João 1
William Barclay · Citado em PreceptAustin
João 1
Barclay - He was the Agent through Whom all things were made; and there is not a single thing which exists in this world which came into being without Him. (John 1 Commentary) John 1:10 Jn 5:17-19 Ge 1:1,26 Ps 33:6 Ps 102:25 Isa 45:12,18 Eph 3:9 Col 1:16,17 Heb 1:2,3, Heb 1:10-12 Heb 3:3-4 Rev 4:11 John 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries See full commentary John 1:3 Commentary John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
João 1
Barclay - “John completely rejected that claim; but he rejected it with a certain hint. In the Greek the word I (ego) is stressed by its position. It is as if John said: ‘I am not the Messiah, but, if you only knew, the Messiah is here.'” (John 1 Commentary) The famous phrase "ego eimi" is used repeatedly by John as uttered from the lips of Jesus (except Jn 9:9) (Jn. 4:26; Jn. 6:20; Jn. 6:35; Jn. 6:41; Jn. 6:48; Jn. 6:51; Jn. 8:12; Jn. 8:18; Jn. 8:24; Jn. 8:28; Jn. 8:58; Jn. 9:9; Jn. 10:7; Jn. 10:9; Jn. 10:11; Jn. 10:14; Jn. 11:25; Jn. 13:19; Jn. 14:6; Jn. 15:1; Jn. 15:5; Jn. 18:5; Jn. 18:6; Jn. 18:8) Related Resource: Purpose and Meaning of “Ego Eimi” in the Gospel of John The Christ (Christos) - Note the definite article in the Greek (to Christos) which refers to THE specific Christ, the expected One, the "One and Only" Messiah - Anointed One. Several versions will translate ho Christos as "the Messiah." (CSB, NLT, NRSV, NAB, GWT) NET NOTE on the Christ - the term χριστός (Christos) was originally an adjective (“anointed”), developing in LXX into a substantive (“an anointed one”), then developing still further into a technical generic term (“the anointed one”). In the intertestamental period it developed further into a technical term referring to the hoped-for Anointed One, that is, a specific individual. In the NT the development starts there (technical-specific), is so used in the gospels, and then develops in Paul to mean virtually Jesus’ last Name. Confessed (acknowledged) (3670)(homologeo from homos = one and the same or together with+ lego = to say; confess from con = together, fateor = to say.) literally means to say the same thing as another and so to agree in one's statements with, to acknowledge, to admit the truth of (an accusation). John uses this verb two more times in his Gospel (Jn 9:22+, Jn 12:42+), both times describing those who because of fear of the Jews did not confess Jesus as the Christ. Homologeo is used first by Jesus in His frightening (at least it should frighten anyone who falsely professes Christ) declaration in Matthew 7:23+ "“And then I will declare (confess) to them, ‘I (ABSOLUTELY) never (INTIMATELY, IN A PERSONAL WAY) knew you; DEPART (DON'T DELAY! = aorist imperative) FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE (present tense = THE REASON THEY ARE TO DEPART = THEY MAY HAVE MADE A SEEMINGLY SINCERE PROFESSION [cf Titus 1:16+] TO BELIEVE BUT HAVE LIVED A LIFESTYLE OF) LAWLESSNESS.’" On the other hand the good news for those who truly confess Jesus is the Messiah is seen in Matt. 10:32 "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven." (cf 2 Ti 2:12b+) Confession is an important component of salvation Paul explaining "if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. (Ro 10:9,10+) Continual confession is critically important to assure that one is walking in the light (instead of spiritual darkness 1 Jn 1:6+) as He Himself is in the light (1 Jn 1:7+), John writing "If we (present tense = continually, habitually) confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 Jn 1:9+) Deny (720)(arneomai from "a" = negation + rheo = say) literally means "to say no", to say one does not know about or is in any way related to some person or some thing. Classical Greek writers understood arneomai to mean “to refuse.” Webster's Dictionary says that to deny implies a firm refusal to accept as true, to grant or concede or to acknowledge the existence or claims of. The first denial John records by John the Baptizer is good, but the second is not good, for Jesus says of Peter the fisherman "Truly, truly, I say to you, a rooster will not crow until you deny Me three times." (Jn 13:38+)! John's uses of arneomai - Jn. 1:20; Jn. 13:38; Jn. 18:25; Jn. 18:27; 1 Jn. 2:22; 1 Jn. 2:23; Rev. 2:13; Rev. 3:8 Christ (5547)(Christos from chrio = to rub or anoint, set apart for sacred work, consecrate to an office - Isa 61:1+, Acts 10:38+) is used over 500 times in the NT and describes one who has been anointed with oil and/or consecrated, with the majority of uses referring to Jesus (exceptions = "false Christs" - Mt 24:24+, Mk 13:22+). And so Christos describes Jesus as the One Who has been anointed (Prophet, Priest, King), symbolizing appointment to His task of redeeming sinners. Christos is used in the Septuagint describing everyone anointed with the holy oil, especially the priesthood (Lev. 4:5+, Lev 4:16+) and it is also a name applied to those who were acting as redeemers like Cyrus (Isa 45:1). Christos is used here as the title "Anointed One" and is the Greek synonym for "Messiah." The corresponding Hebrew word is mashiach/masiyah which means "anointed" or "anointed one," and prophetically pictures Jesus in several OT passages - e.g., Ps 2:2, Da 9:25+ = " restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince." John uses of Christos- Jn. 1:17; Jn. 1:20; Jn. 1:25; Jn. 1:41; Jn. 3:28; Jn. 4:25; Jn. 4:29; Jn. 7:26; Jn. 7:27; Jn. 7:31; Jn. 7:41; Jn. 7:42; Jn. 9:22; Jn. 10:24; Jn. 11:27; Jn. 12:34; Jn. 17:3; Jn. 20:31+ Related Resources: What does it mean that Jesus is prophet, priest, and king? MESSIAH - Is Jesus the Messiah? PROPHET - Was Jesus a prophet? PRIEST - What does it mean that Jesus is our High Priest? KING - What does it mean that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords? What does it mean that Jesus is the King of the Jews? Bible Study for Muslims - Who is Jesus? - Day 7 What does Messiah mean? Why do most Jews reject Jesus as the Messiah? Who is Jesus according to John the Apostle? John 1:21 They asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." Ar you Elijah: Mal 4:5 Mt 11:14 17:10-12 Lu 1:17 Are you the Prophet: John 1:25 Jn 7:40 De 18:15-18 Mt 11:9-11 16:14 John 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Deuteronomy 18:15-18+ “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. 16 “This is according to all that you asked of the LORD your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.’ 17 “The LORD said to me, ‘They have spoken well. 18 ‘I will raise up a Prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command him. COMMENT - God had told Moses that someday He would send another Prophet to Israel, “and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him” (Deuteronomy 18:18). Jesus was the prophet who fulfilled that prophecy (see Acts 3:22+; Acts 7:37+). Jesus fulfills all the requirements for a prophet in title, word, and deed. He is the ultimate Prophet in that He is the very Word of God Himself (John 1:1). ARE YOU ELIJAH OR THE PROPHET? Keep in mind that first century Jews were looking for 3 people to come on the scene - the Messiah, Elijah the Prophet and "The Prophet like Moses." John’s appearance was so startling and sudden that a lot of people were speculating whether he was one of these three men. Of course there was a fourth option regarding John -- that he was a false prophet. They asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." - They refers to the "big dogs" the "priests and Levites from Jerusalem." What is amazing is they knew much about the Word of God, but they did not know the God of the Word, nor His Son the Word (John 1:1-2). They knew the prophecies of Malachi... Malachi 3:1+ “Behold,(hinneh - an attention grabbing interjection), I am going to send My messenger (JOHN THE BAPTIST), and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, Whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the Messenger of the covenant, in Whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of hosts. Malachi 4:5+ where Jehovah speaking through Malachi declared “Behold,(hinneh - an attention grabbing interjection) I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible Day of the LORD." Ray Pritchard - It’s interesting to discover that the Jews had always understood that this prophecy would one day be fulfilled in a literal by the coming of a “the Prophet” who would either A) come just before Messiah or B) would in fact be the Messiah. That expectation helps explain the dialogue between the Jews and John the Baptist in John 1:19-21. Related Resources: Was Jesus a prophet? | GotQuestions.org What does it mean that Jesus is prophet, priest, and king? | GotQuestions.org Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No. - It is worth noting that John's answers became progressively more terse with each question. John gives a clear one word Greek word (ou) answer "No!" Again we see the "priests and Levites" knew the Torah, which prophesied of "the Prophet," but they did not have eyes to recognize the Prophet! And so with this question they allude to the prophecy by Moses in Deuteronomy 18 (see above). John said "No" but Jesus said "Yes!" In John 6:14 (cf Jn 7:40), after Jesus fed the multitude with the five loaves and two fish, the people connected the dots with Moses giving the Israelites manna in the wilderness and proclaimed, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” And they sought to take Jesus by force and make Him king. THOUGHT - As an aside, to believe Jesus was a prophet, even "the Prophet" was of no value regarding obtaining salvation, for one must believe His is the Savior of the world and receive Him as their personal Lord and Savior. Do you see Jesus as a wise man, even the Prophet of Dt 18:18, but refuse to receive Him as Savior and Lord (cf Eph 2:8-9+)? If you continue to refuse God's gift of the Lamb of God (John 1:29+), then "you will die in your sins" (mentioned twice by Jesus in Jn 8:24+) and the wages for your sin will be eternal punishment. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (rescued from the wrath to come - 1 Th 1:10+) (Acts 16:31+). Eugene Merrill explains that "Jesus, in an apparent contradiction of John’s own testimony, clearly identified John as "Elijah" (Mt. 11:14), but in a highly nuanced way. John’s inquisitors had wondered if he was not actually Elijah in the flesh returned to earth. This he was not, as he made clear in his reply. But he was, however, an "Elijah figure," one who came in the spirit and power of Elijah. This is why Jesus qualified His assessment of the Elijah-John identification by saying, “If you are willing to receive him, this is Elijah who is to come.” That is, John stands in fulfillment of the promise of Malachi concerning the coming of Elijah but only in the sense that he announced the coming of Christ, just as the messenger would come to announce the coming of Adon (Mal. 3:1+).
