FUNCTIONAL FAITH
The Wording
The Pioneer Translation Rendering

John 1

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was divine.

Logos is rendered the Word throughout John's Gospel, as the Pioneer Translation consistently does. The final clause — theos ēn ho logos — departs from the conventional rendering 'the Word was God' for a precise grammatical reason: the Greek theos here carries no definite article. In Greek a predicate noun without the article indicates quality or nature rather than personal identity — the Word shares in the Father's divine character completely but is not identical to the Father. Goodspeed and Moffatt translate this clause as 'the Word was divine' for the same reason. The Word was with the Father. The Word was not the Father. This distinction runs through John's entire Gospel: the Father sent the Word, the Word did what the Father showed him, the Father is greater than the Word.

2He was in the beginning with God.

The pronoun *houtos* ("this one" or "he") refers back to the Word established in verse 1, maintaining the distinction between the Word and God (*ton theon*). The preposition *pros* carries a sense of active orientation or face-to-face relation — the Word was *with* God, not identical to God — preserving the sender/sent distinction foundational to this Gospel.

3All things came into being through him, and apart from him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.

The Greek *egeneto* (aorist of *ginomai*) means "came into being" — denoting things that began to exist — and is carefully distinguished here from the eternal *ēn* ("was") used of the Word in verses 1–2. The final phrase *ho gegonen* ("that has come into being") is retained as part of verse 3 per the punctuation supported by early manuscripts, completing the thought: everything in the realm of created existence came through him. The preposition *di' autou* ("through him") preserves the instrumental role of the Word — he is the agent, not the source; creation flows from the Father through the Word.

14And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory — glory as of an only-begotten from the Father — full of grace and truth.

*Logos* is rendered "the Word," as the Pioneer Translation consistently does. *Monogenous* is translated "only-begotten" rather than the weakened "one and only," preserving the generative, relational meaning of the term — one who is begotten from a source, here distinctly "from the Father" (*para patros*), reinforcing the sender/sent and origin distinction between Father and Son. *Eskēnōsen* literally means "pitched his tent" or "tabernacled," rendered here as "dwelt" for natural modern English, though the tabernacle resonance with the Hebrew *mishkan* is present in the source.

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Goodspeed New Testament

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1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

In the beginning the Word existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was divine.

2

He was with God in the beginning.

It was he that was with God in the beginning.

3

Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.

Everything came into existence through him, and apart from him nothing came to be.

4

In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.

It was by him that life came into existence, and that life was the light of mankind.

5

The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The light is still shining in the darkness, for the darkness has never put it out.

6

There came a man who was sent from God. His name was John.

There appeared a man by the name of John, with a message from God.

7

He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe.

He came to give testimony, to testify to the light, so that everyone might come to believe in it through him.

8

He himself was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

He was not the light; he came to testify to the light.

9

The true Light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

The real light, which sheds light upon everyone, was just coming into the world.

10

He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.

He came into the world, and though the world came into existence through him, the world did not recognize him.

11

He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.

He came to his home, and his own family did not welcome him.

12

But to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—

But to all who did receive him and believe in him he gave the right to become children of God,

13

children born not of blood, nor of the desire or will of man, but born of God.

owing their birth not to nature nor to any human or physical impulse, but to God.

14

The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

So the Word became flesh and blood and lived for a while among us, abounding in blessing and truth, and we saw the honor God had given him, such honor as an only son receives from his father.

15

John testified concerning Him. He cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’”

(John testified to him and cried out—for it was he who said it—“He who was to come after me is now ahead of me, for he existed before me!”)

16

From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.

For from his abundance we have all had a share, and received blessing after blessing.

17

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

For while the Law was given through Moses, blessing and truth came to us through Jesus Christ.

18

No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.

No one has ever seen God; it is the divine Only Son, who leans upon his Father’s breast, that has made him known.

19

And this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?”

Now this is the testimony that John gave when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him who he was.

20

He did not refuse to confess, but openly declared, “I am not the Christ.”

He admitted—he made no attempt to deny it—he admitted that he was not the Christ.

21

“Then who are you?” they inquired. “Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”

Then they asked him, “What are you then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “No, I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”

22

So they said to him, “Who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”

Then they said to him, “Who are you? We must have some answer to give those who sent us here. What have you to say for yourself?”

23

John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet: “I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”

He said, “I am a voice of one shouting in the desert, ‘Straighten the Lord’s way!’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

24

Then the Pharisees who had been sent

Now the messengers were Pharisees.

25

asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

And they asked him, “Then why are you baptizing people, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

26

“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands One you do not know.

“I am only baptizing in water,” John answered, “but someone is standing among you of whom you do not know.

27

He is the One who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

He is to come after me, and I am not worthy to undo his shoe!”

28

All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

This took place at Bethany, on the farther side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

29

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and he said, “There is God’s lamb, who is to remove the world’s sin!

30

This is He of whom I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’

This is the man of whom I spoke when I said, ‘After me there is coming a man who is even now ahead of me, for he existed before me.’

31

I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.”

I did not know him, but it is in order that he may be made known to Israel that I have come and baptized people in water.”

32

Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him.

And John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven like a dove, and it remained upon him.

33

I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

I did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain, is the one who is to baptize in the holy Spirit.’

34

I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God. ”

And I did see it, and I testify that he is the Son of God.”

35

The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.

Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples,

36

When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

and looking at Jesus as he passed, he said, “There is God’s lamb!”

37

And when the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus.

The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

38

Jesus turned and saw them following. “What do you want?” He asked. They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are You staying?”

But Jesus turned, and seeing them following him he said, “What do you want?” They said to him, “Rabbi”—that is to say, Master—“Where are you staying?”

39

“Come and see,” He replied. So they went and saw where He was staying, and spent that day with Him. It was about the tenth hour.

He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent the rest of the day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

40

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard John’s testimony and followed Jesus.

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John said and followed Jesus.

41

He first found his brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated as Christ).

Andrew immediately sought out his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah!”—that is to say, the Christ.

42

Andrew brought him to Jesus, who looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which is translated as Peter).

He took him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon, son of John. You shall be called Cephas”—that is, Peter, which means rock.

43

The next day Jesus decided to set out for Galilee. Finding Philip, He told him, “Follow Me.”

The next day Jesus determined to leave for Galilee. And he sought out Philip and said to him, “Come with me.”

44

Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the same town as Andrew and Peter.

Now Philip came from Bethsaida, the town of Andrew and Peter.

45

Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the One Moses wrote about in the Law, the One the prophets foretold—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

Philip sought out Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the Law and about whom the prophets wrote; it is Jesus, the son of Joseph, who comes from Nazareth!”

46

“Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Nathanael asked. “Come and see,” said Philip.

Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see!”

47

When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, He said of him, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit.”

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, and he said of him, “Here is really an Israelite without any deceit in him!”

48

“How do You know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”

Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered, “While you were still under that fig tree, before Philip called you I saw you.”

49

“Rabbi,” Nathanael answered, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Nathanael answered, “Master, you are the Son of God! You are king of Israel!”

50

Jesus said to him, “Do you believe just because I told you I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.”

Jesus answered, “Do you believe in me because I told you that I had seen you under that fig tree? You will see greater things than that!”

51

Then He declared, “Truly, truly, I tell you, you will all see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

And he said to him, “I tell you all, you will see heaven opened and God’s angels going up, and coming down to the Son of Man!”

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Sources

SBL Greek New Testament (SBLGNT)License

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition

Copyright 2010 Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software.

Licensed CC BY 4.0.

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