Insights on John

Charles R. Swindoll

• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN: 9781414393797
• eBook ISBN: 9781496400628

Insights on John is part of the 15-volume Swindoll's Living Insights New Testament Commentary series. This newly revised and expanded edition draws on Gold Medallion Award–winner Chuck Swindoll's 50 years of experience with studying and preaching God's Word. His deep insight, signature easygoing style, and humor bring a warmth and practical accessibility not often found in commentaries.

Each volume combines verse-by-verse commentary, charts, maps, photos, key terms, and background articles with practical application. The newly updated volumes now include parallel presentations of the NLT and NASB before each section. This series is a must-have for pastors, teachers, and anyone else who is seeking a deeply practical resource for exploring God's Word.

PROLOGUE (JOHN 1:1-18)

In 1964, Thayer S. Warshaw, an English teacher at Newton High School near Boston, worried that when public schools banned the Bible, students would be deprived of an important part of their culture. To make his point, he devised a quiz on common allusions to Scripture as they appear in secular literature and language. Despite their obvious intelligence and first-rate education, the majority of these college-bound students couldn’t complete the following common expressions:

• “They shall beat their swords into plowshares.” (63%)
• “Many are called, but few are chosen.” (79%)
• “The truth shall make you free.” (84%)
• “Pride goeth before a fall.” (88%)
• “The love of money is the root of all evil.” (93%)

Furthermore, several students at this nationally acclaimed school thought that Sodom and Gomorrah were lovers (rather than cities). Many named the four Gospels as “Matthew, Mark, Luther (rather than Luke), and John.” According to these top-ranked students, Eve was created from an apple (rather than eating an “apple”), Moses baptized Jesus, Jezebel was Ahab’s donkey (rather than his wife), and Jesus spoke in “parodies” (rather than parables).[1]

Around this same time, during the late 1950s and early 1960s, I had a close relationship with Campus Crusade for Christ. Some close friends of mine and I would talk to students on the campuses of the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and the University of Texas at Austin and in Arlington. As a conversation starter, we used a simple questionnaire, which included the question, “Who, in your opinion, was Jesus of Nazareth?” The most common response was, “The Son of God.” That may surprise you, as it did me. I expected “a great teacher,” or “the founder of Christianity,” or “a martyr who died for his beliefs.” However, when I asked the follow-up question—“How did you come to that conclusion?”—the most common response was, “I don’t know.” I find the same to be true among many Christians today. They know the right answer, but they don’t know why the answer is true.

The apostle John wrote his account of Jesus’ life to reveal the identity of Jesus so that we might respond in belief. He opens his Gospel with a prologue (1:1-18), which declares unambiguously that Jesus is God in human flesh. John then weaves this primary thesis through the rest of the narrative. Jesus claimed deity, His miracles supported His claim, His activities presupposed this truth, and His resurrection finally vindicated everything He said and did.

KEY TERMS IN JOHN 1:1-18

charis (χάρις) [5485] “grace,” “joy,” “divine kindness,” “unmerited blessing”

The secular Greek definition is simply “rejoicing,” and is associated with the feeling of joy. In the Old Testament, this feeling is most frequently associated with God’s work of salvation, delight in His law, or His abundant provision at harvest. John draws heavily upon the joy of harvest time and wedding celebrations, both of which picture great blessing received as a gift. See John 1:14, 16, 17.

lambanō (λαμβάνω) [2983] “to receive,” “to accept,” “to hold to oneself”

In the literal sense, the term means to accept what has been offered. When used of a person, “to receive” is to welcome personal connection, as when a man or woman receives a partner for marriage, or when a host receives a houseguest. See John 1:12, 16; 5:43; 13:20.

logos (λόγος) [3056] “word,” “message,” “issue,” “reasoning”

The most basic meaning of the term is “word,” which can be a single term or an entire message, such as, “We received word of the army’s victory.” Greek philosophers adopted the term to describe the apparent logic that causes the universe to obey natural laws, such as gravity, mathematics, and morality. To them, the universe would fall into utter chaos were it not for this impersonal divine mind, which they named “the Word.” John’s Gospel claims that the divine mind is, indeed, personal and that He became flesh in the person of Jesus. See John 1:1, 14; 12:48; 17:17.

sarx (σάρξ) [4561] “flesh,” “substance of the body,” “earthly, tangible matter”

This word has three spheres of use: literal, technical, and philosophical. In the literal sense, “flesh” is merely muscle and sinew, as distinct from bone, blood, etc. It also acquired a technical nuance, closely related to the literal, to denote the material aspect of humanity. Greek philosophy and religion—especially the Gnosticism of John’s day—eventually came to see everything tangible, including “flesh,” as inherently evil.[2] John uses “flesh” to speak of humanity in the tangible realm for the express purpose of undermining the influence of Greek religion on Christian doctrine. See John 1:13, 14; 3:6; 17:2.

zoē (ζωή) [2222] “life”

At its most basic, the term refers to the physical vitality of a living being.[3] For Greek-speaking Jews, zoē is closely related to hayim [H2416], the Hebrew term for life, which they regarded as the supreme good of creation and a divine gift to be cherished, albeit shortened and corrupted by sin.[4] The Jewish notion of zoē carried with it the opportunity to enjoy shalom [H7965], “peace.” See John 1:4; 3:16; 11:25; 14:6.

[1] “Does Sodom Love Gomorrah?” Time, March 20, 1964.

[2] While some see similarity between Paul’s use of sarx and that of Greek philosophy and religion, the apostle’s is quite unique. For the apostle, sarx is the material aspect of humanity that is not inherently evil, but was corrupted along with the rest of the material world after the fall of humanity (Gen. 3:14-19). Paul’s theology uses sarx to denote our sinful, rebellious manner of thought and deed that reveres the perverted world system as a result of Adam’s sin.

[3] Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich, eds., Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume, trans. Geoffrey W. Bromiley (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1985), 290.

[4] Ibid., 291.

God in Human Flesh

JOHN 1:1-18

NASB

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2[a]He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not [a]comprehend it.

6 There [a]came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7[a]He came [b]as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8[a]He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

9 There was the true Light [a]which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His [a]own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were [a]born, not of [b]blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh, and [a]dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of [b]the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me [a]has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’” 16 For of His fullness [a]we have all received, and [b]grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth [a]were realized through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him.

1:2 [a]Lit This one 1:5 [a]Or overpower 1:6 [a]Or came into being 1:7 [a]Lit This one [b]Lit for testimony 1:8 [a]Lit That one 1:9 [a]Or which enlightens every person coming into the world 1:11 [a]Or own things, possessions, domain 1:13 [a]Or begotten [b]Lit bloods 1:14 [a]Or tabernacled; i.e. lived temporarily [b]Or unique, only one of His kind 1:15 [a]Lit has become before me 1:16 [a]Lit we all received [b]Lit grace for grace 1:17 [a]Lit came to be

NLT

1 In the beginning t...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Author’s Preface
• Numbering System and Transliteration
• Insights on John
• Introduction
• Prologue (John 1:1-18)
• Presentation of the Word (John 1:19–4:54)
• Authentication of the Word (John 5:1–12:50)
• Confirmation of the Word (John 13:1–17:26)
• Vindication of the Word (John 18:1–21:25)