João 1
Barclay - When the world had its beginning, the word was already there; and the word was with God; and the word was God. This word was in the beginning with God. (John 1 Commentary) the beginning: John 1:2 Ge 1:1 Pr 8:22-31 Eph 3:9 Col 1:17 Heb 1:10 Heb 7:3 Heb 13:8 Rev 1:2,8,11 Rev 2:8 Rev 21:6 Rev 22:13 the Word: John 1:14 1Jn 1:1,2 5:7 Rev 19:13 with: John 1:18 Jn 16:28 Jn 17:5 Pr 8:22-30 1Jn 1:2 the Word was: John 10:30-33 Jn 20:28 Ps 45:6 Isa 7:14 Isa 9:6 Isa 40:9-11 Mt 1:23 Ro 9:5 Php 2:6 1Ti 3:16 Titus 2:13 Heb 1:8-13 2Pe 1:1 1Jn 5:7,20 John 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries EXCERPT - In the beginning (en arche) - What beginning? When is the beginning? Does he mean the beginning of eternity? Of course not, as eternity by its very nature has no beginning and no end, a truth no finite mind can fully grasp. What John is saying could be paraphrased "Before even time began was the Word." And so beginning refers to the inception of creation. When the creation came into existent, Jesus was already there. No matter how far back we believe the beginning to be, we will find Jesus, the pre-existent Word. Athanasius put it this way "There never was when He was not, when the Son of God was not." (Athanasius' Discourse I Against the Arians -See point 14) In other words, the Word was not created (He is "un-created")! In fact as we will discuss in more detail on John 1:3, He not only pre-existed eternally before creation, He created creation, "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things have been created by Him and for Him." (Col 1:16+) The writer of Hebrews adds that "By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the Word of God, (not logos but rhema, the spoken word, but the phrase "Word of God" still suggests a double entendre!) so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible." (Heb 11:3+) And so in contrast to Matthew and Luke which begin with a classic genealogy, John begins with a "cosmic genealogy" as it were. WHO IS JESUS? Ask a conservative, "Was Jesus human or divine?" and he will answer emphatically, "Divine!" (John 1:1) Ask a liberal the same question and he may reply, "Human." (John 1:14) Both are right and both are wrong. Why? Because the correct answer is "Both." Jesus was both human and divine. See full commentary John 1:1 Commentary John 1:2 He was in the beginning with God. In the beginning - Ge 1:1, Jn 1:1, Heb 1:10 John 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries John 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries See full commentary John 1:2 Commentary John 1:3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
João 1
Barclay - And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not put it out. (John 1 Commentary) Compare Jn 1:9 which says "There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man." John 1:10 John 3:19,20 John 12:36-40 Job 24:13-17 Pr 1:22,29,30 Ro 1:28 1Co 2:14 John 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries See full commentary John 1:5 Commentary A Light in the Darkness In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33 Today's Scripture & Insight: John 1:5; 16:1–11, 33 In These Are the Generations, Mr. Bae describes God’s faithfulness and the power of the gospel to penetrate the darkness. His grandfather, parents, and his own family were all persecuted for sharing their faith in Christ. But an interesting thing happened when Mr. Bae was imprisoned for telling a friend about God: his faith grew. The same was true for his parents when they were sentenced to a concentration camp—they continued to share Christ’s love even there. Mr. Bae found the promise of John 1:5 to be true: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Before His arrest and crucifixion, Jesus warned His disciples about the trouble they’d face. They would be rejected by people who “will do such things because they have not known the Father or me” (16:3). But Jesus offered words of comfort: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (v. 33). What trouble have you experienced as a believer in Christ or witnessed others experiencing? What is your first reaction during hard times? Heavenly Father, please protect Your children who are experiencing persecution. John Owen - Glory to God Alone! (from devotionals collected by Lee Gatiss) The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5 The soul of mankind, by reason of the corruption of nature, is darkened with a mist of ignorance, meaning it is unable to comprehend divine truth. It is also armed with prejudice and opposition against some parts of that truth, which are either above or contrary to false principles which we have framed for ourselves. A desire for self-sufficiency was the first cause of this infirmity, and mankind still languishes in the pride of this. There is nothing we contend for more than independence from any supreme power which might either help, hinder, or control us in our actions. This is the bitter root from which have sprung all those heresies and wretched contentions which have troubled the church—contentions concerning the power of mankind to bring about its own happiness, and its exemption from the over-ruling providence of Almighty God. ll these wrangling disputes of carnal reason against the word of God come down in the end to this question: whether the first and chiefest part in ordering things in this world ought to be ascribed to God, or humanity? People, for the most part, have assumed this pre-eminence to themselves. All the innovations of such people against the received doctrine of the Reformed churches aim at these two ends: they wish to exempt themselves from God’s jurisdiction, and to clear human nature from the heavy imputation of being sinful and corrupted. And so at length, with much toil and labour, they declare that the sacrifice of praise for all good things should be divided between God and their free-will. John 1:6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. Barclay - There emerged a man sent from God whose name was John. (John 1 Commentary) Hendricksen - There came a man named John, commissioned by God. a man: John 1:33 Jn 3:28 Isa 40:3-5 Mal 3:1 Mal 4:5,6 Mt 3:1-11 Mt 11:10 Mt 21:25 Mk 1:1-8 Lu 1:15-17,76 Lk 3:2-20 Acts 13:24 John: Lu 1:13,61-63 John 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries See full commentary John 1:6 Commentary John 1:7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. Barclay - He came as a witness, in order to bear witness to the light, that through him all might believe. (John 1 Commentary) KJV The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. NET He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that everyone might believe through him. CSB He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. ESV He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. NAS77 He came for a witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. NIV He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. NLT to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. GWN John came to declare the truth about the light so that everyone would become believers through his message. NAB He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. NJB He came as a witness, to bear witness to the light, so that everyone might believe through him. NKJ This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. RSV He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. YLT this one came for testimony, that he might testify about the Light, that all might believe through him a witness: John 1:19,26,27,32-34,36 Jn 3:26-36 Jn 5:33-35 Acts 19:4 that: John 1:9 Jn 3:26 Eph 3:9 1Ti 2:4 Titus 2:11 2Pe 3:9 John 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries See full commentary John 1:7 Commentary Too Good Not to Share [John] came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe.John 1:7 Today's Scripture & Insight: John 1:6–14 During court proceedings, witnesses are more than onlookers or spectators. They are active participants who help determine the outcome of a case. The same is true of our witness for Christ. We are to be active participants in a matter of absolute importance—the truth of Jesus’s death and resurrection. When John the Baptist came to tell people about Jesus, the light of the world, he did so by declaring his knowledge of Jesus. And John the disciple, who recorded the events, testified of his experience with Jesus: “We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The apostle Paul would elaborate on this idea as he told young Timothy, “The things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Tim. 2:2). Do our actions enable us to witness for Jesus? In what creative ways might we witness today? John 1:8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. NAS (1977 version - the version above is 1995) He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light. (What's the difference? Notice that the older version retains the that which is present in the Greek text and serves to introduce a purpose clause - see terms of purpose or result). Barclay - He himself was not the light; his function was to bear witness to the light. (John 1 Commentary) KJV He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. NET He himself was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. CSB He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. ESV He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. NAS He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light. NIV He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. NLT John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. GWN John was not the light, but he came to declare the truth about the light. NAB He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. NJB He was not the light, he was to bear witness to the light. NKJ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. RSV He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light. Young's Literal - that one was not the Light, but -- that he might testify about the Light. the Light: John 1:20 Jn 3:28 Acts 19:4 John 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries See full commentary John 1:8 Commentary John 1:9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. Barclay - He was the real light, who, in his coming into the world, gives light to every man. (John 1 Commentary) KJV John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. NET John 1:9 The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ASV John 1:9 There was the true light, even the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world. BBE John 1:9 The true light, which gives light to every man, was then coming into the world. CJB John 1:9 This was the true light, which gives light to everyone entering the world. CSB John 1:9 The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. DBY John 1:9 The true light was that which, coming into the world, lightens every man. ESV John 1:9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. NAS John 1:9 There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. NIV John 1:9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. NLT John 1:9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. GWN John 1:9 The real light, which shines on everyone, was coming into the world. NAB John 1:9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. NEB John 1:9 The real light which enlightens every man was even then coming into the world. NJB John 1:9 The Word was the real light that gives light to everyone; he was coming into the world. NKJ John 1:9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. NRS John 1:9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. RSV John 1:9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. TNT John 1:9 That was a true lyght which lyghteth all men that come into the worlde. WEB John 1:9 {That} was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. YLT John 1:9 He was the true Light, which doth enlighten every man, coming to the world; true: John 1:4 Jn 6:32 Jn 14:6 Jn 15:1 Isa 49:6 Mt 6:23 1Jn 1:8 1Jn 2:8 1Jn 5:20 every: John 1:7 Jn 7:12 Jn 12:46 Isa 8:20 1Th 5:4-7 John 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries See full commentary John 1:9 Commentary John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. Barclay - He was in the world, and, although the world was made by him, the world did not recognize him. (John 1 Commentary) KJV John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. NET John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him. ASV John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world knew him not. BBE John 1:10 He was in the world, the world which came into being through him, but the world had no knowledge of him. CJB John 1:10 He was in the world- the world came to be through him- yet the world did not know him. CSB John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not recognize Him. DBY John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world had its being through him, and the world knew him not. ESV John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. NAS John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. NIV John 1:10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. NLT John 1:10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. GWN John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world came into existence through him. Yet, the world didn't recognize him. NAB John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. NJB John 1:10 He was in the world that had come into being through him, and the world did not recognise him. NKJ John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. NRS John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. RSV John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. TNT John 1:10 He was in the worlde and the worlde was made by him: and yet the worlde knewe him not. WEB John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. YLT John 1:10 in the world he was, and the world through him was made, and the world did not know him: was in: John 1:18 Jn 5:17 Ge 11:6-9 Ge 16:13 Ge 17:1 Ge 18:33 Ex 3:4-6 Acts 14:17 Acts 17:24-27 Heb 1:3 world was made: John 1:3 Jer 10:11,12 Heb 1:2 Heb 11:3 know Him: John 1:5 Jn 17:25 Mt 11:27 1Co 1:21 1Cor 2:8 1Jn 3:1 John 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries See full commentary John 1:10 Commentary John 1:11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. Barclay - It was into his own home that he came, and yet his own people did not welcome him. (John 1 Commentary) KJV John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. NET John 1:11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. ASV John 1:11 He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not. BBE John 1:11 He came to the things which were his and his people did not take him to their hearts. CJB John 1:11 He came to his own homeland, yet his own people did not receive him. CSB John 1:11 He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. DBY John 1:11 He came to his own, and his own received him not; ESV John 1:11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. NAS John 1:11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. NIV John 1:11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. NLT John 1:11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. GWN John 1:11 He went to his own people, and his own people didn't accept him. NAB John 1:11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. NJB John 1:11 He came to his own and his own people did not accept him. NKJ John 1:11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. NRS John 1:11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. RSV John 1:11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. TNT John 1:11 He cam amonge his (awne) and his awne receaved him not. WEB John 1:11 He came to his own, and his own received him not. YLT John 1:11 to his own things he came, and his own people did not receive him; came: Mt 15:24 Acts 3:25,26 Acts 13:26 Acts 13:46 Ro 9:1,5 Ro 15:8 Gal 4:4 and: John 3:32 Isa 53:2,3 Lk 19:14 Lk 20:13-15 Acts 7:51,52 John 1:11 Ingratitude of Man C H Spurgeon John 1:11-13: The Preacher’s Last Sermon for the Season C H Spurgeon John 1:11-13: The Simplicity and Sublimity of Salvation C H Spurgeon John 1:11-13 Faith and Its Attendant Privileges C H Spurgeon John 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries See full commentary John 1:11 Commentary John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, Barclay - To all those who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God. (John 1 Commentary) KJV John 1:12 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: NET John 1:12 But to all who have received him– those who believe in his name– he has given the right to become God's children ASV John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: BBE John 1:12 To all those who did so take him, however, he gave the right of becoming children of God -- that is, to those who had faith in his name: CJB John 1:12 But to as many as did receive him, to those who put their trust in his person and power, he gave the right to become children of God, CSB John 1:12 But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, DBY John 1:12 but as many as received him, to them gave he the right to be children of God, to those that believe on his name; ESV John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, NAS John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, NIV John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- NLT John 1:12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. GWN John 1:12 However, he gave the right to become God's children to everyone who believed in him. NAB John 1:12 But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, NJB John 1:12 But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believed in his name NKJ John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: NRS John 1:12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, RSV John 1:12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; TNT John 1:12 But as meny as receaved him to them he gave power to be the sonnes of God in that they beleved on his name: WEB John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God, {even} to them that believe on his name: YLT John 1:12 but as many as did receive him to them he gave authority to become sons of God -- to those believing in his name, received: Mt 10:40 Mt 18:5 Col 2:6 to them: Isa 56:5 Jer 3:19 Ho 1:10 Ro 8:14 2Co 6:17,18 Gal 3:26 Gal 4:6 2Pe 1:4 1Jn 3:1 even to: John 2:23 Jn 3:18 Jn 20:31+ Mt 12:21 Acts 3:16 1Jn 3:23 1Jn 5:12 John 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries See full commentary John 1:12 Commentary IN HIS NAME - What is it about His Name? His Name is (1) Jesus (see Mt 1:21+ for meaning of His Name which speaks volumes for what it means to believe in His Name -- to rely fully and forever on His Name). (2) His Name speaks of all His attributes as God -- His Name is simply a shorthand so to speak for His omniscience, omnipresence, etc, etc (3) His Name is Immanuel - God with us - Mt 1:23+ (4) His Name is the Source of hope for the Gentiles - Mt 12:21+ (5) His Name is holy - Lk 1:49+ (6) Repentance for forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His Name to all the nations - Lk 24:47+ (7) Belief in His Name equates with receiving Him and being brought into God's family as children of God - Jn 1:12 (8) Believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God gives one life in His Name - John 20:31 (9) through His Name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins. -- Acts 10:43+ (10) His Name is the Word of God - Rev 19:13+ (11) His Name will be on our foreheads forever in eternity (Rev 22:4+) It thus becomes easy to see why "at the Name of Jesus EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (AMEN) - Php 2:10-11+. John 1:13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. TEV - They did not become God's children by natural means, that is, by being born as the children