JOHN
CHAPTER ONE
OBSERVATION
STAGE
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Let's take a
look at this chapter in its entirety first to see what we can observe from
it alone within the context of the book of John, and then we will double
back and provide elaboration and corroboration.
The observation
stage is to teach an individual to focus on the text at hand which, by and
large, has all the information necessary to understand what it is saying
without going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere.
Remember that
something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in
view.
I)
[Jn 1:1]:
A)
"IN THE BEGINNING" REFERS TO THE BEGINNING OFALL TIME
AND ALL CREATION
1)
[Compare the next two verses: Jn 1:2-3]:
B)
"THE WORD" IN THIS CONTEXT REFERS TO AN ETERNAL PERSON ALREADY
PRESENT AT THE BEGINNING OF ALL TIME AND CREATION
C)
"IN THE BEGINNING" CANNOT REFER TO THE TIME OF THE WORD BEING
CREATED BECAUSE THE PHRASE "IN THE BEGINNING WAS THE WORD"
STATES THAT THE WORD ALREADY "WAS" IN THE BEGINNING,
I.E., UNCREATED AND ETERNAL = CREATOR AND GOD HIMSELF
1)
[Jn 1:2-3]:
D)
SINCE THE WORD IS ETERNAL, THE WORD IS GOD
E)
"THE WORD" = "LOGOS" IN THE CONTEXT OF JN 1:1-2 IS
PERSONIFIED TO MEAN AN ETERNAL PERSON EQUAL TO GOD AND ALREADY PRESENT
AT THE BEGINNING OF ALL TIME AND CREATION
F)
THE WORD WAS ALREADY THERE "IN THE BEGINNING"
OF ALL TIME AND ALL CREATION AND AT THAT BEGINNING THE
WORD WAS "WITH", LIT. FACE TO FACE WITH GOD = "THEON"
INDICATING AN ETERNAL BEING EQUAL TO GOD - NOT SIMPLY WORDS FROM GOD
G)
GOD THE FATHER IS IN VIEW IN THE PHRASE "AND THE WORD WAS WITH GOD"
H)
AND GOD - THE NATURE, ALL THE QUALITIES AND ESSENCE OF GOD WAS THE WORD
IN THE BEGINNING OF ALL TIME AND CREATION
I)
THE 'WORD' CANNOT BE A GOD IT MUST REFER TO THE GOD
1)
"THEOS" = GOD IN THE 3RD CLAUSE PRECEDES AND IS THE PREDICATE
NOMINATIVE OF THE INTRANSITIVE, COPULATIVE VERB "WAS"
IDENTIFYING "LOGOS". THERE IS NO DEFINITE ARTICLE REQUIRED. IT
DOES NOT REFER TO 'A' GOD
2)
THE TWO FORMS OF THE WORD GOD, THEON (2ND CLAUSE) AND THEOS (3RD CLAUSE)
REFER TO THE ONE AND ONLY ALMIGHTY GOD, THEY DIFFER BECAUSE OF GRAMMAR
NOT DEFINITION. NEITHER REFERS TO 'A GOD'
II)
[Jn 1:1-2]:
A)
THE WORD WAS NOT A COMMUNICATION BUT A PERSON WHO WAS, I.E.,
ETERNAL & UNCREATED, EXISTING FACE TO FACE, I.E., EQUAL WITH GOD IN
THE BEGINNING OF ALL TIME & CREATION
III)
[Jn 1:1-3]:
A)
THE WORD IS PERSONIFIED BY THE PRONOUN, 'HIM', - THE AGENT OF ALL
CREATION, UNCREATED, WHO IS GOD
B)
THE BEGINNING OF ALL TIME & CREATION IS IN VIEW, NOT SOME OTHER
BEGINNING
IV)
[Jn 1:1-4]:
A)
