FLOGVIT
.bible

JohnChapter 1

+ Secondary textOriginal textNext →Contribute
Show John's prologueThe Word became flesh

The prologue to the Gospel of John is one of the most theologically rich texts in the Bible. It reveals Jesus' divinity, his role in creation, and the mystery that God became human—the incarnation.

1

In the beginning was the Word

[John 1:1]

v.1
2

The Word was with God

[John 1:2]

v.2
3

All things were made through him

[John 1:3-4]

v.3, 4
4

Life was the light of all people

[John 1:4-5]

v.4, 5
5

The testimony of John the Baptist

[John 1:6-8]

v.6, 7, 8
6

The true Light

[John 1:9]

v.9
7

The world did not know him

[John 1:10-11]

v.10, 11
8

Right to become children of God

[John 1:12-13]

v.12, 13
9

The Word became flesh

[John 1:14]

v.14
10

John's testimony

[John 1:15]

v.15
11

Grace upon grace

[John 1:16-17]

v.16, 17
12

The Son has made the Father known

[John 1:18]

v.18
Parallel texts3 parallels in this chapter
The Baptism of JesusMMLJ

The Spirit comes like a dove, and God's voice sounds from heaven.

MatthewMatt 3:13–17

13Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.

14But John tried to prevent him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?"

15But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so for now, for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.

16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he came up out of the water. And behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him.

17And behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

MarkMark 1:9–11

9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

10And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, coming down on him.

11And a voice came from heaven: "You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased."

LukeLuke 3:21–22

21When all the people were being baptized, Jesus too was baptized, and as he was praying, heaven was opened

22and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven: "You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased."

John(du leser)

29The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

30This is the one I spoke about when I said, 'After me comes a man who has surpassed me, because he was before me.'

31I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel."

32And John testified: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven like a dove and remain on him.

33I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain—he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'

34And I have seen it, and I have testified that this is the Chosen One of God.

The First Disciples Are CalledMMLJ

Luke includes the miraculous catch of fish. John has a different setting.

MatthewMatthew 4:18-22

18As he was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

19He said to them, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

20At once they left their nets and followed him.

21Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. He called them,

22and at once they left the boat and their father and followed him.

MarkMark 1:16-20

16As he walked along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen.

17Jesus said to them, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

18At once they left their nets and followed him.

19Going on a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in their boat mending the nets.

20He called them at once, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and went off after him.

LukeLuke 5:1-11

1One day, as the crowd pressed in on him to hear the word of God, Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.

2He saw two boats sitting by the lake; the fishermen had stepped out of them and were washing their nets.

3He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from the land. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.

4When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water and let down your nets for a catch."

5Simon answered, "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing. But at your word I will let down the nets."

6When they had done so, they caught such a huge number of fish that their nets began to tear.

7So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They came, and together they filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

8When Simon Peter saw it, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."

9For he and all who were with him were seized with amazement at the catch of fish they had taken,

10and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will be catching people."

11So they brought their boats to shore, left everything behind, and followed him.

John(du leser)

35The next day John was standing there again with two of his disciples,

36and as he watched Jesus walking by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"

37When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

38Jesus turned, saw them following, and asked, "What are you looking for?" They said, "Rabbi"—which means Teacher—"where are you staying?"

39"Come and see," he said. So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour—four in the afternoon.

40Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John said and followed Jesus.

41He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah"—that is, the Christ.

42And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas"—which means Peter.

43The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me."

44Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.

45Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets as well: Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth."

46"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip.

47When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit."

48"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree, before Philip called you."

49Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

50Jesus answered him, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see far greater things than that."

51And he added, "Truly, truly I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

John the Baptist's PreachingMMLJ

All four gospels tell about John the Baptist.

MatthewMatt 3:1–12

1In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea

2and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."

3This is the one spoken of through the prophet Isaiah, who said: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'"

4John himself wore clothing made of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

5Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan went out to him,

6and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

8Produce fruit, then, worthy of repentance,

9and do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones.

10The axe is already laid at the root of the trees, so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

12His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire."

MarkMark 1:1–8

1The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.[fn]

2As it is written in the prophet Isaiah: "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"—

3"A voice cries out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.'"

4John appeared in the wilderness, baptizing and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

5The whole Judean countryside went out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

6John was clothed in camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

7And he proclaimed: "After me comes one mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.

8I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

LukeLuke 3:1–18

1In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,

2during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

3He went through all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,

4as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: "A voice of one calling in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'

5Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low; the crooked ways shall become straight, and the rough roads smooth.

6And all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

7So he said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

8Produce fruit worthy of repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you, God is able to raise up children for Abraham out of these stones.

9The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

10The crowds asked him, "What then should we do?"

11He answered them, "Whoever has two tunics should share with the one who has none, and whoever has food should do the same."

12Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what should we do?"

13He told them, "Collect no more than the amount appointed to you."

14Soldiers too asked him, "And what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone, do not accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages."

15The people were filled with expectation, and everyone was wondering in their hearts whether John might be the Christ.

