ris3n's Apologetics Codex

Passage

John 1.1-18

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being... And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1-3, 14, NASB95)

The Johannine prologue is the New Testament's densest Christological statement, eighteen verses naming Jesus as the eternal Logos, co-eternal with God, the agent of creation, the source of life and light, and the one who became flesh and tabernacled among His people. The prologue functions as the lens through which the rest of the Fourth Gospel is to be read, every "I am" saying, every sign, every discourse traces back to the identity of the Logos established here. It is the single most-cited stretch of Scripture in classical Logos-Christology and pre-existence arguments.

Immediate context (±2 verses)

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ASV (ASV)

"1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2. The same was in the beginning with God. 3. All things were made through him; and without him was not anything made that hath been made. 4. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not. 6. There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. 7. The same came for witness, that he might bear witness of the light, that all might believe through him. 8. He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light. 9. There was the true light, even the light which lighteth every man, coming into the world. 10. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world knew him not. 11. He came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not. 12. But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13. who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth. 15. John beareth witness of him, and crieth, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that cometh after me is become before me: for he was before me. 16. For of his fulness we all received, and grace for grace. 17. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."

"19. And this is the witness of John, when the Jews sent unto him from Jerusalem priests and Levites to ask him, Who art thou? 20. And he confessed, and denied not; and he confessed, I am not the Christ." (John 1:1-20, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2. The same was in the beginning with God. 3. All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made. 4. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it. 6. There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. 7. The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him. 8. He was not the light, but was sent that he might testify about the light. 9. The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world. 10. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn’t recognize him. 11. He came to his own, and those who were his own didn’t receive him. 12. But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name: 13. who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 14. The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. 15. John testified about him. He cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.’” 16. From his fullness we all received grace upon grace. 17. For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. 18. No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him."

"19. This is John’s testimony, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20. He declared, and didn’t deny, but he declared, “I am not the Christ.”" (John 1:1-20, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2. The same was in the beginning with God. 3. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. comprehended: or, did not admit, or, receive 6. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. 10. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 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: power: or, the right, or, privilege 13. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. 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. 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. 16. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. 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."

"19. And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 20. And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ." (John 1:1-20, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; 2. this one was in the beginning with God; 3. all things through him did happen, and without him happened not even one thing that hath happened. 4. In him was life, and the life was the light of men, 5. and the light in the darkness did shine, and the darkness did not perceive it. 6. There came a man, having been sent from God, whose name [is] John, 7. this one came for testimony, that he might testify about the Light, that all might believe through him; 8. that one was not the Light, but, that he might testify about the Light. 9. He was the true Light, which doth enlighten every man, coming to the world; 10. in the world he was, and the world through him was made, and the world did not know him: 11. to his own things he came, and his own people did not receive him; 12. but as many as did receive him to them he gave authority to become sons of God, to those believing in his name, 13. who, not of blood nor of a will of flesh, nor of a will of man but, of God were begotten. 14. And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth. 15. John doth testify concerning him, and hath cried, saying, 'This was he of whom I said, He who after me is coming, hath come before me, for he was before me;' 16. and out of his fulness did we all receive, and grace over-against grace; 17. for the law through Moses was given, the grace and the truth through Jesus Christ did come; 18. God no one hath ever seen; the only begotten Son, who is on the bosom of the Father, he did declare."

"19. And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent out of Jerusalem priests and Levites, that they might question him, 'Who art thou?' 20. and he confessed and did not deny, and confessed, 'I am not the Christ.'" (John 1:1-20, YLT)

Setting

  • Speaker: John the Apostle, the beloved disciple, writing as inspired narrator
  • Audience: later Christian audience facing nascent gnostic and Greco-Jewish christological pressures; high-Christology emphasis
  • Location: events span Jesus' earthly ministry; traditional composition site is Ephesus
  • Time period: events c. AD 26 to 33 (the three-Passover chronology); composed c. AD 85 to 95

Theological reading

The prologue opens with the deliberate echo of Genesis 1:1, en arche, "in the beginning." John places the Logos before the act of creation, not as the first creature but as the eternal Word, "with God" (pros ton theon, face-to-face intimacy) and "was God" (theos en ho logos, predicate noun naming what the Word is). The grammar shuts the door on both modalism (Word distinct from God) and Arianism (Word fully divine, not a creature). Verse 3 then exhausts the field, "all things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being," there is no created thing the Logos did not create.

The prologue moves through three concentric movements. First, the Logos and creation (verses 1 to 5), the Word eternally divine and the agent through whom everything that exists came to be, the source of life and light against the resistant darkness. Second, the Logos and witness (verses 6 to 13), John the Baptist comes to testify, the Logos enters the world He made, His own people reject Him, but a new birth is given to those who receive Him. Third, the Logos and incarnation (verses 14 to 18), the Word became flesh and tabernacled among His people, displaying the doxa (glory) of the only-begotten Son, fulfilling and surpassing the Mosaic covenant in grace and truth, and uniquely declaring the unseen Father.

Verse 14's eskenosen ("dwelt," literally "tabernacled") is a deliberate Septuagint echo of the Exodus tabernacle and the Shekinah glory. The Logos is not merely the Greek philosophical principle of cosmic order, He is the God of Israel pitching His tent among His people in flesh. Verse 18's "in the bosom of the Father" language asserts both ontological closeness and unique revelatory authority, no one has seen the Father, but the Son who is at His side has made Him known. The prologue thus undergirds every major classical Logos-Christology and pre-existence argument across the codex.

Key words

  • G3056 - logos, logos, the Word, the central Greek term of the prologue and the title under which John names Jesus.
  • G0746 - arche, arche, beginning, deliberately echoing Genesis 1:1.
  • G2316 - theos, theos, God, the predicate naming what the Logos is.
  • G4561 - sarx, sarx, flesh, the verse-14 incarnation term.
  • G3439 - monogenes, monogenes, only-begotten or unique, the verses-14-and-18 title of the Son.
  • G4637 - skenoo, skenoo, tabernacle, the Septuagint Exodus echo.

Theological themes

  • Pre-existence of the Logos. The Word was (continuous past) in the beginning, not "came into being" (egeneto), the verb the Arian reading would require.
  • Deity of the Logos. Theos en ho logos, "the Word was God," with the predicate noun grammatical structure that names what He is.
  • Logos as agent of creation. Verse 3 exhausts the field, nothing created exists apart from Him.
  • Incarnation. The Word became flesh and tabernacled among His people, the central scandal and central glory of Christianity.
  • Logos as exegete of the Father. Verse 18's "He has explained Him" (the verb exegeomai, from which "exegesis" comes) makes the Son the definitive revelation of the unseen God.

Cross-references

  • Genesis 1.1, the "in the beginning" the prologue deliberately echoes.
  • Colossians 1.15-20, Paul's parallel cosmic-Christ hymn.
  • Hebrews 1.1-4, the Son as agent of creation and exact imprint of God's being.
  • John 14.6, the Logos as the way, the truth, and the life.
  • John 17.5, Jesus' prayer to share the glory He had with the Father before the world existed.

See also

  • Logos Christology, the doctrinal hub for which this passage is the founding text.
  • Christology, the broader doctrinal frame.
  • Trinity, the dogmatic synthesis the prologue's grammar requires.
  • Christ is God, the dogmatic position the prologue establishes.
  • John the Apostle, the author traditionally identified with this gospel.

Key words (regen-managed)

Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

  • ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
  • WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
  • KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
  • YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.

Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org