Bible Commentaries
John 1

Verse 1

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

In the beginning — (Referring to Genesis 1:1, and Proverbs 8:23.) When all things began to be made by the Word: in the beginning of heaven and earth, and this whole frame of created beings, the Word existed, without any beginning. He was when all things began to be, whatsoever had a beginning.

The Word — So termed Psalms 33:6, and frequently by the seventy, and in the Chaldee paraphrase. So that St. John did not borrow this expression from Philo, or any heathen writer. He was not yet named Jesus, or Christ. He is the Word whom the Father begat or spoke from eternity; by whom the Father speaking, maketh all things; who speaketh the Father to us. We have, in John 1:18, both a real description of the Word, and the reason why he is so called. He is the only begotten Son of the Father, who is in the bosom of the Father, and hath declared him. And the Word was with God - Therefore distinct from God the Father. The word rendered with, denotes a perpetual tendency as it were of the Son to the Father, in unity of essence. He was with God alone; because nothing beside God had then any being.

And the Word was God — Supreme, eternal, independent. There was no creature, in respect of which he could be styled God in a relative sense. Therefore he is styled so in the absolute sense. The Godhead of the Messiah being clearly revealed in the Old Testament, ( Jeremiah 23:7; Hosea 1:6; Psalms 23:1,) the other evangelists aim at this, to prove that Jesus, a true man, was the Messiah. But when, at length, some from hence began to doubt of his Godhead, then St. John expressly asserted it, and wrote in this book as it were a supplement to the Gospels, as in the Revelation to the prophets.

Verse 2

The same was in the beginning with God.

The same was in the beginning with God — This verse repeats and contracts into one the three points mentioned before. As if he had said, This Word, who was God, was in the beginning, and was with God.

Verse 3

All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

All things beside God were made, and all things which were made, were made by the Word. In John 1:1-2 is described the state of things before the creation: John 1:3, In the creation: John 1:4, In the time of man’s innocency: John 1:5, In the time of man’s corruption.

Verse 4

In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

In him was life — He was the foundation of life to every living thing, as well as of being to all that is.

And the life was the light of men — He who is essential life, and the giver of life to all that liveth, was also the light of men; the fountain of wisdom, holiness, and happiness, to man in his original state.

Verse 5

And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

And the light shineth in darkness — Shines even on fallen man; but the darkness - Dark, sinful man, perceiveth it not.

Verse 6

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

There was a man — The evangelist now proceeds to him who testified of the light, which he had spoken of in the five preceding verses.

Verse 7

The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

The same came for (that is, in order to give) a testimony - The evangelist, with the most strong and tender affection, interweaves his own testimony with that of John, by noble digressions, wherein he explains the office of the Baptist; partly premises and partly subjoins a farther explication to his short sentences. What St. Matthew, Mark, and Luke term the Gospel, in respect of the promise going before, St. John usually terms the testimony, intimating the certain knowledge of the relator; to testify of the light - Of Christ.

Verse 9

That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

Who lighteth every man — By what is vulgarly termed natural conscience, pointing out at least the general lines of good and evil. And this light, if man did not hinder, would shine more and more to the perfect day.

Verse 10

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

He was in the world — Even from the creation.

Verse 11

He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

He came — In the fulness of time, to his own - Country, city, temple: And his own - People, received him not.

Verse 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:

But as many as received him — Jews or Gentiles; that believe on his name - That is, on him. The moment they believe, they are sons; and because they are sons, God sendeth forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Verse 13

Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Who were born — Who became the sons of God, not of blood - Not by descent from Abraham, nor by the will of the flesh - By natural generation, nor by the will of man - Adopting them, but of God - By his Spirit.

Verse 14

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.

Flesh sometimes signifies corrupt nature; sometimes the body; sometimes, as here, the whole man.

We beheld his glory — We his apostles, particularly Peter, James, and John, Luke 9:32.

Grace and truth — We are all by nature liars and children of wrath, to whom both grace and truth are unknown. But we are made partakers of them, when we are accepted through the Beloved. The whole verse might be paraphrased thus: And in order to raise us to this dignity and happiness, the eternal Word, by a most amazing condescension, was made flesh, united himself to our miserable nature, with all its innocent infirmities. And he did not make us a transient visit, but tabernacled among us on earth, displaying his glory in a more eminent manner, than even of old in the tabernacle of Moses. And we who are now recording these things beheld his glory with so strict an attention, that we can testify, it was in every respect such a glory as became the only begotten of the Father. For it shone forth not only in his transfiguration, and in his continual miracles, but in all his tempers, ministrations, and conduct through the whole series of his life. In all he appeared full of grace and truth: he was himself most benevolent and upright; made those ample discoveries of pardon to sinners, which the Mosaic dispensation could not do: and really exhibited the most substantial blessings, whereas that was but a shadow of good things to come.

Verse 15

John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

John cried — With joy and confidence; This is he of whom I said - John had said this before our Lord’s baptism, although he then knew him not in person: he knew him first at his baptism, and afterward cried, This is he of whom I said. etc.

He is preferred before me — in his office: for he was before me - in his nature.