16John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one mightier than I is coming, and I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

17His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

18And with many other exhortations he proclaimed the good news to the people.

John(du leser)

19This is the testimony John gave when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, "Who are you?"

20He confessed and did not deny it; he confessed, "I am not the Messiah."

21So they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No."

22Then they said to him, "Who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

23He said, "I am a voice crying out in the wilderness: 'Make straight the way of the Lord'—as the prophet Isaiah said."

24Now those who had been sent were from the Pharisees.

25They questioned him: "Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"

26John answered them, "I baptize with water. Among you stands one you do not know,

27the one who comes after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie."

28This took place at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
*
Translation

The Greek 'logos' is rendered "Word," the traditional English choice, kept here for its familiarity and its rhythm in reading aloud. No single English term captures the full range of 'logos': it can mean spoken word, message, account, reason, or the ordering principle behind reality. Alternatives such as "Message," "Reason," or leaving the term untranslated as "Logos" each capture one facet while losing others. The preposition 'pros' with the accusative is translated "with," though it carries a dynamic sense of facing or being turned toward someone, suggesting relationship rather than mere proximity. In the third clause the Greek word order places 'theos' first for emphasis; because English cannot reproduce this without awkwardness, the clause is rendered in normal order, "and the Word was God." The threefold repetition of "and the Word" mirrors the deliberate cadence of the Greek and is well suited to being read aloud.

Language

'En archē' echoes the opening words of Genesis in Greek, inviting the reader to hear this as a new creation account. The verb 'ēn' is imperfect — continuous existence, not a coming into being — and stands in sharp contrast to the aorist 'egeneto' ("came to be") used of created things in verse 3 and of John the Baptist in verse 6. In the final clause 'theos' lacks the article while 'ho logos' has it: this grammar marks 'ho logos' as the subject and 'theos' as the predicate, describing what the Word is rather than identifying him as the same person as the Father. Greek regularly omits the article on a predicate noun placed before the verb, so the absence of the article here does not by itself make the term indefinite.

Theology

Three claims are made in quick succession: the Word existed before creation, the Word was distinct enough from God to be "with" him, and the Word shared fully in what God is. The early church appealed to this verse in formulating the doctrine of the Trinity and of Christ's full divinity. Readings that render the last clause "a god" or "divine" have been proposed but sit uneasily with the Gospel's later confession of Jesus as "my Lord and my God." Others have read "the Word was God" as identifying the Word with the Father, but the preceding clause distinguishes them.

History

'Logos' carried weight in more than one world of thought. In Greek philosophy, particularly among the Stoics, it named the rational principle ordering the cosmos. In Jewish tradition, the word of the Lord created and spoke through the prophets, and Wisdom was portrayed as present with God at creation; Aramaic synagogue paraphrases spoke of God's 'Memra' (Word) as his acting presence. A first-century reader from either background would have recognized the term, and then been startled by the claim in verse 14 that this Word became flesh.

Liturgy

The opening of this Gospel has long held a prominent place in Christian worship, read at the great festival of the Nativity and, in some traditions, recited at the close of the liturgy as a summary of the faith.

He was in the beginning with God.
All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being that has come into being.
In him was life, and that life was the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.
He came as a witness, to testify about the light, so that through him all might believe.
He himself was not the light, but came to testify about the light.
The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him.
He came to what was his own, and his own people did not receive him.
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—
children born not of blood, nor of the desire of the flesh, nor of a husband's will, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth.
John testified about him, crying out: "This is the one I spoke of: the one who comes after me has surpassed me, because he was before me."
For out of his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one has ever seen God. The only Son, himself God, who is at the Father's side, has made him known.
This is the testimony John gave when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, "Who are you?"
He confessed and did not deny it; he confessed, "I am not the Messiah."
So they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No."
Then they said to him, "Who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"
He said, "I am a voice crying out in the wilderness: 'Make straight the way of the Lord'—as the prophet Isaiah said."
Now those who had been sent were from the Pharisees.
They questioned him: "Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"
John answered them, "I baptize with water. Among you stands one you do not know,
the one who comes after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie."
This took place at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
This is the one I spoke about when I said, 'After me comes a man who has surpassed me, because he was before me.'
I myself did not know him, but I came baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel."
And John testified: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven like a dove and remain on him.
I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain—he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'
And I have seen it, and I have testified that this is the Chosen One of God.
The next day John was standing there again with two of his disciples,
and as he watched Jesus walking by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.
Jesus turned, saw them following, and asked, "What are you looking for?" They said, "Rabbi"—which means Teacher—"where are you staying?"
"Come and see," he said. So they went and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour—four in the afternoon.
Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, was one of the two who heard what John said and followed Jesus.
He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah"—that is, the Christ.
And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas"—which means Peter.
The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me."
Philip was from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.
Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets as well: Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth."
"Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip.
When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit."
"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree, before Philip called you."
Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."
Jesus answered him, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see far greater things than that."
And he added, "Truly, truly I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."
←→