The Gospel of John for Readers
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Copyright (C) 2002 by Lightheart.
The Gospel of John for Readers
Editor's Preface
"We must know before we can love. In order to know God, we must often
think of Him. And when we come to love Him, we shall then also think
of Him often, for our heart will be with our treasure " ... Brother
Lawrence's The Practice of the Presence of God.
The way to know God is by reading the gospels. Gospel is interpreted
Good News - God's good news to His world. It is the new testament and
perspective we must have in order to know and love Him as He means us
to know and love Him.
The gospel of John is called the gospel of love. And, indeed, it
is a love story, written by that disciple whose heart was totally
surrendered. Brother Lawrence, whose heart was also totally surrendered,
was a great believer in doing what was most practical, simple, and direct.
The Gospel of John for Readers is the KJV lovingly and faithfully adapted
to a flowing narrative style to allow for easy reading enjoyment. May it
help us all to see the exquisite beauty and simple yet practical message
of God's good news through eyes of love.
in His gentle service, Lightheart PracticeGodsPresence.com August 2002
The Gospel of John
1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were
made by Him. Without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was
life; and the life was the light of men. The light shineth in darkness;
and the darkness comprehended it not.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came to bear
witness of the Light that all men through Him might believe. John was
not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That was
the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He
was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him
not. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many as
received Him, to them He gave power to become the sons of God, even to
them that believe on His name: those who were born not of blood, nor of
the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word
was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory
as of the only begotten son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John bore witness of Him and cried, saying, This was He of whom I
spoke. He that cometh after me is preferred before me because He was
before me. We have all received of His fullness, grace for grace. For
the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. No
man hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in the
bosom of the Father, hath declared Him.
And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites
from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed and did
not deny. He confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What
then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And
he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou that we may give
an answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself? He said,
I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way
of the Lord, as was said by the prophet Esaias. And they who were sent
by the Pharisees asked him, Why baptizest thou then if thou be not that
Christ nor Elias nor that prophet?
John answered them, saying, I baptize with water but there standeth One
among you, whom ye know not. He it is, who, coming after me, is preferred
before me and whose foot straps I am not worthy to unloose. These things
were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan where John was baptizing. When
John saw Jesus coming toward him, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God who
taketh away the sin of the world. This is He of whom I said, After me
cometh a man which is preferred before me because He was before me. I
knew Him not except that He should be made manifest to Israel. Therefore
I come baptizing with water. John bore record saying, I saw the Spirit
descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon Him. I knew Him
not except that He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, Upon
whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, this is
He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. I saw Him, and bare record that
this is the Son of God.
The next day John and two of his disciples saw Jesus as He walked. John
said, Behold the Lamb of God! The two disciples heard John speak and
followed Jesus. Jesus turned, saw them following, and saith unto them,
What seek ye? They said to Him, Rabbi, (which is interpreted, Master)
where dwellest Thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw
where He dwelt and abode with Him that day. It was about the tenth hour.
One of the two which heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew,
Simon Peter's brother. First he findeth his own brother, Simon, and saith
to him, We have found the messias, (which is interpreted, the Christ) and
he brought him to Jesus. When Jesus beheld him He said, Thou art Simon the
son of Jona. Thou shalt be called Cephas (which is interpreted, a stone).
A day later, Jesus went forth into Galilee and findeth Philip and saith
unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and
Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael and saith unto him, We have found Him
of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth,
the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can any good thing come
out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him and saith of him, Behold an Israelite in
whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto Him, Whence knowest Thou me? Jesus
answered and said unto him, Before Philip called thee, when thou wast
under the fig tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto Him,
Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God. Thou art the King of Israel.
Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee I saw thee
under the fig tree believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things than
these. And He saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter
ye shall see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending
upon the Son of man.
2. Three days later there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. The
mother of Jesus was there. And both Jesus and His disciples were called
to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith
unto Him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, But what am I to
do? Mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants,
Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it.
Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of
the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus
saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. They filled them up to
the brim. Then He saith unto them, Draw out now, and carry them unto
the governor of the feast.
When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine and
knew not whence it was, (but the servants which drew the water knew)
the governor of the feast called the bridegroom. He saith unto him,
Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine, and, when men have
well drunk, then that which is worse, but thou hast kept the good wine
until now! This beginning of miracles Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. He
showed forth His glory and His disciples believed on Him.
After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brethren,
and His disciples. They continued there for a few days. The passover was
at hand. Jesus went up to Jerusalem and found in the temple those that
sold oxen and sheep and doves and changers of money sitting. And when He
had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple
and overthrew the tables. He said unto them that sold doves, Take these
things hence. Make not my Father's house a house of merchandise. Here
His disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house
hath eaten me up.
Then answered the Jews and said unto Him, What sign showest Thou unto us,
seeing that Thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them,
Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the
Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt Thou raise
it up again in three days? But He spoke of the temple of His body. When,
therefore, He was risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that
He had said this to them and they believed the scripture and the word
which Jesus had said.
