# John 1.14 **Book:** [John](/codex/john-the-apostle/) · NASB95 ## Verse > 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 1:14, NASB95) ## Immediate context (±2 verses) **NASB95** ([NASB95](/codex/nasb95/)) > 12. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even 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. 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.** > > 15. John testified about Him and cried out, saying, 'This was He of whom I said, "He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me."' 16. For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. (John 1:12-16, NASB95) ## Setting - **Speaker:** John the Apostle, writing as inspired narrator. Continuous with the prologue voice of [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/). - **Audience:** late-first-century Christian readership, Jewish Christians familiar with the Shekinah / tabernacle motif; Hellenistic Christians familiar with the Logos doctrine. The verse speaks to both: the eternal Logos has *tabernacled* among us. - **Location:** traditionally Ephesus, the locus of John's late ministry. - **Time period:** late first century, c. AD 85-95 (traditional dating). ## Theological reading The verse is the foundational NT statement of the **incarnation**, and, alongside [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), the textual core of the doctrine of the hypostatic union (one person, two natures). Three claims: 1. **The Word *became* flesh.** *Egeneto* (became), not merely *appeared as* flesh (which would be docetism). The Word truly took on human nature. The verb is decisive against every form of phantom-Christ heresy. 2. **The Word *tabernacled* among us.** *Eskēnōsen* invokes the OT Shekinah / tabernacle motif. The same God whose glory filled the *mishkan* (Exodus 40:34-38) and Solomon's temple (1 Kings 8:10-11) now pitches His tent in human flesh. The phonetic echo Hebrew *š-k-n* / Greek *sk-n* may not be coincidence, see [G4637 - skenoo](/codex/g4637-skenoo/). 3. **We beheld His glory.** *Etheasametha tēn doxan autou*, the Shekinah is no longer cloud-veiled; it is visible in the person of Christ. "Only begotten from the Father" (*monogenous para patros*), Christ is *unique* (one of a kind) among all sons. "Full of grace and truth", the *hesed* and *emet* of YHWH (Exodus 34:6) are now embodied. **Patristic.** Athanasius (*On the Incarnation*, c. AD 318) is the foundational treatment. The verse animates his entire soteriology: only by the Word's full assumption of flesh could fallen flesh be redeemed. Augustine (*Tractates on John* 2, c. AD 414) develops the Word/flesh logic: the Word did not *cease to be* the Word in becoming flesh, the *kenōsis* of Philippians 2:7 is voluntary self-giving, not loss of deity. Cyril of Alexandria (*Twelve Anathemas*; *Letter to Nestorius*; *Commentary on John*, c. AD 425) wields *ho logos sarx egeneto* against Nestorianism, which separated the divine and human natures of Christ into two persons. The Council of Chalcedon (AD 451) formalizes the conclusion: one person, two natures (divine and human), without confusion, change, division, or separation. **Heresies the verse rules out:** - **Docetism**, Christ only *seemed* to have a body. Refuted by *egeneto sarx* (truly *became* flesh), *eskēnōsen* (actually dwelt), and the visible *doxa*. - **Adoptionism**, Christ was a man adopted into divinity at baptism. Refuted by the prologue's eternal pre-existence ([John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/)), the same Word who *was* in the beginning *became* flesh. - **Apollinarianism**, Christ had a human body but a divine mind, not a human soul. Refuted (in patristic application) by the Cappadocian principle "what is not assumed is not healed", full humanity must include human mind/soul. - **Nestorianism**, two distinct persons (divine and human) loosely united. Refuted by the singular subject: the *Word* became flesh, same person, both natures. - **Eutychianism / Monophysitism**, the divine nature absorbed the human. Refuted by the persistence of true flesh that can be touched (1 John 1:1) and seen. **Reformed / modern.