John

Introduction

The Gospel of John was written to persuade people to believe in Jesus (20:30–31). The opening verses declare that Jesus is God, stressing his unique relationship with God the Father. The book focuses on seven of Jesus’ signs (miracles), to show his divinity. Jesus called people to believe in him, promising eternal life. He proved he could give life by raising Lazarus (ch. 11) and by his own death and resurrection. John features Christ’s seven “I am” statements, his encounters with Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman, his Upper Room teachings and washing of the disciples’ feet (chs. 13–16), and his high priestly prayer (ch. 17). It includes the most well-known summary of the gospel (3:16). The author was probably the apostle John, writing about a.d. 85.

The Word Became Flesh

1 aIn the beginning was bthe Word, and cthe Word was with God, and dthe Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 eAll things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 fIn him was life,1 and gthe life was the light of men. 5 hThe light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man isent from God, whose name was jJohn. 7He came as a kwitness, to bear witness about the light, lthat all might believe through him. 8 mHe was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 nThe true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet othe world did not know him. 11 He came to phis own,2 and qhis own people3 rdid not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, swho believed in his name, the gave the right uto become vchildren of God, 13 who wwere born, xnot of blood ynor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And zthe Word abecame flesh and bdwelt among us, cand we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son4 from the Father, full of dgrace and etruth. 15 (fJohn bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, g‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) 16 For from hhis fullness we have all received, igrace upon grace.5 17 For jthe law was given through Moses; kgrace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 lNo one has ever seen God; mthe only God,6 who is at the Father’s side,7 nhe has made him known.

The Testimony of John the Baptist

19 And this is the otestimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, p“Who are you?” 20 qHe confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? rAre you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you sthe Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am tthe voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight8 the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, u“Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, v“I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even whe who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Behold, the Lamb of God

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, xthe Lamb of God, who ytakes away the sin zof the world! 30 This is he of whom I said, a‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but bfor this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 And John cbore witness: d“I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and eit remained on him. 33 I myself did not know him, but fhe who sent me to baptize gwith water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, hthis is he who baptizes gwith the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son9 of God.”

Jesus Calls the First Disciples

35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, ithe Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, j“What are you seeking?” And they said to him, k“Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.10 40 lOne of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus11 was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found mthe Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of nJohn. You shall be called oCephas” (which means pPeter12).

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43 qThe next day Jesus decided rto go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now sPhilip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found tNathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom uMoses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus vof Nazareth, wthe son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, x“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, yan Israelite indeed, zin whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How ado you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, b“Rabbi, cyou are the Son of God! You are the dKing of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you,13 you will see eheaven opened, and fthe angels of God ascending and descending on gthe Son of Man.”

The Wedding at Cana

2 On hthe third day there was a wedding at iCana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with jhis disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, k“Woman, lwhat does this have to do with me? mMy hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

6 Now there were six stone water jars there nfor the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty ogallons.1 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted pthe water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested qhis glory. And rhis disciples believed in him.

12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and shis brothers2 and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

13 tThe Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus uwent up to Jerusalem. 14 vIn the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. 15 And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. 16 And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make wmy Father’s house a house of trade.” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, x“Zeal for your house will consume me.”

18 So the Jews said to him, y“What sign do you show us for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, z“Destroy this temple, and in three days aI will raise it up.” 20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple,3 and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking about bthe temple of his body. 22 When therefore he was raised from the dead, chis disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed dthe Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

Jesus Knows What Is in Man

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name ewhen they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus fon his part did not entrust himself to them, because ghe knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for ghe himself knew what was in man.

You Must Be Born Again

3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named hNicodemus, ia ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus1 jby night and said to him, k“Rabbi, lwe know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do munless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is nborn oagain2 he cannot psee the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born qof water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 rThat which is born of the flesh is sflesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.3 7 tDo not marvel that I said to you, ‘You4 must be born uagain.’ 8 vThe wind5 blows wwhere it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus said to him, x“How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you the teacher of Israel yand yet you do not understand these things? 11 Truly, truly, I say to you, zwe speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but zyou6 do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things? 13 aNo one has bascended into heaven except che who descended from heaven, the Son of Man.7 14 And das Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man ebe lifted up, 15 that whoever believes fin him gmay have eternal life.8

For God So Loved the World

16 “For hGod so loved ithe world,9 jthat he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not kperish but have eternal life. 17 For lGod did not send his Son into the world mto condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 nWhoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not obelieved in the name of the only Son of God. 19 pAnd this is the judgment: qthe light has come into the world, and rpeople loved the darkness rather than the light because stheir works were evil. 20 tFor everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, ulest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever vdoes what is true wcomes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

John the Baptist Exalts Christ

22 After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and xwas baptizing. 23 John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized 24 (for yJohn had not yet been put in prison).