of a human father; God himself was their Father. Barclay - These were born, not of blood, nor or any human impulse, nor of any man’s will, but their birth was of God. (John 1 Commentary) Amplified - Who owe their birth neither to bloods nor to the will of the flesh [that of physical impulse] nor to the will of man [that of a natural father], but to God. [They are born of God!] KJV John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. NET John 1:13 – children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband's decision, but by God. ASV John 1:13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. BBE John 1:13 Whose birth was from God and not from blood, or from an impulse of the flesh and man's desire. CJB John 1:13 not because of bloodline, physical impulse or human intention, but because of God. CSB John 1:13 who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. DBY John 1:13 who have been born, not of blood, nor of flesh's will, nor of man's will, but of God. ESV John 1:13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. NAS John 1:13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. NIV John 1:13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. NLT John 1:13 They are reborn-- not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. GWN John 1:13 These people didn't become God's children in a physical way-from a human impulse or from a husband's desire to have a child. They were born from God. NAB John 1:13 who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man's decision but of God. NJB John 1:13 who were born not from human stock or human desire or human will but from God himself. NKJ John 1:13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. NRS John 1:13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. RSV John 1:13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. TNT John 1:13 which were borne not of bloude nor of the will of the flesshe nor yet of the will of man: but of God. WEB John 1:13 Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Weymouth John 1:13 - who were begotten as such not by human descent, nor through an impulse of their own nature, nor through the will of a human father, but from God. Modern Language (Berkley) John 1:13 - who owe their birth neither to human blood, nor to physical urge, nor to human design, but to God. YLT John 1:13 – who -- not of blood nor of a will of flesh, nor of a will of man but -- of God were begotten. were born: John 3:3,5 Jas 1:18 1Pe 1:3,23 1Pet 2:2 1Jn 3:9 1Jn 4:7 1Jn 5:1,4,18 not of blood: John 8:33-41 Mt 3:9 Ro 9:7-9 nor of the will of the flesh: Ge 25:22,28 Ge 27:4,33 Ro 9:10-16 nor of the will of man: Ps 110:3 Ro 9:1-5 Ro 10:1-3 1Co 3:6 Php 2:13 Jas 1:18 of God: John 3:6-8 Titus 3:5 1Jn 2:28,29 John 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries See full commentary John 1:13 Commentary John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. Greek: Kai o logos sarx egeneto (3SAMI) kai eskenosen (3SAAI) en hemin, kai etheasametha (1PAMI) ten doxan autou, doxan os monogenous para patros, pleres charitos kai aletheias. Amplified: And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth. [Isa. 40:5.].(Amplified Bible - Lockman) ESV: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. KJV: 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. NLT: So the Word became human and lived here on earth among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son of the Father. (NLT - Tyndale House)
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Barclay adds "As the fathers of the church saw centuries ago, it was something which only the eye of the mind and soul could see. But John saw it and was convinced." (John 1 Commentary) Hendricksen - what John saw was the visible manifestation of the anointing of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. This anointing, as the references indicate, includes two elements: a. that the Mediator was ordained by God for his specific task, and b. that he was qualified to carry it out. (BNTC-Jn) F B Meyer rightly points out the analogy - “What this scene was in the life of the Lord, Pentecost was for the Church. Then she was anointed for her divine mission among men; the unction of the Holy One rested upon her, to be continued and renewed as the centuries slowly passed.” (From "Behold My Servant" Isaiah 42:1) Have seen (2300)(theaomai from tháomai = to wonder) means to have an attentive look, to have regard for something, to contemplate, to take in with one's eyes (implying that one is impressed by what he sees - see use in Mt 22:11). Theaomai implies an intent contemplative gaze. The point is that it is not a mere glance or quick look, but a long, searching gaze (e.g., Lk 23:55), an intelligent beholding, a "careful and deliberate vision which interprets its object" (G. Abbott-Smith). It means to gaze at a show or demonstration or to watch as in a theater. (thus giving us the origin of our English "theater"). Theaomai is used in Jn 1:14, Jn 1:32, Jn 1:38. The Spirit descending (katabaino) as a dove out of heaven - Note John is speaking in the past tense describing not a "vision" but something that he literally, actually beheld. This is the Baptist's testimony. He tells us what he had actually seen with his own eyes, which was the sign described in Jn 1:33. This is the first mention of the Spirit in John. How did John see the Spirit? As a dove is a term of comparison. As is specifically a simile and in this case describes the Spirit as visible in some sort of bodily representation. Clearly the normally invisible Spirit of God manifested Himself in some way as a dove so that John would recognize Him. And he also had the auditory revelation from the Father that Jesus was His Beloved Son (Mt 3:17+; Lk 3:22+) The question is what is the significance of the Spirit descending upon Jesus? Did Jesus not have the Spirit indwelling Him? Of course He did, for Jesus always had the Spirit. So while there may be several answers, one that strikes me is that this event presents a pattern for believers to live a supernatural life. Spurgeon affirmed that “It was the Spirit of God Who gave success to Jesus Christ’s ministry.” In short, the descending of the Spirit on Jesus demonstrates that from the outset of His public ministry Jesus is giving us His pattern of perfect reliance on the empowering presence of the Spirit to fulfill ministry. As discussed below, for believers to successively fulfill the "good works" ministry that God has pre-prepared for them in Christ Jesus (read Eph 2:10+, cf 2 Ti 2:21+), they need to learn the secret of relying wholly on the Holy Spirit! Descending (2597)(katabaino rom kata = down + baino = go, step) literally means to step down and so to move down or descend. Descending is the opposite of "ascending" ("coming out of the water"). Peter alluded to Jesus' baptism in a passage which summarizes the inauguration and enablement of His earthly ministry declaring... You yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed. 38 “You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit (REFERRING TO JOHN'S BAPTISM OF JESUS AND THE SPIRIT DESCENDING) and with power (dunamis), and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him (THE SPIRIT FILLED HIM, cf Lk 4:1+). 39 “We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. 40 “God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. (Acts 10:37-41+) Comment - Anointed in Acts 10:38 is chrio which means to consecrate/set apart for sacred work as by unction. The idea is to assign a person to task, with implication of supernatural sanctions, blessing, and endowment. And so fittingly Jesus is also given the title of Christos (from chrio), also called the Messiah - Anointed One. John uses the related word chrisma describing the believer's anointing in 1 John 2:20+ and 1 John 2:27+ which in context refers to our "anointing" with the Holy Spirit, this "anointing" occurring the moment we were regenerated by grace through faith. Have you ever considered yourself to be an anointed saint? You are! See interesting CARM.org article 1 John 2:27, You are anointed of God and here is a brief quote to "wet your appetite" - "It is this anointing that opens your mind, teaches you, guides you, calls you to pray, empowers you, and enables you to be stronger Christians, more powerful Christians. Not just people who are saved, but people who are saved, indwelt, and empowered." In the schematic below Jesus came (incarnation and first 30 years basically in seclusion) and then came to the Jordan to inaugurate His 3 year public ministry (not specifically shown). The Spirit coming upon Jesus in essence "anointed" Him with the Spirit and with power to successfully carry out his 3 year ministry. Here was the perfect Man presenting us with the perfect pattern to imitate, even as John says "the one who says he abides in Him (CHRIST) ought (MUST) himself walk (LIVE) in the same manner as He walked."(1 Jn 2:6+). How did Jesus walk these 3 years? Filled with the Spirit (cf Lk 4:1+) and with the power of the Spirit (Lk 4:14+). And so just as Jesus' relied wholly on the Holy Spirit for His supernatural ministry, so too all believers must rely on the same Spirit and same power (Acts 1:8+) to live a supernatural life for the glory of God. Note in the schematic when Jesus left (ascension after crucifixion and resurrection), He sent the promise of the Spirit from the Father (Lk 24:49+, cf Jn 14:16-17, Jn 15:26, Jn 16:7, Acts 2:33+) which was dramatically demonstrated at the Feast of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-4ff+. Subsequently the reception of the Spirit and power is the experience of every believer at the moment of conversion (cf Ro 8:9+, 1 Cor 12:13). See more discussion of this critically important Biblical truth - The Holy Spirit-Walking Like Jesus Walked! and A Spirit Filled Church. THOUGHT - Are you trying to live the Christian life in your own (old) natural power, or the Spirit's (new) supernatural power? Are you attempting to fulfill your ministry in your power or in reliance on His power? The former leads to utter futility, the latter to unbelievable fruitfulness! Related Resource: Who is the Holy Spirit? | GotQuestions.org Robertson makes an interesting point that "we know that he recognized Jesus as Messiah when he came for baptism before the Holy Spirit came (Read Mt. 3:14-16+). But this sight of the Spirit descending as a dove upon Jesus at his baptism (Mk 1:10=Matt. 3:16=Luke 3:22) became permanent proof to him."(John 1 Word Pictures in the NT) (Bolding added) Comment - It appears that God fully revealed Jesus as the Messiah through this prearranged sign. THOUGHT- The point is that Jesus' true identity as Messiah and Son of God was not discerned by John naturally by his intelligence but was revealed to him supernaturally by the Holy Spirit, even as in the case of Peter in Mt 16:17 when Jesus declared "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father Who is in heaven." And the same is true of all believers of all ages -- the revelation of Jesus Christ is supernatural not natural. One can know about Jesus intellectually but sadly never know Him experientially until the Spirit opens the eyes of one's heart (cf Mt 7:21-23+). Do you know Jesus personally? Or do you just know about Him? The former brings eternal life, while the latter eternal death. Do not be deceived by "religion" about Jesus but seek "relation" with Jesus by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-9+, Ro 10:9-10+). Vincent on as a dove - In the form of a dove, and not, as some interpret, referring merely to the manner of the descent—swiftly and gently as a dove (compare Luke 3:22+ “In a bodily form, as a dove”). The dove was an ancient symbol of purity and innocence, adopted by our Lord in Mt 10:16. It was the only bird allowed to be offered in sacrifice by the Levitical law. In Christian art it is the symbol of the Holy Spirit, and that in his Old Testament manifestations as well as in those of the New Testament. (John 1 Greek Word Studies)
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Barclay on dove - In Palestine the dove was a sacred bird. It was not hunted and it was not eaten. Philo noticed the number of doves at Ascalon, because it was not permitted to catch and kill them, and they were tame. In Genesis 1:2 we read of the creative Spirit of God moving upon the face of the waters. The Rabbis used to say that the Spirit of God moved and fluttered like a dove over the ancient chaos breathing order and beauty into it. The picture of the dove was one which the Jews knew and loved. (John 1 Commentary)
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Barclay - When the world had its beginning, the word was already there; and the word was with God; and the word was God. This word was in the beginning with God. the beginning: John 1:2 Ge 1:1 Pr 8:22-31 Eph 3:9 Col 1:17 Heb 1:10 Heb 7:3 Heb 13:8 Rev 1:2,8,11 Rev 2:8 Rev 21:6 Rev 22:13 the Word: John 1:14 1Jn 1:1,2 5:7 Rev 19:13 with: John 1:18 Jn 16:28 Jn 17:5 Pr 8:22-30 1Jn 1:2 the Word was: John 10:30-33 Jn 20:28 Ps 45:6 Isa 7:14 Isa 9:6 Isa 40:9-11 Mt 1:23 Ro 9:5 Php 2:6 1Ti 3:16 Titus 2:13 Heb 1:8-13 2Pe 1:1 1Jn 5:7,20 John 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries (1) ETERNALLY PREEXISTENT: IN THE BEGINNING JESUS WAS ALREADY THERE John 1:1-5 Summarized… John 1:1-2 Christ is Eternal John 1:3 Christ is the Creator John 1:4-5 Christ is Life and Light John 1:1a - Christ was preexistent John 1:1b - Christ was co-existent John 1:1c - Christ was self-existent Before there was any beginning, the Word had been In the beginning (en arche) - What beginning? When is the beginning? Does he mean the beginning of eternity? Of course not, as eternity by its very nature has no beginning and no end, a truth no finite mind can fully grasp. What John is saying could be paraphrased "Before even time began was the Word." And so beginning refers to the inception of creation. When the creation came into existent, Jesus was already there. No matter how far back we believe the beginning to be, we will find Jesus, the pre-existent Word. Athanasius put it this way "There never was when He was not, when the Son of God was not." (Athanasius' Discourse I Against the Arians -See point 14) In other words, the Word was not created (He is "un-created")! In fact as we will discuss in more detail on John 1:3, He not only pre-existed eternally before creation, He created creation, "For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things have been created by Him and for Him." (Col 1:16+) The writer of Hebrews adds that "By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the Word of God, (not logos but rhema, the spoken word, but the phrase "Word of God" still suggests a double entendre!) so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible." (Heb 11:3+) And so in contrast to Matthew and Luke which begin with a classic genealogy, John begins with a "cosmic genealogy" as it were. John
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Barclay - It is told that a little girl was once confronted with some of the more bloodthirsty and savage parts of the Old Testament. Her comment was: “But that happened before God became a Christian!” If we may so put it with all reverence, when John says that the word was always there, he is saying that God was always a Christian. He is telling us that God was and is and ever shall be like Jesus; but men could never know and realize that until Jesus came. John is the only writer to specifically refer to Jesus as the Word. First notice that John clearly identifies the Word by putting "flesh and blood" on the Logos… John 1:14-note And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. From this passage it is clear that John is speaking of Jesus, even though he actually never mentions the specific name Jesus until John 1:17. I once heard an anecdotal story that illustrates the power of the Logos to save a soul. At a summer youth camp the attendees began to go through the Gospel of John and when the leader explained to one young man that the Word of John 1:1 became flesh in John 1:14 he received Jesus as his Savior and was born again! No exposition of the text. No apologetics. Just the power of the Logos! And again in his first letter and the Revelation John refers to Jesus as the Logos, the Word of Life, the Word of God… 1 John 1:1-note What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life– Comment: Here John uses the phrase "from the beginning" to refer to the beginning of Jesus earthly 3 year ministry, whereas here in John 1:1 the phrase "in the beginning" is used in "an absolute sense to refer to the beginning of the time-space-material universe." (MacArthur) Revelation 19:13-note And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God
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Barclay - Jewish and Greek Background related to "Logos" See Barclay's excellent summary of the background on The LOGOS Marvin
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Barclay summarizes well: "John spoke to a world which thought of the gods in terms of passionless apatheia and serene detachment. He pointed at Jesus Christ and said: ‘Here is the mind of God; here is the expression of the thought of God; here is the logos. And men were confronted with a God Who cared so passionately and Who loved so sacrificially that His expression was Jesus Christ and His emblem a Cross." (Quoted by W Hall Harris) William Temple states that the logos "alike for Jew and Gentile represents the ruling fact of the universe, and represents that fact as the self-expression of God. The Jew will remember that ‘by the Word of the Lord the heavens were made’; the Greek will think of the rational principle of which all natural laws are particular expressions. Both will agree that this Logos is the starting-point of all things." Harris makes a good point that when John choose logos he "was using a term which, with various shades of meaning, was in common use everywhere. He could count on all men catching his essential meaning. But for John, the Word was not a principle, but a living Being, the Source of life; not a personification, but a Person, and that Person divine. Note: John never uses the absolute, specific, unrelated term logos outside of the prologue. Elsewhere it is always modified or clarified, and does not occur in the Gospel again in the sense of the logos. Why not? Probably because in the Prologue we are looking at pre-existence. John 1:14 becomes the point of transition: the Word is now Jesus of Nazareth. Therefore, He is called Jesus from this point on, no longer ho logos. Jesus and the Logos are an identity; the Logos is the pre-existent Christ. (Prologue John 1:1-18) (Bolding added) As an aside John's description as the Word gives us absolutely no clue as to Jesus' physical appearance and in fact there are no such descriptions anywhere in the Scripture. Most of our modern impressions of the way Jesus looked are the result of the imagination of gifted painters. Indeed, every picture of Jesus that we do have is certain to present a concept of Him which is far less that what God wants to have of His Son! The Gospel of John is a far better way to conceive of Jesus. How do we know identity of the Word? By examining the context where we see that in the Prologue (Jn 1:1-18) John clearly explains the identity of the Word describing His incarnation writing - "And the Word became flesh (incarnation), and dwelt (tabernacled) among us (the first century Jews and disciples), and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14-note) In context, John clearly identifies the Word as the long expected Messiah (Christ or Christos - cf Jn 1:41). In a parallel passage in John's epistle, he writes "What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we beheld and our hands handled, concerning the Word of Life." So here John calls Him the Word of Life and emphasizes His physical present among them. Some say that while Jesus is Christ’s earthly name (Mt. 1:21), the Word is His eternal name.
