John 1

This chapter opens the Gospel of John. Instead of an account of Jesus' birth, it begins with a prologue about "the Word" (Greek logos), who was with God in the beginning. The testimony of John the Baptist and the calling of the first disciples then unfold over four days, marked three times by the phrase "the next day."

Outline

• Verses 1–5 In the beginning was the Word. All things were made by him, and the life in him is the light of men.
• Verses 6–13 John comes to bear witness of the Light. The world did not know the Light, but to those who receive him is given power to become the sons of God.
• Verses 14–18 The Word becomes flesh and dwells among us. The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
• Verses 19–28 Priests and Levites sent from Jerusalem ask John who he is. John answers that he is not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet, but "the voice of one crying in the wilderness."
• Verses 29–34 John calls Jesus "the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world," and testifies that the Spirit descended like a dove and remained upon him.
• Verses 35–42 Two of John's disciples follow Jesus. One of them, Andrew, brings his brother Simon, and Jesus gives Simon the name "Cephas."
• Verses 43–51 Philip is called and brings Nathanael, who confesses Jesus as the Son of God and the King of Israel.

Key Verses

• John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word … and the Word was God." Echoing the "In the beginning" of Genesis 1, this is a key verse for the deity of Jesus.
• John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." This is the central verse for the doctrine of the Incarnation, the teaching that the Son of God became man.
• John 1:29 "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." This verse is frequently cited by those who understand Jesus' death as a substitutionary sacrifice for sin.

People and Places

• John the Baptist: He baptized with water and bore witness to Jesus. He is a different person from John, traditionally regarded as the author of this Gospel.
• Andrew: Formerly a disciple of John, he was one of the first two to follow Jesus.
• Simon Peter: Andrew's brother. The Aramaic "Cephas" and the Greek "Peter" both mean "stone."
• Philip: A man of Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter.
• Nathanael: The man whom Philip brought to Jesus.
• Bethany beyond the Jordan: The place where John was baptizing. It is generally regarded as distinct from the Bethany where Lazarus lived.

Points for Reflection

• Since the Nicene Creed, verse 1 has been read as a basis for belief in the Trinity. Jehovah's Witnesses translate and interpret this verse to mean that the Word is not equal to God. Major Protestant denominations reject this interpretation.
• Some verses differ among manuscripts. Verse 18 is preserved variously as "the only begotten God" and "the only begotten Son," and some manuscripts read "Bethabara" instead of "Bethany" in verse 28.
• In verse 21, John says he is not Elijah, yet in Matthew 11:14 Jesus calls him Elijah. The two passages are commonly reconciled to mean that, although John was not Elijah himself returned, he carried on Elijah's mission.
• This chapter does not directly narrate the baptism of Jesus; it refers to the event only through John's testimony. Its account of the calling of the disciples also differs from that of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), in which the disciples leave their nets by the Sea of Galilee to follow Jesus.
• One tradition identifies Nathanael with Bartholomew, one of the Twelve Disciples, though the text does not say so directly.
• Verse 51 recalls Jacob's ladder (Genesis 28:12). It is commonly interpreted to mean that Jesus, the Son of Man, is the one who connects heaven and earth.

In the Korean Church

• Verses 1–14 are often read in Christmas services.
• Verse 12 is widely used in evangelistic booklets such as the Four Spiritual Laws of Korea Campus Crusade for Christ as the basis for urging people to "receive" Jesus.