The Gospel of John for Readers.
by Lightheart.
Preface
"We must know before we can love. In order to know G.o.d, we must often think of Him. And when we come to love Him, we shall then also think of Him often, for our heart will be with our treasure " ... Brother Lawrence"s The Practice of the Presence of G.o.d.
The way to know G.o.d is by reading the gospels. Gospel is interpreted Good News - G.o.d"s good news to His world. It is the new testament and perspective we must have in order to know and love Him as He means us to know and love Him.
The gospel of John is called the gospel of love. And, indeed, it is a love story, written by that disciple whose heart was totally surrendered. Brother Lawrence, whose heart was also totally surrendered, was a great believer in doing what was most practical, simple, and direct.
The Gospel of John for Readers is the KJV lovingly and faithfully adapted to a flowing narrative style to allow for easy reading enjoyment. May it help us all to see the exquisite beauty and simple yet practical message of G.o.d"s good news through eyes of love.
in His gentle service, Lightheart PracticeG.o.dsPresence.com August 2002
The Gospel of John
1.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with G.o.d, and the Word was G.o.d. The same was in the beginning with G.o.d. All things were made by Him. Without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. The light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
There was a man sent from G.o.d whose name was John. He came to bear witness of the Light that all men through Him might believe. John was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them He gave power to become the sons of G.o.d, even to them that believe on His name: those who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of G.o.d. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John bore witness of Him and cried, saying, This was He of whom I spoke. He that cometh after me is preferred before me because He was before me. We have all received of His fullness, grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No man hath seen G.o.d at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, hath declared Him.
And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed and did not deny. He confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou that we may give an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as was said by the prophet Esaias. And they who were sent by the Pharisees asked him, Why baptizest thou then if thou be not that Christ nor Elias nor that prophet?
John answered them, saying, I baptize with water but there standeth One among you, whom ye know not. He it is, who, coming after me, is preferred before me and whose foot straps I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan where John was baptizing. When John saw Jesus coming toward him, he saith, Behold the Lamb of G.o.d who taketh away the sin of the world. This is He of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me because He was before me. I knew Him not except that He should be made manifest to Israel. Therefore I come baptizing with water. John bore record saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him. I knew Him not except that He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, this is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. I saw Him, and bare record that this is the Son of G.o.d.
The next day John and two of his disciples saw Jesus as He walked. John said, Behold the Lamb of G.o.d! The two disciples heard John speak and followed Jesus. Jesus turned, saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said to Him, Rabbi, (which is interpreted, Master) where dwellest Thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where He dwelt and abode with Him that day. It was about the tenth hour.
One of the two which heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter"s brother. First he findeth his own brother, Simon, and saith to him, We have found the messias, (which is interpreted, the Christ) and he brought him to Jesus. When Jesus beheld him He said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona. Thou shalt be called Cephas (which is interpreted, a stone).
A day later, Jesus went forth into Galilee and findeth Philip and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael and saith unto him, We have found Him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him and saith of him, Behold an Israelite in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto Him, Whence knowest Thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto Him, Rabbi, Thou art the Son of G.o.d. Thou art the King of Israel.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee I saw thee under the fig tree believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things than these. And He saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open and the angels of G.o.d ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
2. Three days later there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there. And both Jesus and His disciples were called to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto Him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, But what am I to do? Mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it.
Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. They filled them up to the brim. Then He saith unto them, Draw out now, and carry them unto the governor of the feast.
When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine and knew not whence it was, (but the servants which drew the water knew) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom. He saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine, and, when men have well drunk, then that which is worse, but thou hast kept the good wine until now! This beginning of miracles Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. He showed forth His glory and His disciples believed on Him.
After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brethren, and His disciples. They continued there for a few days. The pa.s.sover was at hand. Jesus went up to Jerusalem and found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves and changers of money sitting. And when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple and overthrew the tables. He said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence. Make not my Father"s house a house of merchandise. Here His disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
Then answered the Jews and said unto Him, What sign showest Thou unto us, seeing that Thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt Thou raise it up again in three days? But He spoke of the temple of His body. When, therefore, He was risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
When He was in Jerusalem at the pa.s.sover feast day, many believed in His name when they saw the miracles which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself.
3. There was a man named Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that Thou art a teacher come from G.o.d because no man can do these miracles that Thou doest unless G.o.d be with Him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of G.o.d. Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother"s womb and be born?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of G.o.d. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound but cannot tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth. The same is as I have said of the Spirit.
