In principio erat verbum et verbum erat apud Deum et Deus erat verbum.
Jim Chen altered John 1 [+/-]John 1
[1:1]In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. [2]He was in the beginning
with God. [3]All things were made through him, and without
him was not any thing made that was made. [4]In him was
life, and the life was the light of men. [5]The light
shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome
it.
[6]There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
[7]He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light,
that all might believe through him. [8]He was not the
light, but came to bear witness about the light.
[9]The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming
into the world. [10]He was in the world, and the world was
made through him, yet the world did not know him. [11]He
came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.
[12]But to all who did receive him, who believed in his
name, he gave the right to become children of God, [13]who
were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of
the will of man, but of God.
[14]And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we
have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the
Father, full of grace and truth. [15](John bore witness
about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He
who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before
me.'") [16]And from his fullness we have all received,
grace upon grace. [17]For the law was given through Moses;
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. [18]No one has
ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side,
he has made him known.
[19]And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews
sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who
are you?" [20]He confessed, and did not deny, but
confessed, "I am not the Christ." [21]And they asked him,
"What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you
the Prophet?" And he answered, "No." [22]So they said to
him, "Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who
sent us. What do you say about yourself?" [23]He said, "I
am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make
straight the way of the Lord,' as the prophet Isaiah said."
[24](Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.)
[25]They asked him, "Then why are you baptizing, if you are
neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" [26]John
answered them, "I baptize with water, but among you stands
one you do not know, [27]even he who comes after me, the
strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie." [28]These
things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John
was baptizing.
[29]The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and
said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of
the world! [30]This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a
man who ranks before me, because he was before me.' [31]I
myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came
baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel."
[32]And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from
heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. [33]I myself
did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water
said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and
remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'
[34]And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the
Son of God."
[35]The next day again John was standing with two of his
disciples, [36]and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and
said, "Behold, the Lamb of God!" [37]The two disciples
heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. [38]Jesus
turned and saw them following and said to them, "What are
you seeking?" And they said to him, "Rabbi" (which means
Teacher), "where are you staying?" [39]He said to them,
"Come and you will see." So they came and saw where he was
staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was
about the tenth hour. [40]One of the two who heard John
speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.
[41]He first found his own brother Simon and said to him,
"We have found the Messiah" (which means Christ). [42]He
brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "So you
are Simon the son of John? You shall be called Cephas"
(which means Peter).
[43]The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He
found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." [44]Now Philip
was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.
[45]Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found
him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote,
Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." [46]Nathanael said
to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip
said to him, "Come and see." [47]Jesus saw Nathanael coming
toward him and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed,
in whom there is no deceit!" [48]Nathanael said to him,
"How do you know me?" Jesus answered him, "Before Philip
called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you."
[49]Nathanael answered him, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God!
You are the King of Israel!" [50]Jesus answered him,
"Because I said to you, 'I saw you under the fig tree,' do
you believe? You will see greater things than these."
[51]And he said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you
will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and
descending on the Son of Man." (ESV)
to be about Law. Logos is a hard word to translate, and the concept here is even harder. Nomos is what would usually be translated by Law, but perhaps Logos, as a rational organizing principle, would not be badly translated by it. Of course, then we must think about Law versus Grace too, but that is an allusion worth thinking about. We can call that the Old Law versus the New Law, as some do. Anyway, here is food for thought: have I badly misparaphrased below? (more…)
I saw this in Arlington, Virginia, just off of Fairfax Road.