World English Bible · Under Rome
John 1
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was the Word, and the Word was with , and the Word was . 2The same was with . All things were made through him. Without him, nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and the life was of men. shines in , and hasn't overcome it. There came a man sent from , whose name was . The same came as a , that he might testify about , that all might through him. He was not , but was sent that he might testify about . The true that enlightens everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn't recognize him. He came to his own, and those who were his own didn't receive him. But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children, to those who in his name: who were born, not of , nor of the will of , nor of the will of man, but of . The Word became and lived among us. We saw his , such as of the only born Son of , full of and truth. testified about him. He cried out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.'" From his fullness we all received upon . For was given through . and truth were realized through . No one has seen at any time. The only born Son, who is in the of , has declared him. This is , when the sent priests and from to ask him, "Who are you?" He declared, and didn't deny, but he declared, "I am not ." They asked him, "What then? Are you ?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the ?" He answered, "No." 22They said therefore to him, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" He said, "I am the voice of one crying in , 'Make straight of ,' as the said." The ones who had been sent were from the . They asked him, "Why then do you if you are not , nor , nor the ?" answered them, "I in water, but among you stands one whom you don't know. He is the one who comes after me, who is preferred before me, whose strap I'm not worthy to loosen." These things were done in beyond , where was . The next day, he saw coming to him, and said, "Behold, of , who takes away the of the world! This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who is preferred before me, for he was before me.' I didn't know him, but for this reason I came in water, that he would be to Israel." testified, saying, "I have seen descending like a out of , and it remained on him. I didn't recognize him, but he who sent me to in water said to me, 'On whomever you will see descending and remaining on him is he who in .' I have seen and have testified that this is the Son of ." Again, the next day, was standing with two of his , and he looked at as he walked, and said, "Behold, of !" The two heard him speak, and they followed . turned and saw them following, and said to them, "What are you looking for?" They said to him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, being interpreted, Teacher), "where are you staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard and followed him was , brother. He first found his own brother, , and said to him, "We have found the !" (which is, being interpreted, ). He brought him to . looked at him and said, "You are the . You shall be called " (which is by , ). On the next day, he was determined to go out into , and he found . said to him, "Follow me." Now was from , the city of and . found , and said to him, "We have found him of whom in and also , wrote: of , the son of ." said to him, "Can any good thing come out of ?" said to him, "Come and see." saw coming to him, and said about him, "Behold, an indeed, in whom is no deceit!" said to him, "How do you know me?" answered him, "Before called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of ! You are King of Israel!" answered him, "Because I told you, 'I saw you underneath the fig tree,' do you ? You will see greater things than these!" He said to him, "Most certainly, I tell you all, hereafter you will see opened, and the of ascending and descending on ."
A public domain modern English translation, free to read and share. Notes and cards are EKLI’s own.
Christians read this chapter differently
- Is Jesus God? · John 1:1-18
Every view at its strongest, with who holds it and what it has to answer for.
The world at this moment · Under Rome, 63 BC to AD 100 ›
Judea as a client kingdom and then a province. Roads, garrisons, taxes, crucifixion, and a common Greek language that let a message travel the empire faster than any before it.
- Rome
- The republic tears itself apart in civil war and comes out as an empire under Augustus. What follows is two centuries of relative peace across the whole Mediterranean, enforced by legions and paid for by taxes, with safe roads and safe sea lanes. Every one of Paul's journeys depends on that.
- Judea
- Governed first through Herod the Great, a client king of enormous ability and enormous brutality who rebuilds the temple into one of the wonders of the ancient world, then directly by Roman prefects. Crucifixion is the standard penalty for sedition and is used often and publicly.
- The wider world
- Greek is spoken from Spain to Syria, which means a letter written in Corinth can be read in Rome without translation. Jewish communities already exist in most major cities, which is where the first Christian preaching lands. Mystery religions, imperial cult, and philosophy all compete in the same marketplace.
- Further afield
- The Han dynasty rules China and trades silk westward along routes that touch the Roman world at second hand. In Britain the Roman conquest begins within a decade of the crucifixion.