How Are We to Read John 1:12?
By Jonathan Mitchell
As with all statements in the Bible, this verse must be read in its context, and within the greater context of the Scriptures, as a whole. Specifically, statements that pertain to the coming of Christ and the new covenant (or: the new creation) must be understood in this new context with its metaphorical and spiritual descriptions. That said, let us look at this verse, and read it together with what else is said in its immediate context.
Jn. 1:
11. It (or: He) came into Its (or: His) own things (possessions, realms, or people), and yet Its own (or: His own) people did not grasp, receive or accept It (or: Him) or take It (or: Him) to their side.
12. Yet, as many as grasp, receive or accept It (or: took Him in hand; seized to possession Him) - to, for and among the ones habitually trusting into Its (or: believing and being faithful unto His) Name - It gives (or: He gave) to them (or: for them; in them; among them) authority ([the] right; or: privilege from out of the midst of Being) to be birthed God's children (or: to become born-ones from God),
13. who are born (or: were given birth) not out of bloods (or: [flows] of blood), neither forth from the will of flesh (or: from the intent of a flesh [ceremony]), nor yet out of the will (purpose; intent) of an adult male, but to the contrary and in contrast, from out of the midst of God!
14.And so That Which had been Laid Out as a transfer of Information, i.e., The Word (the Idea; the Thought; the Reason; the Discourse; the Message; The Collected Expression of Rational Logic; The Logos; = the meaning, plan and rational purpose of the ordered universe), births Itself flesh (or: became flesh; came to be [in] flesh; came into existence being flesh; = God's thought, the ground of all real existence, became projected into creation as an immanent power within the world of mankind, inhabiting flesh), and lives in a tent, within us (or: set up a tent and tabernacled among us), and we view (attentively gaze at; looked at so as to contemplate) Its (or: His) glory and assumed appearance (Its manifestation which calls forth praise; Its appearance which creates and effects opinions in regard to the whole of human experience; His imagination; = His manifest presence): a glory (= prestige and importance; reputation and opinion-forming appearance) as of an only-begotten person (or: like One that is an only kin, of a solitary race, in a by-itself-class) at a father's side (or: in the presence of, and next to, [the] Father), full of grace and truth (filled and replete with joy-producing favor, as well as reality and genuineness).
The first clause of vs. 11 and the second clause of vs. 12 do not have expressed subjects. The subjects are derived from the verbs that are in the third person, singular, and in this context could be either "It," having The Logos as the antecedent (which is expressed again as the topic of discussion in vs. 14), or could be He, speaking of Jesus. Of course we understand the identity of The Logos as being Jesus, as vs. 14 infers.
Now let us examine vs. 13 which informs us of the specific kind of "born-one" to which vs. 12 is referring. We see that:
1) it is not speaking of a birth from bloods (whether of the parents, in a natural birth, or of a lineage, as with a race of people);
2) it is not a birth from the will or intent of anything in the realm of flesh (be that a family, or a "flesh [ceremony]," such as in a religious context);
3) it is not referring to a person born as a human being, from the will or intent of an adult male;
4) it IS referring, in contrast to these other kinds of birth, to a spiritual birth, from out of God.
So John was referring to God's children (born-ones), i.e., those born in the Spiritual realm - not to people who are born as human beings by natural parents, or to those born from some cultural ceremony (e.g., male tribal rituals of boys emerging into manhood) or a religious rite of passage. It is the Logos, or the message of Jesus, or Christ Himself, that gives people (who are already existing as such) "authority ([the] right; or: privilege from out of the midst of Being) to be birthed God's children (or: to become born-ones from God)."
To better understand what John meant here, he instructs us through Jesus' words to Nicodemus, e.g., in Jn. 3:7,
"You should not be amazed (or: begin to marvel; at some point be filled with wonder; suddenly be astonished; or: Don't be surprised) that I said to you, 'It is necessary and binding for you folks to be born back up again to a higher place (or: for you people to be given birth from above).'"
Notice the plural pronoun, which I emphasize by rendering it "you folks." He was speaking about the Jews, or the house of Israel, here - people who had been "God's people," but some of whom had become children of people who thrust things through folks and cause division (Jn. 6:70; 8:44). Nicodemus, like many today, misunderstood Jesus as speaking about our natural existence here, but Jesus was speaking of a new kind of existence to which He came to call people. It is the same thing as being able to see and to enter God's sovereign activities (His reign and realm of existence), as Jesus said in Jn. 3:5,
"Certainly that is so. I am now saying (laying it out; = pointing out) to you, unless anyone (or: someone) may be born forth from out of water and spirit (or: - as well as Breath-effect and attitude -) he continues being unable (he remains having no power) to enter into God's realm (or: reign; kingdom; sovereign activity and influence)."
