John 1 #
The Word Became Flesh
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified to him and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’”) 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.
John 1:1-18 (NRSV)
1:1 1 Jo 1:1
The beginning of the Gospel is very similar to the beginning of the bible. Gen 1 This contrasts the beginning of the Synoptic Gospels since the Synoptic gospels all begin with the lineage and birth of Jesus. Isa 9:2
1:3 God the Father and God the Son are both of the trinity that was back at the beginning of time and in Gen 1. Jesus was there at the creation of the earth and the creation of humankind. Paul explains this in Col 1:15-16 God the Son worked with God the Father back in the creation. Nothing was made without God the Son Jesus.
1:4 life: Life on earth is given and maintained by God through his Word Heb 1:3. 2 Pet 1:4
1:5 light…darkness: The light and darkness is a symbolic struggle between good and evil. 1 Jn 2:8-11 Jesus is the true light, as explained later in John 1:9, that was sent to destroy the devil 1 Jn 3:8. There are other contrasting references in the bible. This includes flash and light (John 3:6), truth and falsehood (John 8:44-45), heaven and earth (John 3:31), and life and death (John 5:24)
1:6 John: John the Baptist, fulfilled a divine mission to Israel (John 1:31), but John was not he Messiah (John 1:20). In the Gospel of John, John’s is subordinate in role to Jesus.This suggests that one of the original purposes of this was to convince the remaining members of John’s disciples to fallow Jesus (John 3:25-30; John 5:36; John 10:41). Support for this is found in Acts 19:1-7, where we learn that a contingent of John’s followers lived in Ephesus—the same city that tradition links with the publication of the Fourth Gospel.
1:7 John witnessed Jesus so that all men may believe through John.
1:8 The light is Christ that can light up any darkness.
1:9
1:10 The World: This has multiple meanings. The first is the universe created by God. (John 1:10) Second, the fallen family of man needs redemption. (John 3:17) Third, the devil’s influence opposes God and hates truth. (John 15:18-20)
Word Study Word
( Prov 8:35 )
( Rev 19:13 )
( Jn 1:14 )
1:11 his own people did not accept him Jesus’ ministry to the Israelites was often pushed back upon and even rejected (John 6:56-59; John 10:31; Lk 4:28-30)
1:12 believed in his name: believes that Jesus is the Savior and the Son of God (John 20:31; 1 Jn 5:1; 1 Jn 5:13). So, for instance, the Lord himself is invoked when his name is called upon in worship (Gen 4:26; John 12:8) and when covenants are confirmed by swearing an oath in his name (Gen 21:23; John 24:3).
children of God Through the “grace of divine generation,” we are allowed to be filled with divine life and reborn as sons and daughters of God. (1 Jn 3:1, 1 Jn 3:9) This transformation requires faith and takes place in Baptism (John 3:5-8; Gal 3:26-27)
1:13
will of the flesh This refers to the corrupt nature of man, which is described as the enemy of the spirit throughout the scriptures.
1:14
the Word became flesh: This expresses that Jesus is both fully God and equal with God the Father, who came to earth and is also fully human. (John 3:6; John 6:63; 1 Jn 4:2)
dwelt among us: G4637 The Greek means that Jesus “pitched his tent” among us or to reside as God did in the old Tabernacle. This word was also used four times in Revelation. (Rev 21:3). John makes a connection between the Incarnation of Jesus and the creation of the wilderness Tabernacle in the Old Testament (Ex 25:8-9).
TODO (Sir 24:8), (1 Cor 1:24).
grace and truth: Equivalent to the “mercy and faithfulness” of God the Father celebrated in the Old Testament (Ex 34:6; Ps 25:10; Ps 89:1; Prov 20:28)
his glory: God’s presence once visable in the fire that resided in the wilderness Tabernacle (Ex 40:34-35) and later the Jerusalem Temple (1 Kings 8:10-11) The glory of Jesus is conceled behind his human nature and becomes visable when he shows it throught miracles. (John 2:11; John 11:40)
1:15 John the Baptist is pointing out that Jesus existed far before his birth.
1:16 Grace upon Grace: The grace of the Old Covenant has been replaced by the blessings of the New John 1:17
1:18 No one has ever seen God: God is invisible to the human eyes 1 Tim 6:16. Through Jesus the invisible God is visible. Col 1:15 Once in heaven the invisible God will become visible 1 Cor 13:12 God the only Son: This shows Jesus as two parts. Jesus is both fully human and fully divine. Heb 11:17
This whole section is an Chiastic Poem. Cullpepper had presented this section with 7 layers.
- The Word with God
- What came through the Word
- What was received from the Word
- John announces the Word
- The Word enters the world
- The Word and his own people
- The Word is accepted
- The Word’s gift to those who accept him.
The piviot point of this prologue the status of “children of God” given to those who believed in Jesus. This pivital point is because John’s community identified as “children of God” was very important to them.
Relationship with rest of the Gospel of John #
Preexistence of the Logos: Verse 1-2 John 17:5
Life: Verse 4 John 5:24 John 11:25 John 14:6
Light: Verses 4 & 9 John 8:12
Opposition light and darkness: Verse 5 John 3:19 John 12:46
John’s witness: Verses 7-8,15 John 1:19 John 10:41
world’s opposition: Verses 10 John 14:17 John 14:19 John 15:18
Children of God: Verses 12 John 11:52
Born of God: Verses 13 John 3:3
Beholding his glory: Verses 14 John 17:5
The only son: Verses 14 John 3:16
Moses: Verses 17 John 5:45-46 John 6:32 John 9:28-29
Seeing God: Verses 19 John 5:37 John 6:46
Resources #
Geneva Study Bible
St. Ignatius Study Bible
The Gospel and Letters of John (R. Alan Culpepper)
The Testimony of John the Baptist
19 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said,
“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’”
as the prophet Isaiah said.
24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27 the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.” 28 This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
John 1:19-28 (NRSV)
The Lamb of God
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
John 1:29-34 (NRSV)
The First Disciples of Jesus
35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, “Look, here is the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which translated means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they remained with him that day. It was about four o’clock in the afternoon. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated Anointed). 42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).
John 1:35-42 (NRSV)
Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, “Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael asked him, “Where did you get to know me?” Jesus answered, “I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.” 49 Nathanael replied, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”
John 1:43-51 (NRSV)