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Barclay - John goes on to say that the Word was with God. What does he mean by that? He means that always there has been the closest connection between the word and God. Let us put that in another and a simpler way—there has always been the most intimate connection between Jesus and God. That means no one can tell us what God is like, what God’s will is for us, what God’s love and heart and mind are like, as Jesus can. Let us take a simple human analogy. If we want to know what someone really thinks and feels about something, and if we are unable to approach the person ourselves, we do not go to someone who is merely an acquaintance of that person, to someone who has known him only a short time; we go to someone whom we know to be an intimate friend of many years’ standing. We know that he will really be able to interpret the mind and the heart of the other person to us. It is something like that that John is saying about Jesus. He is saying that Jesus has always been with God. Let us use every human language because it is the only language we can use. John is saying that Jesus is so intimate with God that God has no secrets from him; and that, therefore, Jesus is the one person in all the universe who can reveal to us what God is like and how God feels towards us (John Commentary- Daily Study Bible) (3) THE WORD WAS ETERNALLY GOD The Word was God - “And the Word was [being] God.” He always was God! This statement could not be much clearer! In fact these four Greek words (theos en ho logos) may be the clearest declaration of the Godhood of Jesus Christ in all of holy writ! (As an a aside, given the profundity of this simple verse in English, surely it would be a passage every saint would want to treasure as precious gold in their heart!) John
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Barclay - He was the Agent through Whom all things were made; and there is not a single thing which exists in this world which came into being without Him. John 1:10 Jn 5:17-19 Ge 1:1,26 Ps 33:6 Ps 102:25 Isa 45:12,18 Eph 3:9 Col 1:16,17 Heb 1:2,3, Heb 1:10-12 Heb 3:3-4 Rev 4:11 THE ETERNAL WORD CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE All things (pas) - The Greek word pas (panta) leaves no room for exceptions. Since He created all things, by default He was not Himself created. Note striking contrast with "nothing" (literally "not even one thing") in the second clause which gives the same truth from a negative point of view. "Just as He was before all things, and therefore, eternal; so was He the Originator of all things, and therefore, omnipotent." (Pink) See discussion by William Barclay on Gnosticism Paul's doxology addresses all things - For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. (Ro 11:36) MacLeod - Everything in the universe was made and put there by God. God has made it all, and He has made it through Jesus Christ. Because Jesus Christ is the Creator God of all things (Col. 1:16), we “can trust such a God with everything. Because He is Creator,” says Hughes, “He knows just what His creation, His people, need.”
João 1:4
Barclay - IN a great piece of music the composer often begins by stating the themes which he is going to elaborate in the course of the work. That is what John does here. Life and light are two of the great basic words on which the Fourth Gospel is built up. They are two of the main themes which it is the aim of the Gospel to develop and to expound. (John Commentary- Daily Study Bible) Steven
João 1:5
Barclay - And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not put it out. Compare Jn 1:9 which says "There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man." The light shines in the darkness - As noted below the tense switches from imperfect (Jn 1:4 - "life was [imperfect] the light...") to the present tense indicating the light continually shines. R Kent
João 1:5
Barclay wrote, when one thinks of light and darkness. First, the light that Jesus brings puts chaos to flight. He can save one’s life from becoming chaos. When Jesus enters a life, light comes. A child stayed overnight in a strange house while his parents were away. The lady who took him in offered to leave the light on when he went to bed. Politely he declined the offer. “I thought,” said the hostess, “that you might be afraid of the dark.” “Oh, no,” said the boy, “it’s God’s dark.” With Christ in our lives the darkness is dispelled. Second, the light that Jesus brings is a revealing light. Later John wrote, “The Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). Light shows what is going on in the dark. It strips away all disguises, and shows things as they really are. People never see themselves truly until they see themselves through the eyes of Jesus. He drives people to God by revealing them to themselves. Third, the light that Jesus brings is a guiding light. When someone walks in darkness, he “does not know where he goes” (Jn 12:35). When he receives the light and believes the light, however, he no longer walks in darkness (Jn 12:36). When Jesus comes into a life, guessing and groping about the meaning of life are ended. (The Eternality and Deity of the Word- John 1:1-2) Light (5457)(phos) from pháo = to shine) is defined by many lexicons as that which contrasts with darkness. Light is the medium of illumination that makes sight possible or makes things visible. In Scripture phos can refer to literal, physical light (Ge 1:3), but often is used metaphorically or symbolically, the greatest metaphorical use being used to symbolize Jesus as "the Light of the world." (Jn 8:12). Zodhiates says figuratively phos means "moral and spiritual light and knowledge which enlightens the mind, soul or conscience; including also the idea of moral goodness, purity and holiness, and of consequent reward and happiness." (Complete Word Study Dictionary- New Testament) Light - phos - John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. 9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. John 3:19 "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 "But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God." John 5:35 "He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. John 8:12 Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." John 9:5 "While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world." John 11:9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 "But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him." John 12:35 So Jesus said to them, "For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake (katalambano) you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes. John 12:36 "While you have the Light, believe in the Light, so that you may become sons of Light." These things Jesus spoke, and He went away and hid Himself from them. John 12:46 "I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. Bruce Barton on the Light shines - The timeless Light (Ed: of Christ, in the Gospel message) has invaded our time, and we can see it in our darkness. Christ’s life and message are still effective. John could see it around him in his day as he witnessed the strength of the Christian church—planted, thriving, growing. And it is still present tense today—for Christ’s light still shines in our dark world. (Life Application New Testament Commentary) Robertson on the light shines - Linear present active indicative of phaino....“The light keeps on giving light.”....(Light is) An evident allusion to the darkness brought on by sin. In 2Pet. 2:17 we have "the blackness of darkness". The Logos, the only real moral light, keeps on shining both in the Pre-incarnate state and after the Incarnation (Ed: How? See Hendriksen's reasonable explanation above). John is fond of skotia, skotos for moral darkness from sin and phōs, phōtizō, phainō for the light that is in Christ alone. In 1 John 2:8 he proclaims that “the darkness is passing by and the true light is already shining.” The Gnostics often employed these words and John takes them and puts them in the proper place! Shines (5316)(phaino) means to bring to light, to cause to appear. To shed light upon (Rev 8:12). To seem to be (Lk 24:11). Figuratively of sin being shown to be sin (Ro 7:13). "The sinfulness of sin is revealed in its violations of God’s law." (ATR). Figuratively phaino is used of the Word of God as that which shines in a dark place (2Pe 1:19). Phaino describes the glorified Jesus' face (Rev 1:16). Appear ("are seen") in Php 2:15 could be translated "shine." In Mt 24:30 phaino refers to the Second Coming of Christ (cp Mt 24:27). Phaino is in the present tense indicating that this supernatural light continually shines in the darkness. This is not the shine of the sun or the moon, but the Son's shine! "The present here has gnomic force; it expresses the timeless truth that the light of the world (cf. Jn 8:12, 9:5, 12:46) never ceases to shine." (W Hall Harris)
João 1:5
Barclay writes that katalambano "can have three meanings. (a) It can mean that the darkness never understood the light. There is a sense in which the man of the world simply cannot understand the demands of Christ and the way Christ offers him. To him it seems sheer foolishness. A man cannot understand Christ until he first submits to him. (b) It can mean the darkness never overcame the light. Katalambanein can mean to pursue until one overtakes and so lays hold on and overcomes. This could mean that the darkness of the world had done everything possible to eliminate Jesus Christ, even to crucifying him, but it could never destroy him. This could be a reference to the crucified and conquering Christ. (c) It can be used of extinguishing a fire or flame. That is the sense in which we have taken it here. Although men did all they could to obscure and extinguish the light of God in Christ, they could not quench it. In every generation the light of Christ still shines in spite of the efforts of men to extinguish the flame. (John Commentary- Daily Study Bible) A T
João 1:6
Barclay - There emerged a man sent from God whose name was John. Hendricksen - There came a man named John, commissioned by God. THE COMMISSIONING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST John Phillips Outline I. The Divine Light in Evidence (Jn 1:6-13) A. The Witness and the Light (Jn 1:6-8) 1. The Messenger (Jn 1:6) 2. The Motive (Jn 1:7) 3. The Method (Jn 1:8) B. The World and the Light (Jn 1:9-13) 1. The Light Revealed (Jn 1:9) 2. The Light Resisted (Jn 1:10-11) 3. The Light Received (Jn 1:12-13) (Exploring the Gospel of John) After God spoke His last Old Testament message through Malachi, He was silent for 400 years, but before He went silent, He gave a promise to send two messengers "Behold, I am going to send My messenger (John the Baptist), and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the Messenger of the covenant (Jesus Christ), in Whom you delight, behold, He is coming,” says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 3:1-note) Notice that John 1:1-5 speak about Jesus. Then abruptly John 1:6-8 introduce "John the Witness.' And then John 1:9ff pick up John's discussion of Jesus. John Piper raises the question of why John abruptly introduces "John the Witness" at this juncture instead of completing his introduction of the Word of God. Piper reasons that "the effect of the way he did write it is to make crystal clear from the very outset that God's way of letting the light of Christ shine in the world is by human witnesses. God's way of pushing back the darkness is by human witnesses. It didn't have to be this way. God could have caused the light of Christ to spread in some other way. He could have done it with angels. He could have written the gospel in the sky with big puffy white letters made out of clouds. He could have caused the wind to talk. But instead God chose to call and send human beings to bear witness to the light. "There was a man [a human being] sent from God, whose name was John. This general principle is even more clear because John was sent to testify to the light while the light was there. As soon as the light was in the world—as soon as Jesus came—God prepared and sent a human being right alongside the light to bear witness to the light. Jesus did not need John the Baptist to make him known. He could have managed by himself—he was the light of the world. But evidently God's wisdom dictates that his Son should be heralded, announced, proclaimed by people that he sends. Evidently God knows that this is the way to bring the greatest happiness to men and the greatest glory to his Son… Be ready and open to God's call on your life to send you to bear witness to the light; and be ready and open to recognize the word of God to you when it comes from others that God has sent to you. (A Burning Witness to the Light) Hendricksen writes that John the Witness "is introduced as an example of the constant shining of the light… John, whose name means “Jehovah has been gracious,” had been sent (perfect passive participle, indicating abiding result; from apostello) from—or commissioned by—God. The purpose for which he had been commissioned is stated in Jn 1:7-8" D A Carson - A fuller description of the Baptist’s witness appears in Jn 1:19–34; Jn 3:27–30; Jn 5:35, with a marvelous summary in Jn 10:40–42. (The Gospel according to John The Pillar New Testament Commentary)
João 1:7
Barclay - He came as a witness, in order to bear witness to the light, that through him all might believe. KJV The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. NET He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that everyone might believe through him. CSB He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. ESV He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. NAS77 He came for a witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. NIV He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. NLT to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. GWN John came to declare the truth about the light so that everyone would become believers through his message. NAB He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. NJB He came as a witness, to bear witness to the light, so that everyone might believe through him. NKJ This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. RSV He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. YLT this one came for testimony, that he might testify about the Light, that all might believe through him JOHN'S MISSION: A BURNING & SHINING WITNESS He came as a witness to testify about the Light - He was a messenger sent on a mission with a commission! John's mission was not mission impossible, but mission possible, because he came with (commission) of the power and authority of the Lord. His purpose was to be a witness who would testify about Jesus the Light of the world so that all might believe through him. It is notable that John never calls him John the Baptist, but John the witness! That is the the focus of John's Gospel, that through witnesses, men and women would believe (Jn 20:31). John
João 1:8
