John 1
1
Prologue
1In the beginning # Gn 1:1; Col 1:18 was the Word, # The Word (Gk Logos) is a title for Jesus as the communication and the revealer of God the Father; Jn 1:14,18; Rv 19:13. # 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.
4Life was in Him, # 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,
yet the darkness did not overcome # Or grasp, or comprehend, or overtake ; Jn 12:35 it. # Php 3:12
6There was a man named John # Mk 1:4
who was sent from God.
7He came as a witness
to testify about the light,
so that all might believe through him. # Or through 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 who gives light to everyone,
was coming into the world. # 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,
yet the world did not recognize Him.
11He came to His own, # The same Gk adjective is used twice in this verse: the first refers to all that Jesus owned as Creator (to His own); the second refers to the Jews (His own people).
and His own people # The same Gk adjective is used twice in this verse: the first refers to all that Jesus owned as Creator (to His own); the second refers to the Jews (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 # 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 blood, # Lit bloods ; the pl form of blood occurs only here in the NT. It may refer either to lineal descent (that is, blood from one’s father and mother) or to the OT sacrificial system (that is, the various blood sacrifices). Neither is the basis for birth into the family of God.
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, # 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 # The eternally existent Word (vv. 1-2) took on full humanity but without sin; Heb 4:15. # Php 2:7; 1Jn 4:2; 5:20
and took up residence # Or and dwelt in a tent ; lit and tabernacled ; this word occurs only here in John. A related word, referring to the Festival of Tabernacles, occurs only in 7:2; Ex 40:34-38. 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 # 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 has surpassed 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 after 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. # Since God is an infinite being, no one can see Him in His absolute essential nature; Ex 33:18-23.
The One and Only # 1Jn 4:9 Son # Other mss read God —
the One who is at the Father’s # Mt 5:16; 11:27; Jn 8:42 side # Lit is in the bosom of the Father —
He has revealed Him. # Mt 11:27; Lk 10:22; 1Jn 2:24
John the Baptist’s Testimony
19This is 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 did not refuse to answer, but he declared: “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? ” # Probably the Prophet in Dt 18:15 # 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 # Is 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 # Or in water,” # Mk 1:8 John answered them. “Someone stands among you, but you don’t know Him. 27He is the One coming after me, # Other mss add who came before me # Jn 1:15 whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.”
28All this happened in Bethany # Other mss read in Bethabara across the Jordan, # Another Bethany, near Jerusalem, was the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary; Jn 11:1. # 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, “Here is 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 has surpassed me, because He existed before me.’ 31I didn’t know Him, # Jn 7:28 but I came baptizing with # Or in water so He might be revealed # 2Co 4:11; 1Jn 1:2 to Israel.”
32And John testified, “I watched 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 # He refers to God the Father, who gave John a sign to help him identify the Messiah. Vv. 32-34 indicate that John did not know that Jesus was the Messiah until the Spirit descended upon Him at His baptism. who sent me to baptize with # Or in water told me, ‘The One you see the Spirit descending and resting on — He is the One who baptizes with # Or in the Holy Spirit.’ # Mt 3:11; Mk 1:8; Lk 3:16; Ac 11:16 34I have seen and testified that He is the Son of God! ” # Other mss read is the Chosen One of God # Mt 3:17; 4:3; Jn 1:49; 5:19; Heb 1:2
35Again the 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 10 in the morning. # Lit about the tenth hour. Various methods of reckoning time were used in the ancient world. John probably used a different method from the other 3 Gospels. If John used the same method of time reckoning as the other 3 Gospels, the translation would be: It was about four in the afternoon.
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! ” # In the NT, the word Messiah translates the Gk word Christos (“Anointed One”), except here and in Jn 4:25 where it translates Messias. # Mt 1:17 (which means “Anointed # Ex 29:29 One”), 42and he brought Simon to Jesus.
When Jesus saw him, He said, “You are Simon, son of John. # 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 means “Rock”).
