John 1 - 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)

The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ, According to John

1 That Word begotten of God before all worlds, 2 and which was ever with the Father, 14 is made man.  6, 7 For what end John was sent from God. 15 His preaching of Christ’s office. 19, 20 The record that he bare given out unto the Priests. 40 The calling of Andrew, 42 of Peter, 43 Philip, 45 and Nathanael.

¹ In ^[a]the ^[b]beginning ^[c]was ^[d]that Word, and that Word was ^[e]with God, and that ^[f]Word was God.

² This same was in the beginning with God.

^{3 (A)[g]}All ^[h]things were made by it, and ^[i]without it ^[j]was made nothing that was made.

^{4 [k]}In it ^[l]was life, and that life was ^[m]the light of men.

^{5 [n]}And that light shineth in the wilderness, and the darkness ^[o]comprehendeth it not.

⁶ ¶ ^(B)[p]There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

⁷ This same came for a witness, to bear witness of that light, that all men ^[q]through him might believe.

⁸ He was not ^[r]that light, but was sent to bear witness of that light.

^{9 [s]}This was ^[t]that true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

^{10 [u]}He was in the world, and the world was ^(C)made by him: and the world knew him not.

¹¹ He came ^[v]unto his own, and his own received him not.

^{12 [w]}But as many as received him, to them he gave ^[x]prerogative to be the sons of God, even to them that believe in his Name,

¹³ Which are born not of blood, nor of the ^[y]will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

^{14 (D)[z]}And that Word was made ^[aa]flesh, and ^[ab]dwelt among us, (and we ^(E)saw the ^[ac]glory thereof, ^[ad]as the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father) ^[ae]full of grace and truth.

¹⁵ ¶ ^[af]John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I said, He that cometh ^[ag]after me, was ^[ah]before me: for he was better than I.

^{16 (F)[ai]}And of his fullness have all we received, and ^[aj]grace for grace.

¹⁷ For the Law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

^{18 (G)[ak]}No man hath seen God at any time: that only begotten Son, which is in the ^[al]bosom of the Father, he hath ^[am]declared him.

¹⁹ ¶ ^[an]Then this is the record of John, when the Jews sent Priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

²⁰ And he ^[ao]confessed and ^[ap]denied not, and said plainly, I ^(H)am not that Christ.

²¹ And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elijah? And he said, ^[aq]I am not. Art thou ^[ar]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 ^(I)am the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the Prophet Isaiah.

^{24 [as]}Now they which were sent, were of the Pharisees.

²⁵ And they asked him, and said unto him, ^[at]Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, neither Elijah, nor that Prophet?

²⁶ John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there is one ^[au]among you, whom ye know not.

^{27 (J)}He it is that cometh after me, which was before me, whose shoe latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

²⁸ These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John did baptize.

²⁹ ¶ ^[av]The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold ^[aw]that Lamb of God, which ^[ax]taketh away the ^[ay]sin of the world.

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

³¹ And ^[az]I knew him not: but because he should be declared to Israel, therefore am I come, baptizing with water.

^{32 [ba]}So John bare record, saying, I beheld, ^(K)that Spirit come down from heaven, like a dove, and it abode upon him,

³³ And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, he said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see that Spirit come down, and tarry still on him, that is he which baptizeth with the holy Ghost.

³⁴ And I saw, and bare record that this is ^[bb]that Son of God.

³⁵ ¶ ^[bc]The next day, John stood again, and two of his disciples.

^{36 [bd]}And he beheld Jesus walking by, and said, Behold that Lamb of God.

^{37 [be]}And the two disciples heard him speak, and followed Jesus.

³⁸ Then Jesus turned about, and saw them follow, and said unto them, What seek ye? And they said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say by interpretation, Master) ^[bf]where dwellest thou?

³⁹ He said unto them, Come, and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the ^[bg]tenth hour.

⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two which had heard it of John, and that followed him.

⁴¹ The same found his brother Simon first, and said unto him, We have found that Messiah which is by interpretation, that ^[bh]Christ.

⁴² And he brought him to Jesus. And Jesus beheld him, and said, Thou art Simon the son of Jonah: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation a stone.

⁴³ ¶ The day following, Jesus would go into Galilee, and found Philip, and said unto him, Follow me.

⁴⁴ Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

^{45 [bi]}Philip found Nathanael, and said unto him, We have found him of whom ^(L)Moses did write in the Law, and the ^(M)Prophets, Jesus that Son of Joseph, that was of Nazareth.

^{46 [bj]}Then Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip said to him, Come, and see.

^{47 [bk]}Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said of him, Behold indeed an Israelite, in whom is no guile.

^{48 [bl]}Nathanael said unto him, Whence knewest thou me? Jesus answered, and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

⁴⁹ Nathanael answered, and said unto him, Rabbi, thou art that Son of God: thou art that 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 said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see heaven open, and the Angels of God ^(N)[bm]ascending, and descending upon that Son of man.

