Prologue of John: Edit history

Text and Content

The Prologue of John is the opening passage of the Gospel of John, comprising 1:1–18. Before the main body of the Gospel begins, it sets out who Jesus is. The passage unfolds broadly as follows:

• Verses 1–5: In the beginning the Word was with God, all things were made by him, and the life that was in him was the light of men.
• Verses 6–8 and 15: John the Baptist is introduced as a man sent to bear witness of the light.
• Verses 9–13: Although the world knew him not, to as many as received him, even to them that believe on his name, he gave power to become the sons of God (John 1:12–13).
• Verses 14–18: The passage declares, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). It concludes by stating that the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Background and Vocabulary

"Word" translates the Greek logos (λόγος). The term encompasses speech, reason, and rationality, and it was an important concept in Greek philosophy and in the writings of the Jewish thinker Philo (see Logos). At the same time, the opening words "In the beginning" recall Genesis 1:1. For this reason, many scholars regard the Old Testament background as more directly relevant, such as God creating all things by his word (Psalm 33:6) and Wisdom present at creation (Proverbs 8).

The verb translated "dwelt" in 1:14 (σκηνόω) means "to pitch a tent." The verse is therefore often read in connection with the scene in which the glory of God filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34–35).

Significance in Scripture as a Whole

The Prologue is a principal text for the Incarnation (the Son of God becoming man). Its confession that Christ, who existed before the world, took part in creation parallels Colossians 1:15–17 and Hebrews 1:1–3. Terms such as light, life, witness, glory, and belief recur throughout the body of John's Gospel, and from the outset they correspond to the purpose of writing stated at the end of the book (John 20:31). The expression "was made flesh" has also been cited to refute Docetism, the view that Christ's body was merely an appearance.

Interpretation and Points of Debate

• "And the Word was God" (1:1): The Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, and the major Protestant denominations read this verse as a basis for the Trinitarian confession that the Son is of the same essence as the Father. The verse also played an important role in the formulation of Christology through the Arian controversy and the Council of Nicaea (325). Jehovah's Witnesses, pointing to the absence of the article before "God" in the original text, translate this phrase as "a god" and understand the Word as a being lower than God. Scholars from the major denominations respond that the anarthrous predicate noun reflects a Greek usage that expresses essence or quality.
• Manuscript variants in 1:18: Manuscripts differ between the readings "the only begotten God" and "the only begotten Son." The Korean Revised Korean Version (New Korean Revised Version) follows the former reading.
• 1:12–13 and soteriology: The Calvinist tradition draws on the phrase "born... of God" in verse 13 to emphasize that God initiates regeneration. The Arminian and Wesleyan traditions draw on the phrase "as many as received him" in verse 12 to emphasize also the human role of responding in faith.
• Hymn-origin theory: Many scholars hold that the Prologue was based on an early Christian hymn. However, the text itself does not indicate this, and opinions differ on the extent and form of such a hymn.

In Korean Churches

In Korean churches, the Prologue is frequently used as a sermon text for Christmas. Churches that follow a lectionary, which assigns readings according to the liturgical calendar, read it as the Gospel lesson for the Christmas Day service. Some Korean sermons distinguish logos as the written word from rhema as a word given to an individual. Others point out, however, that the two terms overlap considerably in meaning in the New Testament.