When He was in Jerusalem at the passover feast day, many believed in
His name when they saw the miracles which He did. But Jesus did not
commit Himself.
3. There was a man named Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a ruler of the
Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that
Thou art a teacher come from God because no man can do these miracles
that Thou doest unless God be with Him. Jesus answered and said unto him,
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again he cannot
see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto Him, How can a man be born
when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and
be born?
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born
of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That
which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit
is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The
wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound but cannot
tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth. The same is as I have said
of the Spirit.
Nicodemus answered and said unto Him, How can these things be? Jesus
answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel and knowest not
these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak what we know,
testify that we have seen, and ye receive not our witness. If I have
told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I
tell you of heavenly things?
No man hath ascended up to heaven except He that came down from heaven,
the Son of man. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even
so must the Son of man be lifted up so that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son
into the world to condemn the world but that the world, through Him,
might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned. But he that
believeth not is condemned already because he hath not believed in the
name of the only begotten Son of God.
This is the condemnation: light is come into the world and men loved
darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. Every one that
doeth evil hateth the light and cometh not to the light lest his deeds
should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light that
his deeds may be shown that they are wrought in God.
After these things Jesus and His disciples went into the land of
Judaea. There He tarried with them and baptized. And John also was
baptizing in Aenon near to Salim because there was much water there, so
many people came and were baptized. For John was not yet cast into prison.
A question arose between some of John's disciples and the Jews about
purifying. They went to John and said, Rabbi, He that was with thee
beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, He baptizeth and
all men come to Him.
John answered and said, A man can receive nothing unless it be given
him from heaven. Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said I am not
the Christ but that I am sent before Him. He that hath the bride is the
bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth
Him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This my joy
therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.
He that cometh from above is above all. He that is of the earth is
earthly and speaketh of the earth. He that cometh from heaven is above
all. All that He hath seen and heard He testifieth and no one receiveth
His testimony. He that hath received His testimony hath set to his seal
that God is true. For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God
because God giveth unto Him the Spirit without limit. The Father loveth
the Son and hath given all things into His hand. He that believeth on
the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not on the Son shall
not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him.
4. When the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made
and baptized more disciples than John, (Though Jesus Himself baptized not,
but His disciples) He left Judaea and departed again into Galilee. He
needed to go through Samaria. There He came to a city of Samaria called
Sychar, which is near the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son
Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus, therefore, being wearied with
His journey, sat down on the well. It was about the sixth hour. There
cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith unto her, Give me
to drink. (For His disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)
She said unto Him, How is it that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me,
a woman of Samaria? The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans? Jesus
answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it
is that saith to thee Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of Him
and He would have given thee living water.
The woman saith unto Him, Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw with and the
well is deep. From whence hast Thou that living water? Art Thou greater
than our father Jacob who gave us the well and drank thereof himself,
and his children, and his cattle?
Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall
thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give
him shall never thirst. The water that I give him shall be a well of
water springing up in him into everlasting life. The woman saith unto
Him, Sir, give me this water that I thirst not and never have to come
hither to draw it. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband and come
hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband.
Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband for thou
hast had five husbands. He whom thou now hast is not thy husband. In
that saidst thou truly. The woman saith unto Him, Sir, I perceive that
Thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain and ye say
that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall,
neither worship the Father in this mountain nor at Jerusalem. Ye worship
ye know not what. We know what we worship because salvation is of the
Jews. But the hour cometh, and is now, when the true worshippers shall
worship the Father in spirit and in truth because the Father seeketh
such to worship Him. God is a Spirit. They that worship Him must worship
Him in spirit and in truth. The woman saith unto Him, I know that a
messias cometh which is called Christ. When He is come He will tell
us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am He. At
this time His disciples came and they marvelled that He talked with the
woman. Yet no man said, What seekest Thou? or, Why talkest Thou with her?
The woman then left her waterpot and went her way. In the city she saith
to the men, Come, see a man which told me all the things that I ever
did. Is not this the Christ? Then they went out of the city and came
unto Him.
In the meanwhile His disciples prayed Him, saying, Master, eat. But
He said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore
said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought Him ought to
eat? Jesus saith unto them, my meat is to do the will of Him that sent me
and to complete His work. Say not ye, There are yet four months and then
cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes and look on
the fields. They are all ready to harvest. He that reapeth now receiveth
wages and gathereth fruit unto life eternal so that both he that soweth
and he that reapeth may rejoice together. And herein is that saying true,
One soweth and another reapeth. I sent you to reap where ye bestowed no
labour. Other men laboured and ye are entered into their labours.
And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on Him for the saying
of the woman who testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when
the Samaritans were come unto Him, they besought Him to tarry with
them. And He abode there two days. Many more believed because of His
own word. They said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy
saying but because we have heard Him ourselves and know that this is
indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
Now after two days He departed from there and went into Galilee. Jesus
Himself testified that a prophet hath no honour in his own country. When
He come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received Him after having seen all
the things that He did at Jerusalem at the feast because they also were
at the feast. So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee where He turned
the water into wine.
