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| RF JOH 1:1 | "The Word" and Creation.
The WORD existed in the beginning, and the WORD was with God, and the WORD was God. |
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| RF JOH 1:2 | He was present with God at the beginning. |
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| RF JOH 1:3 | All came into existence by means of Him; and nothing came into existence apart from Him. |
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| RF JOH 1:4 | That which originated in Him was Life; and the Life was the Light of mankind. |
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| RF JOH 1:5 | That Light shines in the darkness; but the darkness did not absorb it. |
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| RF JOH 1:6 | "The Word" and the Light.
A man came, sent from God; his name was John. |
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| RF JOH 1:7 | He came for witness, in order that he might give evidence concerning that Light, so that all might believe through him. |
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| RF JOH 1:8 | He was not himself the Light; his mission was to give evidence concerning that Light. |
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| RF JOH 1:9 | The real Light was that which enlightens every man coming into the world. |
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| RF JOH 1:10 | He was in the world, and the world was created by means of Him; yet the world did not recognize Him. |
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| RF JOH 1:11 | He came to His own home; but His own family did not welcome Him. |
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| RF JOH 1:12 | But whosoever welcomed Him, believing in His power, He bestowed upon them the right to become children of God. |
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| RF JOH 1:13 | They were not begotten from blood, nor from natural desire, nor yet from the design of man; but from God Himself. |
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| RF JOH 1:14 | "The Word" and Mankind.
And the WORD became incarnate, and encamped among us—and we gazed upon His majesty, such majesty as that of a Father's only Son—full of beneficence and truth. |
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| RF JOH 1:15 | John gave evidence concerning Him, proclaiming: This was the One concerning Whom I said, 'He Who follows me takes rank above me; because He existed before me.' |
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| RF JOH 1:16 | So out of His fulness we were all supplied, with gift heaped upon gift. |
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| RF JOH 1:17 | Although the Law was given through Moses; the true gift came through Jesus Christ. |
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| RF JOH 1:18 | No one has ever yet seen God; He has been made known by the only Son1, Who exists in union with the Father. |
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| RF JOH 1:19 | The Deputation from Jerusalem.
Now, this is the evidence given by John, when the Judeans of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites in order that they might ask him, |
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| RF JOH 1:20 | "Who are you?" Without attempting to deny it, he frankly stated, "I am not the Messiah." |
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| RF JOH 1:21 | "What then?" asked they. "Are you Elijah?2" He replied, "I am not."
"Then are you the Prophet?3"
"No," he replied. |
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| RF JOH 1:22 | They therefore asked him, "What are you? Tell us, in order that we may give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" |
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| RF JOH 1:23 | He replied: "I am but a voice proclaiming in the desert, 'Make ready the highway for the Lord,' as was foretold by the prophet Isaiah.4
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1. Some of the oldest authorities read 'The Only God.'
2. Mal 4.5
3. Deut 18.15
4. Isa 40.4 |
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| RF JOH 1:24 | Now the deputation had been sent by the Pharisees. |
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| RF JOH 1:25 | They therefore asked him:
"Why do you then baptize, if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor yet the Prophet?" |
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| RF JOH 1:26 | In reply, John said to them:
"I baptize in water; but among you is standing One Whom you know not— |
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| RF JOH 1:27 | He Who follows me. His shoes I am not even worthy to unfasten." |
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| RF JOH 1:28 | This interview took place in Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was then baptizing. |
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| RF JOH 1:29 | John's Testimony to the People.
On the following day he saw Jesus coming towards him, and exclaimed: "See the Lamb Of God, Who takes away the sin of the world! |
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| RF JOH 1:30 | This was the One about Whom I said, 'There follows me a Man Who takes rank above me, since He was in existence before me.' |
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| RF JOH 1:31 | I did not myself know Him; but I came baptizing in water, in order that He might be manifested to Israel." |
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| RF JOH 1:32 | John also gave further evidence, saying:
"I saw the Spirit descending from heaven in the likeness of a dove, and alighting upon Him. |
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| RF JOH 1:33 | Yet I should not myself have known Him; but He Who sent me to baptize in water, He said to me, 'Upon Whomsoever you see the Spirit descending and alighting, He is the Baptizer in Holy Spirit." |
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| RF JOH 1:34 | And I have myself seen, and have given my evidence that this is the Son of God." |
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| RF JOH 1:35 | The Testimony of Disciples.
Again, on the day after that, John was standing along with two of his disciples; |
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| RF JOH 1:36 | and watching Jesus walking, he exclaimed:
"See! there is the Lamb of God!" |
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| RF JOH 1:37 | The two disciples, hearing him speak in this way, followed Jesus. |
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| RF JOH 1:38 | Jesus, turning round, and observing them following, asked them:
"What do you seek?"
In reply, they asked: "Rabbi [which, when translated, means Teacher], where are you staying?" |
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| RF JOH 1:39 | "Come, and you shall see," He said. They accordingly went and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him for the rest of that day; it was then about four o'clock in the afternoon. |
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| RF JOH 1:40 | Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard the remark of John, and followed Him. |
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| RF JOH 1:41 | He first of all sought out his own brother Simon, and told him:
"We have found the Messiah," [which, when translated, means, in Greek, the Christ]. |
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| RF JOH 1:42 | Andrew then took Simon to Jesus. Jesus, looking at him, said: "You are Simon, the son of John; you shall be called Kephas" [which, when translated, means a Stone, or Peter]. |
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| RF JOH 1:43 | Philip and Nathanael.
At a subsequent time Jesus desired to return to Galilee; and, meeting Philip on the way, He said to him: "Follow Me." |
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| RF JOH 1:44 | Now Philip belonged to Bethsaida, the native town of Andrew and Peter. |
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| RF JOH 1:45 | Philip sought out Nathaniel, and said to him: "The One to Whom Moses referred in the law, and of Whom the Prophets also wrote, we have found in Jesus, the son of Joseph, Who came from Nazareth." |
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| RF JOH 1:46 | Nathaniel, however, asked: Is it possible that anything good can come out of Nazareth?"
"Come and see," replied Philip. |
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| RF JOH 1:47 | Jesus, seeing Nathaniel coming towards Him, remarked about him: "Here is an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no duplicity." |
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| RF JOH 1:48 | "What do You know concerning me?" asked Nathaniel. "Before ever Philip called you," replied Jesus, "while you were under the fig-tree, I saw you." |
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| RF JOH 1:49 | "Teacher!" Nathaniel answered Him, "You are the Son of God; You are King of Israel." |
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| RF JOH 1:50 | "Do you really believe," asked Jesus, "because I said I had seen you beneath the fig-tree? You will see far more than that. |
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| RF JOH 1:51 | Most assuredly I tell you," He added, "you shall see the heaven open, and the messengers of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." 1
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1. Gen. 28.12 |