Barclay - He himself was not the light; his function was to bear witness to the light. KJV He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. NET He himself was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. CSB He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light. ESV He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. NAS He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light. NIV He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. NLT John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. GWN John was not the light, but he came to declare the truth about the light. NAB He was not the light, but came to testify to the light. NJB He was not the light, he was to bear witness to the light. NKJ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. RSV He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light. Young's Literal - that one was not the Light, but -- that he might testify about the Light. JESUS IS THE LIGHT JOHN IS THE REFLECTOR Or Jesus is the Light and John is a Lamp (see below). The former is the essence of light, the latter is light derived, even as the light of the Sun is reflected by the moon. Are you a "moon" for Jesus in the darkness in which He has placed you? (cf Mt 5:16-note, Php 2:14-note, Php 2:15-note, 1Pe 2:9-note) Isaiah had predicted the coming of Messiah declaring "The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them." (Isa 9:2-note) According to Jewish tradition, Light was one of the names of the Messiah. (Isa 9:1, 2; 42:6; 49:6; 60:1, 2, 3; Mal 4:2; Lk 2:32). In this passage Isaiah presents an indisputable prophecy of the coming Messiah. See other allusions to light in reference to Jesus - Jn 1:4, 5, Jn 3:19, 20, 21, Jn 9:5. Jn 12:35, 36, 46 Ps 36:9. Ps 78:14. Is 60:1-3 Lk 1:78, 79. Lk 2:32. Acts 13:47, 48. Acts 26:18, 23 2Cor 4:6-note 1Jn 2:8-note. John's purpose was to make the way smooth for the Light and to testify about the Jewish Messiah to the nation of Israel, who in spite of all their spiritual advantages (Ro 9:4-5-note), were for the most part spiritually blind to the truth that Jesus was their long expected Messiah! (cf Acts 26:18, 2Cor 4:4-note) William Barclay explains why John the evangelist specifically says John the Witness "was not the light" - "Somewhere in the church there was a group of men who wished to give John the Baptist too high a place. John the Baptist himself gave no encouragement to that but rather did everything to discourage it. But the Fourth Gospel knew that that tendency was there and took steps to guard against it. It can still happen that men may worship a preacher rather than Christ. It can still happen that men’s eyes may be fixed upon the herald rather than upon the King of whom he is the messenger. John the Baptist was not in the least to blame for what had happened; but John the evangelist was determined to see that none should shoulder Christ from out the topmost niche." (John 1 Commentary) On the other hand Kostenberger writes (and D A Carson has a similar note) "The disclaimer “That man was not the light; rather, he came to testify concerning the light” (cf. Jn 1:15; 3:30; 5:36; 10:41) is taken by some as evidence that there were in John’s day groups that elevated the Baptist above Jesus (R. Brown 1966: 28). There is some evidence for this in Ephesus in the 50s (Acts 18:25; 19:1–7). However, it is more likely that John’s primary burden is to contrast (note the strong adversative alla (but) the respective ministries of John and Jesus (see Jn 1:19–51; 3:22–24; 4:1–2), whereby the Baptist is cast in a positive light as a witness to Jesus (Ridderbos 1997: 42). John is not the light, but he is a lamp (Jn 5:35) (R. Brown 1966: 9; Morris 1995: 81; Keener 2003: 393). He was not the Light (the light - Jn 1:4, 5, 7, 8) - John the Baptist was not Jesus, as he himself clearly "confessed, and did not deny, and he confessed, “I am not the Christ.”" (Jn 1:20) He (1565)(ekeinos from ekei = there) a demonstrative pronoun which is used to emphasize the subject = the one there, that man, woman, thing). BDAG says ekeinos is a "demonstrative pronoun pertaining to an entity mentioned or understood and viewed as relatively remote in the discourse setting = that person, that thing, that." Examples of uses of ekeinos in the NT - Mt 3:1 = "in those days"; Mt 7:22 = "on that day"; Mt 7:25 "burst against that house"; Lk 15:14 "famine occurred in that country"; Jn 1:18 = "He (that One) has explained Him." Jn 1:39 "stayed with Him that day" Jn 3:30 "He (that One) must increase" Jn 8:44 "He (that one) was a murderer from the beginning." Jn 10:1 "He (that one) is a thief and a robber." Jn 14:26 = "He (that One) shall teach you all things." Jn 15:26 = "He (that One) will bear witness of Me." Jn 16:13 = "but when He (that One), the Spirit of truth, comes" Jn 16:14 = "He (that One) shall glorify Me." Jn 20:16 = "She (that one) turned"; Last use in Scripture = Rev 11:13 "And in that hour" (What hour? see note) Examples of uses of ekeinos in the Septuagint (Lxx) - Ge 2:12 = "that land", Ge 6:4 = "in those days", Ge 10:11 = "that land"; Ge 15:18 = "on that day"; Ge 17:14 = "that person shall be cut off", Deut 1:9 = "I spoke to you at that time"; Zech 14:3 = "against those nations"); Zech 14:6 = "in that day". Westcott adds that ekeinos is a "pronoun of reference which is used (ekeinos isolates and so fixes attention upon the person referred to." For example in John 14:21 "He is the one who loves Me" is more literally "that (ekeinos) is the one who loves me." Leon
João 1:9
Barclay - He was the real light, who, in his coming into the world, gives light to every man. KJV John 1:9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. NET John 1:9 The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ASV John 1:9 There was the true light, even the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world. BBE John 1:9 The true light, which gives light to every man, was then coming into the world. CJB John 1:9 This was the true light, which gives light to everyone entering the world. CSB John 1:9 The true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. DBY John 1:9 The true light was that which, coming into the world, lightens every man. ESV John 1:9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. NAS John 1:9 There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. NIV John 1:9 The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. NLT John 1:9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. GWN John 1:9 The real light, which shines on everyone, was coming into the world. NAB John 1:9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. NEB John 1:9 The real light which enlightens every man was even then coming into the world. NJB John 1:9 The Word was the real light that gives light to everyone; he was coming into the world. NKJ John 1:9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. NRS John 1:9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. RSV John 1:9 The true light that enlightens every man was coming into the world. TNT John 1:9 That was a true lyght which lyghteth all men that come into the worlde. WEB John 1:9 {That} was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. YLT John 1:9 He was the true Light, which doth enlighten every man, coming to the world; THE TRUE LIGHT OF THE WORLD After a brief "parenthesis" introducing John the Baptist (Jn 1:6-8), the writer returns to focus on Jesus. First, recall that John has just written of the Baptist "He was not the Light" (Jn 1:8) and now in stark contrast he describes "the true Light." Second, notice how the beginning of this passage ("There was the true Light') parallels the introduction of John the Baptist (or better described in this Gospel as "John the Witness") - "There came a man sent from God, whose name was John." (Jn 1:6) Having introduced the one who would bear witness, John now introduces the One about Whom witness was to be borne! John of course is not saying he was "a false light, but, in comparison with Christ, he was a very small light. Christ is the great Light that deserves to be called so. Other lights are but figuratively and equivocally called." (Matthew Henry) There was the true Light - Jesus the God-Man. As in the beginning (Jn 1:1-note) John again uses the verb was in the imperfect tense which reflects Jesus' continual existence. One could paraphrase it "There always was the true Light." The true Light continually was before John came (Jn 1:6). Throughout all eternity the Light was present. Now John says that the eternally existing Light (Fully God) is entering time (Fully Man), coming into the world He created, but now a world darkened by sin and in desperate need of a Redeemer and of spiritual vision to see the true Light! One application is that because Jesus is the True Light, we can always count on Him. He will always be the Source of pure Light. And this is good to remember when we as believers experience times of spiritual darkness. In those times we can choose by grace through faith to run into His Name, the True Light! As Solomon said "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe (sagab = lifted up). (Pr 18:10-note) John also describes Jesus as the true Bread and true Vine. POSB - THE WITNESSES TO THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST, John 1:1-51 Jesus the Light of Men: The Second Witness of John the Apostle, Jn 1:9-13 1 Christ was the Light (John 1:9) a. The true Light (John 1:9a) b. His mission: Light men (John 1:9b) 2 Christ was tragically rejected by the world (John 1:10-11) a. He was in the world, but was rejected (John 1:10)S b. He came to His own people, but they rejected Him (John 1:11) 3 Christ was wonderfully received by some (John 1:12-13) a. How: By believing (John 1:12b) b. Result: Became sons of God (John 1:12a) c. The Source of Sonship: A new birth (John 1:13) 1) Was not of man (John 1:13a) 2) Was of God (John 1:13b) Introduction: the world is in desperate straits. It is full of darkness—the darkness of sin and despair, of sickness and death, of corruption and hell. The darkness looms over the whole world. This is the problem dealt with in the present passage. There is hope in Jesus Christ, for Christ is the true Light, and Light dispels darkness. 1. Christ was the Light (John 1:9). 2. Christ was tragically rejected (John 1:10-11). 3. Christ was wonderfully received by some (John 1:12-13). Earlier John had written that "the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend (apprehend) it." (Jn 1:5-note), but now he says "the Light… enlightens every man." At first glance this seems like a contradiction. What John is saying in essence is that everyone (every man) has a chance to believe (Jn 1:9), regardless of whether they fail to comprehend (apprehend) the Light. F B
João 1:10
Barclay - He was in the world, and, although the world was made by him, the world did not recognize him. KJV John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. NET John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him. ASV John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world knew him not. BBE John 1:10 He was in the world, the world which came into being through him, but the world had no knowledge of him. CJB John 1:10 He was in the world- the world came to be through him- yet the world did not know him. CSB John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not recognize Him. DBY John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world had its being through him, and the world knew him not. ESV John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. NAS John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. NIV John 1:10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. NLT John 1:10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. GWN John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world came into existence through him. Yet, the world didn't recognize him. NAB John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, but the world did not know him. NJB John 1:10 He was in the world that had come into being through him, and the world did not recognise him. NKJ John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. NRS John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. RSV John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world knew him not. TNT John 1:10 He was in the worlde and the worlde was made by him: and yet the worlde knewe him not. WEB John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. YLT John 1:10 in the world he was, and the world through him was made, and the world did not know him: THE TRAGIC IRONY: THE CREATOR UNKNOWN & REJECTED BY HIS CREATION The supreme tragedy and utter irony was (and still is!) that the creatures created by Jesus rubbed shoulders with Him, yet were blind to His identity as the true Light! And as an old song goes..."and the beat goes on and on and on!" The world was in darkness and did not know the light but instead shunned the light. Men still run from the true Light (Jn 3:19-20) but will one day can no longer run and hide but will be forced to bow their knee before the true Light (Php 2:10)!
João 1:11
Barclay - It was into his own home that he came, and yet his own people did not welcome him. KJV John 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. NET John 1:11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. ASV John 1:11 He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not. BBE John 1:11 He came to the things which were his and his people did not take him to their hearts. CJB John 1:11 He came to his own homeland, yet his own people did not receive him. CSB John 1:11 He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. DBY John 1:11 He came to his own, and his own received him not; ESV John 1:11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. NAS John 1:11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. NIV John 1:11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. NLT John 1:11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. GWN John 1:11 He went to his own people, and his own people didn't accept him. NAB John 1:11 He came to what was his own, but his own people did not accept him. NJB John 1:11 He came to his own and his own people did not accept him. NKJ John 1:11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. NRS John 1:11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. RSV John 1:11 He came to his own home, and his own people received him not. TNT John 1:11 He cam amonge his (awne) and his awne receaved him not. WEB John 1:11 He came to his own, and his own received him not. YLT John 1:11 to his own things he came, and his own people did not receive him; TRUE LIGHT REVEALED AND REJECTED BY HIS OWN PEOPLE He came to His own (Greek = idia = neuter)… His own (Greek = idioi = masculine) - The first His own = His own creation. His own home. His own historical land (Israel). The second His own = His own family. His own people. This is phenomenal -- the Creator came to His own planet, the one He had created and the people of that planet could not and would not recognize and acknowledge Jesus because of their spiritual blindness! If your eyes are opened to spiritual truth dear reader, then stop and praise God that His Spirit swept into your heart and wrought a "spiritual circumcision" of your calloused, blind heart inherited from Adam (cf Ro 5:12).