Nicodemus answered and said unto Him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak what we know, testify that we have seen, and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things?
No man hath ascended up to heaven except He that came down from heaven, the Son of man. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up so that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For G.o.d so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For G.o.d sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world but that the world, through Him, might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned. But he that believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of G.o.d.
This is the condemnation: light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. Every one that doeth evil hateth the light and cometh not to the light lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be shown that they are wrought in G.o.d.
After these things Jesus and His disciples went into the land of Judaea. There He tarried with them and baptized. And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim because there was much water there, so many people came and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison.
A question arose between some of John"s disciples and the Jews about purifying. They went to John and said, Rabbi, He that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, He baptizeth and all men come to Him.
John answered and said, A man can receive nothing unless it be given him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said I am not the Christ but that I am sent before Him. He that hath the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth Him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom"s voice. This my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.
He that cometh from above is above all. He that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth. He that cometh from heaven is above all. All that He hath seen and heard He testifieth and no one receiveth His testimony. He that hath received His testimony hath set to his seal that G.o.d is true. For He whom G.o.d hath sent speaketh the words of G.o.d because G.o.d giveth unto Him the Spirit without limit. The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hand. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not on the Son shall not see life but the wrath of G.o.d abideth on him.
4. When the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus Himself baptized not, but His disciples) He left Judaea and departed again into Galilee. He needed to go through Samaria. There He came to a city of Samaria called Sychar, which is near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob"s well was there. Jesus, therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat down on the well. It was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (For His disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
She said unto Him, How is it that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, a woman of Samaria? The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans? Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of G.o.d, and who it is that saith to thee Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of Him and He would have given thee living water.
The woman saith unto Him, Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw with and the well is deep. From whence hast Thou that living water? Art Thou greater than our father Jacob who gave us the well and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?
Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst. The water that I give him shall be a well of water springing up in him into everlasting life. The woman saith unto Him, Sir, give me this water that I thirst not and never have to come hither to draw it. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband.
Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband for thou hast had five husbands. He whom thou now hast is not thy husband. In that saidst thou truly. The woman saith unto Him, Sir, I perceive that Thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall, neither worship the Father in this mountain nor at Jerusalem. Ye worship ye know not what. We know what we worship because salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and is now, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth because the Father seeketh such to worship Him. G.o.d is a Spirit. They that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto Him, I know that a messias cometh which is called Christ. When He is come He will tell us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He. At this time His disciples came and they marvelled that He talked with the woman. Yet no man said, What seekest Thou? or, Why talkest Thou with her?
The woman then left her waterpot and went her way. In the city she saith to the men, Come, see a man which told me all the things that I ever did. Is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city and came unto Him.
In the meanwhile His disciples prayed Him, saying, Master, eat. But He said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought Him ought to eat? Jesus saith unto them, my meat is to do the will of Him that sent me and to complete His work. Say not ye, There are yet four months and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes and look on the fields. They are all ready to harvest. He that reapeth now receiveth wages and gathereth fruit unto life eternal so that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true, One soweth and another reapeth. I sent you to reap where ye bestowed no labour. Other men laboured and ye are entered into their labours.
And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him for the saying of the woman who testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto Him, they besought Him to tarry with them. And He abode there two days. Many more believed because of His own word. They said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying but because we have heard Him ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
Now after two days He departed from there and went into Galilee. Jesus Himself testified that a prophet hath no honour in his own country. When He come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received Him after having seen all the things that He did at Jerusalem at the feast because they also were at the feast. So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee where He turned the water into wine.
Now there was a certain n.o.bleman at Capernaum, whose son was sick. When he heard that Jesus left Judea and was in Galilee, he went to Him and besought Him to come down and heal his son who was near death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe. The n.o.bleman saith unto Him, Sir, come before my child dies.
Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way. Thy son liveth. The man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him and he went his way. As he was going along his servants met him saying, Thy son liveth. Then inquired he of them the hour when the son began to mend. They said, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, Thy son liveth. And he believed, and his whole house believed. This is the second miracle that Jesus did when He was come out of Judaea into Galilee.
5. After this there was a feast of the Jews. Jesus went up to Jerusalem. At Jerusalem, by the sheep market, there is a pool with five porches and, in Hebrew, is called Bethesda. On these porches lay a great mult.i.tude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, who wait for the moving of the water. For, at a certain season, an angel went down into the pool and stirred the water. Whoever first stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.