13 who -- not of blood nor of a will of flesh, nor of a will of man but -- of God were begotten.
having counselled, He did beget us with a word of truth, for our being a certain first-fruit of His creatures.
every one who hath been begotten of God, sin he doth not, because his seed in him doth remain, and he is not able to sin, because of God he hath been begotten.
Blessed `is' the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to the abundance of His kindness did beget us again to a living hope, through the rising again of Jesus Christ out of the dead,
because every one who is begotten of God doth overcome the world, and this is the victory that did overcome the world -- our faith;
(not by works that `are' in righteousness that we did but according to His kindness,) He did save us, through a bathing of regeneration, and a renewing of the Holy Spirit,
Jesus answered, `Verily, verily, I say to thee, If any one may not be born of water, and the Spirit, he is not able to enter into the reign of God; that which hath been born of the flesh is flesh, and that which hath been born of the Spirit is spirit. `Thou mayest not wonder that I said to thee, It behoveth you to be born from above; the Spirit where he willeth doth blow, and his voice thou dost hear, but thou hast not known whence he cometh, and whither he goeth; thus is every one who hath been born of the Spirit.'
and the children struggle together within her, and she saith, `If `it is' right -- why `am' I thus?' and she goeth to seek Jehovah.
Brethren, the pleasure indeed of my heart, and my supplication that `is' to God for Israel, is -- for salvation; for I bear them testimony that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge, for not knowing the righteousness of God, and their own righteousness seeking to establish, to the righteousness of God they did not submit.
for God it is who is working in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
as new-born babes the word's pure milk desire ye, that in it ye may grow,
And now, little children, remain in him, that when he may be manifested, we may have boldness, and may not be ashamed before him, in his presence; if ye know that he is righteous, know ye that every one doing the righteousness, of him hath been begotten.
Every one who is believing that Jesus is the Christ, of God he hath been begotten, and every one who is loving Him who did beget, doth love also him who is begotten of Him:
and Isaac trembleth a very great trembling, and saith, `Who, now, `is' he who hath provided provision, and bringeth in to me, and I eat of all before thou comest in, and I bless him? -- yea, blessed is he.'
nor because they are seed of Abraham `are' all children, but -- `in Isaac shall a seed be called to thee;' that is, the children of the flesh -- these `are' not children of God; but the children of the promise are reckoned for seed; for the word of promise `is' this; `According to this time I will come, and there shall be to Sarah a son.' And not only `so', but also Rebecca, having conceived by one -- Isaac our father -- (for they being not yet born, neither having done anything good or evil, that the purpose of God, according to choice, might remain; not of works, but of Him who is calling,) it was said to her -- `The greater shall serve the less;' according as it hath been written, `Jacob I did love, and Esau I did hate.' What, then, shall we say? unrighteousness `is' with God? let it not be! for to Moses He saith, `I will do kindness to whom I do kindness, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion;' so, then -- not of him who is willing, nor of him who is running, but of God who is doing kindness:
Truth I say in Christ, I lie not, my conscience bearing testimony with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great grief and unceasing pain in my heart -- for I was wishing, I myself, to be anathema from the Christ -- for my brethren, my kindred, according to the flesh, who are Israelites, whose `is' the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the lawgiving, and the service, and the promises, whose `are' the fathers, and of whom `is' the Christ, according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed to the ages. Amen.
They answered him, `Seed of Abraham we are; and to no one have we been servants at any time; how dost thou say -- Ye shall become free?' Jesus answered them, `Verily, verily, I say to you -- Every one who is committing sin, is a servant of the sin, and the servant doth not remain in the house -- to the age, the son doth remain -- to the age; if then the son may make you free, in reality ye shall be free. `I have known that ye are seed of Abraham, but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you; I -- that which I have seen with my Father do speak, and ye, therefore, that which ye have seen with your father -- ye do.' They answered and said to him, `Our father is Abraham;' Jesus saith to them, `If children of Abraham ye were, the works of Abraham ye were doing; and now, ye seek to kill me -- a man who hath spoken to you the truth I heard from God; this Abraham did not; ye do the works of your father.' They said, therefore, to him, `We of whoredom have not been born; one Father we have -- God;'
and do not think to say in yourselves, A father we have -- Abraham, for I say to you, that God is able out of these stones to raise children to Abraham,
Thy people `are' free-will gifts in the day of Thy strength, in the honours of holiness, From the womb, from the morning, Thou hast the dew of thy youth.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on John 1
Commentary on John 1 Matthew Henry Commentary
An Exposition, With Practical Observations, of
The Gospel According to ST. John
Chapter 1
The scope and design of this chapter is to confirm our faith in Christ as the eternal Son of God, and the true Messiah and Saviour of the world, that we may be brought to receive him, and rely upon him, as our Prophet, Priest, and King, and to give up ourselves to be ruled, and taught, and saved by him. In order to this, we have here,
Jhn 1:1-5
Austin says (de Civitate Dei, lib. 10, cap. 29) that his friend Simplicius told him he had heard a Platonic philosopher say that these first verses of St. John's gospel were worthy to be written in letters of gold. The learned Francis Junius, in the account he gives of his own life, tells how he was in his youth infected with loose notions in religion, and by the grace of God was wonderfully recovered by reading accidentally these verses in a bible which his father had designedly laid in his way. He says that he observed such a divinity in the argument, such an authority and majesty in the style, that his flesh trembled, and he was struck with such amazement that for a whole day he scarcely knew where he was or what he did; and thence he dates the beginning of his being religious. Let us enquire what there is in those strong lines. The evangelist here lays down the great truth he is to prove, that Jesus Christ is God, one with the Father. Observe,
Jhn 1:6-14
The evangelist designs to bring in John Baptist bearing an honourable testimony to Jesus Christ, Now in these verses, before he does this,
Jhn 1:15-18
In these verses,
Jhn 1:19-28
We have here the testimony of John, which he delivered to the messengers who were sent from Jerusalem to examine him. Observe here,
Jhn 1:29-36
We have in these verses an account of John's testimony concerning Jesus Christ, which he witnessed to his own disciples that followed him. As soon as ever Christ was baptized he was immediately hurried into the wilderness, to be tempted; and there he was forty days. During his absence John had continued to bear testimony to him, and to tell the people of him; but now at last he sees Jesus coming to him, returning from the wilderness of temptation. As soon as that conflict was over Christ immediately returned to John, who was preaching and baptizing. Now Christ was tempted for example and encouragement to us; and this teaches us,
Jhn 1:37-42
We have here the turning over of two disciples from John to Jesus, and one of them fetching in a third, and these are the first-fruits of Christ's disciples; see how small the church was in its beginnings, and what the dawning of the day of its great things was.
Jhn 1:43-51
We have here the call of Philip and Nathanael.