The Word
- In the beginning, the Word was existing; and the Word was existing with God and the Word was existing as God.
- He was existing in the beginning with God.
- All things came into existence through Him; and apart from Him, not even one thing that came into existence has come into existence.
- Life was existing in Him, and the life was existing as the light of men.
- And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness didn’t grasp it.
- Having been sent from God, a man came into existence; his name was John.
- He came as a witness so he might testify about the light, so all might believe through him.
- He wasn’t existing as the light, but came so he might witness about the light.
- The true light was existing, which illuminates every man coming into the world.
- He was existing in the world, and the world came into existence through Him, and the world didn’t know Him.
- He came to His own, and His own didn’t receive Him.
- But as many as received Him, He gave them authority to become children of God: the men believing in His name,
- who were born not from blood, nor from fleshly desire, nor from man’s will, but from God.
- And the Word became flesh and encamped among us, and we gazed at His glory; glory as the only unique One from the Father, full of grace and truth.
- John testifies about Him, and he has cried out saying: “This is He of whom I said: “The One coming after me *is before me, because He was existing before me.” “
- Because from His fullness we all received, even grace in exchange for grace.
- Because the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus the Anointed.
- No one has ever seen God at any time; the only unique God – the One existing in the bosom of the Father – He explained Him.
The Testimony of John
- And this is the testimony of John when the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to him so they might ask him: “Who are you?”
- And he confessed, and didn’t deny, and he confessed that: “I’m not the Anointed.”
- And they asked him: “What then, are you Elijah?” And he says: “I’m not.” They asked: “Are you the prophet?” And he answered: “No.”
- Therefore they said to him: “Who are you? So we might give an answer to the men who sent us, what do you say about yourself?”
- He was declaring: “I’m a voice calling in the wilderness: “Make the Lord’s path straight“ just as Isaiah the prophet said.”
- And those men were *sent by the Pharisees.
- And they asked him and said to him: “Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Anointed, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?”
- John answered them saying: “I baptize in water; yet in your midst *stands He whom you don’t *know,
- “the One coming after me; He of whom I’m not worthy, even that I might untie the strap of His sandal.”
- These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.
- The next day, he sees Jesus coming to him and says: “Behold, the Lamb of God; the One taking away the sin of the world!”
- “It’s He about whom I said: “After me comes a man who *is before me because He was existing before me.”
- “And I hadn’t known Him, but I came baptizing with water so He might be revealed to Israel through this.”
- And John testified saying: “I have gazed at the Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and He remained on Him.”
- “And I hadn’t known Him, but the One who sent me to baptize in water, He told me: “He on whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him; He is the One baptizing in the Holy Spirit.”
- “And I have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.”
Jesus calls disciples
- The next day, John had been standing there again and two of his disciples were with him.
- And having seen Jesus walking, he says: “Behold the Lamb of God.”
- And the two disciples heard him speaking and followed Jesus.
- And Jesus – having turned and observed them following Him – He says to them: “What do you seek?” And they told Him: “Rabbi–” (which when translated means ‘teacher’) “–where are you staying?”
- He tells them: “Come and you will see.” Therefore, they went and saw where He is staying and they stayed with Him that day. It was about the tenth hour.
- Andrew (the brother of Simon Peter) was one of the two who heard from John and followed Him.
- He first finds his own brother Simon and says to him: “We have found the Messiah.” (Which is translated ‘the Anointed’)
- He led him to Jesus. Having looked at him, Jesus said: “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas.” (which means ‘Peter’)
- The next day, He wanted to depart into Galilee. And Jesus finds Philip and tells him: “Follow Me.”
- And Philip was from Bethsaida, from the city of Andrew and Peter.
- Philip finds Nathanael and tells him: “We have found He of whom Moses wrote in the law, and the prophets did too; Jesus from Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
- And Nathanael told him: “Is anything good able to come from Nazareth?” Philip says to him: “Come and see.”
- Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him and He says about him: “Behold, he’s truly an Israelite in whom there’s no deceit.”
- Nathanael says to Him: “From where do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him: “Before Philip came to call you, while you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”
- Nathanael answered Him: “Rabbi, you are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel.”
- Jesus answered and said to him: “You believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.”
- And He tells him: “Amen, Amen I tell you all: You will see heaven *opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”