{John 1:1} In the beginning [not the beginning of the universe, nor even of the material universe, but the beginning of the world of mankind; this beginning includes all of the six days of creation, as can be seen from what is stated in Exodus 20:11; 31:17] was the Logos [he who speaks and acts on behalf of God, and through whom God performs His works (1 Corinthians 8:6); the firstborn son of God (Colossians 1:15); there were also other “sons of god” present at the beginning of the world of mankind (Job 38:4-7)], and the Logos was with God [Mighty One -- Jesus identified the one whom he had been with as “the only true God”; Isaiah 61:1 identifies that only true God as the Lord Jehovah, who anointed and sent Jesus], and the Word was mighty. [Using a Hebraism — Jesus had a mighty glory similar to the other “sons of God” before he became flesh. — John 17:1,3,5; 1 Corinthians 15:39-41
{John 1:2} The same was in the beginning with God. [By repeating this, in harmony with John 17:1,3,5, We believe that John emphasizes that the Logos was not the Supreme Being, and that thus the Greek word THEOS is being used in a more general Biblical Hebraic sense as meaning “mighty” or “mighty one”.]
{John 1:3} All [Greek transliterated, panta — relating to all of mankind -- not God's entire creation, as in John 1:7] was made through him. Without him was not one made who has been made [none of the world [kosmos - John 1:10] that God made through His Logos was made without the Logos. The kosmos being referred to is the same kosmos into which sin entered through the one man Adam. (Romans 5:12) It is the same kosmos spoken of in Matthew 24:21; 25:34; John 3:16,17; 16:28; Romans 1:20; 5:12,13; Hebrews 4:3; 9:26; 10:5; 1 John 2:17; 1 John 4:9, and many more places.
{John 1:4} In him [in the Logos while he was human, while he was in the days of his flesh — Hebrews 5:7] was life [he was not dying, as are the descendants of Adam — Romans 5:12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21,22], and the life was the light of men. [The Logos was not the “light of men” before he became flesh (John 1:14); it was while he was “in the world” — the world of mankind — that he was directly the light of the world, although the record of his life, death and resurrection continues to be light to all mankind, and he is yet to enlighten the whole world. — John 9:5]
{John 1:5} The light shines in the darkness [the Logos, as the light of the world, by his full obedience to God, was a light during the days of his flesh (Hebrews 5:7), a light shining in the world of darkness, which darkness is due to sin — Proverbs 4:19; Isaiah 60:2] and the darkness hasn’t overcome it. [The darkness in the world of man did not overcome the light of the Logos while he was in the days of his flesh, but rather the Logos overcame the darkness of sin in the world. — John 1:29; 14:30; 16:8,33].
{John 1:6} There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. [In verse 6, John begins to give attention to John the Baptist, who was sent from God to preach about the Logos — the light — before the Logos was formally presented as being who he is].
{John 1:7} The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light [this is the same “light” referred to in the earlier verses, which is identified as being the Logos in John 1:4, for “him” in John 1:4 refers back to the Logos being spoken of in John 1:1,2], that all might believe through him.
{John 1:8} He [John the Baptist] was not the light [the Logos who had been with the only true God — John 1:1,2; 17:1,3,5], but was sent that he might testify about the light. [John testified — before Jesus’ appearance to be baptized — of the Logos, the Light, that is, Jesus.]
{John 1:9} The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world. [That true light is identified in John 1:4 as being the Logos; the Logos had already been made flesh at the time that John testified concerning him, but at the time John the Baptist was preaching concerning that Light, he had not yet presented himself as being the promised one who was to take away the sin of the world.]
{John 1:10} He was in the world [the Logos, the Light], and the world was made through him [the Logos — the only true God is the source; the Logos is the instrument — John 17:1,3; 1 Corinthians 8:6], and the world didn’t recognize him [the Logos; the world that did not recognize him is the world of mankind, the same “world” that Paul wrote about in Romans 5:12; the world saw and recognized him as a man, but they failed to see him as the promised Messiah].
{John 1:11} He [the Logos] came to his own [referring to his own people into which he been born, that is, Israel], and those who were his own [Israel as a whole — Jesus was sent only to Israel — Matthew 15:24; Acts 3:26] didn’t receive him.
{John 1:12} But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name: [the sons of the Most High spoken of in Psalm 82:6; John 10:34,35].
{John 1:13} who were born not of blood [they do not become God’s children as if it was something that they would inherit by bloodline], nor of the will of the flesh [they do not become God’s children because of any works performed by the flesh — Romans 3:20; Galatians 2:16], nor of the will of man [they do not become God’s children by simply wanting to be such], but of God [God begets them as new creatures by means of the one whom He has anointed (made Christ — Isaiah 61:1; Acts 2:36). — John 3:17; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 1:23].
{John 1:14} The Logos became flesh, and lived among us. We [his followers, not the world] saw his glory [the glory of Logos with the crown of glory of a sinless man, yet, unlike other men, not fallen short of that glory due to sin: Psalm 8:5; John 8:46; Romans 3:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 2:9; 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5], such glory [of the Logos] as of the only-begotten Son of the Father [a son of God is without sin — 1 Peter 2:12; 1 John 3:9], full of grace and truth. [The Logos was begotten as the firstborn before he became flesh (Colossians 1:15); to be our savior, the Logos had to be begotten again in the flesh, made a little lower than angels. — Matthew 1:20; Hebrews 2:9]
{John 1:15} John testified about him [the Logos of John 1:1,2,4]. He cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.'” [John the Baptist was referring the Logos; although in the flesh, John the Baptist was older than the Logos; however, the Logos before he became flesh was in existence before John the Baptist came into existence, thus John the Baptist could speak of the Logos as having been in existence before himself.]
{John 1:16} From his fullness [the Logos, having been born into the world without sin, had the full price needed to pay the wages of sin for all condemned in Adam — Romans 5:12-19; 1 Timothy 2:5,6] we all received grace upon grace [the result of Jesus’ obedience provides not only an example for us, but also through his sacrifice the Logos provides the means for reconciliation with God. — 2 Corinthians 5:18,19; Colossians 1:20].
{John 1:17} For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. [The Logos — the light — who has been spoken of up to this verse is directly identified as “Jesus Christ”. “Christ” means anointed or anointed one, signifying the one whom the Lord Jehovah had anointed. (Isaiah 61:1) The law, although it contained light, was not the light that came into the world so as to bring forth the realization of God’s favor (grace) and His truth. The Law fell short due to man’s sinful condition. — Ecclesiastes 1:15; 7:13; Romans 5:12-19; 8:1-3; 20-22; Galatians 2:21; 3:11,21; Philippians 3:9]
{John 1:18} No one has seen God at any time. The only-begotten mighty one [theos, in many earlier manuscripts; later manuscripts have “son”; if John did write “theos" rather than "heios", it would definitely be referring to the Logos of John 1:1 as having been begotten, brought forth into being before the world of mankind was created through him -- John 1:10; 17:5] as a son, who is in the bosom [not literal bosom, but figurative of the position of closeness as in a family — father and son] of the Father [the only true Supreme Being of whom is all — John 17:1,3; 1 Corinthians 8:6], he [the Logos, Jesus, as God’s mouthpiece] has declared him [God, with whom the Logos had been — John 1:1; 17:1,3,5].
There is definitely nothing in any of this that means that we need to imagine and assume that God Almighty is more than one person, and that Jesus is a person of God Almighty. -- Ronald R. Day, Sr.
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