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John, the Gospel to the Gentiles


John, chapter 1, KJV

{readers, please remember that Jesus was born a Jew and, until the day He died, He never renounced His Jewishness...though, in the sense of reforming and extending beyond Judaism, He denounced the religious practices of Judaism.}

[listed by verse number]

 

[The Word became flesh]:


1 In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with God, and the Word [the Trinity] was God.

2 The same [the Word, Jesus] was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him [God]; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him [God] was life [Jesus]; and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light [Jesus] shineth in darkness [among mankind]; and the darkness comprehended it not.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John [the Baptist].

7 The same [John the Baptist (JtB)] came for [as] a witness, to bear witness of the Light [Jesus], that all men through him [Jesus] might believe.

8 He [JtB] was not that Light [Jesus], but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

9 That [to which JtB bore witness] was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

10 He [Jesus] was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.

11 He [also born a Jew] came unto his own [the Israelites], and his own received him not.

12 But as many [Israeli converts] as received him, to them gave he power [the right] to become the sons of God, even [that is] to them that believe on his name:

13 Which [as sons of God] were born [thereby], 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 [Jesus, born to Mary; the "Incarnation"] flesh [became a person...SHOCKING to the gnostics of that time], 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 [JtB] bare witness of him, and cried, saying, "This was he [Jesus] of whom I spake, 'He [Jesus] that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he [Jesus] was before me.'"

16 And of his [Jesus'] fullness have all we received, and grace for grace [one blessing after another].

17 For the law [the mirror for convicting of sin] was given by Moses, but grace and truth [eternal salvation] came by Jesus Christ.

18 No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which [Jesus, the icon of God] is in the bosom of the Father, he [JtB] hath declared him [Jesus].

 

[John's witness to himself]:


19 And this is the record of John [JtB], when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou [anyone suspected as Messiah had to be investigated]?

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

21 And they asked him, "What then? Art thou Elias [Elijah]?" And he saith, "I am not." "Art thou that prophet [Deut. 18:14]?" And he answered, "No."

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

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 [Isaiah 40:3]."

24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

25 And they asked him, and said unto him, "Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias [Elijah], neither that prophet [Deut. 18:14]?"

26 John [JtB] answered them, saying, "I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you [Jesus], whom ye know not;

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

28 These things were done in Beth-abara [Bethany (Kasar el Yehud), about 50 miles downstream from Sea of Galilee, just SE of Jericho] beyond [east of] Jordan [river], where John was baptizing.

 

[John's witness to Jesus]:


29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, [announcing the Messiah] "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

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

31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water [in those times, had to do with repenting in preparation for Messiah]."

32 And John bare record [testified], saying, "I saw the Spirit [the Holy Spirit] descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him [upon Jesus].

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

34 And I saw, and bare record that this [Jesus] is the Son of God."

 

[Andrew and Peter follow Jesus]:


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

36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he [John the Baptist] saith, "Behold the Lamb of God!"

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

38 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?"

39 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 [4 p. m.].

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

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

42 And he [Andrew] brought him [Simon Peter] 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 [as with petrified...Peter].

 

[Philip and Nathanael follow Jesus]:

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

44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida [a town on the NE coast of Sea of Galilee, just east of where Jordan River enters], the city of Andrew and Peter.

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."

46 And Nathanael said unto him, "Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth [in those days, a small, common-folk village at Mt. Tabor, west of Sea of Galilee, between there and Meggido]?" Philip saith unto him, "Come and see."

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!" [Jesus commenting sort of "tongue in cheek"]

48 Nathanael saith unto him, "Whence [how ?] knowest thou me?" Jesus answered and said unto him, "Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee [though Jesus was not within sight]."

49 Nathanael answered and saith [amazed] unto him, "Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel."

50 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."

51 And he saith unto him, "Verily, verily, [truthfully, truthfully] I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man [me, Jesus].

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(posted 3 October 2000; latest update 6 September 2004)