1In 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.
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1In 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.
In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. [1]
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.
He created everything that exists.
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.
A man named John was sent from God. [2]
8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
He was not the true light, but came to bear witness to that light.
9That 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.
The true light lights every man.
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:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Whoever receives him has the power to become a son of God. [3]
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.
And the word became flesh and dwelt among us. [4]
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.
John (the Baptist) cried out, saying,
I'm talking about someone who came before me,
who is better than me.
17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
The law was given by Moses,
but grace and truth came from Jesus Christ. [5]
18No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
No one has ever seen God. [6]
19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
The Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem,
who asked John, "Who are you?"
20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
John said, "I'm not Christ."
21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? 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 Isaiah.
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 Elijah, neither that prophet?
They said,
Why are you baptizing if you're not Christ, Elijah, or some other prophet?
26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, 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.
John said,
I baptize with water, but someone's coming who's shoe I'm unworthy to untie.
28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
John baptized in Bethabara beyond the Jordan. [8]
29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
The next day, when John saw Jesus coming toward him, he said
This is the lamb of God, who takes 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.
He's the who came before me and is better than me.
32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.
I saw the Spirit descend from heaven
like a dove and rest on him.
33 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.
I didn't know who he was until this happened.
But the one who sent me to baptize said to me,
The one who the Spirit descends upon, is the one who will baptize with the holy spirit.
34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.
So I'm sure this is the Son of God. [9]
35Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he 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.
The next day, two of John the Baptist's disciples followed Jesus.
40One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
One of the two was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. [10]
41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.
Andrew found his brother, Simon Peter, and said to him,
We have found the Messiah [or the Christ]. [11]
42 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.
Andrew brought Simon to Jesus, who said to him
You are Simon the son of Jona.
You'll be called Cephas [which means rock].
43The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.
44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
The next day, Jesus went to Galilee and found Philip.
(Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.) [12]
He said to him, "Follow me."
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.
Philip found Nathanael, and said to him,
We found Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
Nathanael said "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"
Philip said, "Come and see."
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
When Jesus saw Nathanael, he said to him,
Here is a good Israelite.
48Nathanael 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 said, "How do you know me?"
Jesus said,
"Before Philip called you, I saw you sitting under a fig tree."
49Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
Nathanael said,
You are the Son of God, the king of Israel.
50Jesus 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.
Jesus said,
You believe because I said I saw you under the fig tree?
You'll see greater things than that.
51 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.
You'll see heaven open and angels ascending and descending on the Son of man. [13]
This verse doesn't come right out and say who "the word" is, but all Christians believe it's referring to Jesus. They disagree about what it's saying about Jesus, however. Is Jesus God? The Son of God? A godlike man? Or what?
For example, Jehovah's Witnesses don't believe that Jesus was God. But how could Jesus be with God in the beginning as this verse says, if, as the Watchtower teaches, Jesus was created by God? And how could Jesus be "a god" and yet be with God during the creation, if God was speaking truthfully in Dt 32:39 when he said, "there are no gods with me"?
The John that the author of the gospel of John refers to in this verse is John the Baptist.
I don't know if it's possible to become a daughter of God (even if you believe on his name).
The Catholic Church liked the prologue of John's gospel (the first 14 verses) so much that it included them in the last gospel at the end of every mass. Everyone kneeled when the words "et verbum caro factum est" (and the word was made flesh) were read. But this reading was suppressed at the Second Vatican Council and is no longer read at mass.
But no such site is known in history. Some translations (ASV, NAB, NIV, RSV, NRSV) rename Bethabara as Bethany, but Bethany is a suburb of Jerusalem and, therefore, not "beyond the Jordan."
Which came first: the calling of Peter and Andrew or the imprisonment of John the Baptist?
Jesus falsely prophesied that Nathanael would see heaven open and angels descend upon Jesus. Nathaniel never saw it; neither has anyone else.
Christian Response from Bible Believers