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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

John 1:1-3

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