13
whoοἳwere bornἐγεννήθησανnotοὐκofἐξblood,αἱμάτωνnorοὐδὲofἐκthe willθελήματοςof the flesh,σαρκὸςnorοὐδὲofἐκthe willθελήματοςof a man,ἀνδρὸςbutἀλλ’ofἐκGod.θεοῦ
John 1:13
Study it in the app“who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God.”
Those who receive Jesus are given the right to become God's childrenGrace
With the Greek beneath
John 1:13, word by word
- were bornἐγεννήθησανegennēthēsan
be begotten
Giving life as God does: becoming God's children.
Where else “egennēthēsan” appears- bloodαἱμάτωνhaimatōn
blood
The red fluid that runs through the bodies of people and animals.
Where else “haimatōn” appears- the willθελήματοςthelēmatos
will
Will: what someone wants and decides.
Where else “thelēmatos” appears- of the fleshσαρκὸςsarkos
mortal
Human beings, frail and mortal.
Where else “sarkos” appears- of a manἀνδρὸςandros
man
An adult male, as distinct from a woman or a child.
Where else “andros” appears- Godθεοῦtheou
God
The Creator and Lord of all, the one God of Israel.
Where else “theou” appears
Translation note
“Blood” is plural in the Greek (“bloods”), a way of speaking of human descent through lineage.
The context
12But to all who received him, he gave them the right to become children of God, to those who believe in his name,
13 · This verse (above)
14And the Word became flesh and pitched his tent among us, and we saw his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and of truth.
To study John 1 in a group
1. What it says
What does the beginning of this chapter say about the Word: where it was, what it was, and what came to be through it? (vv. 1-14)
2. What it means
John says those who received the Word were given authority to become children of God. What does “receiving him” mean in this chapter? (vv. 11-13)
3. How I live it
Jesus asked the first disciples, “What are you looking for?” and invited them, “Come and you will see” (vv. 38-39). What are you looking for today?