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John 1

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The Word Was God 1–5

1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ​
2
The same was in the beginning with God. ​
3
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. ​
4
In him was life; and the life was the light of men. ​
5
And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. ​

John the Baptist Sent as a Witness 6–13

6
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ​
7
The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. ​
8
He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. ​
10
He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11
He came unto his own, and his own received him not. ​
12
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: ​
13
Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Word Becomes Flesh 14–18

14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. ​
15
John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. ​
16
And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17
For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. ​
18
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. ​

John Testifies to the Authorities 19–28

19
And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? ​
20
And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
21
And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. ​
22
Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
23
He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. ​
24
And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.
25
And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?
26
John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; ​
27
He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
28
These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Behold, the Lamb of God 29–34

29
The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. ​
30
This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
31
And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
32
And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. ​
33
And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.
34
And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. ​

Jesus Gathers His First Disciples 35–51

35
Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
36
And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!
37
And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38
Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? ​
39
He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. ​
40
One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
41
He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. ​
42
And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone. ​
43
The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
44
Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
45
Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. ​
46
And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. ​
47
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
48
Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. ​
49
Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. ​
50
Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.
51
And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for John 1

Verse 1

In the beginning was the Word — The opening words of Gen 1:1. 'Word' is logos, the spoken word; the heavens were made 'by the word of the LORD' (Ps 33:6), and 'The Word of God' is Christ's name in Rev 19:13. 'Was' (en) is the same verb in all three clauses: the Word existed, was 'with God', and 'was God'.

Verse 2

The same was in the beginning with God — 'The same' gathers the three clauses of v.1 into one statement about the Word. Christ asks the Father to glorify him 'with the glory which I had with thee before the world was' (John 17:5).

Verse 3

All things were made by him — 'Made' is ginomai, to come to be, three times in this verse. The Word 'was' in v.1; everything else came to be through him. Only in v.14 does the Word himself 'become' (the same verb) flesh. 'By him were all things created' (Col 1:16); 'by whom are all things' (1 Cor 8:6).

Verse 4

In him was life — Zoe, life, and phos, light. The Son holds life as the Father does: 'as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself' (John 5:26). The light is 'of men', not of one nation; he says later, 'I am the light of the world' (John 8:12).

Verse 5

the darkness comprehended it not — Katalambano is to take hold of, and so to overcome or to grasp. John uses it of a woman 'taken' in adultery (John 8:3) and of 'lest darkness come upon you' (John 12:35). 'Shineth' is present tense: the light keeps shining, and the darkness has not mastered it.

Verse 6

There was a man sent from God — 'There was' is egeneto, 'came to be', the verb of creation in v.3: John has a beginning, where the Word 'was' (v.1). 'Sent' is apostello, the verb behind 'apostle'. He is the messenger promised in Mal 3:1, 'I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me'.

Verse 7

to bear witness of the Light — Martyria is witness and martyreo to testify, words that recur through this gospel; Christ says of John, 'he bare witness unto the truth' (John 5:33). The purpose is belief: 'that all men through him might believe', through John's testimony, not in John.

Verse 9

the true Light — Alethinos, true in the sense of real or genuine, set against John, who 'was not that Light' (v.8). 'Lighteth' (photizo) is to give light to. 'That cometh into the world' may be read with 'every man' or with the Light (cf. John 12:46); Isa 49:6 promises 'a light to the Gentiles'.

Verse 11

his own received him not — Idios, one's own, is used twice: he came to what is his, and his own people did not take him in. The rejection is foretold in Isa 53:3, 'He is despised and rejected of men', and runs through the gospel: 'no man receiveth his testimony' (John 3:32). The next verse turns on 'But as many as received him'.

Verse 12

the sons of God — 'Sons' here is tekna, children, the word of 1 John 3:1; the Son is huios (vv.18, 34). 'Power' is exousia, right or authority: the right is given, not earned. It belongs to those who 'received him', defined as those who 'believe on his name'.

Verse 14

dwelt among us — Skenoo, to pitch a tent, from the word for tabernacle. The glory that 'filled the tabernacle' (Ex 40:34) is now 'beheld' in the Word made flesh; the verb returns in John's writings only in Revelation (7:15; 21:3), 'he will dwell with them'. Monogenes, 'only begotten', is also John's word at v.18 and 3:16, 18.

Verse 15

he was before me — John comes first in time and in ministry, yet says the one who follows is 'preferred before me: for he was before me'. 'Before me' is protos mou, literally 'first of me'. 'Cried' (krazo) is a loud public cry. The same words recur at v.30; compare 'mightier than I' (Matt 3:11).

Verse 17

grace and truth came by Jesus Christ — The first place this gospel names him 'Jesus Christ'. The law 'was given' (didomi) by Moses, but grace and truth 'came' (ginomai, the verb of vv.3, 14) by a person; they repeat 'full of grace and truth' (v.14). 'Ye are not under the law, but under grace' (Rom 6:14).

Verse 18

the only begotten Son — Monogenes again (v.14). 'Bosom' (kolpos) is the place of nearest closeness, used also of the disciple 'leaning on Jesus' bosom' (John 13:23). 'Declared' is exegeomai, to set forth; John uses it only here. 'No man hath seen God at any time' recalls Ex 33:20 and is repeated in 1 John 4:12.