IN HIM, THE WORD, WAS ALL LIFE AND ETERNAL LIFE. HE IS ETERNAL
B)
IN HIM WAS LIFE AND THAT LIFE WAS THE LIGHT - THE REVELATION - TO MEN
WHO MAKES GOD KNOWN
1)
[Jn 1:18, Amplified]:
V)
[Jn 1:4-5]:
A)
THE WORD, A PERSON WAS IN PAST TIMES
FROM THE BEGINNING THE LIGHT OF MEN. HE IS THE REVELATION OF WHO GOD IS
TO MANKIND FROM ADAM AND EVE THROUGHOUT THE AGES. THE WORLD WHICH IS
DARKNESS IS OPPOSED TO THIS LIGHT OF MEN AND SEEKS TO OVERPOWER HIM
B)
THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, THE WORD, WHO IS GOD, SHINES IN THE DARKNESS OF
THE WORLD AND THAT LIGHT WILL NEVER BE OVERPOWERED BY THAT DARKNESS
C)
THE WORD, THE LIGHT OF MANKIND FROM THE BEGINNING HAS BEEN SHINING IN
THE DARKNESS OF A WORLD WHICH DOES NOT KNOW GOD AND THE ETERNAL LIFE OF
GOD
VI)
[Jn 1:6]:
A)
THERE CAME INTO EXISTENCE A MAN, JOHN A DIFFERENT JOHN FROM THE AUTHOR
OF THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. HE IS DECLARED AS SENT FROM GOD
VII)
[Jn 1:6-7]:
A)
JOHN WAS CREATED BY AND SENT FROM GOD AS A WITNESS AT A PARTICULAR TIME
IN HISTORY TO TESTIFY TO MANKIND CONCERNING WHO THE WORD IS, I.E., THAT
HE IS THE PERSONIFIED LIGHT, THE REVELATION, THE ILLUMINATION OF WHO GOD
IS TO MANKIND - THAT IN HIM IS ALL LIFE AND ETERNAL LIFE WITH HIM
B)
JOHN WAS CREATED BY AND SENT FROM GOD AS A WITNESS AT A PARTICULAR TIME
IN HISTORY TO TESTIFY TO MANKIND CONCERNING WHO THE WORD IS, I.E., THAT
HE IS THE PERSONIFIED LIGHT, THE REVELATION, THE ILLUMINATION OF WHO GOD
IS TO MANKIND - THAT IF ONE BELIEVES IN A MOMENT'S TIME THAT ETERNAL
LIFE IS IN THE WORD FOR THEM, THEN ONE RECEIVES ETERNAL LIFE AS A RESULT
VIII)
[Jn 1:6-8]:
A)
JOHN HIMSELF WAS NOT THE LIGHT - HE CAME ONLY AS A WITNESS TO THE LIGHT
IX)
[Jn 1:6-9]:
A)
THE WORD IS THE TRUE LIGHT, I.E., THE PERSONAL REVELATION & THE
ENLIGHTENMENT OF WHO GOD IS. THE WORD IS LIFE AND ETERNAL LIFE TO EVERY
MAN WHO BELIEVES IN HIM
B)
THE WORD ENTERED PAST HISTORY IN A UNIQUE WAY SO THAT MAN COULD PERCEIVE
WHO THE WORD IS AND BELIEVE UNTO ETERNAL LIFE
X)
[Jn 1:7-10]:
A)
THE WORD CAME INTO PRESENCE IN THE WORLD IN JOHN'S TIME IN RECOGNIZABLE
HUMAN FORM. GOD'S OMNIPRESENCE IS NOT IN VIEW
B)
EVEN THOUGH THE WORLD WAS MADE THROUGH THE WORD, THE WORLD DID NOT
RECOGNIZE HIM
XI)
[Jn 1:9-11]:
A)
THE TRUE LIGHT, THE WORD CAME INTO THE WORLD, TO HIS OWN - PLURAL: TO
ALL HIS THINGS, I.E., ALL THAT IS HIS - HIS CREATION, HIS
KINGDOM: ALL PEOPLES, HIS RULERSHIP OVER THEM
B)
THE TRUE LIGHT, THE WORD CAME INTO THE WORLD, TO HIS OWN WORLD, HIS
KINGDOM, HIS PEOPLES - AND HIS OWN PARTICULAR PEOPLE DID NOT RECEIVE
HIM, I.E., RECOGNIZE AND BELIEVE IN HIM
1)
