I. John’s Introduction^a

1. “The Word Was Made Flesh”

        ¹In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God; ³all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. ⁴In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
        ⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.^b 7He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all men through him might believe. ⁸He was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light.
        ⁹The true light that lights every man was coming into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and yet the world knew him not. ¹¹He came to his own and his own received him not. ¹²But to as many as received him, who believed in his name, to them he gave power to become sons of God, ¹³born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
        ¹⁴And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father. ¹⁵John bore witness to him and cried, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.'" ¹⁶And from his fullness have we all received, and grace upon grace. ¹⁷For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸No one has seen God; but God's only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.
        (Jn. 1:1–4, 6–18)

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a   "John's Introduction"—These are the words of John Zebedee, the apostle who wrote the New Testament book of John, which is the source of this introduction.

b   "There was a man sent from God, whose name was John."—John the Baptist. (See Section IV.)

Jn. 1:7   all men through him might believe. (KJV) / all might believe through him. (RSV)
Jn. 1:9   that lights every / that enlightens every (RSV)
Jn. 1:10  made by him, (KJV) / made through him, (RSV)
Jn. 1:11  own and his own received (KJV) / own home and his own people received (RSV)
Jn. 1:12  to as many as received (KJV) / to all who received (RSV) • become sons of (KJV) / become children of (RSV)
Jn. 1:13  born, (KJV) / who were born, (RSV)
Jn. 1:14  Word was made flesh (KJV) / Word became flesh (RSV)
Jn. 1:16  received, and grace (KJV) / received, grace (RSV)
Jn. 1:17  given by Moses, but grace (KJV) / given through Moses; grace (RSV)
Jn. 1:18  has seen God; but God's only (KJV) / has ever seen God; the only (RSV)

For an explanation of the numbers in the text and the verse notes, see “How to Read the Numbers and Reference Notes.”

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