Joh 1:17-18 | RWP | e4.org | Was given ( εδοθη ). First aorist passive indicative of διδωμ . By Moses ( δια Μωυσεως ). "Through Moses" as the intermediate agent of God. Came ( εγενετο ). The historical event, the beginning of Christianity. By Jesus Christ ( δια Ιησου Χριστου ). "Through Jesus Christ," the intermediate agent of God the Father. Here in plain terms John identifies the Pre-incarnate Logos with Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah. The full historical name "Jesus Christ" is here for the first time in John. See also and four times in 1John and five times in Revelation. Without Christ there would have been no Christianity. John's theology is here pictured by the words "grace and truth" ( η χαρις κα η αληθεια ), each with the article and each supplementary to the other. It is grace in contrast with law as Paul sets forth in Galatians and Romans. Paul had made grace "a Christian commonplace" (Bernard) before John wrote. It is truth as opposed to Gnostic and all other heresy as Paul shows in Colossians and Ephesians. The two words aptly describe two aspects of the Logos and John drops the use of Λογος and χαρις , but clings to αληθεια (see for the freedom brought by truth), though the ideas in these three words run all through his Gospel.

‏ John 1:17-18

Was given ( εδοθη ). First aorist passive indicative of διδωμ.

By Moses ( δια Μωυσεως ). "Through Moses" as the intermediate agent of God.

Came ( εγενετο ). The historical event, the beginning of Christianity.

By Jesus Christ ( δια Ιησου Χριστου ). "Through Jesus Christ," the intermediate agent of God the Father. Here in plain terms John identifies the Pre-incarnate Logos with Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah. The full historical name "Jesus Christ" is here for the first time in John. See also 17:3 and four times in 1John and five times in Revelation. Without Christ there would have been no Christianity. John's theology is here pictured by the words "grace and truth" ( η χαρις κα η αληθεια ), each with the article and each supplementary to the other. It is grace in contrast with law as Paul sets forth in Galatians and Romans. Paul had made grace "a Christian commonplace" (Bernard) before John wrote. It is truth as opposed to Gnostic and all other heresy as Paul shows in Colossians and Ephesians. The two words aptly describe two aspects of the Logos and John drops the use of Λογος and χαρις, but clings to αληθεια (see 8:32 for the freedom brought by truth), though the ideas in these three words run all through his Gospel.

No man hath seen God at any time ( θεον ουδεις εωρακεν πωποτε ). "God no one has ever seen." Perfect active indicative of οραω. Seen with the human physical eye, John means. God is invisible (Ex 33:20; De 4:12). Paul calls God αορατος (Col 1:15; 1Ti 1:17). John repeats the idea in Joh 5:37; 6:46. And yet in 14:7 Jesus claims that the one who sees him has seen the Father as here.

The only begotten Son ( ο μονογενης υιος ). This is the reading of the Textus Receptus and is intelligible after ως μονογενους παρα πατρος in verse 14. But the best old Greek manuscripts (Aleph B C L) read μονογενης θεος (God only begotten) which is undoubtedly the true text. Probably some scribe changed it to ο μονογενης υιος to obviate the blunt statement of the deity of Christ and to make it like 3:16. But there is an inner harmony in the reading of the old uncials. The Logos is plainly called θεος in verse 1. The Incarnation is stated in verse 14, where he is also termed μονογενης. He was that before the Incarnation. So he is "God only begotten," "the Eternal Generation of the Son" of Origen's phrase.

Which is in the bosom of the Father ( ο ων εις τον κολπον του πατρος ). The eternal relation of the Son with the Father like προς τον θεον in verse 1. In 3:13 there is some evidence for ο ων εν τω ουρανω used by Christ of himself while still on earth. The mystic sense here is that the Son is qualified to reveal the Father as Logos (both the Father in Idea and Expression) by reason of the continual fellowship with the Father.

He ( εκινος ). Emphatic pronoun referring to the Son.

Hath declared him ( εξηγησατο ). First aorist (effective) middle indicative of εξηγεομα, old verb to lead out, to draw out in narrative, to recount. Here only in John, though once in Luke's Gospel (24:35) and four times in Ac (10:8; 15:12, 14; 21:19). This word fitly closes the Prologue in which the Logos is pictured in marvellous fashion as the Word of God in human flesh, the Son of God with the Glory of God in him, showing men who God is and what he is.