John 1:1

That which from the beginning of the world was in the decree and purpose of God, (and was afterward foretold by him,) but by us, the apostles of Christ, heard from God speaking from heaven, and really beheld and looked on by us, known and testified by all our senses, concerning Christ and the gospel of Christ, shewing us the way to life eternal;

The prophecy, or vision, or revelation of Jesus Christ, which (as to our great prophet and intercessor, or mediator between God and us) was put into his hands by his Father, that he might, as he pleased, make known to his apostles some things that should suddenly come to pass, (many of them in the age wherein they lived, as his dealing with his crucifiers and their persecutors, the Jews,) and (as some of them he made known to them all together, whilst he was alive, as then near at hand, Matt. xxiv. 34, Luke xxi, Mark xiii, so) now he hath thought fit to send a symbolical representation of the same, and all the rest, the whole matter of this prophecy, by an angel to John his most beloved disciple;

John 1:2

(Which Christ and which gospel were revealed unto us visibly and discernibly, of which I can testify as an eyewitness, and do therefore now declare to you Christ, the fountain of eternal life, who from all eternity continued with the Father, and at last became man, and was clearly revealed to us;)

That John that had preached or given in his testimony concerning the word of God, the doctrine and deeds and sufferings and resurrection of Christ,

John 1:3

What, I say, we know thus assuredly, that we make known to you, that you may partake with us in it, and that participation be of all others the most blessed, desirable participation, (see note [e] Acts ii,) a participation of knowledge and grace and immortality, and that with God himself through Christ Jesus.

• the apostle John : for the copies generally read τοῦ ἀποστόλου Ἰωάν. ¹ concerning, περὶ. κοινωνίαν ἔχητε. ² and, καὶ. ³ seen, and, ἀφράκαμεν, καὶ. ⁴ partake with us,

John 1:9

[a] that cometh into the world] That ἑρχόμενον here may be the nominative case in the neuter gender, and so agree with δ, which, as well as the accusative masculine, and so agree with πάντα ἄνθρωπον, every man, is evident. And that it is so, may appear by the title by which Christ (that is meant by the light, which is the antecedent to δ, which) is so frequently expressed in scripture, that of he that cometh, or cometh into the world. Of the title δ ἑρχόμενος, see note [a] Matt. xi. And for this increase of it, ἑρχόμενος εἰς τὸν κόσμον, coming into the world, see John xii. 46, I came a light into the world, directly parallel with this here. Only here it is to be observed, that this coming into the world doth not refer to Christ’s birth in the world, but to the manifestation of him to the world, his entering on his office of preaching the will of God to them. So as his coming may be all one with his being sent, that is, his commission from God to declare his will unto the world; as John viii. 42, I came not of myself, but he sent me. So ch. xviii. 37, For this was I born, and for this I came into the world; where as coming into the world differs from birth, so is it in the next words specified what it peculiarly belongs to, I came into the world that I may bear witness to the truth. Thus it is used in the other word sent of the apostles, where it cannot possibly be understood of their birth, John xvii. 18, As thou hast sent me into the world, so also have I sent them into the world. So 1 Tim. i. 15, Jesus Christ came into the world, and here John xi. 27, I believe that thou art Christ the Son of God, δ εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἑρχόμενος, that cometh into the world; which was certainly designed by Martha as an expression of her belief that he was the Messias.

John 1:10

This Word was from the beginning in the world, in so eminent a manner, that indeed the world was made by him, but the generality of men did not take notice of him.

John 1:11

And therefore there being one peculiar nation, the Jews, which were more fully than all the world besides instructed in this truth, he at last came to this people, was pleased to be born, and live, and do miracles among them, and these that were his own people did not entertain him as sent from God, but rejected and put him to death.

John 1:12

But all that received, that is, believed on him, were by him advanced to be the adopted sons of God.

John 1:13

To wit, those which live according to the will of God, and neither the natural nor carnal, nor bare moral principle.

