VER 1A. IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD, CHRYS. While all the other Evangelists begin with the Incarnation, John, passing over the Conception, Nativity, education, and growth, speaks immediately of the Eternal Generation, saying, In the beginning was the Word. AUG. The Greek word "logos" signifies b... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver 2. The same was in the beginning with God. HILARY; Whereas he had said, the Word was God, the fearfulness, and strangeness of the speech disturbed me; the prophets having declared that God was One. But, to quiet my apprehensions, the fisherman reveals the scheme of this so great mystery, and ref... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 3A. ALL THINGS WERE MADE BY HIM. ALCUIN; After speaking of the nature of the Son, he proceeds to His operations, saying, All things were made by him, i.e. every thing whether substance, or property. HILARY; Or thus: [It is said], the Word indeed was in the beginning, but it may be that He was... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 4A. IN HIM WAS LIFE. BEDE; The Evangelist having said that every creature was made by the Word, lest perchance any one might think that His will was changeable, as though He willed on a sudden to make a creature, which from eternity he had not made; he took care to show that, though a creature... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 5. AND THE LIGHT SHINES IN DARKNESS. AUG. Whereas that life is the light of men, but foolish hearts cannot receive that light, being so encumbered with sins that they cannot see it; for this cause lest any should think there is no light near them, because they cannot see it, he continues: And t... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 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. 8. HE WAS NOT THAT LIGHT, BUT WAS SENT TO BEAR WITNESS OF THAT LIGHT. AUG. What is said above, refers to the Divinity of Christ. He came t... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 9. THAT WAS THE TRUE LIGHT WHICH LIGHTS EVERY MAN THAT COMES INTO THE WORLD. AUG. What Light it is to which John bears witness, he shows himself, saying, That was the true Light. CHRYS. Or thus; Having said above that John had come, and was sent, to bear witness of the Light, lest any from the... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 10. HE WAS IN THE WORLD, AND THE WORLD WAS MADE BY HIM, AND THE WORLD KNEW HIM NOT. AUG. The Light which lightens every man that comes into the world, came here in the flesh; because while He was here in His Divinity alone, the foolish, blind, and unrighteous could not discern Him; those of who... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 11. HE CAME TO HIS OWN, AND HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT. 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 WILD OF MAN, BUT OF GOD. CHRYS. When He said... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 14A. AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, AND DWELT AMONG US AUG. Having said, Born of God; to prevent surprise and trepidation at so great, so apparently incredible a grace, that men should be born of God; to assure us, he says, And the Word was as made flesh. Why marvel you then that men are born of... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 15. JOHN BORE WITNESS OF HIM, AND CRIED, SAYING, THIS WAS HE OF WHOM I SPOKE, HE THAT COMES AFTER ME IS PREFERRED BEFORE ME, FOR HE WAS BEFORE ME. ALCUIN; He had said before that there was a man sent to bear witness; now he gives definitely the forerunner's own testimony, which plainly declared... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 16. AND OF HIS FULLNESS HAVE ALL WE RECEIVED, AND GRACE FOR GRACE. 17. FOR THE LAW WAS GIVEN BY MOSES, BUT GRACE AND TRUTH CAME BY JESUS CHRIST. ORIGEN; This is to be considered a continuation of the Baptist's testimony to Christ, a point which has escaped the attention of many, who think that... [ Continue Reading ]
18. NO MAN HAS SEEN GOD AT ANY TIME; THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHICH IS IN THE BOSOM OF THE FATHER, HE HAS DECLARED HIM. ORIGEN; Heracleon asserts, that this is a declaration of the disciple, not of the Baptist: an unreasonable supposition; for if the words, Of His fullness have we all received, are t... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 19. AND THIS IS THE RECORD OF JOHN, WHEN THE JEWS SENT PRIESTS AND LEVITES FROM JERUSALEM TO ASK HIM, WHO ARE YOU? 20. AND HE CONFESSED, AND DENIED NOT; BUT CONFESSED, I AM NOT THE CHRIST. 21. AND THEY ASKED HIM, WHAT THEN? ARE YOU ELIAS? AND HE SAID, I AM NOT. ARE YOU THAT PROPHET? AND HE ANSWE... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 24. AND THEY WHICH WERE SENT WERE OF THE PHARISEES. 25. AND THEY ASKED HIM, AND SAID TO HIM, WHY BAPTIZE YOU THEN, IF YOU BE NOT THAT CHRIST, NOR ELIAS, NEITHER THAT PROPHET? 26. JOHN ANSWERED THEM, SAYING, I BAPTIZE WITH WATER: BUT THERE STANDS ONE AMONG YOU, WHOM YOU KNOW NOT; 27. HE IT IS, WH... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 29. THE NEXT DAY JOHN SEES JESUS COMING TO HIM, AND SAID, BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD, WHICH TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD. 30. THIS IS HE OF WHOM I SAID, AFTER ME COMES 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,... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 32. AND JOHN BORE RECORD, SAYING, I SAW THE SPIRIT DESCENDING 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, THE SAME SAID UNTO ME, UPON WHOM YOU SHALL SEE THE SPIRIT DESCENDING, AND REMAINING ON HIM, THE SAME IS HE WHICH BAPTIZ... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 35. AGAIN THE NEXT DAY AFTER JOHN STOOD, AND TWO OF HIS DISCIPLES; 36. AND LOOKING UPON JESUS AS HE WALKED, HE SAID, BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD! CHRYS. Many not having attended to John's words at first, he rouses them a second time: Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples. BE... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 37. AND THE TWO DISCIPLES HEARD HIM SPEAK, AND THEY FOLLOWED JESUS. 38. THEN JESUS TURNED, AND SAW THEM FOLLOWING, AND SAID TO THEM, WHAT SEEK YOU? THEY SAID UNTO HIM, RABBI, (WHICH IS TO SAY, BEING INTERPRETED, MASTER,) WHERE DWELL YOU? 39. HE SAID TO THEM, COME AND SEE. THEY CAME AND SAW WHERE... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 41. HE FIRST FINDS HIS OWN BROTHER SIMON, AND SAID TO HIM, WE HAVE FOUND THE MESSIAS, WHICH IS, BEING INTERPRETED, THE CHRIST. 42. AND HE BROUGHT HIM TO JESUS. AND WHEN JESUS BEHELD HIM, HE SAID, YOU ARE SIMON THE SON OF JONAS: YOU SHALL BE CALLED CEPHAS, WHICH IS BY INTERPRETATION, A STONE. CH... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 43. THE DAY FOLLOWING JESUS WOULD GO FORTH INTO GALILEE, AND FINDS PHILIP, AND SAID TO HIM, FOLLOW ME. 44. NOW PHILIP WAS OF BETHSAIDA, THE CITY OF ANDREW AND PETER 45. PHILIP FINDS NATHANIEL, AND SAID TO HIM, WE HAVE FOUND HIM, OF WHOM MOSES IN THE LAW, AND THE PROPHETS, DID WRITE, JESUS OF NAZ... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 47. JESUS SAW NATHANAEL COMING TO HIM, AND SAID OF HIM, BEHOLD AN ISRAELITE INDEED, IN WHOM IS NO GUILE! 48. NATHANAEL SAID TO HIM, WHENCE KNOW YOU ME? JESUS ANSWERED AND SAID TO HIM, BEFORE THAT PHILIP CALLED YOU, WHEN YOU WERE UNDER THE FIG TREE, I SAW YOU. 49. NATHANAEL ANSWERED AND SAID TO H... [ Continue Reading ]