Philip and Nathanael
43The next day He # Or he, referring either to Simon Peter (vv. 41-42) or Andrew (vv. 40-41) decided to leave for Galilee. Jesus 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 # Probably the Bartholomew of the other Gospels and Acts # 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 is a true Israelite; # 2Co 11:22 no deceit is in him.”
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 only because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You # In Gk, the word you is sg and refers to Nathanael. will see greater things than this.” 51Then He said, “I assure you: You # In Gk, the word you is pl and refers to Nathanael and the other disciples. 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: HCSB
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© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
John 1
1
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 All things were made through Him, and nothing that was made was made without Him.
4 Life was in Him, and Life was the light of men.
5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
6 There was a man sent by God, whose name was John.
7 He arrived as a witness to offer testimony about the Light, so that all would believe through him.
8 He was not the Light, but he was to offer testimony about the Light.
9 The true Light, which illuminates every man, was coming into this world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world did not recognize him.
11 He went to his own, and his own did not accept him.
12 Yet whoever did accept him, those who believed in his name, he gave them the power to become the sons of God.
13 These are born, not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh, and he lived among us, and we saw his glory, glory like that of an only-begotten son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 John offers testimony about him, and he cries out, saying: "This is the one about whom I said: 'He who is to come after me, has been placed ahead of me, because he existed before me.' "
16 And from his fullness, we all have received, even grace for grace.
17 For the law was given though Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
18 No one ever saw God; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he himself has described him.
19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to him, so that they might ask him, "Who are you?"
20 And he confessed it and did not deny it; and what he confessed was: "I am not the Christ."
21 And they questioned him: "Then what are you? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No."
22 Therefore, they said to him: "Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?"
23 He said, "I am a voice crying out in the desert, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,' just as the prophet Isaiah said."
24 And some of those who had been sent were from among the Pharisees.
25 And they questioned him and said to him, "Then why do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, and not Elijah, and not the Prophet?"
26 John answered them by saying: "I baptize with water. But in your midst stands one, whom you do not know.
27 The same is he who is to come after me, who has been placed ahead of me, the laces of whose shoes I am not worthy to loosen."
28 These things happened in Bethania, across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 On the next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him, and so he said: "Behold, the Lamb of God. Behold, he who takes away the sin of the world.
30 This is the one about whom I said, 'After me arrives a man, who has been placed ahead of me, because he existed before me.'
31 And I did not know him. Yet it is for this reason that I come baptizing with water: so that he may be made manifest in Israel."
32 And John offered testimony, saying: "For I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove; and he remained upon him.
33 And I did not know him. But he who sent me to baptize with water said to me: 'He over whom you will see the Spirit descending and remaining upon him, this is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'
34 And I saw, and I gave testimony: that this one is the Son of God."
35 The next day again, John was standing with two of his disciples.
36 And catching sight of Jesus walking, he said, "Behold, the Lamb of God."
37 And two disciples were listening to him speaking. And they followed Jesus.
38 Then Jesus, turning around and seeing them following him, said to them, "What are you seeking?" And they said to him, "Rabbi (which means in translation, Teacher), where do you live?"
39 He said to them, "Come and see." They went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. Now it was about the tenth hour.
40 And Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who had heard about him from John and had followed him.
41 First, he found his brother Simon, and he said to him, "We have found the Messiah," (which is translated as the Christ).
42 And he led him to Jesus. And Jesus, gazing at him, said: "You are Simon, son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas," (which is translated as Peter).
43 On the next day, he wanted to go into Galilee, and he found Philip. And Jesus said to him, "Follow me."
44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45 Philip found Nathanael, and he said to him, "We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the Law and the Prophets: Jesus, the son of Joseph, from Nazareth."
46 And Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good be from Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see."
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, and he said about him, "Behold, an Israelite in whom truly there is no deceit."
48 Nathanael said to him, "From where do you know me?" Jesus responded and said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."
49 Nathanael answered him and said: "Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel."
50 Jesus responded and said to him: "Because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree, you believe. Greater things than these, you will see."
51 And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the Angels of God ascending and descending over the Son of man."
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