25 Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over zpurification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, a“Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, bto whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and call are going to him.” 27 John answered, d“A person cannot receive even one thing eunless it is given him ffrom heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, g‘I am not the Christ, but hI have been sent before him.’ 29 iThe one who has the bride is the bridegroom. jThe friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, krejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 lHe must increase, but I must decrease.”10

31 mHe who comes from above nis above all. He who is of the earth belongs to the earth and ospeaks in an earthly way. pHe who comes from heaven nis above all. 32 qHe bears witness to what he has seen and heard, ryet no one receives his testimony. 33 Whoever receives his testimony ssets his seal to this, tthat God is true. 34 For he whom uGod has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit vwithout measure. 35 wThe Father loves the Son and xhas given all things into his hand. 36 yWhoever believes in the Son has eternal life; zwhoever does not obey the Son shall not asee life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Related Articles

For more information, see these articles: Masoretic Text; Masoretes; Codex Leningradensis; Manuscripts; Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible, History of Text.

Bibliography

Goshen-Gottstein, Moshe. “The Aleppo Codex and the Rise of the Massoretic Bible Text.” Biblical Archaeologist 42, no. 3 (1979): 145–63.

Tov, Emanuel. Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible. 3rd ed. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2012.

Widder, Wendy. Textual Criticism of the Bible. Lexham Methods Series. Edited by Douglas Mangum. Bellingham, Wash.: Lexham Press, 2013.

Würthwein, Ernst. The Text of the Old Testament: An Introduction to the Biblia Hebraica. 3rd ed. Translated by E. F. Rhodes. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2014.

Yeivin, Israel. Introduction to the Tiberian Masorah. Translated and edited by E. J. Revell. Masoretic Studies 5. Missoula, Mont.: Society of Biblical Literature, 1980.

Douglas Mangum

Alexander, Relative of Annas (Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros). A member of the priestly family and relative of Annas the high priest (Acts 4:6).

Alexander, Son of Simon (Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros). A son of Simon of Cyrene (Mark 15:21).

Alexander Balas Seleucid king from 150 to 145 bc; ascended the throne with help from the first Maccabean high priest, Jonathan. The story of Alexander Balas is partially recorded in 1 Maccabees 10–11.

Background

For over a hundred years, the descendants of Alexander the Great’s general, Seleucus I Nicator, fought with the Ptolemies over control of Syria-Phoenicia. In 200 bc, the Seleucid king Antiochus III occupied Syria-Phoenicia, which put Palestine under Seleucid control. Although the Jews at first seemed to welcome the new regime (Josephus, Antiquities 12.133), they experienced harsh treatment under the Seleucid king Antiochus IV (r. 175–164 bc), who forbade the Jews from practicing circumcision and following the sacrificial system of the Torah. Antiochus IV also ordered a pagan altar to be erected in the Jerusalem temple upon which pigs and other unclean animals were sacrificed. (See VanderKam, Introduction, 16–21).

The priest Mattathias initiated active rebellion against Antiochus IV by refusing to make a pagan sacrifice (1 Maccabees 2:19). In 164 bc, Mattathias’s son Judas (called “Maccabee”) conquered Jerusalem, purified the temple, and restored the temple service (1 Maccabees 4:34). (See VanderKam, Introduction, 21–22). In 160 bc Judas died in battle against the forces of Demetrius I Soter. He was succeeded as military leader by his youngest brother, Jonathan (161–142 bc).

Alexander’s Rise to Power

Sometime before 152 bc, Alexander Balas began to threaten the reign of Demetrius I Soter by claiming to be a son of Antiochus IV (Bevan, House, 207). He gained support from Rome and Egypt, along with the kings of Pergamum and Cappadocia. Both Alexander and Demetrius I sought the support of the Hasmonean leader Jonathan. According to 1 Maccabees 10:3–6, Jonathan initially lent Demetrius I his support, as Demetrius offered him “the authority to recruit troops, to equip them with arms, and to become his ally; and he commanded that hostages in the citadel should be released.” However, soon thereafter, Jonathan shifted his allegiance to Alexander Balas, who had appointed Jonathan high priest of the Jews and friend of the king ca. 152 bc (1 Maccabees 10:18; Schäfer, History, 53; VanderKam, Introduction, 23). Although Demetrius I made a counteroffer, Jonathan and the Jews were suspicious of it “because they remembered the great wrongs that Demetrius had done in Israel and how much he had oppressed them” (1 Maccabees 10:46 NRSV), and Jonathan remained an ally of Alexander Balas, who defeated and killed Demetrius I in battle ca. 150 bc. Upon ascending to the Seleucid throne, Alexander married Cleopatra Thea, the daughter of Ptolemy VI Philometor of Egypt, one of Alexander Balas’ supporters (1 Maccabees 10:58). They had one son, Antiochus VI Dionysus (ca. 147 bc).

Following his defeat of Demetrius I, Alexander made Jonathan “general and governor of the province” of Judaea (1 Maccabees 10:65; Losch, All the People, 386) in addition to high priest. Having the protection of the Seleucid king strengthened Jonathan’s authority. According to 1 Maccabees 10:64, it also caused Jonathan’s domestic rivals—including both Hellenized Jews and pious Jews who felt Jonathan was not entitled to be high priest—to flee. This transference of the office of high priest to the Hasmonean military leaders (Maccabee family) was a critical point in the development of the Hasmonean dynasty (Losch, All the People, 386; Reicke, New Testament Era, 61).

