Prologue to John

Chapter 1, verses 1-18 outline the main themes of John, and it will be helpful to keep these verses in mind as we read and study the rest of the book.

This prologue consists of a rich theological hymn and some more prose-like verses that deal with John the Baptist.



The references in, and influences on this passage are many-layered:


The gospel writer makes the message accessible to Greek readers by incorporating the concept of "logos" - translated "Word" - which referred to the chief organizing factor that kept the universe from becoming completely chaotic.

A similar concept had resonance in Jewish traditions. Wisdom as described in Proverbs 3:13-20 and 8:22-31 could have been in the mind of the Jewish reader of John 1:1.


The language of light and darkness connects to Gensis1:1-5, but could also be an influence from Zoroastrianism.


Verses 10-13 stress that the true God created the world. This contradicts the Gnostic assertions that the true God had nothing to do with the creation of the world and that the God of the Old Testament was not the true God.

Verses 14-18 stress that Jesus did come to earth as real human being. This contradicts the Docetist assertion that Jesus only seemed to be human.