"HE CAME TO HIS OWN [PLURAL] AND [NOT 'BUT'] HIS OWN [SINGULAR] DID
NOT RECEIVE HIM". THIS POINTS TO A PARTICULAR GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO
DID NOT RECEIVE THE WORD
2)
THE WORDS "HIS OWN" IN THE PHRASE "HIS OWN DID NOT
RECEIVE HIM" ARE MASCULINE, SINGULAR. THEY REFER TO A PARTICULAR
PEOPLE [MASCULINE, SINGULAR] TO BE CORROBORATED LATER AS ISRAEL
3)
'HIS OWN' [PEOPLE] IMPLIES THAT HE, THE WORD, WAS IN HUMAN FORM IN ORDER
TO BE ONE OF A PEOPLE
XII)
[Jn 1:9-12]:
A)
TO RECEIVE HIM (THE WORD) IS TO BELIEVE IN HIS NAME
B)
EVERY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL HAS AVAILABLE TO HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO BELIEVE
IN HIS NAME TO RECEIVE HIM - NO EXCLUSIONS, I.E., UNLIMITED ATONEMENT
C)
TO RECEIVE THE WORD IS TO RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE WHICH IS DONE BY
BELIEVING ON HIS NAME, HIS CAPACITY AND TRUSTWORTHINESS TO PROVIDE
ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH THE RECEPTION OF HIMSELF
D)
A MOMENT OF BECOMING THE BELIEVER ALONE ON THE NAME OF THE WORD ALONE
RESULTS IN THE COMPLETED ACTION OF THE RECEPTION OF THE WORD IN A
MOMENT'S TIME, I.E., ETERNAL LIFE IS IN VIEW A PICTURE OF ETERNAL
SECURITY, ONCE SAVED ALWAYS SAVED
E)
THE RIGHT, AUTHORITY AND POWER TO BECOME CHILDREN OF GOD IS RECEIVED
UPON A MOMENT OF BELIEVING ON THE NAME OF THE WORD WHICH IS IMMEDIATELY
IMPLEMENTED AND EXERCISED
F)
BEFORE ONE BELIEVES ON THE NAME OF THE WORD, ONE IS NOT A CHILD OF GOD,
I.E., IN THE FAMILY OF GOD
XIII)
[Jn 1:11-13]:
A)
THE PHRASE "CHILDREN BORN NOT OF NATURAL DESCENT"
REFERS TO CHILDREN BORN NOT OF PHYSICAL BIRTH NOR OF HUMAN DESCENT BUT
BORN OF SPIRITUAL BIRTH AND GODLY DESCENT
B)
ALL MANKIND CONSISTS OF CHILDREN BORN OF NATURAL DESCENT, BUT ONLY THOSE
OF MANKIND WHO HAVE BELIEVED ON THE NAME OF THE WORD HAVE THE RIGHT,
POWER AND AUTHORITY TO BECOME ANOTHER KIND OF CHILD: A CHILD OF GOD
C)
BECOMING A CHILD OF GOD IS NOT AS A RESULT OF ANY HUMAN DECISION; BUT
BEING PHYSICALLY BORN IS DEPENDENT UPON HUMAN DECISION, I.E.,
THE DECISION TO HAVE SEXUAL RELATIONS
D)
BECOMING A CHILD OF GOD IS NOT DUE TO THE WILL OF THE HUSBAND TO BEGET
CHILDREN
E)
THREE PHRASES COVER THE STAGES OF REPRODUCTION WHICH ARE NOT PART OF
WHAT IT TAKES TO BE GIVEN THE RIGHT TO BECOME A CHILD OF GOD
F)
ONE IS BORN OF GOD IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THE RIGHT TO BECOME A CHILD OF
GOD
G)
REGENERATION DOES NOT PRECEDE SAVING FAITH
XIV)
[Jn 1:11-14]:
A)
THE WORD 'WORD' HAD IN ANCIENT TIMES AN ASPECT OF AN EVENT OR A DEED OR
PERSONALITY. THE WORD, WHO IS GOD, BECAME FLESH, I.E., ADDED HUMANITY TO
