John 1:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

NIV: Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.

NASB: For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.

CSB: Indeed, we have all received grace upon grace from his fullness,

NLT: From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.

KJV: And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

NKJV: And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

The ultimate expression of God's love for mankind is grace. Grace is best described as being given what you do not deserve. This is different from mercy, which means not getting what you actually do deserve. The Greek phrasing could be translated as "grace upon grace," or "grace in place of grace." This implies a constant, overflowing gift. As believers, we are constantly being inundated with the grace of God, on behalf of Jesus Christ. This begins with God reaching out to us for salvation. John 3:16 specifies that God acted out His love for us by sending His Son to keep us from dying in our own sins. Beyond that, He continually makes us more and more like Him (Romans 8:29; Colossians 3:10). This is part of the right which was mentioned in John 1:12. As children of God, we are not only rescued, we're honored and changed. No matter how much we need, God keeps making us more and more like Him.

John 1:1–18 is a poetic introduction of Jesus Christ. Jesus is referred to using the Greek word Logos, meaning “The Word.” This passage clearly describes Jesus as identical to God, and co-creator with God. These verses summarize Jesus’ ministry and mission on Earth. The passage also explains how John the Baptist (a different John from the author of this gospel) was sent ahead of Christ to prepare for His arrival.

The first chapter of John introduces Jesus as “the Word,” from the Greek Logos. This chapter clearly describes Jesus as identical to God. After this prologue, the chapter describes Jesus recruiting the first of His disciples, as well as a conversation between John the Baptist and the Pharisees. There are seven names for Christ in this chapter, including “The Son of God,” “The Word,” and “The King of Israel.”

The first chapter of the gospel of John equates Christ with God, and introduces John the Baptist. The Baptist specifically points to Jesus as the Promised One. Jesus collects the first five of His disciples. In this chapter, Jesus is given seven descriptive names, including “The Word,” “The Son of God,” and “The King of Israel.” This chapter sets the stage for the rest of the gospel, by giving the reader a sense of who Jesus truly is, and why He has come. The rest of the gospel is an exploration of the claims made in this initial passage.

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 4/28/2024 11:14:41 PM