: Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of Israel.
50Jesus answered, and said to him: Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, thou believest: greater things than these shalt thou see.
51And he saith to him: Amen, amen I say to you, you shall see the heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
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An historical text maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.