HIMSELF AND ENTERED INTO THE PHYSICAL WORLD AS OF GOD IN HUMAN FORM
B)
THE WORD WHO IS GOD, CREATOR, LIFE AND THE TRUE LIGHT OF MEN BECAME
FLESH, I.E., ADDED HUMANITY TO HIS BEING
C)
THE WORD WAS NOT MADE FLESH NOR CREATED FLESH BUT BECAME FLESH, I.E.,
ADDED HUMANITY TO HIMSELF
1)
[Jn 1:14 K. J. V.]:
D)
THE WORD HAVING ADDED TO HIMSELF HUMANITY THEREUPON MADE HIS DWELLING AS
SUCH AMONGST ALL MANKIND ON EARTH
E)
AUTHOR JOHN AND OTHERS EXPERIENCED SEEING THE GLORY OF GOD IN THE WORD
IN HIS HUMANITY - THE ONE AND ONLY WHO CAME FROM THE FATHER
F)
THE WORD BECAME FLESH, I.E., ADDED TO HIMSELF HUMANITY AND IN THAT
HUMANITY HE IS THE ONE AND ONLY FROM THE FATHER IMPLYING A UNIQUE OF
SONSHIP WITH THE FATHER
G)
BOTH THE FATHER AND THE WORD ARE IN VIEW AS INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITIES OF
GOD. THE WORD BECAME FLESH, I.E., HUMANITY CAME FROM THE SOVEREIGNTY OF
THE FATHER
H)
THE WORD IS FULL OF GRACE - THE GRACE OF SALVATION AND THE WHOLE OF THE
GRACE OF GOD
I)
THE WORD IS FULL OF TRUTH - THE ETERNAL TRUTHS OF GOD AND WHO HE IS
XV)
[Jn 1:11-15]:
A)
JOHN [THE BAPTIST] TESTIFIES AS TO THE ENTRY OF THE WORD IN HIS HUMANITY
INTO THE WORLD TO DELARE HIMSELF TO MANKIND AND THUS THROUGH HIM ALL MEN
MIGHT BELIEVE AND RECEIVE HIM UNTO ETERNAL LIFE, WHEREUPON JOHN DECLARES
HIS ETERNALITY TO CORROBORATE THIS CAPACITY TO PROVIDE LIFE TO ALL MEN
XVI)
[Jn 1:11-16]:
A)
THE PHRASE "OF HIS FULLNESS" POINTS TO ALL THAT THE WORD IS,
HIS ATTRIBUTES AS GOD AND MAN
B)
AUTHOR JOHN USES THE WORD "WE" TO REFLECT HIS EXPERIENCE WITH
ALL BELIEVERS RECEIVING OF THE FULLNESS OF THE WORD
C)
THROUGH THE FULLNESS OF THE WORD JOHN AND OTHERS RECEIVED GRACE IN PLACE
OF GRACE LIKE THE WAVES OF AN OCEAN COMING TO SHORE
XVII)
[Jn 1:14-17]:
A)
THE LAW WAS GIVEN TO MAN AS AN ACT OF GOD'S GRACE
B)
THE LAW WAS REPLACED IN HISTORY BY THE WORD BECOME FLESH, WHO IS NOW
IDENTIFIED BY AUTHOR JOHN AS JESUS CHRIST
C)
GRACE AND TRUTH COME THROUGH JESUS CHRIST ALL THE MORE TO REPLACE THE
LAW, WHICH GOD BY HIS GRACE PROVIDED THROUGH MOSES
XVIII)
[Jn 1:14-18]:
A)
NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN GOD IN HIS ESSENCE WITH ONES PHYSICAL EYES
B)
THE CORRECT RENDERING IS "THE ONE AND ONLY GOD" AS OPPOSED TO "THE
ONE AND ONLY SON"
C)
NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN GOD [BUT] THE ONE AND ONLY GOD [BECOME FLESH]
D)
NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN GOD [BUT] THE ONE AND ONLY GOD [BECOME FLESH = THE
WORD] IS AT THE FATHER'S SIDE
E)
THE WORD, WHO IS AT THE FATHER'S SIDE HAS MADE GOD KNOWN
CORROBORATION
AND FURTHER COMMENTARY OF VERSES 1-18 