João 1:12
Barclay - To all those who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God. KJV John 1:12 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: NET John 1:12 But to all who have received him– those who believe in his name– he has given the right to become God's children ASV John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: BBE John 1:12 To all those who did so take him, however, he gave the right of becoming children of God -- that is, to those who had faith in his name: CJB John 1:12 But to as many as did receive him, to those who put their trust in his person and power, he gave the right to become children of God, CSB John 1:12 But to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in His name, DBY John 1:12 but as many as received him, to them gave he the right to be children of God, to those that believe on his name; ESV John 1:12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, NAS John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, NIV John 1:12 Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- NLT John 1:12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. GWN John 1:12 However, he gave the right to become God's children to everyone who believed in him. NAB John 1:12 But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, NJB John 1:12 But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believed in his name NKJ John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: NRS John 1:12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, RSV John 1:12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God; TNT John 1:12 But as meny as receaved him to them he gave power to be the sonnes of God in that they beleved on his name: WEB John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them he gave power to become the sons of God, {even} to them that believe on his name: YLT John 1:12 but as many as did receive him to them he gave authority to become sons of God -- to those believing in his name, TRUE LIGHT REVEALED AND RECEIVED BY SOME Compiled by Bruce Hurt But - Whenever you encounter this term of contrast, ask what is the author contrasting? In this case it is unbelief by His own with belief by the many. I love John
João 1:13
Barclay - These were born, not of blood, nor or any human impulse, nor of any man’s will, but their birth was of God. Amplified - Who owe their birth neither to bloods nor to the will of the flesh [that of physical impulse] nor to the will of man [that of a natural father], but to God. [They are born of God!] KJV John 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. NET John 1:13 – children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband's decision, but by God. ASV John 1:13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. BBE John 1:13 Whose birth was from God and not from blood, or from an impulse of the flesh and man's desire. CJB John 1:13 not because of bloodline, physical impulse or human intention, but because of God. CSB John 1:13 who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God. DBY John 1:13 who have been born, not of blood, nor of flesh's will, nor of man's will, but of God. ESV John 1:13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. NAS John 1:13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. NIV John 1:13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. NLT John 1:13 They are reborn-- not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. GWN John 1:13 These people didn't become God's children in a physical way-from a human impulse or from a husband's desire to have a child. They were born from God. NAB John 1:13 who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man's decision but of God. NJB John 1:13 who were born not from human stock or human desire or human will but from God himself. NKJ John 1:13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. NRS John 1:13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. RSV John 1:13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. TNT John 1:13 which were borne not of bloude nor of the will of the flesshe nor yet of the will of man: but of God. WEB John 1:13 Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. Weymouth John 1:13 - who were begotten as such not by human descent, nor through an impulse of their own nature, nor through the will of a human father, but from God. Modern Language (Berkley) John 1:13 - who owe their birth neither to human blood, nor to physical urge, nor to human design, but to God. YLT John 1:13 – who -- not of blood nor of a will of flesh, nor of a will of man but -- of God were begotten. SUPERNATURAL BIRTH Who were born - This of course speaks of a dead soul (Eph 2:1) being born again by grace through faith. John uses the same verb gennao to give a preview of the great drama in John 3 where Jesus takes Nicodemus who is thinking of natural birth and shows him his great need is for supernatural birth by the Holy Spirit. (John 3:3-6)
João 1:14
Barclay - The Greek term lógos does not only mean word; it also means reason. For John, and for all the great thinkers who made use of this idea, these two meanings were always closely intertwined. Whenever they used lógos the twin ideas of the Word of God and the Reason of God were in their minds. Robert Lightner - The designation Word (Logos) attracts our attention. What does it mean? What picture does it convey of the Lord Jesus? Let me illustrate: I might have all kinds of ideas, thoughts, suggestions in my mind, all kinds of emotions in my heart, but unless there was some way, some means by which I could convey them to others, they would not know them. This is where words derive their value. Words are vehicles for conveying thoughts to others, and if it is true that "as a man thinketh in his heart so is he" then my words will be vehicles for conveying to others what I am. The Lord Jesus is the Word, the conveyor to men not only of the thoughts of God and the wisdom of God, but the conveyor of what God is. He is the vehicle to reveal God to men, thus "no man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father (who has His being in the bosom of the Father), he hath declared him" (John 1:18). As the "Word" our Lord Jesus revealed God in His power in the creation (John 1:3) and upholding of the world (Heb. 1:1-3). He has revealed Him through incarnation (John 1:14) and redemption to the guilty sons of men. Did He not say: "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9)? W E Vine discusses the two main thoughts of Logos... (I) "the expression of thought," not the mere name of an object, (a) as embodying a conception or idea, e.g., Luke 7:7; 1Co 14:9,19; (b) a saying or statement, (1) by God, e.g., Jn 15:25; Ro 9:9; 9:28 , RV, "word" (AV, "work"); Gal 5:14; Heb4:12; (2) by Christ, e.g., Mt 24:35 (plur.); John 2:22; 4:41; 14:23 (plur.); Jn 15:20. In connection with (1) and (2) the phrase "the word of the Lord," i.e., the revealed will of God (very frequent in the OT), is used of a direct revelation given by Christ, 1Th 4:15; of the gospel, Acts 8:25; 13:49; 15:35,36; 16:32; 19:10; 1Th 1:8; 2Th 3:1; in this respect it is the message from the Lord, delivered with His authority and made effective by His power (cp. Acts 10:36 ); for other instances relating to the gospel see Acts 13:26; 14:3; 15:7; 1Co 1:18; 2Co 2:17; 4:2; 5:19; 6:7; Gal 6:6; Ep 1:13; Php 2:16; Col 1:5; Heb 5:13; sometimes it is used as the sum of God's utterances, e.g., Mk 7:13; Jn 10:35; Rev 1:2,9; (c) discourse, speech, of instruction, etc., e.g., Acts 2:40; 1Cor 2:13; 12:8; 2Cor 1:18; 1Th 1:5; 2Th 2:15; Heb 6:1.; doctrine, e.g., Mt 13:20; Col 3:16; 1Ti 4:6; 2Ti 1:13; Titus 1:9; 1Jn 2:7; (II) "The Personal Word," a title of the Son of God; this identification is substantiated by the statements of doctrine in John 1:1-18 , declaring in verses Jn 1:1,2 (1) His distinct and super finite Personality, (2) His relation in the Godhead (pros, "with," not mere company, but the most intimate communion), (3) His deity; in John 1:3 His creative power; in Jn 1:14 His incarnation ("became flesh," expressing His voluntary act; not as AV, "was made"), the reality and totality of His human nature, and His glory "as of the only begotten from the Father," RV (marg., "an only begotten from a father"), the absence of the article in each place lending stress to the nature and character of the relationship; His was the Shekinah glory in open manifestation; Jn 1:18 consummates the identification: "the only-begotten Son (RV marg., many ancient authorities read "God only begotten,"), which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him," thus fulfilling the significance of the title "Logos," the "Word," the personal manifestation, not of a part of the Divine nature, but of the whole Deity (Word - Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words). Became - Not "made" but "became." Jesus was not created, but was the Creator (Col 1:16, Heb 1:2) Who condescended to become part of His own creation, a thought too profound to fully comprehended by our mind, and yet a truth that can be fully received by our faith. Compare the verb "was" in John 1:1 with the verb "became" here in John 1:14... Verse 1 In the beginning WAS the Word...Imperfect tense indicates continuing action in the past. Language of continuing existence Verse 14 The Word BECAME flesh...Aorist tense indicates an action that took place in a point in time. Language of change as the Word became something that He previously was not. The Word took on flesh and, in doing so, brought about a change that will have eternal repercussions. The One who became God and man stayed that way. The One who was touched by a band of Galilean disciples is today worshiped by angels. (From John Stevenson) John
João 1:14
Barclay writes that "theaomai means to gaze at someone or something until something has been grasped of the significance of that person or thing. So Jesus, speaking to the crowds of John the Baptist, asked: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to look at [theaomai]?’ (Luke 7:24); and in that word He describes how the crowds flocked out to gaze at John and wonder who and what this man might be. Speaking of Jesus in the prologue to his gospel, John says: ‘We have seen his glory’ (John 1:14)...and the idea is not that of a passing glance but of a steadfast searching gaze which seeks to discover something of the mystery of Christ. (The Daily Study Bible - online) Theaomai - 23v in NT and 6 times by John in his gospel, three times in his first epistle... (John 1:14) And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:32) John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. (John 1:38) And Jesus turned and saw them following, and *said to them, “What do you seek?” They said to Him, “Rabbi (which translated means Teacher), where are You staying?” (John 4:35) “Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest. (John 6:5) Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, *said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?” (John 11:45) Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. (1John 1:1) What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life– (1John 4:12) No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. (1John 4:14) We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Glory (whether in the OT - Kabod /Lxx - doxa or the NT - doxa) is commonly used in both Testaments to denote the visible manifestation of God's presence. God’s glory is the sum of all His attributes and perfection. It is sometimes displayed as a bright or overpowering light. The rabbis used the word Shekinah in the Targums (Aramaic paraphrases of the OT Hebrew text) to describe the presence of God. Steven Cole on glory of Jesus - When John says, “We saw His glory,” he may have been referring in part to the transfiguration, when he and James and Peter saw Jesus in His glory. John could not have forgotten that event, although he doesn’t tell about it in his gospel! But he is also referring to Jesus’ glory as revealed in His miracles, but only to those who had eyes to see. After Jesus turned the water into wine, John reports (Jn 2:11), “This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.” Before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He said (John 11:4), “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” And yet, even after that amazing miracle, the Jewish leaders increased their efforts to kill the one who is the resurrection and the life! But John also shows that Jesus’ glory was supremely revealed in the cross. When Judas went out of the Upper Room to betray the Savior, Jesus said (John 13:31), “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him.” The cross displayed God’s perfect justice and amazing love like no other event in history. (The Word Became Flesh)
João 1:14
Barclay - The Greek word is monogenes which the King James Version translates only-begotten. It is true that that is what monogenes literally means; but long before this it had lost its purely physical sense, and had come to have two special meanings. It had come to mean unique and specially beloved. Obviously an only son has a unique place and a unique love in his father's heart. So this word came to express uniqueness more than anything else. It is the conviction of the New Testament that there is no one like Jesus. He alone can bring God to men and bring men to God.
João 1:14-18
Barclay - The Greek term lógos does not only mean word; it also means reason. For John, and for all the great thinkers who made use of this idea, these two meanings were always closely intertwined. Whenever they used lógos the twin ideas of the Word of God and the Reason of God were in their minds. Robert Lightner - The designation Word (Logos) attracts our attention. What does it mean? What picture does it convey of the Lord Jesus? Let me illustrate: I might have all kinds of ideas, thoughts, suggestions in my mind, all kinds of emotions in my heart, but unless there was some way, some means by which I could convey them to others, they would not know them. This is where words derive their value. Words are vehicles for conveying thoughts to others, and if it is true that "as a man thinketh in his heart so is he" then my words will be vehicles for conveying to others what I am. The Lord Jesus is the Word, the conveyor to men not only of the thoughts of God and the wisdom of God, but the conveyor of what God is. He is the vehicle to reveal God to men, thus "no man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father (who has His being in the bosom of the Father), he hath declared him" (John 1:18). As the "Word" our Lord Jesus revealed God in His power in the creation (John 1:3) and upholding of the world (Heb. 1:1-3). He has revealed Him through incarnation (John 1:14) and redemption to the guilty sons of men. Did He not say: "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9)? W E Vine discusses the two main thoughts of Logos... (I) "the expression of thought," not the mere name of an object, (a) as embodying a conception or idea, e.g., Luke 7:7; 1Co 14:9,19; (b) a saying or statement, (1) by God, e.g., Jn 15:25; Ro 9:9; 9:28 , RV, "word" (AV, "work"); Gal 5:14; Heb4:12; (2) by Christ, e.g., Mt 24:35 (plur.); John 2:22; 4:41; 14:23 (plur.); Jn 15:20. In connection with (1) and (2) the phrase "the word of the Lord," i.e., the revealed will of God (very frequent in the OT), is used of a direct revelation given by Christ, 1Th 4:15; of the gospel, Acts 8:25; 13:49; 15:35,36; 16:32; 19:10; 1Th 1:8; 2Th 3:1; in this respect it is the message from the Lord, delivered with His authority and made effective by His power (cp. Acts 10:36 ); for other instances relating to the gospel see Acts 13:26; 14:3; 15:7; 1Co 1:18; 2Co 2:17; 4:2; 5:19; 6:7; Gal 6:6; Ep 1:13; Php 2:16; Col 1:5; Heb 5:13; sometimes it is used as the sum of God's utterances, e.g., Mk 7:13; Jn 10:35; Rev 1:2,9; (c) discourse, speech, of instruction, etc., e.g., Acts 2:40; 1Cor 2:13; 12:8; 2Cor 1:18; 1Th 1:5; 2Th 2:15; Heb 6:1.; doctrine, e.g., Mt 13:20; Col 3:16; 1Ti 4:6; 2Ti 1:13; Titus 1:9; 1Jn 2:7; (II) "The Personal Word," a title of the Son of God; this identification is substantiated by the statements of doctrine in John 1:1-18 , declaring in verses Jn 1:1,2 (1) His distinct and super finite Personality, (2) His relation in the Godhead (pros, "with," not mere company, but the most intimate communion), (3) His deity; in John 1:3 His creative power; in Jn 1:14 His incarnation ("became flesh," expressing His voluntary act; not as AV, "was made"), the reality and totality of His human nature, and His glory "as of the only begotten from the Father," RV (marg., "an only begotten from a father"), the absence of the article in each place lending stress to the nature and character of the relationship; His was the Shekinah glory in open manifestation; Jn 1:18 consummates the identification: "the only-begotten Son (RV marg., many ancient authorities read "God only begotten,"), which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him," thus fulfilling the significance of the title "Logos," the "Word," the personal manifestation, not of a part of the Divine nature, but of the whole Deity (Word - Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words). Became - Not "made" but "became." Jesus was not created, but was the Creator (Col 1:16, Heb 1:2) Who condescended to become part of His own creation, a thought too profound to fully comprehended by our mind, and yet a truth that can be fully received by our faith. Compare the verb "was" in John 1:1 with the verb "became" here in John 1:14… Verse 1 In the beginning WAS the Word… Imperfect tense indicates continuing action in the past. Language of continuing existence Verse 14 The Word BECAME flesh… Aorist tense indicates an action that took place in a point in time. Language of change as the Word became something that He previously was not. The Word took on flesh and, in doing so, brought about a change that will have eternal repercussions. The One who became God and man stayed that way. The One who was touched by a band of Galilean disciples is today worshiped by angels. (From John Stevenson) John
João 1:14-18
Barclay writes that "theaomai means to gaze at someone or something until something has been grasped of the significance of that person or thing. So Jesus, speaking to the crowds of John the Baptist, asked: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to look at [theaomai]?’ (Luke 7:24); and in that word He describes how the crowds flocked out to gaze at John and wonder who and what this man might be. Speaking of Jesus in the prologue to his gospel, John says: ‘We have seen his glory’ (John 1:14)… and the idea is not that of a passing glance but of a steadfast searching gaze which seeks to discover something of the mystery of Christ. (The Daily Study Bible) Glory (whether in the OT - Kabod /Lxx - doxa or the NT - doxa) is commonly used in both Testaments to denote the visible manifestation of God's presence. God’s glory is the sum of all His attributes and perfection. It is sometimes displayed as a bright or overpowering light. The rabbis used the word Shekinah in the Targums (Aramaic paraphrases of the OT Hebrew text) to describe the presence of God. Steven Cole on glory of Jesus - When John says, “We saw His glory,” he may have been referring in part to the transfiguration, when he and James and Peter saw Jesus in His glory. John could not have forgotten that event, although he doesn’t tell about it in his gospel! But he is also referring to Jesus’ glory as revealed in His miracles, but only to those who had eyes to see. After Jesus turned the water into wine, John reports (Jn 2:11), “This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.” Before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He said (John 11:4), “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” And yet, even after that amazing miracle, the Jewish leaders increased their efforts to kill the one who is the resurrection and the life! But John also shows that Jesus’ glory was supremely revealed in the cross. When Judas went out of the Upper Room to betray the Savior, Jesus said (John 13:31), “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him.” The cross displayed God’s perfect justice and amazing love like no other event in history. (The Word Became Flesh)
João 1:14-18
Barclay - The Greek word is monogenes which the King James Version translates only-begotten. It is true that that is what monogenes literally means; but long before this it had lost its purely physical sense, and had come to have two special meanings. It had come to mean unique and specially beloved. Obviously an only son has a unique place and a unique love in his father's heart. So this word came to express uniqueness more than anything else. It is the conviction of the New Testament that there is no one like Jesus. He alone can bring God to men and bring men to God.