** Calvin (*Institutes* II.13-14) develops the *extra Calvinisticum*: the Word's incarnation does not exhaust His divine being; the Son retains His omnipresence even while incarnate. Modern conservative scholarship (D. A. Carson, *The Gospel According to John*; Andreas Köstenberger, *John* BECNT) sustains the patristic Trinitarian-incarnational reading against critical theories that John's prologue is borrowed Stoic philosophy. ## Key words - [G3056 - logos](/codex/g3056-logos/), *logos* (Word), same subject as [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/); eternal pre-existent Word - [G4561 - sarx](/codex/g4561-sarx/), *sarx* (flesh), full human nature, against docetism - [G4637 - skenoo](/codex/g4637-skenoo/), *skēnoō* (dwelt / tabernacled), Shekinah motif - [G3439 - monogenes](/codex/g3439-monogenes/), *monogenēs* (only begotten / unique), Christ as the unique Son - [G1391 - doxa](/codex/g1391-doxa/), *doxa* (glory), the Shekinah glory now visible in Christ ## Quoted in **Arguments and defeaters:** - [Anointing Implies Subordination Objection Defeater](/codex/anointing-implies-subordination-objection-defeater/) - [Argument from the Continuance of Being](/codex/argument-from-the-continuance-of-being/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Argument from the Costly-Signal Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-costly-signal-convergence/) - [Argument from the Holy-Place Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-holy-place-convergence/) - [Argument from the Observer-Demand Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-observer-demand-convergence/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Argument from the Pre-Given Logos](/codex/argument-from-the-pre-given-logos/) - [Argument from the Question-Asking Asymmetry](/codex/argument-from-the-question-asking-asymmetry/) - [Argument from the Universal Storytelling Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-universal-storytelling-convergence/) - [Cumulative Case for the Deity of Christ](/codex/cumulative-case-for-the-deity-of-christ/) - [Divine Hiddenness Objection Defeater](/codex/divine-hiddenness-objection-defeater/) - [Jesus Has a God Therefore Not God Objection Defeater](/codex/jesus-has-a-god-therefore-not-god-objection-defeater/) - [Nag Hammadi Suppressed Gospels Objection Defeater](/codex/nag-hammadi-suppressed-gospels-objection-defeater/) - [Necessity of the Incarnation](/codex/necessity-of-the-incarnation/) - [Quran Confirms Jesus is God Argument](/codex/quran-confirms-jesus-is-god-argument/) - [Quran Confirms the Trinity Argument](/codex/quran-confirms-the-trinity-argument/) - [Trinity Coherence Defense (Latin-Thomist)](/codex/trinity-coherence-defense-latin-thomist/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Trinity Invented at Nicaea Objection Defeater](/codex/trinity-invented-at-nicaea-objection-defeater/) - [Virgin Birth Is Biologically Impossible Objection Defeater](/codex/virgin-birth-is-biologically-impossible-objection-defeater/) - [Why Didnt Jesus Write Anything Himself Objection Defeater](/codex/why-didnt-jesus-write-anything-himself-objection-defeater/) **Concepts:** - [Arianism](/codex/arianism/) - [Atheism](/codex/atheism/) - [Christ Was Made (Misread Proof-Texts)](/codex/christ-was-made-misread-proof-texts/) - [Christianity](/codex/christianity/) - [Christology](/codex/christology/), via [John 1.1-14](/codex/john-1-1-14/), [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Communicatio Idiomatum](/codex/communicatio-idiomatum/) - [Council of Ephesus](/codex/council-of-ephesus/) - [Divine Hiddenness](/codex/divine-hiddenness/) - [Doctrine](/codex/doctrine/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Failed Messianic Prophecy Objections](/codex/failed-messianic-prophecy-objections/) - [Father-Son Authority Asymmetry](/codex/father-son-authority-asymmetry/) - [Gospel](/codex/g2098-euangelion/) - [Hypostatic Union](/codex/hypostatic-union/) - [Incarnation](/codex/incarnation/) - [Islamic Dilemma](/codex/islamic-dilemma/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/) - [Kalimatullah](/codex/kalimatullah/) - [Lesson 2.4, Christology in One Lesson](/codex/lesson-2-4-christology-in-one-lesson/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Logos Christology](/codex/logos-christology/) - [Mathematical Intelligibility of Nature](/codex/mathematical-intelligibility-of-nature/) - [Meaning-Centered Evangelism](/codex/meaning-centered-evangelism/) - [Old Testament Christology](/codex/old-testament-witness-to-the-deity-of-christ/) - [Old Testament Witness to the Deity