Kress Biblical Resources :: The Prologue (John 1:1-18)

Detailed Outline of John

The Word of God, Jesus Christ the Son of God has come to bring light and eternal life—believe in Him

1. The prologue—Jesus is God come in the flesh (Jhn 1:1-18)
   1. The Word Who is God (Jhn 1:1-5)
      1. The Person called the Word pre-existed the beginning (Jhn 1:1a)
      2. The Person called the Word was both in the presence of God, and yet God Himself (Jhn 1:1b-2)
      3. The Person called the Word created all things (Jhn 1:3)
      4. The Person called the Word is the source of life and undiminished light/truth for all men (Jhn 1:4-5)
         1. Life itself has its eternal source in Him (Jhn 1:4)
         2. Life carries with it undeniable light/truth evident to all men (Jhn 1:4b)
         3. Light/truth cannot be overcome by darkness/error (Jhn 1:5)
   2. The witness that was John’s (Jhn 1:6-8)
      1. The mandate from God and the man John (Jhn 1:6)
      2. The man John and his ministry (Jhn 1:7-8)
         1. John testified to the light (Jhn 1:7a)
         2. John taught to engender faith in the light (Jhn 1:7b)
         3. John testified to the light, but was not the light (Jhn 1:8)
   3. The way of sonship that is either rejected or received (Jhn 1:9-13)
      1. God, Who is light, came into the world—and thus every man is accountable (Jhn 1:9)
      2. God, the Creator, came to His creation—and His creatures did not recognize Him (Jhn 1:10)
      3. God, the God of Israel, came to His own—and His own covenant nation did not receive Him (Jhn 1:11)
      4. God, the Savior, came to give sonship to everyone who would receive Him by faith, trusting in His name (Jhn 1:12-13)
         1. The way to sonship is received by faith in His name (Jhn 1:12)
         2. The way of sonship requires divine regeneration (Jhn 1:13)
   4. The witnesses who testify to Jesus Christ, as God come in the flesh (Jhn 1:14-18)
      1. The witness of the Apostles—we saw the glory of God tabernacling with men (Jhn 1:14)
      2. The witness of John the Baptist—the pre-existent, pre-eminent One has come (Jhn 1:15)
      3. The witness of the Apostles—God has come—replacing the grace of Mosaic law with surpassing grace (Jhn 1:16-18)
         1. The reception of grace surpassing grace (Jhn 1:16)
         2. The realization and explanation of grace surpassing grace (Jhn 1:17)
         3. The revelation of God in the Person of the only begotten God, Who is at the Father’s side, is grace surpassing grace (Jhn 1:18)