Alexander Balas—also known as Alexander Theopater Euergetes, or Alexander Epiphanes Nicephorus, or Alexander Eupator (Bevan, House, 213)—ruled as king of Syria from 150–146/145 bc. In 147/146 bc, Demetrius II Nicator (son of Demetrius I) led a revolution against Alexander. Jonathan and his brother Simon, with a large army, battled against Demetrius II’s general Apollonius, captured Joppa and Azotus (destroying its temple to Dagon), and were welcomed at Askalon (1 Maccabees 10:84–87, Bevan, House, 218). As a reward, Alexander gave to Jonathan the northernmost of the Philistine cities, Ekron (1 Maccabees 10:89, Bevan, House, 219).

Death and Succession

Ancient sources provide varying accounts of the circumstances leading up to Alexander’s downfall although all agree that he was a weak king (Bevan, House, 219; Losch, All the People, 386). According to 1 Maccabees 11:1, Alexander’s father-in-law, Ptolemy VI Philometor, “tried to get possession of Alexander’s kingdom by trickery” (NRSV; Bevan, House, 219, who notes that Ptolemy garrisoned the coastal cities of Palestine and then severed his alliance with Alexander). In contrast, Josephus records that Alexander laid “a very treacherous design for [Ptolemy’s] life when Ptolemy came to Alexander’s aid (Josephus, Antiquities 13.106; Bevan, House, 219–220). Other sources believe that the price Ptolemy exacted for his cooperation with Demetrius II was the annexation of Coele-Syria (Shayegan, Arsacids, 61; Diodorus of Sicily, Library of World History 32.9c). Whatever the circumstances, Ptolemy forged an alliance with Demetrius II. In addition, he took his daughter away from Alexander and gave her in marriage to Demetrius II (1 Maccabees 11:9–11; Shayegan, Arsacids, 61). Alexander was defeated at the battle of Oinoparas by the joint forces of Demetrius II and Ptolemy (Shayegan, Arsacids, 62; 1 Maccabees 11:13–15; Josephus, Antiquities 13.116). Deserted by most of his army and possibly wounded, Alexander fled to Arabia, where in 145 bc he was either assassinated by Ptolemy’s supporters (1 Maccabees 11:16–17, who may have been Alexander’s own officers (Diodorus of Sicily, Library of World History, 32.9d-10; Bevan, House, 221), or else died of his wounds (Losch, People, 386).

Alexander was succeeded by his rival Demetrius II in 145 bc, although Demetrius had claimed to be king since his own father’s death in 150 bc. First Maccabees records that at that point, Jonathan “assembled the Judeans to attack the citadel in Jerusalem” (1 Maccabees 11:20 NRSV). However, after receiving certain concessions from Demetrius II, including additional territory and confirmation in the high priesthood, Jonathan instead fought on his behalf (1 Maccabees 11:47–48; Bevan, House, 224). Later, Demetrius became estranged from Jonathan and “treated him very harshly” (1 Maccabees 11:53; Bevan, House, 228), and Jonathan and his brother Simon again fought against Demetrius II (1 Maccabees 11:63; 12:24).

With the help of Jonathan and Simon, one of Alexander Balas’ generals, Diodotos or Trypho, put Alexander’s two-year old son, Antiochus VI Dionysus, on the Seleucid throne in place of Demetrius II. Antiochus VI reigned nominally from ca. 145–142 bc, when he was killed by Tryphon, who then made himself king (1 Maccabees 13:31–32; Losch, People, 387–388). At about the same time, Trypho had Jonathan executed (1 Maccabees 13:23; Schäfer, History, 57; Bevan, House, 230–231). As a result of this treachery, Simon made peace with Demetrius II, who acknowledged Simon as high priest and prince of the Jews and relinquished his claim on the Jews for taxes and tribute, thus recognizing the Jewish nation (Seeman and Marshak, “Jewish History,” 44). In 140 bc, the Jerusalem “Great Assembly” conferred on Simon “as hereditary titles the offices of sovereign ruler … High Priest … and commander of the army” (Schäfer, History, 57).

Bibliography

Bevan, Edwyn Robert. The House of Seleucus. Vol 2. London: Edwin Arnold, 1902.

Losch, Richard R. All the People in the Bible: An A-Z Guide to the Saints, Scoundrels, and Other Characters in Scripture. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2008.

Reicke, Bo. The New Testament Era: The World of the Bible from 500 B.C. to A.D. 100. Translated by David E. Green. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1974.

Schäfer, Peter. The History of the Jews in the Greco-Roman World. Rev. ed. London: Routledge, 2003.

Seeman, Chris, and Adam Kolman Marshak. “Jewish History from Alexander to Hadrian.” Pages 30–69 in Early Judaism: A Comprehensive Overview. Edited by John J. Collins and Daniel C. Harlow. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012.

Shayegan, M. Rahim. Arsacids and Sasanians: Political Ideology in Post-Hellenistic and Late Antique Persia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.

VanderKam, James C. An Introduction to Early Judaism. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001.

Lyn Nixon