of Christ](/codex/old-testament-witness-to-the-deity-of-christ/) - [Oneness Pentecostalism](/codex/oneness-pentecostalism/) - [Tahrif](/codex/tahrif/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Theandric Activities](/codex/theandric-activities/) - [Trinity vs Oneness vs Modalism vs Arianism](/codex/trinity-vs-oneness-vs-modalism-vs-arianism/) - [Two Powers in Heaven](/codex/two-powers-in-heaven/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Zeitgeist - Astrotheological Claims](/codex/zeitgeist-astrotheological-claims/) **People:** - [Bart Ehrman](/codex/bart-ehrman/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Jesus](/codex/jesus/) - [John the Apostle](/codex/john-the-apostle/) - [Philo of Alexandria](/codex/philo-of-alexandria/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) **Lexicon:** - [G0225 - aletheia](/codex/g0225-aletheia/) - [G1096 - ginomai](/codex/g1096-ginomai/) - [G1391 - doxa](/codex/g1391-doxa/) - [G2435 - hilasterion](/codex/g2435-hilasterion/) - [G3004 - lego](/codex/g3004-lego/), via [John 1.1-14](/codex/john-1-1-14/) - [G3056 - logos](/codex/g3056-logos/) - [G3439 - monogenes](/codex/g3439-monogenes/) - [G4100 - pisteuo](/codex/g4100-pisteuo/) - [G4561 - sarx](/codex/g4561-sarx/) - [G4637 - skenoo](/codex/g4637-skenoo/) - [G5207 - huios](/codex/g5207-huios/) - [G5485 - charis](/codex/g5485-charis/) - [H0001 - ab](/codex/h0001-ab/) - [H0571 - emet](/codex/h0571-emet/) - [H1121 - ben](/codex/h1121-ben/) - [H1320 - basar](/codex/h1320-basar/) - [H1697 - dabar](/codex/h1697-dabar/) - [H3173 - yachid](/codex/h3173-yachid/) - [H3519 - kavod](/codex/h3519-kavod/) **Guides:** - [Ris3n Arguments](/codex/ris3n-arguments/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) **Passages:** - [1 Corinthians 13](/codex/1-corinthians-13/) - [1 Corinthians 5.7-8](/codex/1-corinthians-5-7-8/) - [1 John 1.8](/codex/1-john-1-8/) - [1 John 1.8-10](/codex/1-john-1-8-10/) - [1 John 3.18](/codex/1-john-3-18/) - [1 John 4.6](/codex/1-john-4-6/) - [1 Timothy 2.3-4](/codex/1-timothy-2-3-4/) - [1 Timothy 2.4](/codex/1-timothy-2-4/) - [2 Peter 2.1-3](/codex/2-peter-2-1-3/) - [2 Timothy 2.15](/codex/2-timothy-2-15/) - [Acts 4.27-28](/codex/acts-4-27-28/) - [Colossians 1.15](/codex/colossians-1-15/) - [Colossians 1.15-20](/codex/colossians-1-15-20/) - [Colossians 1.18](/codex/colossians-1-18/) - [Colossians 1.4-6](/codex/colossians-1-4-6/) - [Colossians 2.9](/codex/colossians-2-9/) - [Ephesians 1.13-14](/codex/ephesians-1-13-14/) - [Ephesians 6](/codex/ephesians-6/) - [Ephesians 6.10-18](/codex/ephesians-6-10-18/) - [Galatians 5](/codex/galatians-5/) - [Galatians 5.7-9](/codex/galatians-5-7-9/) - [Hebrews 10.26](/codex/hebrews-10-26/) - [Isaiah 42.8](/codex/isaiah-42-8/) - [James 3.14-16](/codex/james-3-14-16/) - [James 5.19](/codex/james-5-19/) - [John 1.1-14](/codex/john-1-1-14/) - [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [John 10.33](/codex/john-10-33/) - [John 14.1-7](/codex/john-14-1-7/) - [John 14.6-7](/codex/john-14-6-7/) - [John 15.26](/codex/john-15-26/) - [John 16.12-13](/codex/john-16-12-13/) - [John 16.5-15](/codex/john-16-5-15/) - [John 16.7](/codex/john-16-7/) - [John 17.17](/codex/john-17-17/) - [John 17.18-22](/codex/john-17-18-22/) - [John 17.22](/codex/john-17-22/) - [John 17.5](/codex/john-17-5/) - [John 20.28](/codex/john-20-28/) - [John 3](/codex/john-3/) - [John 4.23](/codex/john-4-23/) - [John 5](/codex/john-5/) - [John 8.31-32](/codex/john-8-31-32/) - [John 8.32](/codex/john-8-32/) - [John 8.40](/codex/john-8-40/) - [John 8.46](/codex/john-8-46/) - [Luke 22.54-62](/codex/luke-22-54-62/) - [Mark 12](/codex/mark-12/) - [Mark 12.28-33](/codex/mark-12-28-33/) - [Matthew 1.18](/codex/matthew-1-18/) - [Philippians 2.5-11](/codex/philippians-2-5-11/) - [Philippians 2.5-6](/codex/philippians-2-5-6/) - [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) - [Revelation 21.1-3](/codex/revelation-21-1-3/) - [Revelation 21.3](/codex/revelation-21-3/) - [Romans 1.18](/codex/romans-1-18/) - [Romans 1.24-26](/codex/romans-1-24-26/) - [Romans 1.24-32](/codex/romans-1-24-32/) - [Romans 2.6-11](/codex/romans-2-6-11/) - [Romans 3.5-8](/codex/romans-3-5-8/) - [Romans 3.7](/codex/romans-3-7/) **Other pages:** - [Religious Pluralism Objection](/codex/religious-pluralism-objection/) --- _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](https://www.lockman.org)_