João 1:14-18
Barclay adds that fullness or pleroma is "the sum total of all that is in God." Christ is fully God (Col 2:9) and we are fully complete in Him (Col 2:10).
João 1:14-18
Barclay adds that in Col 2:9, "Pleroma means fullness, completeness. This is the word which is needed to complete the picture. Jesus is not simply a sketch of God or a summary and more than a lifeless portrait of him. In him there is nothing left out; he is the full revelation of God, and nothing more is necessary." ( Barclay - Colossians Commentary) Wayne Detzler - Originally pleroma had several practical meanings in Greek. It spoke of the cargo of a ship. A ship was filled with grain, for instance. On a slightly different tack, the word referred to the crew of a ship: a ship was "fully manned." It is easy to see the literal meaning of "fullness." This word referred to a full container, but it also had abstract meanings. A person was "full of years," meaning that he was very old. On the other end of the scale a baby was spoken of as being "full term." The sea was "full" of riches, including fish. The Bible uses both aspects of the word. It speaks of a container or a vessel which is full. The Bible also speaks of fullness in an abstract sense. Both of these focuses appear on these pages. (BORROW New Testament Words in Today's Language) Vincent's Note on Pleroma - The word fullness is found here only in John, but frequently occurs in the writings of Paul, whose use of it in Ephesians and Colossians illustrates the sense in John; these being Asiatic churches which fell, later, within the sphere of John's influence. The word is akin to pleres, full (John 1:14), and to pleroun, to fill or complete; and means that which is complete in itself, plenitude, entire number or quantity. Thus the crew of a ship is called pleroma, its complement. Aristophanes (“Wasps,” 660), "the sum-total of these, is nearly two thousand talents.” Herodotus (iii., 22) says that the full term of man's life among the Persians is eighty years; and Aristotle (“Polities,” iv., 4) refers to Socrates as saying that the eight classes, representing different industries in the state, constitute the pleroma of the state (see Plato, “Republic,” 371). In Ephesians 1:23, Paul says that the church is the pleroma of Christ: i.e., the plenitude of the divine graces in Christ is communicated to the Church as His body, making all the body, supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, to increase with the increase of God (Col 2:19; compare Eph 4:16). Similarly he prays (Eph 3:19) that the brethren may be filled unto all the pleroma of God: i.e., that they may be filled with the fullness which God imparts. More closely related to John's use of the term here are Col 1:19, “It pleased the Father that in Him (Christ) should all the fullness dwell;” and Colossians 2:9, Colossians 2:10, “In Him dwells all the pleroma of the Godhead bodily (i.e., corporally, becoming incarnate ), and in Him ye are fulfilled.” This declares that the whole aggregate of the divine powers and graces appeared in the incarnate Word, and corresponds with John's statement that “the Word became flesh and tabernacled among men, full of grace and truth;” while “you have been made complete (pleroo)” answers to John's “of His fullness we all received.” Hence John's meaning here is that Christians receive from the divine completeness whatever each requires for the perfection of his character and for the accomplishment of his work (compare John 15:15; John 17:22). (Vincent's Word Studies) Harold Hoehner - A Study of πλήρωμα (pleroma) - The term πλήρωμα, which is derived from the adjective πλήρης, has been much discussed. In classical literature it has both the active sense, “that which fills,” such as wine fills the cup or a crew or cargo fills a ship;2 and the passive sense, “that which is filled, brought to fullness,” such as a full number of ships, full number of citizens of a city.4 Furthermore, this term can denote the idea of “totality, sum, entirety,” as the total number of years of life, total number of members of the senate,6 or a full or complete supply of materials. In discussing the above and other passages, some have suggested that substantives ending with -μα have a strictly passive sense (and -σις the active sense), but Lightfoot corrected this notion by suggesting that substantives ending with -μα are passive in the sense that “they give the result of the agency involved in the corresponding verb.” Robinson, on the one hand, criticizes Lightfoot for relying too heavily on the -μα ending to determine it as a passive rather than letting the context determine whether it is passive or active. On the other hand, Robinson goes on to show that Lightfoot’s rule is valid if substantives ending with -μα have with them corresponding verbs from the same root, for example, πρᾶγμα “a deed” is the result of “doing” (πράσσω) and δόμα “a gift” is the result of “giving” (δίδωμι). Accordingly, the result of filling is completeness, totality, entirety. Hence, the word πλήρωμα basically means “completeness, the absence of any lacunae.” In the LXX πλήρωμα occurs fifteen times having the idea of fullness of content and thus totality as in the fullness of the sea (1 Chr 16:32; Pss 96:11 [LXX 95:11]; 98:7 [LXX 97:7]) and earth or land (Pss 24:1 [LXX 23:1]; 50:12 [LXX 49:12]; 89:11 [MT 89:12; LXX 88:12]; Jer 8:16; 47:2 [LXX 29:2]; Ezek 12:19; 19:7; 30:12; cf. also Eccl 4:6bis). All but two times it translates מְלֹא and twice πλήρωσις translates this Hebrew word (Deut 33:16; Ezek 32:15) meaning “fullness,” a fact which shows that the endings do not necessarily determine whether they are active or passive. In koine Greek it continues to have the idea of “full, complete.”12 In the NT πλήρωμα occurs seventeen times, five times in the Gospels, twelve times in Paul’s writings, and four of these in Ephesians (1:10, 23; 3:19; 4:13). It refers to fullness of content, such as the leftover bread that filled the baskets (Mark 6:43; 8:20), a patch on a garment (Matt 9:16 = Mark 2:21) or contents of the earth (1 Cor 10:26 quoting Pss 24:1 [LXX 23:1]; 50:12 [LXX 49:12]). It also refers to a full number of people (Rom 11:12, 25) and to a sense of totality or entirety, such as Jesus’ fullness of grace (John 1:16), God’s essence (Col 1:19), or deity (Col 2:9); Paul’s coming in the fullness of the blessings of Christ (Rom 13:10); believers’ maturing to the fullness of Christ (Eph 4:13); filled with God’s fullness (Eph 3:19); and the church, the body, as the fullness of Christ (Eph 1:23). Its use to convey completeness can be seen in the phrase “fullness of time” (Gal 4:4; Eph 1:10). It is used once to convey the idea of the completion or fulfillment of the law (Rom 13:10). Clearly, in all NT uses it maintains the idea of the result of filling, that is, fullness, completeness, entirety. The word πλήρωμα was frequently used by the Gnostics. It is a technical term used by the most influential Gnostic school, the Valentinian Gnostics (second century A.D.) for a complex spiritual world of thirty aeons (intermediaries) arranged in fifteen pairs who emanated from the primordial pair, Depth and Silence. The last created aeon, Sophia (“wisdom”), disturbed the πλήρωμα, which led to her fall whereby she was excluded from the πλήρωμα and this meant that part of the Godhead was lost. She became the creator of the evil material world of which humans are a part. In order to bring Sophia back into harmony with πλήρωμα, two new aeons, Christ and the Holy Spirit, were created. Christ came by adopting Jesus’ body probably at baptism and departing from it just before the crucifixion to restore her and to enlighten humans with knowledge (γνῶσις) of their essential identity with the Godhead which also will lead to their ultimate restoration. With the discovery of the Nag Hammadi library more information has been gained regarding Gnosticism. This material has helped to clarify some nuances of the Gnostic use of the word πλήρωμα, although in essence it retains the definition outlined in Valentinian Gnosticism. Notwithstanding, there are some real difficulties in accepting the Gnostic concept of πλήρωμα as relevant to NT studies. First, Gnostic literature is second century A.D., well after the NT era. Some postulate that the fully developed Gnosticism of the second century was already present in pre-Christian Gnosticism (or “Gnosis” which is a more inclusive term than 2d century Gnosticism) and therefore, influenced NT thought. However, since there are no pre-Christian Gnostic documents, these scholars inappropriately use second- and third-century documents to support pre-Christian Gnostic thought and its influence on early Christianity within the NT in the first century. It is inappropriate to foist second century thinking on the first century. Furthermore, even a church father such as Ignatius (35–107/8) uses πλήρωμα in the same sense as the NT. Since he does not make a polemic against the Gnostic concept of it, it would indicate that the later second-century perception of πλήρωμα had not yet become known. Second, the concept of πλήρωμα in Gnosticism is altogether different from what is presented in the NT and should not be taken seriously. After careful study of πλήρωμα in the Nag Hammadi materials, Evans concludes, “it would seem apparent that whereas nowhere in the New Testament does pleroma function in the Valentinian sense at least one aspect of Pauline usage (i.e., reconciliation/restoration) is represented in the gnostic writings. I would also suggest that not one of the occurrences of pleroma in the Pauline corpus indicates gnostic thought either on the part of the author or on the part of his opponents.” Hence, one must not try to foist Gnostic ideas of the word into the NT era. Although in the OT the noun πλήρωμα is never used to describe God’s essence, glory, power, or presence of God, the verb “to fill” and the adjective “full” are used to describe filling with God’s presence or essence. For example, the OT refers to the concept of the glory of God which filled the temple of God (1 Kgs 8:10, 27) and the earth (Ps 72:19 [LXX 71:19]; Jer 23:24). Hence, Paul’s use of πλήρωμα to describe Christ being filled with fullness of God’s essence is in line with the OT teaching of God’s filling certain things with his essence, presence, power, or glory. This view is far more plausible than to think Paul adopted the Gnostic concept of fullness. In conclusion, it is best to determine the usage of πλήρωμα within its context. Only there can one ascertain if it has an active or passive sense. For a further discussion of this, see the comments on 1:23. (See Ephesians: An Exegetical Commentary - scroll up and down to show more comments) Pleroma - 17x in 17v in the NAS - NAS Usage = all… contains(1), fulfillment(2), full(2), fullness(10), patch(2). Mt 9:16 But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. Mk 2:21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. Mk 6:43 and they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish. Mk 8:20 “When I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they *said to Him, “Seven.” Jn 1:16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. Ro 11:12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! W E Vine - what still greater blessings will accrue from their ultimate national restoration? The Divine riches will then be bestowed not merely on individuals as now but upon the nations of the world as a whole. The word pleroma, here applied to Israel, indicates the time when as a nation they will all be converted (Ed: Those that believe will be converted - 1/3 will believe, 2/3's will not - see Zech 13:8), in contrast to the present existence of a remnant. Here again the significance is full and national prosperity. Comment: Pleroma is that which has been filled and thus refers to that which is complete, the completeness of Israel referring here to its return to God at the second Advent of the Messiah when all Israel would be saved (cp Ro 11:26). Paul uses pleroma in Ro 11:25-note to describe the fulness of the Gentiles. Ro 11:25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; Comment: Distinguish "fullness of the Gentiles" (See Chart comparing the Times versus the Fullness of the Gentiles) from "times of the Gentiles" (See discussion of times of the Gentiles). Pleroma is that which has been filled and thus refers to that which is to a sum total, to a complete amount, or a full number, in this case the "full number" of Gentiles who will come to belief in Messiah. The NET Bible conveys the meaning clearly rendering it "A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in." (NET Bible) Ro 13:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Ro 15:29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. Comment: In Romans 15:29 the passive sense is used to refer to Paul’s desire that the Roman believers share in “the full abundance” of Christ’s blessing” through their financial collection, not just to bring relief to the famine-stricken in Jerusalem, but also to strengthen the bond between Jews and Gentiles in the church (Rom 15:24–33). (Dictionary of Paul and his letters). 1 Co 10:26 for the earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains. (NET "and its abundance") Gal 4:4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, Detzler - fulfillment of time. The Lord Jesus was born of the virgin, according to Galatians 4:4, ‘when the time had fully come’. There is a marvelous sense of completion in that phrase. All of the sacrificial system of the Old Testament reached its climax in the Lamb of God. Prophecy likewise found its fulfillment par excellence in the person of Christ. In fact, there are more than thirty references to the fulfillment of prophecy in the person of Christ as the story is found in the Gospels. (BORROW New Testament Words in Today's Language) Eph 1:10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him Comment: Here pleroma refers to the fulfillment, full end, or completion of time, the full period Eph 1:23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
João 1:14-18
Barclay - In Colossians 2:9 he says in Christ there dwelt the pleroma of deity in a bodily form. He meant that in Jesus there dwelt the totality of the wisdom, the power, the love of God. Just because of that Jesus is inexhaustible. A man can go to Jesus with any need and find that need supplied. A man can go to Jesus with any ideal and find that ideal realized. In Jesus the man in love with beauty will find the supreme beauty. In Jesus the man to whom life is the search for knowledge will find the supreme revelation. In Jesus the man who needs courage will find the pattern and the secret of being brave. In Jesus the man who feels that he cannot cope with life will find the Master of life and the power to live. In Jesus the man who is conscious of his sin will find the forgiveness for his sin and the strength to be good. In Jesus the pleroma, the fullness of God, all that is in God, what Westcott called “the spring of divine life,” becomes available to men. ( Barclay - Colossians Commentary) Pleroma - 13v in non-apocryphal Lxx - 1Chr. 16:32 Ps. 24:1 Ps. 50:12 Ps. 89:11 Ps. 96:11 Ps. 98:7 Eccl. 4:6 Cant. 5:12 Jer. 8:16 Jer. 47:2 Ezek. 12:19 Ezek. 19:7 Ezek. 30:12 Wayne Detzler - ILLUSTRATIONS of Pleroma - Some years ago a documentary film showed the remarkable capabilities of a submarine. When the chambers were filled with water the submarine sank slowly beneath the waves and. disappeared. At the command of the skipper the same tanks were filled with air; as air forced out water, the craft surfaced. So it is with Christians. The Holy Spirit forces sin out of our lives as He fills us, and we rise to new levels of spiritual life. Blaise Pascal, famous French mathematician and philosopher, spoke of the "God-shaped vacuum" in every person. There is a void in the life of every person which can only be filled by God. To attempt to fill it with things, or fame, or even culture, is of no avail. Only when Christ Jesus fills that place is there true satisfaction. In preaching I am often compelled to fly. Actually it is a very pleasant means of travel. When the pilot takes off from Denver for Chicago, he has a flight plan. During the next two hours he flies exactly according to that plan, and when he has fulfilled it, we arrive safe and sound at O'Hare Field in Chicago. God has a plan for our lives, and He will fulfill it if we allow Him to. At the end we shall arrive safe and sound in heaven. There is yet another fulfillment of significance to each Christian. This is the fullness of the Holy Spirit. A former president of Wheaton College, V. Raymond Edman, loved to speak about the Holy Spirit. Of Him Dr. Edman wrote: "The Spirit-filled life is no mystery revealed to a select few, no goal difficult of attainment. To trust and to obey is the substance of the whole matter." Dr. Edman used to put the point simply in this way. "What happens," he would ask, "if you are carrying a cup of water and you are jostled?" "Well," we would answer, "the water spills." "Correct," Dr. Edman said. "By the same token, if you are filled with the joy of the Lord and you are jostled, only the joy of the Lord can spill over." Bible paraphraser J.B.