Footnotes

1. John 1:1 The Son of God is of one, and the selfsame eternity or everlastingness, and of one and the selfsame essence or nature, with the Father.
2. John 1:1 From his beginning, as the Evangelist saith, 1 John 1:1, as though he said, that the world began not then to have his being, when God began to make all that was made: for the word was even then when all things that were made, began to be made, and therefore he was before the beginning of all things.
3. John 1:1 Had his being.
4. John 1:1 This word, That, pointeth out unto us a peculiar and choice thing above all other, and putteth a difference between this Word, which is the Son of God, and the Laws of God, which otherwise also are called the word of God.
5. John 1:1 This word (With) putteth out the distinction of persons to us.
6. John 1:1 This word (Word) is the first in order in the sentence, and is that which the learned call (Subjectum:) and this word (God) is the latter in order, and the same which the learned call (Predicatum.)
7. John 1:3 The son of God declareth that same his everlasting Godhead, both by the creating of all things, and also by the preserving of them, and especially by the excellent gifts of reason and understanding, wherewith he that beautified man above all other creatures.
8. John 1:3 Paul expoundeth this place, Col. 1:15 and 16.
9. John 1:3 That is, as the Father did work, so did the Son work with him: for he was fellow worker with him.
10. John 1:3 Of all those things which were made, nothing was made without him.
11. John 1:4 That is, by him: and it is spoken after the manner of the Hebrews, meaning thereby that by his force and working power all life cometh to the world.
12. John 1:4 To wit, even then, when all things are made by him, for else he would have said, Life is in him, and not life was.
13. John 1:4 That force of reason and understanding, which is kindled in our minds to acknowledge him, the author of so great a benefit.
14. John 1:5 The light of men is turned into darkness, but yet so that there is clearness enough to make them without excuse.
15. John 1:5 They could not perceive nor reach unto it, to receive any light of it, no, they did not so much as acknowledge him.
16. John 1:6 There is another more full manifestation of the Son of God, to the consideration whereof men are in good time stirred up, even by John’s voice, who is as it were the herald of Christ.
17. John 1:7 Through John.
18. John 1:8 That light which we spake of, to wit, Christ, who only can lighten our darkness.
19. John 1:9 When as the Son of God saw, that man did not acknowledge him by his works, although they were endued with understanding (which he had given to them all) he exhibited himself unto his people to be seen of them with their corporal eyes: yet neither so did they acknowledge him, nor receive him.
20. John 1:9 Who only and properly deserveth to be called the light, for he shineth of himself and borroweth light of none.
21. John 1:10 That person of the Word, was made manifest even at that time when the world was made.
22. John 1:11 The Word showed himself again, when he came in the flesh.
23. John 1:12 The Son being shut out of the most of his people, and acknowledged but of a few, doth regenerate them by his own virtue and power, and receiveth them into that honor which is common to all the children of God, that is to be the sons of God.
24. John 1:12 He vouchsafed to give them this prerogative to take them to be his children.
25. John 1:13 Of that gross and corrupt nature of man, which is throughout the Scriptures set as enemy to the Spirit.
26. John 1:14 That Son, who is God from everlasting, took upon him man’s nature, that one and the selfsame might be both God and man, which manifestly appeared to many witnesses, that saw him amongst whom he was conversant, and unto whom by sure and undoubted arguments he showed both his natures.
27. John 1:14 That is, man: so that the part is taken for the whole, by the figure Synecdoche: for he took upon him all our whole nature, that is to say, a true body, and a true soul.
28. John 1:14 For a season, and when that was ended, he went up into heaven: for the word which he useth, is taken from tents: and yet notwithstanding, his absence from us in body is not such, but that he is always present with us, though not in flesh, yet by the virtue of his Spirit.
29. John 1:14 The glory which he speaketh of here, is that manifestation of Christ’s majesty, which was as it were laid open before our eyes when the Son of God appeared in flesh.
30. John 1:14 This word (as) doth not in this place betoken a likeness, but the truth of the matter, for his meaning is this, that we saw such a glory, as beseemed and was meet for the true and only begotten Son of God, who is Lord and King over all the world.
31. John 1:14 He was not only a partaker of grace and truth, but was full of the very substance of grace and truth.
32. John 1:15 John is a faithful witness of the excellency of Christ.
33. John 1:15 That is, He before whom I am sent to prepare him the way: so that these words are referred to the time of his calling, and not of his age, for John was six months older than he.
34. John 1:15 This sentence hath in it a turning of the reason as we call it, as who would say, a setting of that first which should be last, and that last which should be first: for in plain speech this it is: He that cometh after me, is better than I am, for he was before me. The like kind of turning the reason we find in Luke 7:47: many sins are forgiven her, because she loved much, which is thus much to say, she loved much, because many sins are forgiven her.