[b] born, not of blood] To be born of any thing signifies to receive his beginning or principle of life and motion from any thing: and so here to be born of God is to have received some special influence from him, and proportionably to be a son of God, is that state which is answerable to such a principle, a life proportionable to such a beginning, that higher pitch of Christian living now under the gospel. And in opposition to that, first, those that are born of blood (which is the liveliest expression of our corrupt birth, or natural estate) are those that live the ἐθνικὸν καὶ πρῶτον βίον, that natural, heathen, first life, saith Clemens Alexandrinus, the life of the natural man; secondly, those that are born of the will of the flesh are carnal men, those that follow their own vicious carnal will; and thirdly, those that are born of the will of man, (though literally that may note those that are adopted by man, yet) by way of accommodation, and so as may be agreeable to the former phrases, they seem to be those that, by the influences of that higher rational principle, live according to the rule of rational nature, that is, of unregenerate morality, to which the rules of Christ’s law superadding much of light and perfection, the believers and receivers of Christ are here defined to be those that live according to

John 1:14

And this eternal Word was born in human flesh, assumed our nature, and in that flesh of ours, as in a tabernacle, appeared among us most gloriously, in such a manner as was not compatible to any but the one true eternal Son of God. And whereas the former tabernacle, wherein God was pleased to dwell, had in it the law, that ministration only of death, 2 Cor. iii. 7, precepts of exact obedience, he now in the tabernacle of his flesh, by his incarnation and passion, &c., is all full of grace, that is, exceeding mercy: and whereas the whole business of that tabernacle was nothing but shadows, he hath brought the substance and truth with him, which was meant by all those shadows, the inward purity, shadowed by the legal precepts of circumcision, &c., and spiritual and eternal promises, instead of those carnal or temporal: see ver. 17.

[c] dwelt] What is meant by God’s being said to be present, or to appear in the Old Testament, hath been expressed note [k] Matt. iii.; to wit, that the angels, which are the courtiers of heaven, do appear (as they are wont to do) in some shining glorious manner. This is wont by the Hebrews to be called שכינה the habitation or presence of God, and in Greek, δόξα, glory, and επιφάνεια, appearing. So Num. xvi. 10, the glory of the Lord appeared, and ver. 42, the cloud covered, and the glory appeared, and God speaks from thence. So when the glory is said to be departed from Israel, 1 Sam. iv. 21, it is clear that by glory is meant the presence of God, which was signified by the ark, and so in many other places, see note [f] 1 Pet. iv. and 2 Pet. i. 3. 17. and note [c] Rom. ix. So Rev. xxi. when it had been said of the new Jerusalem that it was σκηνή, the tabernacle of God with us, ver. 3, that being repeated again ver. 11, is said in these words, Ἰχουσα δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, having the glory of God. See Rev. xxi. 23. also. And because this appearance of God in the flesh was the most visible, permanent, and so remarkable appearance, wherein he ever exhibited himself among us, therefore it is that here it is expressed (as it were by the Schechina) by ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, he had his tabernacle pitched among us, (the Greek σκηνόω coming immediately from the Hebrew זָכָר, and differing from it only by the Greek termination,) agreeable to that prophecy of Noah, Gen. ix. 27, in the Targum’s understanding of it, that God should dwell in the tents of Sem, that is, saith that Chaldee paraphrast, that his Schechina should “inhabit in the tabernacle of Sem.” The same is expressed here again by δόξα, in the other part of the verse, the glory (and so most probably, 1 Pet. iv. 14. and John xii. 4.) which is the other expression of the presence of the divine majesty, and accordingly Procopius on Isa. xl. interprets δόξαν Κυρίου, τὸν Υἱὸν, the glory of the Lord, to be “the Son, who,” saith he, “is above all creatures, of the same divinity with the Father,” but especially being man is capable of this title, θαυματουργῶν ἀεὶ καὶ τὴν κτίσιν μεταπλάττων τῷ ῥήματι, γενόμενος πᾶσι σωτήριος, &c. “always working miracles, and transforming the creature by his word, and bringing salvation to all” at this his appearance, Tit. ii. 11. For though this incarnation of Christ was the greatest humbling of him, yet was it nevertheless the greatest manifestation of his glory; never so much of the Divine power and glory was seen upon the earth, as in this. Thus John ii. 11. Christ’s working miracles is said to be the means of manifesting his glory, that is, of evidencing the inhabitation of the Godhead in them.