Now let us visit another place, where Jesus spoke about becoming a part of His movement, in Mat. 5:
44. "Yet I, Myself, am now saying to you folks: Be constantly loving your enemies (urging toward reunion with, and accepting as persons standing on the same ground, those folks hostile to you; [comment: this could have applied to the Romans, as well as to personal enemies]), and be habitually praying goodness over the people continuously persecuting you (constantly thinking and speaking on behalf of the folks repeatedly pursuing you to have ease and well-being)
45. "so that (or: By this manner; This is how) you folks can be birthed (may and would come to be) sons of your Father - the One within [the] atmosphere and in union with [the] heavens - because He is repeatedly making His sun to rise back up again upon bad (evil; wicked; worthless) folks as well as [upon] good (virtuous) folks, and He is habitually sending rain upon fair and equitable people (those in right relationship; those within the Way pointed out; just ones; rightwised ones) as well as [upon] unfair and inequitable people (those not in right relationship; those not in the Way pointed out; unjust folks)."
Here, to participate in His reign and sovereign activities a person needed to live like God does. This same line of reasoning is given in vs. 9 of this same chapter in Mat.,
"The ones who make peace and create joining [are] happy and blessed because they, themselves, will continue being called God's sons (or: termed 'sons of, and from, God')!"
In Gal. 4, Paul gave us added insight:
1. Now I continue saying, for (or: upon [the length of]) as much time as the heir (the apparent possessor of the distributed allotment) is progressing from being an infant to a minor (one having either no ability, or no right, to speak; = continues being under legal age) he continues essentially differing nothing from a slave, [though] continuously being owner (lord and master) of everything (of all)....
7. So that, you are (you exist being) no longer a slave, but rather, a son, and since a son, also an heir (a possessor and an enjoyer of the distributed allotment) through God [other MSS: God's heir through Christ].
God referred to Israel as having a special place in His plan. We read in Ex. 4:22,
"So you will say to Pharaoh: 'Thus says Yahweh, My son, My firstborn, [is] Israel.'"
And we read from Paul, in Rom. 8:
13. for you see, if you folks are continuously living down on the level of, and in accord with, flesh (= the alienated self, or, the system of flesh sacrifices and Torah observance), you are progressively about to be dying away. Yet since (or: if) in spirit (or: by [the] Breath-effect; with [His] Spirit; for [the] Attitude), you folks constantly put to death (or: deprive of life; extirpate) the practices and activities of the body (= works of flesh traditions; Torah cultus) you will continue living (or: will be continuously living and progressively possessed of vitality).
14. For it follows that as many as are being continuously led by God's Spirit (or: habitually brought or conducted in [the] Breath-effect which is God; progressively driven along with an attitude from God), these folks are God's sons (these continuously exist being sons of God; or: = these are folks who have the character and qualities of God). [comment: an echo of Israel's exodus]
We have examined the immediate context, of Jn. 1:12, its greater context in Jn. 3, and some of the extended contexts of Scripture, to see how the concept of being God's child was presented. Before closing this brief examination of the topic, let us look at the "before being born of God" existence as it is described in Eph. 2:1-2a,
"And you folks [who were] continuously existing being dead ones by (or: to; with; in) the results and effects of your stumblings aside (offenses; wrong steps) and failures to hit the mark (or: mistakes; errors; times of falling short; sins; deviations) - within the midst of and in union with which things you once walked about (= lived your lives) in accord (or: in keeping; corresponding) with (or: as directed by) the age of this ordered System..."
Let us keep in mind the words of the Lord in Ezk. 18:4,
"Behold all souls (= people): they are Mine!" This is why Heb. 12:9b instructs us that,"To a much greater extent, shall we not be continually placed under and humbly arranged and aligned by the Father of the spirits? And then we shall proceed living!"
The turning of Saul into Paul, on the road to Damascus, gives us a classic example of how the Logos of Jesus can be "received." [Cf Acts 9:3ff] This happens to:
"each person within the result of his or her own set position [in line] (or: effect of ordered placement; appointed class; arranged time and turn, or order of succession; = place in a harvest calendar, thus, due season of maturity)" (1 Cor. 15:23)
But essential to our understanding of humanity's place in God is Paul's sermon in Acts 17:
29. "Therefore, continuously and inherently subsisting from under a beginning, being God's family (a species of God; a race whose source is God; [the] kind of being having the qualities and characteristics of God; [the] offspring birthed from God)..."
John 1:12, 13 and Acts 17:28, 29 are different contexts, written by different authors, and are speaking about being a "child of God" in two different ways. John is speaking metaphorically, about a functional relationship that a person can have with God. Paul is speaking existentially, about human existence in its relationship to, and with, God.
Jonathan
Return To Jonathan Mitchell's Page