Now there was a certain nobleman at Capernaum, whose son was sick. When
he heard that Jesus left Judea and was in Galilee, he went to Him and
besought Him to come down and heal his son who was near death. Then said
Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe. The
nobleman saith unto Him, Sir, come before my child dies.
Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way. Thy son liveth. The man believed the
word that Jesus had spoken unto him and he went his way. As he was going
along his servants met him saying, Thy son liveth. Then inquired he of
them the hour when the son began to mend. They said, Yesterday at the
seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the
same hour in which Jesus said to him, Thy son liveth. And he believed,
and his whole house believed. This is the second miracle that Jesus did
when He was come out of Judaea into Galilee.
5. After this there was a feast of the Jews. Jesus went up to
Jerusalem. At Jerusalem, by the sheep market, there is a pool with five
porches and, in Hebrew, is called Bethesda. On these porches lay a great
multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, who wait for the
moving of the water. For, at a certain season, an angel went down into
the pool and stirred the water. Whoever first stepped in was made whole
of whatsoever disease he had.
A certain man was there which had an infirmity thirty and eight
years. When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been such a long time in
that condition, He saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent
man answered, Sir, I have no man, when the water is stirred, to put
me into the pool. Before I come another steppeth down before me. Jesus
saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed and walk. Immediately the man was
made whole, took up his bed, and walked. This was on the sabbath day.
The Jews therefore said to him that was cured, It is the sabbath day. It
is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed. He answered them, He that made
me whole said unto me, Take up thy bed and walk. Then asked they him,
What man is that which said unto thee, Take up thy bed and walk? And he
that was healed knew not who it was because Jesus had conveyed Himself
away from the multitude gathered in that place.
Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple and said unto him, Behold,
thou art made whole. Sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee. The
man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him
whole. Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus. They sought to slay Him
because He had done these things on the sabbath day. But Jesus answered
them, my Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him because He not only had
broken the sabbath but He said also that God was His Father, making
Himself equal with God. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of Himself except what He
seeth the Father do, for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth
the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son and showeth Him all things
that He Himself doeth. And He will show Him greater works than these that
ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them,
even so the Son quickeneth whom He will. For the Father judgeth no man,
but hath committed all judgment unto the Son. This is so all men should
honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not
the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent Him.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word and believeth
on Him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into
condemnation but pass from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto
you, The hour is coming, and is now, when the dead shall hear the voice of
the Son of God. They that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in
Himself so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself. And He hath
given Him authority to execute judgment also because He is the Son of man.
Marvel not at this because the hour is coming in which all that are in
graves shall hear His voice and shall come forth. They that have done
good go unto the resurrection of life. They that have done evil go unto
the resurrection of damnation. I can of myself do nothing. As I hear,
I judge. And my judgment is just because I seek not my own will but the
will of the Father who hath sent me.
If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that
beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of
me is true. Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But
I receive not testimony from man. I say these things that ye might be
saved. He was a burning and a shining light and ye were willing, for a
season, to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than that of
John, for the works which the Father hath given me to complete are the
same works that I do. Witness that the Father hath sent me. The Father
Himself which hath sent me hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither
heard His voice at any time nor seen His shape. Ye have not His word
abiding in you because whom He hath sent ye believe not.
Search the scriptures. In them ye think ye have eternal life. They are
that which testify of me. Yet ye will not come to me that ye might have
life. I receive not honour from men but I know you that have not the love
of God in you. I am come in my Father's name and ye receive me not. If
another shall come in his own name him ye will receive. How can ye believe
when ye receive honour one of another and seek not the honour that cometh
only from God? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There
is already one that accuseth you: Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye
believed Moses ye would have believed me because he wrote of me. But if
ye believe not his writings how shall ye believe my words?
6. After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which
is the sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed Him because they
saw the miracles which He did on those who were diseased. Jesus went
up into a mountain and there He sat with His disciples. The passover,
a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus saw a great company come unto
Him, He saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread that these may
eat? This He said to test Philip because Jesus Himself knew what He
would do. Philip answered Him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not
sufficient for every one to take a little. One of His disciples, Andrew,
Simon Peter's brother, saith unto Him, There is a lad here, who has five
barley loaves and two small fishes. But what are they among so many?
And Jesus said, Have the men sit down on the grass. So the men, about
five thousand, sat down. Then Jesus took the loaves. When He had given
thanks, He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to them
that were seated. Then the same with the fishes. When all were filled,
He said unto His disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain so that
nothing be wasted. Therefore they gathered them together and filled twelve
baskets with the leftover fragments of the five barley loaves. Those who,
when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is truly that
prophet that should come into the world. When Jesus perceived that they
would come and take Him by force to make Him a king, He departed alone
into a mountain.
It was now evening. His disciples went down to the sea and entered into
a boat and went toward Capernaum. It grew dark and Jesus had not come to
them. Then the sea arose by the force of a great wind. When they had rowed
about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they saw Jesus walking on the
sea and drawing near the boat. They were afraid. But He saith unto them,
It is I. Be not afraid. Then they willingly received Him into the boat
and immediately were at the land whither they went.
