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.

Birzaith, Son of Malchiel (בִּרְזָיִת, birzayith). A descendant of Asher and son of Malchiel (1 Chr 7:31). His personal name may instead be a place name, in which case Birzaith is properly understood as a city founded by Malchiel.

Bishlam (בִּשְׁלָם, bishlam). A leader who wrote a letter to Artaxerxes complaining about the rebuilding of Jerusalem (Ezra 4:7).

Bithiah, Daughter of Pharaoh (בִּתְיָה, bithyah). A daughter of Pharaoh who married Mered (1 Chr 4:17).

Bithynia (Βιθυνία, Bithynia). A region of northwest Asia Minor and part of the joint province Bithynia-Pontus under Roman rule.

Biblical Relevance

Bithynia is mentioned twice in the New Testament (Acts 16:7 and 1 Pet 1:1). In Acts 16:7, Paul and his companions travel to Mysia and attempt to cross into Bithynia to the north, but “the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them” (Acts 16:7 ESV). In 1 Pet 1:1, Peter greets believing Jews in “Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1 Pet 1:1 ESV). Although Acts does not record missionary activity in Bithynia, the 1 Peter passage indicates that the gospel was brought there by unnamed evangelists.

The presence of Christian communities is further demonstrated by the correspondence between Pliny the Younger and the Emperor Trajan (see Letters, Book 10). Pliny was governor of Bithynia-Pontus during the early second century ad, and he wrote to Trajan regarding the unrest throughout the region. One of the questions he asked was what to do with Christians who were meeting in the province (see Letters, 10.96). This correspondence not only reveals Roman attitudes toward Christians, but also the activities of Christian groups from an outsider’s perspective.

Location

Bithynia is located in northwestern Asia Minor. The Black Sea coast is to the north, and the Bosphorus and Propontis (modern day Sea of Marmara) are to the west. The region is divded by the Sangarius River. Its principal cities include Nicomedia, Chalcedon, Nicaea, Apamea, and Heraclea. Nicomedia was the capital of Bithynia from its founding in 264 bc through the Roman period. Chalcedon and Nicaea are famous for the Christian councils which bear their names.

Bithynia held a strategic geographic location. Because Bithynia was bordered on two sides by water, the region’s inhabitants were able to conduct maritime trade. The geography of the region was otherwise varied, consisting of both forested mountain regions and fertile coastal valleys. It was rich with resources and featured a robust agriculturally based economy. Bithynia had significant land-based connections as well. Inhabitants of the mountainous Anatolian interior needed to access the coast through Bithynia, and the Bosphorus connected Asia Minor to the west.

History of Bithynia

Bithynia existed for many years as an independent kingdom before being annexed into the Roman Empire. In 430 bc, the Doedalsus unified the small kingdom of Bithynia. The kingdom maintained its independence from Persians invading the region in the fourth century. Alexander the Great conquered the territory and began a flurry of building activity (Bekker-Nielsen, Urban Life and Local Politics, 21).

Although Bithynia felt the influence of Roman expansion during the early second century bc, it was Pompey who brought the region under Rome’s control. Pompey began his eastern career by eliminating piracy in the eastern Mediterranean, effectively opening up shipping routes and facilitating Roman expansion into the east. His land campaign was a series of successful engagements from western Anatolia east into Syria and south into Judaea and Nabataea. Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Bithynia had been caught in conflicts with Pontus under King Mithridates VI. In order to preserve his kingdom, Nicomedia IV of Bithynia bequeathed his entire kingdom to the Romans after his death in 74 bc. The Romans annexed Bithynia and it became a province. Augustus divided provinces into those which needed direct imperial defense and those which did not. Bithynia was one of the latter, and it came under the control of the Senate (Durant, Caesar and Christ, 216). Eventually Bithynia joined with neighboring Pontus to become one province. A series of colonies were established in Bithynia-Pontus during the last half of the first century bc.

During the reign of Trajan, Bithynia changed from a senatorial province to being under direct imperial rule. Pliny the Younger was appointed to be the governor of Bithynia-Pontus. Pliny engaged in a correspondence with the emperor Trajan regarding various issues facing his rule over the province. Many of these letters survive and provide key insights into the administration of the time. The correspondence displays the client-patron relationship between the emperor and his governors. The correspondence also reveals the practices of early Christian communities and Roman policies toward them, indicating that the Roman opinion of Christianity was not favorable, but not particularly hateful either.

By the second century ad, 29 cities in Bithynia had gained the right to mint their own coins (Grant, A Guide to the Ancient World, 112). Coins are useful not only for establishing dates within sites, but distribution analysis across a region can show the extent of economic or administrative systems. Most of the inscriptions found in Bithynia are either funerary or civic in nature (Bekker-Nielsen, Urban Life and Local Politics, 40).

Nicomedia and Nicaea often competed for supremacy in Bithynia. With the rise of two rival emperors in ad 193, Nicaea supported Pescennius Niger and Nicomedia chose Septimius Severus, who eventually won the struggle (Corsten, “Bithynia,” 9). Nicaea suffered for having chosen the wrong side of the conflict, but was eventually vindicated when Constantine I held the famous Nicaean Council there in ad 325 (Grant, A Guide to the Ancient World, 112).