John 1:3
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Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
All things, &c.--all things absolutely (as is evident from Joh 1:10; Co1 8:6; Col 1:16-17; but put beyond question by what follows). without Him was not any thing--not one thing. made--brought into being. that was made--This is a denial of the eternity and non-creation of matter, which was held by the whole thinking world outside of Judaism and Christianity: or rather, its proper creation was never so much as dreamt of save by the children of revealed religion.
Open source ↗The scope and design of this chapter is to confirm our faith in Christ as the eternal Son of God, and the true Messiah and Saviour of the world, that we may be brought to receive him, and rely upon him, as our Prophet, Priest, and King, and to give up ourselves to be ruled, and taught, and saved by him. In order to this, we have here, I. An account given of him by the inspired penman himself, fairly laying down, in the beginning, what he designed his whole book should be the proof of (Joh 1:1-5); and again (Joh 1:10-14); and again, (Joh 1:16-18). II. The testimony of John Baptist concerning him (Joh 1:6-9, and Joh 1:15); but most fully and particularly (v. 19-37). III. His own manifestation of himself to Andrew and Peter (Joh 1:38-42), to Philip and Nathanael (Joh 1:43-51).
Open source ↗1:3 The logos is God (1:1-2); all that God does, the logos likewise does. Throughout his Gospel, John rightly viewed Jesus’ actions as divine activity.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist.
“Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things; by Your will they exist and came to be.”
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the stars by the breath of His mouth.
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness, to rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, and over all the earth itself and every creature that crawls upon it.”
He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.
For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens—He is God; He formed the earth and fashioned it; He established it; He did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited: “I am the LORD, and there is no other.
It is I who made the earth and created man upon it. It was My hands that stretched out the heavens, and I ordained all their host.
In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
and to illuminate for everyone the stewardship of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.