Verse 16

And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

And — Here the apostle confirms the Baptist’s words: as if he had said, He is indeed preferred before thee: so we have experienced: We all - That believe: have received - All that we enjoy out of his fulness: and in the particular, grace upon grace - One blessing upon another, immeasurable grace and love.

Verse 17

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

The law — Working wrath and containing shadows: was given - No philosopher, poet, or orator, ever chose his words so accurately as St. John. The law, saith he, was given by Moses: grace was by Jesus Christ. Observe the reason for placing each word thus: The law of Moses was not his own. The grace of Christ was. His grace was opposite to the wrath, his truth to the shadowy ceremonies of the law.

Jesus — St. John having once mentioned the incarnation { John 1:14,) no more uses that name, the Word, in all his book.

Verse 18

No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

No man hath seen God — With bodily eyes: yet believers see him with the eye of faith.

Who is in the bosom of the Father — The expression denotes the highest unity, and the most intimate knowledge.

Verse 19

And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

The Jews — Probably the great council sent.

Verse 20

And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

I am not the Christ — For many supposed he was.

Verse 21

And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet And he answered, No.

Art thou Elijah? — He was not that Elijah (the Tishbite) of whom they spoke.

Art thou the prophet — Of whom Moses speaks, Deuteronomy 18:15.

Verse 23

He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

He said — I am that forerunner of Christ of whom Isaiah speaks.

I am the voice — As if he had said, Far from being Christ, or even Elijah, I am nothing but a voice: a sound that so soon as it has expressed the thought of which it is the sign, dies into air, and is known no more. Isaiah 40:3.

Verse 24

And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

They who were sent were of the Pharisees — Who were peculiarly tenacious of old customs, and jealous of any innovation (except those brought in by their own scribes) unless the innovator had unquestionable proofs of Divine authority.

Verse 25

And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

They asked him, Why baptizest thou then? — Without any commission from the sanhedrim? And not only heathens (who were always baptized before they were admitted to circumcision) but Jews also?

Verse 26

John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

John answered, I baptize — To prepare for the Messiah; and indeed to show that Jews, as well as Gentiles, must be proselytes to Christ, and that these as well as those stand in need of being washed from their sins.

Verse 28

These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Where John was baptizing — That is, used to baptize.

Verse 29

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

He seeth Jesus coming and saith, Behold the Lamb — Innocent; to be offered up; prophesied of by Isaiah, Isaiah 53:7, typified by the paschal lamb, and by the daily sacrifice: The Lamb of God - Whom God gave, approves, accepts of; who taketh away - Atoneth for; the sin - That is, all the sins: of the world - Of all mankind. Sin and the world are of equal extent.

Verse 31

And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

I knew him not — Till he came to be baptized. How surprising is this; considering how nearly they were related, and how remarkable the conception and birth of both had been. But there was a peculiar providence visible in our Saviour’s living, from his infancy to his baptism, at Nazareth: John all the time living the life of a hermit in the deserts of Judea, Luke 1:80, ninety or more miles from Nazareth: hereby that acquaintance was prevented which might have made John’s testimony of Christ suspected.

Verse 34

And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

I saw it — That is, the Spirit so descending and abiding on him.

And testified — From that time.

Verse 37

And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

They followed Jesus — They walked after him, but had not the courage to speak to him.

Verse 41

He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

He first findeth his own brother Simon — Probably both of them sought him: Which is, being interpreted, the Christ - This the evangelist adds, as likewise those words in John 1:38, that is, being interpreted, Master.

Verse 42

And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

Jesus said, Thou art Simon, the son of Jonah — As none had told our Lord these names, this could not but strike Peter.

Cephas, which is Peter — Moaning the same in Syriac which Peter does in Greek, namely, a rock.

Verse 45

Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

Jesus of Nazareth — So Philip thought, not knowing he was born in Bethlehem. Nathanael was probably the same with Bartholomew, that is, the son of Tholomew. St. Matthew joins Bartholomew with Philip, Matthew 10:3, and St. John places Nathanael in the midst of the apostles, immediately after Thomas, John 21:2, just as Bartholomew is placed, Acts 1:13.

Verse 46

And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? — How cautiously should we guard against popular prejudices? When these had once possessed so honest a heart as that of Nathanael, they led him to suspect the blessed Jesus himself for an impostor, because he had been brought up at Nazareth. But his integrity prevailed over that foolish bias, and laid him open to the force of evidence, which a candid inquirer will always be glad to admit, even when it brings the most unexpected discoveries.

Can any good thing — That is, have we ground from Scripture to expect the Messiah, or any eminent prophet from Nazareth? Philip saith, Come and see - The same answer which he had received himself from our Lord the day before.

Verse 48

Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

Under the fig tree I saw thee — Perhaps at prayer.

Verse 49

Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

Nathanael answered — Happy are they that are ready to believe, swift to receive the truth and grace of God.

Thou art the Son of God — So he acknowledges now more than he had heard from Philip: The Son of God, the king of Israel - A confession both of the person and office of Christ.

Verse 51

And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

Hereafter ye shall see — All of these, as well as thou, who believe on me now in my state of humiliation, shall hereafter see me come in my glory, and all the angels of God with me. This seems the most natural sense of the words, though they may also refer to his ascension.