John 1:1-18

The Prologue of the Gospel of John stands in the most intimate connection with the plan and purpose of the Gospel as a whole. It is not to be regarded as a philosophical speculation to which the historical life of the Redeemer shall be afterwards conformed. It contains rather a short summary of that life in the light in which the Evangelist had been divinely taught to regard it, and of the impressions which he had gathered from it as the manifestation, the revelation, of God Himself to men. It is to illustrate and unfold this conception, which is at once metaphysical, theological, and historical, that the fourth Evangelist writes. Hence he begins with a description of what Jesus was in Himself, in the profoundest depths of His being; passing from that to what He ‘became' in order that in Him men might so behold the glory of the Father as to be transfigured into the same glory, reaching onward to the fulfilment of their own destiny, to be children of God. The Prologue is usually divided into three parts, ending with John 1:5; John 1:13; John 1:18, respectively. Of these divisions, the first brings before us the thought of the Eternal Word, in Himself (John 1:1), and as the source of created being, of life, of light (John 1:2-5). The subject of the next thirteen verses is the Word as revealed to men, first generally (John 1:6-13), and secondly by the Incarnation (John 1:14-18). These two sections (in accordance with an important principle of structure, characterizing both this Gospel and the Apocalypse), though apparently successive, are really parallel: the thought is thus presented under two aspects, the second fuller and more definite than the first. In the former section we read of the Baptist, sent to bear witness concerning the manifestation of the Word as the Light (John 1:6-8); then of the twofold results of this manifestation, but especially of the blessedness of those who received the Word (John 1:9-13). The next section records the Incarnation of the Word (John 1:14); the testimony borne by the Baptist to the glory of the Incarnate Word (John 1:15); and, as before (but with greater clearness and definiteness, and from the point of view of human experience), the results of this crowning manifestation of the Word. This analysis, whilst showing the general parallelism of the thoughts in the several divisions of the Prologue, shows also that the division as hitherto indicated is insufficient. John 1:14 clearly commences a new section, and yet John 1:15 (relating to the Baptist) immediately recalls the commencement of the former section (John 1:6). If, however, John 1:14 be carefully examined, it will be seen that it stands in a definite relation to the first section, the opening words (‘And the Word became flesh') being antithetical to John 1:1, and the remainder of the verse (which sets forth generally the manifestation of the Incarnate Word) corresponding to John 1:2-5. Hence the structure of the Prologue as a whole may be presented in the following tabular form:

Section I. The Word.

(a) In Himself (John 1:1).

(b) In His general manifestations (John 1:2-5).

Section II. The Word appearing in the world.

(a) The Baptist's general witness concerning the Word, as the Light (John 1:6-8).

(b) The general results of the manifestation of the Word (John 1:9-13).

Section III. The Word fully revealed in the Incarnation.

A. (1) The Incarnate Word Himself (John 1:14 a: parallel to John 1:1).

(2) The Incarnate Word in His general manifestation of Himself (John 1:14 b: parallel to John 1:2-5).

B. The Baptist's witness, now definite and personal (John 1:15: parallel to John 1:6-8).

C. The complete results of this manifestation of the Word in the case of all who receive Him (John 1:16-18: parallel to John 1:9-13).