Verse 19

the record of John — 'Record' is martyria, the witness of v.7. The delegation is 'priests and Levites' from Jerusalem, the temple's ministers, and 'the Jews' here are the authorities who sent them. John was of priestly family himself: his father Zacharias was 'a certain priest', his mother 'of the daughters of Aaron' (Luke 1:5).

Verse 21

Art thou Elias? — Elias is the Greek form of Elijah, promised 'before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD' (Mal 4:5). John says 'I am not', yet the angel said he would go 'in the spirit and power of Elias' (Luke 1:17), and Christ says 'Elias is come already' (Matt 17:12). 'That prophet' is the prophet like Moses of Deut 18:15, applied to Christ in Acts 3:22.

Verse 23

the voice of one crying in the wilderness — John answers in the words of Isa 40:3, which all four gospels apply to him (Matt 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4). 'Esaias' is Isaiah. Where Isaiah has 'the way of the LORD', the gospel has 'the Lord', and the one who comes after the voice is named in v.29. 'Make straight' is euthuno.

Verse 26

I baptize with water — Baptizo is to immerse. John's baptism is 'with water' only; the one who follows 'shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost' (Mark 1:8; cf. Acts 1:5). 'There standeth one among you, whom ye know not' — the unrecognised one already stands among them, as in v.10: 'the world knew him not'.

Verse 29

the Lamb of God — Amnos, a lamb, occurs only here, v.36, Acts 8:32 (quoting Isa 53:7) and 1 Pet 1:19. Abraham said 'God will provide himself a lamb' (Gen 22:8), and Israel took 'a lamb for an house' at the Passover (Ex 12:3). 'Taketh away' (airo) is to lift and carry off the sin 'of the world' (1 John 2:2).

Verse 32

it abode upon him — 'Abode' is meno, to remain, the verb of 'remaining on him' (v.33) and of 'dwellest' and 'abode' in vv.38, 39. The Spirit 'like a dove' is told also by Matt 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22 ('in a bodily shape'). This gospel gives it only as the Baptist's own testimony.

Verse 34

the Son of God — The Baptist's testimony rests on sight: 'I saw, and bare record'. 'Son of God' is the title of Ps 2:7, 'Thou art my Son', and Nathanael takes it up in v.49. The gospel states its own purpose in the same words: 'that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God' (John 20:31).

Verse 38

What seek ye? — The first words Jesus speaks in this gospel are a question. 'Seek' is zeteo; he asks it again in the garden, 'Whom seek ye?' (John 18:4, 7). The disciples answer, 'where dwellest thou?', with meno, to remain (vv.32, 33). 'Rabbi' is glossed 'Master', as 'Messias' (v.41) and 'Cephas' (v.42) are glossed for the reader.

Verse 39

the tenth hour — The hours are counted from sunrise ('twelve hours in the day', John 11:9), so the tenth is about four in the afternoon (some read John by the Roman reckoning, ten in the morning). They 'abode with him that day' (meno again, vv.32, 38). 'Come and see' is what Philip says in turn to Nathanael (v.46).

Verse 41

the Messias — The Aramaic form of the Hebrew word for 'anointed', glossed 'the Christ' (Christos). It occurs in the New Testament only here and John 4:25. 'He first findeth' (v.40: Andrew, 'Simon Peter's brother') is followed by Philip's 'We have found him' (v.45): each one found goes to find another.

Verse 42

Cephas — The Aramaic name glossed 'A stone', Petros in Greek, 'Peter'; Christ confirms it later: 'thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church' (Matt 16:18). Paul uses Cephas (1 Cor 1:12; 3:22; 9:5; 15:5; Gal 2:9). 'Jona' is the father's name, 'Jonas' in John 21:15.

Verse 45

Moses in the law, and the prophets — Philip names the two parts of Scripture. Christ later 'beginning at Moses and all the prophets… expounded… in all the scriptures the things concerning himself' (Luke 24:27); the prophet like Moses is promised in Deut 18:18. 'Son of Joseph' is the common description (Luke 3:23, 'as was supposed').

Verse 46

Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? — Nazareth is a city of Galilee (Luke 1:26), named nowhere in the Old Testament. Nathanael himself was 'of Cana in Galilee' (John 21:2). Philip answers with the invitation Jesus gave in v.39, 'Come and see'. The objection recurs in Judea: 'out of Galilee ariseth no prophet' (John 7:52).

Verse 48

under the fig tree — Jesus' reply to Nathanael is knowledge of what no one told him: 'he knew what was in man' (John 2:25), as in Ps 139:1, 'thou hast searched me, and known me'. What Nathanael was doing is not stated. The fig tree is a place of rest in Scripture: 'every man under his vine and under his fig tree' (1 Kings 4:25; Mic 4:4).

Verse 49

Son of God… King of Israel — Two titles joined as in Ps 2:6–7, where the LORD sets 'my king upon my holy hill of Zion' and says 'Thou art my Son'. 'Son of God' repeats the Baptist (v.34). 'King of Israel' is what the crowd cries at the triumphal entry: 'Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord' (John 12:13).

Verse 51

Verily, verily — Amen, amen, the double assent by which Jesus opens a saying; it occurs 25 times in John, first here. 'Angels of God ascending and descending' is the sight Jacob saw at Bethel (Gen 28:12), which he called 'the house of God… the gate of heaven' (Gen 28:17); here it is 'upon the Son of man' (cf. Dan 7:13).