[d] as of the only begotten] For the signification of the particle ὡς, as, St. Chrysostom’s note is worth reciting, Οὐχ ὁμοιώσεως, saith he, ἐστίν, οὐδὲ παραβολῆς, ἀλλὰ βεβαιώσεως, καὶ ἀναμφισβητήτου διορισμοῦ, “It is not a note of similitude or comparison, but of confirmation and unquestionable definition; as if,” saith he, “the evangelist had said, We saw his glory, such as became, and was fit for the only begotten, and true natural Son of God, the King of all.” To the same purpose saith Adrian, in his εἰσιγωνὴ to the Scripture, p. 9. Τὴν ὡς διχῶς λέγει, ἤτοι κατὰ παραβολὴν, ἢ κατὰ βεβαίωσιν, “The scripture useth ὡς, as, two ways; first, by way of comparison; and secondly, of confirmation:” and as an instance of the latter he gives Ὡς ἀγαθὸς ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Ἰσραήλ,

John 1:15

John the Baptist testified and proclaimed concerning him, saying, He that follows me, whose forerunner I am, hath been and must always be preferred infinitely before me; for although he appears after me among you in respect of his birth and entering on his office, yet he had a being long before me: and this was most truly said of the Baptist, for he was before the creation of the world, vv. 2, 3, and Col. i. 17.

[e] was before me] What is the notion of the word πρῶτος, first, in the New Testament, may here be fitly defined; 1. It signifies in many places (being spoken of a person or persons, especially when it hath a genitive case annexed to it) a ruler or principal person. So Mark vi. 21, πρῶτοι τῆς Γαλιλαίας, the principal men of Galilee. So Luke xix. 47, πρῶτοι τοῦ λαοῦ, the rulers or elders of the people. So Acts xiii. 50, πρῶτοι τῆς πόλεως, the governors of the city. So Acts xxviii. 7, πρῶτος τῆς νήσου, the ruler of the island; and ver. 17, πρῶτοι τῶν Ἰουδαίων, the rulers of the Jews, that is, of their consistory, which they then had at Rome. In this sense the phrase πρῶτός μου cannot be taken here, so as to be rendered my lord, my prince, or my captain; for that is certainly the meaning of the phrase precedent ἱμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, he was preferred before me, as will appear by ver. 27, compared with Matt. iii. 11. Mark i. 7. Luke iii. 16. There by the mention of the shoe, &c. it is plain that those four places are parallel, and that which is ἱμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, was preferred before me in this, is by all the other Evangelists rendered ἰσχυρότερός μου ἐστίν, is stronger than I. And therefore St. Chrysostom here interprets ἱμπροσθέν μου, before me, by λαμπρότερος, ἐντιμότερος, more excellent, more honourable. From this clear notion of ἱμπροσθεν, precedent, for priority of dignity, will depend the just notion of πρῶτός μου, annexed thereto by the causal ὅτι, for, as the proof of the former, and so somewhat different from it, or else it would be the proving of idem per idem, “the same by itself.” Thence it follows, that ἱμπροσθεν noting Christ’s dignity above John’s, πρῶτός μου must not be rendered in that sense, and so it remains, that it be referred to priority of time, ὅτι πρῶτός μου ἦν, for (although he was born after me, and not yet entered on his office, yet) he was before me, he had a being long, even infinitely before me. The only exception against this rendering of πρῶτος is, that the word is of the superlative degree, not of the comparative. But that is easily answered, by remembering that in the New Testament the degrees of comparison are promiscuously used, taken one for another, and that on occasion of the Hebrew idiom, which hath not those degrees of comparison which other languages have. Thus is μία, one, used for πρώτη, first, Luke xxiv. 1. and others the like. And thus is πρῶτος, first, in the superlative, used for the comparative πρότερος, former; so it is evidently in this Gospel, ch. xv. 18. ἐμὶ πρῶτον ὑμῶν μεμίσηκεν, the world hated me before you: ch. xx. 8. ὁ ἐλθὼν πρῶτος, he that came first, signifies him that came before, Peter v. 3, and so is taken for the comparative πρότερος. And so when Christ is called the πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως, Col. i. 15. literally the first-born of all the creation, it must be interpreted as it is in the Nicene Creed, according to this notion of πρῶτος, begotten of his Father before the whole creation, or, as it follows ver. 17, πρὸ πάντων, he is before all things. Thus is the word used sometimes in human Greek authors also, as πρῶτον Δαρείου in “Aristophanes,” before Darius:" and that it must be so here, appears by the conjunction of μοῦ to it, which (as by being in the genitive case, it is fit to be joined with a word of the com-

■ “Ορν.

