John 1 Bible Study

John chapter 1 Bible study & commentary

John Chapter 1 Bible Study and Commentary

JOHN 1 BIBLE STUDY

John 1:9-13 True Light
John 1:14-18 The Word Became Flesh
John 1:19-28 John the Baptist
John 1:29-34 Lamb of God
John 1:35-45 Disciples of John
John 1:46-51 Nathanael
John 1 Bible Study Questions (Handout)

JOHN 1:1-3 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him not even one thing was made that has been made.

What five claims are being made above about the “Word” (John 1:1)?
A. The Word is someone who can be referred to as “Him” (John 1:3).
B. He was “with God” (John 1:1).
C. He “was God” (John 1:1).
D. He existed “in the beginning” (John 1:1 & 2).
E. Everything was “made through Him” (John 1:3).

Are these five claims internally consistent with the rest of the Bible?
Since John 1:1 talks about “in the beginning,” let's turn to the beginning of the Bible - Genesis 1 - and read verses 3, 6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24 and 26.

What are the second and third words in each of the eight verses above?
“God said,” so according to the Bible, God created everything not with a wand or a snap of His fingers but through “Word” (John 1:1), hence “E” above.

When does Genesis 1 say the creation through His Word took place?
“In the beginning” (Genesis 1:1), hence “D” above.

What is the fifth word in Genesis 1:26?
“Us,” which means that whomever God is referring to is: (1) also God; (2) with God; and (3) someone who can be referred to by a personal pronoun, hence “A,” “B,” “C” above. So A, B, C, D, E above are internally consistent in the Bible.

To whom does the “Us” refer?
God the Father, God the Son (see John 1:14 in The Word Became Flesh), and God the Holy Spirit.

Is the Holy Spirit mentioned in the Genesis passage above?
“And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2).

JOHN 1:4-5 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not understand it.

What is the “darkness” (John 1:5)?
Our fallen world. It should be noted that ου κατελαβεν (ou katelaben), the original Greek words translated “did not understand” (John 1:5), could also mean “did not overcome,” in which case the “darkness” would refer to Satan's dominion, which could not overcome the “Light” (John 1:5) that penetrated it.

JOHN 1:6-8 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

Is the writer of this gospel referring to himself in John 1:6 above?
No, he is referring to John the Baptist.

What role was John the Baptist sent to perform?
John 1:7 states and John 1:8 repeats that he was to “bear witness of the/that Light.”

Who or what was that “Light”?
See next page.