35. John 1:16 Christ is the most plentiful fountain of all goodness, but then he poured out his gifts most bountifully, when as he exhibited and showed himself to the world.
36. John 1:16 That is grace upon grace, as a man would say graces heaped one upon another.
37. John 1:18 That true knowledge of God proceedeth only from Jesus Christ.
38. John 1:18 Who is nearest to his Father, not only in respect of his love towards him, but by the bond of nature, and for that union or oneness that is between them, whereby the Father and the Son are one.
39. John 1:18 Revealed him, and showed him unto us, whereas before he was hid under the shadows of the Law, so that the quickness of the sight of our minds was not able to perceive him: for whosoever seeth him, seeth the Father also.
40. John 1:19 John is neither the Messiah, nor like to any of the other Prophets, but is the herald of Christ, who is now present.
41. John 1:20 He did acknowledge him, and spake of him plainly and openly.
42. John 1:20 This repeating of the one and the selfsame thing, though in divers words, is used much of the Hebrews, and it hath great force: for they used to speak one thing twice, to set it out more certainly and plainly.
43. John 1:21 The Jews thought that Elijah should come again before the days of Messiah, and they took the ground of that their opinion out of Mal. 4:5, which place is to be understood of John, Matt. 11:14. And yet John denieth that he is Elijah, answering them indeed according as they meant.
44. John 1:21 They inquire of some great Prophet, and not of Christ, for John denied before, that he is Christ, for they thought that some great Prophet should be sent like unto Moses, wresting to that purpose that place of Deut. 18:15, which is to be understood of all the company of the Prophets and ministers, which have been and shall be to the end, and especially of Christ, who is the head of all Prophets.
45. John 1:24 Christ is the author of baptism, and not John: and therefore the force thereof consisteth not in John, who is the minister, but wholly in Christ the Lord.
46. John 1:25 Hereby we may prove that the Jews knew there should be some change in religion under Messiah.
47. John 1:26 Whom all the world seeth not, and is even amongst you.
48. John 1:29 The body and truth of all the sacrifices of the Law, to make satisfaction for the sin of the world, is in Christ.
49. John 1:29 This word (That) which is added, hath great force in it, not only to set forth the worthiness of Christ, and so to separate him from the Lamb which was a figure of him, and from all other sacrifices of the Law, but also to bring into our mind the Prophecies of Isaiah and others.
50. John 1:29 This word of the present time signifieth a continual act, for the Lamb hath this virtue proper unto him, and forever, to take away the sins of the world.
51. John 1:29 That is, that root of sins, to wit, our corruption, and so consequently, the fruits of sin, which are commonly called in the plural number sins.
52. John 1:31 I never knew him by face before.
53. John 1:32 Christ is proved to be the Son of God, by the coming down of the holy Ghost, by the Father’s voice, and by John’s testimony.
54. John 1:34 This word (That) pointeth out unto us some excellent thing, and maketh a difference between Christ and others, whom Moses and the Prophets commonly call the sons of God, or the sons of the most high.
55. John 1:35 John gathered disciples, not to himself, but to Christ.
56. John 1:36 Christ is set before us to follow not as a vain shadow, but as our Mediator.
57. John 1:37 In this first gathering of the disciples we have shown unto us, that the beginning of salvation is from God, who calleth us unto his Son by the ministry of his servants: whom (so preventing us) we must also hear, and follow him home, that being instructed by him, we may also instruct others.
58. John 1:38 Where is thy lodging?
59. John 1:39 The night grew on.
60. John 1:41 That is, anointed, and King after the manner of the Jewish people.
61. John 1:45 The good endeavors even of the unlearned, God doth so allow, that he maketh them masters to the learned.
62. John 1:46 We must especially take heed of false presumptions, which shut up against us the entrance to Christ.
63. John 1:47 Simple uprightness discerneth the true Israelites from the false.
64. John 1:48 The end of miracles is to set before us Christ the Almighty, and also the only author of our salvation, that we may apprehend him by faith.
65. John 1:51 By these words the power of God is signified which should appear in his ministry by the angels serving him as the head of the Church.

Cross references

1. John 1:3 : Col. 1:16
2. John 1:6 : Matt. 3:1; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:2
3. John 1:10 : Heb. 11:3
4. John 1:14 : Matt. 1:16
5. John 1:14 : Matt. 17:2; 2 Pet. 1:17
6. John 1:16 : Col. 1:19; Col. 2:9
7. John 1:18 : 1 Tim. 6:16; 1 John 4:12
8. John 1:20 : Acts 13:25
9. John 1:23 : Isa. 40:3; Matt. 3:3; Luke 3:4
10. John 1:27 : Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:7; Luke 3:16; Acts 1:5; Acts 11:16; Acts 19:4
11. John 1:32 : Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22
12. John 1:45 : Gen. 49:10; Deut. 18:18
13. John 1:45 : Isa. 4:2; Isa. 40:10; Isa. 45:8; Jer. 25:5; Jer. 33:14; Ezek. 24:43; Ezek. 37:24; Dan. 9:24
14. John 1:51 : Gen. 28:12