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John Chapter 1

John Chapter 1

(Tap footnote to read it.  Old Testament quotations are underlined.  "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.1"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love".  However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior.  It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings.  (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".)  Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé".  Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing.  It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. )

The Word
  1. In the beginning, the Word was existing;1The Greek verb translated “was existing” here and throughout the chapter is in the imperfect ‘tense’, indicating an ongoing action. It’s typically rendered “was” here, but that tends to indicate a past tense completed action, not an ongoing action. The difference is significant here, as the ongoing existence of the Word (Jesus) is central to the idea Him having no beginning. Further, the verb form here is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew verb in God’s “I Am” statement from Exodus 3:14. and the Word was existing with God and the Word was existing as God.
  2. He was existing in the beginning with God.
  3. All things came into existence through Him; and apart from Him, not even one thing that came into existence has come into existence.
  4. Life was existing in Him, and the life was existing as the light of men.
  5. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness didn’t grasp it.
  6. Having been sent from God, a man came into existence; his name was John.
  7. He came as a witness so he might testify about the light, so all might believe through him.
  8. He wasn’t existing as the light, but came so he might witness about the light.
  9. The true light was existing, which illuminates every man coming into the world. 2John 1:9 verse note: This verse is interpreted differently, with some translations (such as KJV/NKJV) rendering it substantially similar to the BOS Bible, and many others rendering it something like this: “The true light, which illuminates every man, was coming into the world“. This second translation is less plausible because the participle “coming” is in the accusative masculine just like the Greek words “all” and “man”, while the word “light” is in the nominative neuter. The rules of Greek would thus seem to prohibit linking “coming” with “the light” because of gender and case disagreement. Further, the case, gender, and number match seems to clearly link “coming” with “every man”. Additionally, the verb “was existing” is very widely separated from “coming” with no linking mechanism between them.
  10. He was existing in the world, and the world came into existence through Him, and the world didn’t know Him.
  11. He came to His own, and His own didn’t receive Him.
  12. But as many as received Him, He gave them authority to become children of God: the men believing in His name,
  13. who were born not from blood, nor from fleshly desire, nor from man’s will, but from God.
  14. And the Word became flesh and encamped among us, and we gazed at His glory; glory as the only unique One3“only unique” The Greek word here doesn’t quite mean “only”; it means “only one in its class” or “unique of its kind.” Outside the Bible it has been used of the only legitimate heir of a monarch, as opposed to other children from concubines (slave wives in the Bible) who weren’t eligible to inherit. from the Father, full of grace and truth.
  15. John testifies about Him, and he has cried out saying: “This is He of whom I said: “The One coming after me *is before me, because He was existing before me.” “
  16. Because from His fullness we all received, even grace in exchange for grace.
  17. Because the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus the Anointed.
  18. No one has ever seen God at any time; the only unique God4“only unique” See note on verse 14. – the One existing in the bosom of the Father – He explained Him.
The Testimony of John
  1. And this is the testimony of John when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him so they might ask him: “Who are you?”
  2. And he confessed, and didn’t deny, and he confessed that: “I’m not the Anointed.”
  3. And they asked him: “What then, are you Elijah?” And he says: “I’m not.” They asked: “Are you the prophet?” And he answered: “No.”
  4. Therefore they said to him: “Who are you? So we might give an answer to the men who sent us, what do you say about yourself?”
  5. He was declaring: “I’m a voice calling in the wilderness: “Make the Lord’s path straight“5Quotation/allusion to Isaiah 40:3 just as Isaiah the prophet said.”
  6. And those men were *sent by the Pharisees.
  7. And they asked him and said to him: “Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Anointed, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?”
  8. John answered them saying: “I baptize in water; yet in your midst *stands He whom you don’t *know,
  9. “the One coming after me; He of whom I’m not worthy, even that I might untie the strap of His sandal.”
  10. These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
  11. The next day, he sees Jesus coming to him and says: “Behold, the Lamb of God; the One taking away the sin of the world!”
  12. “It’s He about whom I said: “After me comes a man who *is before me because He was existing before me.”
  13. “And I hadn’t known Him, but I came baptizing with water so He might be revealed to Israel through this.”
  14. And John testified saying: “I have gazed at the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and He remained on Him.”
  15. “And I hadn’t known Him, but the One who sent me to baptize in water, He told me: “He on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him; He is the One baptizing in the Holy Spirit.”
  16. “And I have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
Jesus calls disciples
  1. The next day, John had been standing there again and two of his disciples were with him.
  2. And having seen Jesus walking, he says: “Behold the Lamb of God.”
  3. And the two disciples heard him speaking and followed Jesus.
  4. And Jesus – having turned and observed them following Him – He says to them: “What do you seek?” And they told Him: “Rabbi–” (which when translated means ‘teacher’) “–where are you staying?”
  5. He tells them: “Come and you will see.” Therefore, they went and saw where He is staying and they stayed with Him that day. It was about the tenth hour.
  6. Andrew (the brother of Simon Peter) was one of the two who heard from John and followed Him.
  7. He first finds his own brother Simon and says to him: “We have found the Messiah.” (Which is translated ‘the Anointed’)
  8. He led him to Jesus. Having looked at him, Jesus said: “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas.” (which means ‘Peter’)
  9. The next day, He wanted to depart into Galilee. And Jesus finds Philip and tells him: “Follow Me.”
  10. And Philip was from Bethsaida, from the city of Andrew and Peter.
  11. Philip finds Nathanael and tells him: “We have found He of whom Moses wrote in the law, and the prophets did too; Jesus from Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
  12. And Nathanael told him: “Is anything good able to come from Nazareth?” Philip says to him: “Come and see.”
  13. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him and He says about him: “Behold, he’s truly an Israelite in whom there’s no deceit.”
  14. Nathanael says to Him: “From where do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him: “Before Philip came to call you, while you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
  15. Nathanael answered Him: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel.”
  16. Jesus answered and said to him: “You believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.”
  17. And He tells him: “Amen, Amen I tell you all:6“you all” The Greek pronoun translated “you” here is plural. The word “all” was added to indicated this. You will see heaven *opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

 

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