John 1:16

And being full of all graces, excellencies, per- Or, had his tabernacle. from, ropd. This was he, Obret &c.

John 1:17

For though the law were given by Moses from God long ago, yet the gospel, called grace, ver. 14, (see note [d] Heb. xiii.) as it is opposed to the severity and rigour of the law, and truth, as opposite to the shadows and ceremonies of the law, was to be brought in by Jesus Christ.

John 1:18

God is invisible, and not approachable by us, and so his will and the knowledge of his attributes cannot be conveyed to us but by some intercessor, and of this sort none can be comparable to Christ Jesus, who is next unto the Father and most dearly beloved by him, and knows most of his mind, (see note [g] Matt. viii.,) and his end of coming into the world was to declare this unto us.

19, 20. Now when the Jews sent messengers to John Baptist, as he was preaching and baptizing, to know who he was, this was constantly his answer, That he was not the Messias prophesied of and so long expected by them.

But daily increase in the true profession of the gospel, and in the knowledge and practice of the pure doctrine (in opposition to the Gnostics’ knowledge falsely so called, 1 Tim. vi. 20.) delivered to us by Christ our eternal God and blessed Saviour, who must be for ever praised by us. Amen.

THE [a] FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF # CHAP. I.

THAT which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, ¹ of the Word of life;

John 1:21

No, nor Elias; no, nor the prophet, (some special prophet, perhaps Jeremy, which had been among them,) the return of whom the Jews expected before Elias, as him before the Messias.

he that was prophesied of by Esaias in those words, Isa. xl. 3, (see Matt. iii. 3,) The voice of one, &c.

Why then dost thou receive disciples, and proselytes, or followers, and that after the solemn manner of receiving proselytes, by way of baptism or washing, if thou be not—

John 1:29

The day after the return of the Pharisees, John seeing Jesus coming to him, said, Behold the person sent from God, as a lamb prepared for the slaughter, (in whom are summed up and completed all the typical Mosaical prescriptions of lambs to be sacrificed, either in their daily sacrifices or at the passover,) who shall thereby obtain pardon from God for that sin that all the world is engaged in, on condition they now reform at his coming.

[f] The next day] Ἡ ἱπαύριον signifies here the day immediately following, not (according to the latitude of the Hebrew כִּדְרִי) the morrow, that is, any part of the following time: for thus I conceive the whole series and course of this story in St. John is to be made up. As in the other Evangelists, Matt. iii. 11. Mark i. 7. Luke iii. 16. the testimonies of John Baptist concerning Christ are set down before Christ was particularly made known unto him, so now, the Spirit having visibly descended on him at his baptism, (as the same Evangelists agree in relating,) this Evangelist further mentions John Baptist’s subsequent testimonies of him, founded in that demonstration of the Spirit then descending on him. Such is that mentioned ver. 15, where the Baptist saith, This was he that I spake of; this person, on whom the Spirit so visibly descended after my baptizing of him, was he to whom my former obscurer testimonies belonged. And this seems to have been delivered by the Baptist at the time of Christ’s absence in the wilderness forty days, (set down by the other Evangelists,) and so all that second testimony, (mentioned ver. 19, &c. to ver. 28,) where of him he saith, ver. 26, μίοσον δὲ ὑμῶν ἑστῆκεν, ἐν ὑμεῖς οὐκ οἶδανε, there stood among you one whom ye knew not, referring again to that time of Christ’s being baptized of John, at which time he saw (that is, I conceive, John Baptist saw) the Spirit descend upon him, Matt. iii. 16; and so again, Mark i. 10, εὐθίωσ ἀναβαίνων, John coming out of the water with him, from baptizing him, saw the heavens opened, &c. noting this descent of the Spirit upon him to have been particularly seen by this Baptist, by which he was enabled thus to testify of him. This second testimony of John’s was caused by the Jews sending to him from Jerusalem, to know whether John were the Messias or no, and this still in the time of Christ’s absence; and then it is added, τῇ ἱπαύριον, the day after the return of those messengers, the day after this testimony and answer of his to the Jews, Jesus came back from the desert to Jordan, where John was, and there John sees him, ver. 29, and testifies again of him at large, ver. 35. And the next day after this is the beginning of a new account, ver. 35; and again, τῇ ἱπαύριον, ver. 44, the next day is the second day of that new account, and then it is added distinctly, τῇ ἡμίρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ, ch. ii. 1, on the third day.

