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John 1

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

The same was in the beginning with God.

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

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

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

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

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

He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

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

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

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

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:

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

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

And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

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

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

He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

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

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

This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

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

And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

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

Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;

And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

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

Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?

He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

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

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.

The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.

Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

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.

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

Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

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.

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

Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.

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.

What does John 1:15 mean?

Explanation

John 1:15 speaks of John the Baptist's declaration concerning Jesus Christ.

In this verse, John the Baptist is recognizing and proclaiming the preeminence of Jesus.

The phrase "bare witness of him" indicates that John the Baptist testified or affirmed the truth about Jesus's identity and mission. The cry, "This was he of whom I spake," refers to John's earlier proclamation about the coming Messiah.

The latter part of the verse, "He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me," contains two significant points.

First, it acknowledges Jesus as having a higher rank or status ("preferred before me") even though Jesus started His public ministry after John’s.

Second, it speaks to Jesus's pre-existence ("for he was before me"), suggesting that Jesus existed before John the Baptist, even though John was born first.

This statement alludes not just to Jesus’ birth order but to His eternal nature and divine pre-existence.

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

John 1:15 is part of the prologue of the Gospel of John, which establishes the theme of Jesus being the eternal Word of God who becomes flesh.

John the Baptist was a historical figure known for his role in baptizing and preaching in Judea.

He is recognized as the forerunner to Jesus, prophesied in the Old Testament to prepare the way for the Messiah.

The cultural and religious context of 1st-century Judea was influenced by expectations of a coming Messiah.

Many Jews expected a political or military leader.

However, the introduction of Jesus as the pre-existing, divine Word placed Him in a different category from these expectations.

Theological Insights

This verse provides insights into the doctrine of the pre-existence of Christ, supporting the idea that Jesus is more than a mere human; He is of divine origin. His being "preferred before" John indicates a superiority in nature and purpose.

The acknowledgment of Jesus' eternal existence also feeds into Trinitarian theology, supporting the concept that Jesus is fully God, coequal with the Father and the Holy Spirit, eternally existing before any creation.

Practical Applications

In a practical sense, John 1:15 can inspire humility in individuals as John the Baptist acknowledged the superiority of someone who came after him.

The recognition of Jesus' pre-eminence can lead to a greater sense of reverence and submission to Jesus' teachings and organization of personal priorities in light of His lordship.

Cross-References

Matthew 3:11: "I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire"
John 1:30: "This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me."
Philippians 2:6-7: "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men."

Language Study

Key words in this verse are:

"bare witness" (Greek: emarturēsen): to testify, to affirm, to attest truthfully;
"preferred" (Greek: ginomai): in this context, to become, to come into existence, denoting status or rank;
"before" (Greek: protos): firstly in time or place, in any succession of things or persons.

These words underscore the testament to Jesus' nature and the acknowledgment of His pre-existence and superiority.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Comparisons can be made to other ancient religions and mythologies that spoke of divine beings or heroes with pre-existence or supernatural births. These stories often aimed to ascribe exceptional status or authority to the central figures.

In contrast, the Christian claim is unique because it asserts that the divine actually entered human history as a particular individual, Jesus.

Scientific Perspectives

This verse does not directly discuss scientific matters but rather focuses on spiritual and theological concepts such as witness, testimony, and the nature of Christ.

The concept of someone existing 'before' could be contemplated alongside discussions of time and existence in philosophical and scientific conversations.

Commentaries

Commentaries from various scholars highlight the significance of John's statement.

Matthew Henry comments on the humility of John the Baptist as he defers to Jesus even though John appeared first on the public stage.

Albert Barnes notes that John's acknowledgment is designed to remove any confusion about the respective roles of John and Jesus.

The New International Commentary on the New Testament emphasizes John the Baptist's role as the witness to the light, who testifies to the true identity of Jesus as the pre-existent Word.

John 1

John 1

What does John 1:15 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does John 1:15 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?