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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 1:18 mean?

Explanation

John 1:18 is a profound verse that touches on the nature of God and the unique role of Jesus, the Son.

The first part of the verse, "No man hath seen God at any time," states an absolute: that no human has directly observed God.

This aligns with the broader Biblical theme that God is transcendent and beyond human comprehension or direct observation.

The second part of the verse introduces a contrast, "the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." Here, the "only begotten Son" refers to Jesus Christ, signifying a special relationship between Jesus and God the Father, which is intimate and unique ('in the bosom of the Father' illustrating closeness).

The term "he hath declared him" indicates that Jesus has made God known or revealed God's character and will to humanity. Through Jesus, who is God made flesh (conveyed earlier in John 1:14), humans can grasp who God is and understand His purposes, which would otherwise remain unseen.

Top Rated John Books

Historical Context

John 1:18 is part of the prologue of the Gospel of John, which is believed to have been written around the end of the first century A.D. This gospel was composed at a time when early Christianity was expanding but facing challenges both from within and from the broader Greco-Roman society.

The statement that "No man hath seen God at any time" reflects a Jewish understanding of God as invisible and unapproachable, which respects the Deuteronomic texts (e.g., Deuteronomy 4:12).

The Christian community, however, had a different experience of God through Jesus Christ and sought to express this new revelation without contradicting the established beliefs about God.

Theological Insights

Various theological perspectives offer different insights on John 1:18:

Trinitarianism: This viewpoint sees the verse as an affirmation of the distinct persons of the Trinity, with Jesus serving as a mediator who reveals God the Father.
Incarnation: The verse supports the doctrine of the incarnation, affirming that God became flesh in Jesus Christ and thus Jesus is uniquely qualified to disclose God's nature to humanity.
Revelation: The verse highlights the Christian belief in revelation, proposing that knowledge of God comes through divine self-disclosure, primarily in the person of Jesus.

Practical Applications

This verse conveys several practical implications for believers:

Encourages Christians to seek a deeper understanding of God through the teachings and life of Jesus.
Reminds believers that knowledge of God is not attainable through human effort or wisdom alone, but through revelation.
Offers comfort that while God might seem distant, He has approached humankind in a relational and comprehensible way through Jesus.

Cross-References

Exodus 33:20: "And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live."
John 14:9: "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?"
1 Timothy 6:16: "Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting.

Amen."

Language Study

Key words in the original Greek text of John 1:18 include:

θεόν (theón): Meaning "God".

The use signifies the supreme deity of Judeo-Christian belief.

εἰς τὸν κόλπον (eis ton kolpon): This phrase can be translated as "in the bosom" and implies a close, intimate relationship.
ἐξηγήσατο (exēgēsato): The root of this word is where we get the term "exegesis," meaning to lead out, explain, or interpret.

Here it is translated as "hath declared" signifying that Jesus explained or made God known.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

The concept of invisible, unseeable gods is not unique to Christianity and can be found in various other ancient religions. For example, in several Greek myths, gods occasionally reveal their true forms to mortals, but such experiences are often overwhelming or fatal to the mortal.

In contrast, the notion in John 1:18 is unique as it suggests a singular divine entity, God, becoming knowable and approachable through a divine-human figure, Jesus, without the destructive consequences that typically accompany direct encounters with the divine in ancient myths.

Scientific Perspectives

From a scientific perspective, the verse does not engage with empirical claims that could be evaluated scientifically.

Rather, it addresses matters of spiritual revelation and theological assertions about the nature of divine visibility and knowledge.

Science generally operates independently of such metaphysical claims.

Commentaries

Many Biblical scholars and theologians have commented on John 1:18:

Augustine: He saw this verse as affirming that the Son is equal to the Father and the exclusive mediator revealing the Father to humanity.
John Calvin: Calvin stressed the incomprehensibility of God without the revelation through Christ, affirming Christ's unique role in making God known.
**Raymond E.

Brown**: A prominent 20th-century scholar, Brown emphasized the verse in the context of Johannine Christology, highlighting the pre-existence of Christ and His closeness with the Father, which enabled Him to reveal God intimately.

John 1

John 1

What does John 1:18 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 1:18 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?