John 1:31

And though I was not able to discriminate him from others, yet a little before his baptism it was revealed to me, (as appears Matt. iii. 14,) and at his baptism, by the descent of the Holy Ghost upon him, Matt. iii. 16, I was clearly told it, that he was the Messias which was to come into the world; and the grand design of my coming and gathering disciples was by that means to make this people take notice of and receive Christ.

d See note [i] Matt. iii.

John 1:33

Until then I knew not which was he, only this sign was given me, that on whomsoever I saw the Spirit descend, that was the Messias; who in the receiving of his proselytes doth not only use the known ceremony of water, but, moreover, sends down the Spirit on them, (see note [a] Acts i.)

b in the midst of you stood one whom ye knew not, μίαιν ὑμῖν ἴσπασεν. b he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: so ancient copies add here. Ἐκεῖνος ὑμῖν, &c. 10 Bethany; for the ancient MS. in the King’s library reads Βηθαγίς, and so some others. 11 as a dove out of heaven, and he, ὡς εἰ περιστρεμὰν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἔμεινεν.

John 1:34

By which premises it follows, that my testimony of Christ, that he is the Son of God, is no more than what I saw with mine eyes, and heard distinctly affirmed from heaven, these words being delivered by voice from heaven at that time of the Holy Ghost’s descending on him, This is my beloved Son, &c., Matt. iii. 17.

John 1:35

The next day again after this, (see note [c],) John having two of his disciples with him,

John 1:36

As Jesus passed along, John, by his eye fastened on him, demonstrating whom he meant, said again the same words that before, ver. 29, in the hearing of those two disciples of his, Behold, &c.

John 1:37

Hereupon those two disciples, hearing him give that testimony of Jesus, parted from him and followed Jesus. What would ye have? They said— four in the afternoon.

John 1:40

One of the two that heard those words of John concerning Jesus, and which thereupon followed Jesus, ver. 37, was that Andrew which was brother to Simon, after surnamed Peter; (and the other, most probably, John, the writer of this Gospel, who useth not to name himself when the story would direct to it.)

John 1:41

These having been and talked with Christ, ver. 39, Andrew was the first that revealed this to his brother Simon, saying, We have met and talked with the Messias, or, as in Greek he is called, the Christ, that is, God’s Anointed sent by him with special commission from heaven, whom we have long expected as the Redeemer of Israel.

John 1:42

And Andrew conducted Simon: see note [f] Matt. xvi.

[g] brought him to Jesus] What is here said of Andrew’s and Peter’s coming to Christ, was sometime before their forsaking their trades and following him in the other Gospels. For here the next day after Christ’s returning from the wilderness to Jordan, John Baptist is standing still, ver. 35, and two disciples with him. One of them was Andrew, ver. 40. John seeing Christ, points to him in their hearing, and by so doing doth in a manner put them off from continuing with him, and fastens them on Christ, saying, Behold the Lamb of God, &c. ver. 36. Andrew and the other (who very probably was John, the writer of this Gospel, who therefore names the circumstances of the time of day, ver. 40, and the very words that passed so punctually, but after this manner in other places conceals his name) go presently to Christ, and ask him where he abides, follow him thither, spend some time with him that evening; soon after that Andrew reveals this to Simon, and both of them together go to Christ, ver. 42. As soon as

John 1:43

The next day after that mentioned ver. 35, (see note [e],) Jesus was passing into Galilee—

the Messias to come, foretold by Moses and the prophets, a man like one of us, by name Jesus, the son of Joseph, that dwells at Nazareth in Galilee.

John 1:46

Nathanael argued against this from a known observation among the Jews, that Nazareth being in Galilee, and Galilee, as they conceived, looked on by God as a mean despicable place, out of which, say they, ch. viii. 52, never any prophet arose, it was incredible that any one born in Nazareth should be the Messias. To this deceivable arguing Philip gives no other answer than this, That if he would go to him, and see and hear him, he would soon be of another mind.

John 1:47

As Nathanael made his approach to Jesus, as soon as he was within distance of hearing him, Jesus said, Lo here is a man which is truly an Israelite, a man of that simplicity and integrity that is much valued with God, of that temper described in Jacob, Gen. xxv. 27.

promised Messias described to us as a king.