João 1:14-18
Barclay notes in his commentary, “In the ancient world men were fascinated and depressed and frustrated by what they regarded as the infinite distance and the utter unknowability of God. … Xenophanes had said, ‘Guesswork is over all.’ Plato had said, ‘Never man and God can meet.’ Celsus had laughed at the way that the Christians called God ‘Father,’ because ‘God is away beyond everything.’ At the best, Apuleius said, "men could catch a glimpse of God as a lightning flash lights up a dark night—one split second of illumination, and then the dark.” Even the Jews would have thought this way, for they knew that God had spoken to Moses in the Old Testament, saying, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (Exod. 33:20+). There would have been no disagreement at all when John the Baptist declared that no one could see God. (The Gospel of John : An expositional commentary) The only begotten God ("God the One and Only" NIV) - Some versions read "only begotten Son." (e.g., KJV, NKJV, RSV, HCSB, NLT, NAB, NJB) - The NET Note says "The textual problem "the only God" versus "the only son" is a notoriously difficult one. Only one letter would have differentiated the readings in the manuscripts." (For more detailed discussion see full NET Note on John 1:18) Steven Cole sums the arguments up by noting that "The earliest and best manuscripts favor the reading “only begotten God.” Since it is a unique phrase and is more difficult to explain than “only begotten Son,” a scribe probably changed the original to “only begotten Son” to correspond to John 3:16 & 18. Thus translated literally, the verse in the original probably read, “the unique Son, God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” As Jesus will later say (6:46), “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.” And (14:9), “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” In the bosom of the Father - Steven
João 1:16
Barclay adds that fullness or pleroma is "the sum total of all that is in God." Christ is fully God (Col 2:9) and we are fully complete in Him (Col 2:10).
João 1:16
Barclay adds that in Col 2:9, "Pleroma means fullness, completeness. This is the word which is needed to complete the picture. Jesus is not simply a sketch of God or a summary and more than a lifeless portrait of him. In him there is nothing left out; he is the full revelation of God, and nothing more is necessary." (Colossians Commentary) Wayne Detzler - Originally pleroma had several practical meanings in Greek. It spoke of the cargo of a ship. A ship was filled with grain, for instance. On a slightly different tack, the word referred to the crew of a ship: a ship was "fully manned." It is easy to see the literal meaning of "fullness." This word referred to a full container, but it also had abstract meanings. A person was "full of years," meaning that he was very old. On the other end of the scale a baby was spoken of as being "full term." The sea was "full" of riches, including fish. The Bible uses both aspects of the word. It speaks of a container or a vessel which is full. The Bible also speaks of fullness in an abstract sense. Both of these focuses appear on these pages. Vincent's Note on Pleroma - The word fullness is found here only in John, but frequently occurs in the writings of Paul, whose use of it in Ephesians and Colossians illustrates the sense in John; these being Asiatic churches which fell, later, within the sphere of John's influence. The word is akin to pleres, full (John 1:14), and to pleroun, to fill or complete; and means that which is complete in itself, plenitude, entire number or quantity. Thus the crew of a ship is called pleroma, its complement. Aristophanes (“Wasps,” 660), "the sum-total of these, is nearly two thousand talents.” Herodotus (iii., 22) says that the full term of man's life among the Persians is eighty years; and Aristotle (“Polities,” iv., 4) refers to Socrates as saying that the eight classes, representing different industries in the state, constitute the pleroma of the state (see Plato, “Republic,” 371). In Ephesians 1:23, Paul says that the church is the pleroma of Christ: i.e., the plenitude of the divine graces in Christ is communicated to the Church as His body, making all the body, supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, to increase with the increase of God (Col 2:19; compare Eph 4:16). Similarly he prays (Eph 3:19) that the brethren may be filled unto all the pleroma of God: i.e., that they may be filled with the fullness which God imparts. More closely related to John's use of the term here are Col 1:19, “It pleased the Father that in Him (Christ) should all the fullness dwell;” and Colossians 2:9, Colossians 2:10, “In Him dwells all the pleroma of the Godhead bodily (i.e., corporally, becoming incarnate ), and in Him ye are fulfilled.” This declares that the whole aggregate of the divine powers and graces appeared in the incarnate Word, and corresponds with John's statement that “the Word became flesh and tabernacled among men, full of grace and truth;” while “you have been made complete (pleroo)” answers to John's “of His fullness we all received.” Hence John's meaning here is that Christians receive from the divine completeness whatever each requires for the perfection of his character and for the accomplishment of his work (compare John 15:15; John 17:22). (Vincent's Word Studies) Pleroma - 17x in 17v in the NAS - NAS Usage = all...contains(1), fulfillment(2), full(2), fullness(10), patch(2). Mt 9:16 But no one puts a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and a worse tear results. Mk 2:21 “No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results. Mk 6:43 and they picked up twelve full baskets of the broken pieces, and also of the fish. Mk 8:20 “When I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they *said to Him, “Seven.” Jn 1:16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. Ro 11:12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! W E Vine - what still greater blessings will accrue from their ultimate national restoration? The Divine riches will then be bestowed not merely on individuals as now but upon the nations of the world as a whole. The word pleroma, here applied to Israel, indicates the time when as a nation they will all be converted (Ed: Those that believe will be converted - 1/3 will believe, 2/3's will not - see Zech 13:8), in contrast to the present existence of a remnant. Here again the significance is full and national prosperity. Comment: Pleroma is that which has been filled and thus refers to that which is complete, the completeness of Israel referring here to its return to God at the second Advent of the Messiah when all Israel would be saved (cp Ro 11:26). Paul uses pleroma in Ro 11:25-note to describe the fulness of the Gentiles. Ro 11:25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in; Comment: Distinguish "fullness of the Gentiles" (See Chart comparing the Times versus the Fullness of the Gentiles) from "times of the Gentiles" (See discussion of times of the Gentiles). Pleroma is that which has been filled and thus refers to that which is to a sum total, to a complete amount, or a full number, in this case the "full number" of Gentiles who will come to belief in Messiah. The NET Bible conveys the meaning clearly rendering it "A partial hardening has happened to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in." (NET Bible) Ro 13:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Ro 15:29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ. Comment: In Romans 15:29 the passive sense is used to refer to Paul’s desire that the Roman believers share in “the full abundance” of Christ’s blessing” through their financial collection, not just to bring relief to the famine-stricken in Jerusalem, but also to strengthen the bond between Jews and Gentiles in the church (Rom 15:24–33). (Dictionary of Paul and his letters) 1 Co 10:26 for the earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains. (NET "and its abundance") Gal 4:4 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, Detzler - fulfillment of time. The Lord Jesus was born of the virgin, according to Galatians 4:4, ‘when the time had fully come’. There is a marvelous sense of completion in that phrase. All of the sacrificial system of the Old Testament reached its climax in the Lamb of God. Prophecy likewise found its fulfillment par excellence in the person of Christ. In fact, there are more than thirty references to the fulfillment of prophecy in the person of Christ as the story is found in the Gospels. Eph 1:10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him Comment: Here pleroma refers to the fulfillment, full end, or completion of time, the full period Eph 1:23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
João 1:16
Barclay - In Colossians 2:9 he says in Christ there dwelt the pleroma of deity in a bodily form. He meant that in Jesus there dwelt the totality of the wisdom, the power, the love of God. Just because of that Jesus is inexhaustible. A man can go to Jesus with any need and find that need supplied. A man can go to Jesus with any ideal and find that ideal realized. In Jesus the man in love with beauty will find the supreme beauty. In Jesus the man to whom life is the search for knowledge will find the supreme revelation. In Jesus the man who needs courage will find the pattern and the secret of being brave. In Jesus the man who feels that he cannot cope with life will find the Master of life and the power to live. In Jesus the man who is conscious of his sin will find the forgiveness for his sin and the strength to be good. In Jesus the pleroma, the fullness of God, all that is in God, what Westcott called “the spring of divine life,” becomes available to men. Pleroma - 13v in non-apocryphal Lxx - 1Chr. 16:32 Ps. 24:1 Ps. 50:12 Ps. 89:11 Ps. 96:11 Ps. 98:7 Eccl. 4:6 Cant. 5:12 Jer. 8:16 Jer. 47:2 Ezek. 12:19 Ezek. 19:7 Ezek. 30:12 Wayne Detzler - ILLUSTRATIONS of Pleroma - Some years ago a documentary film showed the remarkable capabilities of a submarine. When the chambers were filled with water the submarine sank slowly beneath the waves and. disappeared. At the command of the skipper the same tanks were filled with air; as air forced out water, the craft surfaced. So it is with Christians. The Holy Spirit forces sin out of our lives as He fills us, and we rise to new levels of spiritual life. Blaise Pascal, famous French mathematician and philosopher, spoke of the "God-shaped vacuum" in every person. There is a void in the life of every person which can only be filled by God. To attempt to fill it with things, or fame, or even culture, is of no avail. Only when Christ Jesus fills that place is there true satisfaction. In preaching I am often compelled to fly. Actually it is a very pleasant means of travel. When the pilot takes off from Denver for Chicago, he has a flight plan. During the next two hours he flies exactly according to that plan, and when he has fulfilled it, we arrive safe and sound at O'Hare Field in Chicago. God has a plan for our lives, and He will fulfill it if we allow Him to. At the end we shall arrive safe and sound in heaven. There is yet another fulfillment of significance to each Christian. This is the fullness of the Holy Spirit. A former president of Wheaton College, V. Raymond Edman, loved to speak about the Holy Spirit. Of Him Dr. Edman wrote: "The Spirit-filled life is no mystery revealed to a select few, no goal difficult of attainment. To trust and to obey is the substance of the whole matter." Dr. Edman used to put the point simply in this way. "What happens," he would ask, "if you are carrying a cup of water and you are jostled?" "Well," we would answer, "the water spills." "Correct," Dr. Edman said. "By the same token, if you are filled with the joy of the Lord and you are jostled, only the joy of the Lord can spill over." Bible paraphraser J.B.
João 1:16
Barclay - Barclay's Daily Study Bible Peter spoke of this full supply of grace this way... seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. (2Pet 1:3) Criswell - The Christian's experience of grace begins with the reception of the riches of His grace ("fullness") and is progressive and limitless. Its source is Christ's abundant Person (cf. Phil. 4:19). Indeed there was grace in the Law which came through Moses, but the grace of God which appeared at the incarnation overwhelms all previous manifestations. Steven
João 1:18
Barclay notes in his commentary, “In the ancient world men were fascinated and depressed and frustrated by what they regarded as the infinite distance and the utter unknowability of God. … Xenophanes had said, ‘Guesswork is over all.’ Plato had said, ‘Never man and God can meet.’ Celsus had laughed at the way that the Christians called God ‘Father,’ because ‘God is away beyond everything.’ At the best, Apuleius said, men could catch a glimpse of God as a lightning flash lights up a dark night—one split second of illumination, and then the dark.” Even the Jews would have thought this way, for they knew that God had spoken to Moses in the Old Testament, saying, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live” (Exod. 33:20). There would have been no disagreement at all when John the Baptist declared that no one could see God. (The Gospel of John : An expositional commentary) The only begotten God ("God the One and Only" NIV) - Some versions read "only begotten Son." (e.g., KJV, NKJV, RSV, HCSB, NLT, NAB, NJB) - The NET Note says "The textual problem "the only God" versus "the only son" is a notoriously difficult one. Only one letter would have differentiated the readings in the manuscripts." (For more detailed discussion see full NET Note on John 1:18) Steven Cole sums the arguments up by noting that "The earliest and best manuscripts favor the reading “only begotten God.” Since it is a unique phrase and is more difficult to explain than “only begotten Son,” a scribe probably changed the original to “only begotten Son” to correspond to John 3:16 & 18. Thus translated literally, the verse in the original probably read, “the unique Son, God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.” As Jesus will later say (6:46), “Not that anyone has seen the Father, except the One who is from God; He has seen the Father.” And (14:9), “He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” In the bosom of the Father - Steven