Two main words: Easter greetings in eleven languages. The Easter Gospel: Truth Confronts Law
The order of reading the Easter Gospel in several languages is as follows. After the senior deacon asks for the blessing “Bless, Master, Evangelist” and the primate gives this blessing with the words “God through prayers,” the primate proclaims “Wisdom, forgive, let us hear the Holy Gospel.” These same words are repeated after the primate by all the priests and deacons, ending with the senior deacon - each, if possible, in the language in which he will read the Gospel. Then the primate says “Peace to all.” None of the clergy repeat this exclamation. The singers answer “And your spirit.”
The primate proclaims “Reading of the Holy Gospel from John.” All the priests and dacons repeat these words after him, also, if possible, in the language in which the Gospel will be read. After all the clergy, ending with the senior deacon, say these words, the singers sing “Glory to Thee, Lord, glory to Thee.” Primate - “Let us hear.” The same goes for all the clergy, ending with the senior deacon, each also in the language in which he will read the Gospel. The primate begins the 1st article, followed by the priests and deacons, and lastly, the senior deacon. The 2nd and 3rd articles are read in the same order.
During the reading of the Gospel in the bell tower, the so-called “enumeration” is performed, that is, all the bells are struck once, starting from the small ones. At the end of the Gospel there is a short peal. When the senior deacon finishes the 3rd article, the singers sing “Glory to Thee, Lord, glory to Thee.”
The senior deacon gives the Gospel to the primate. The other deacons follow him into the altar with the Gospels and take them to their places.
English (from the King James Bible)
1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2. The same was in the beginning with God.
3. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5. And the light shines in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
6. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.
8. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
9. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
10. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
11. He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we were held his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
15. John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.
16. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
17. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
Listen:
Belorussian
1. There were Words on the packet, and Words were for God, and Words were for Gods.
2. I was like God:
3. Everything was hurting Iago, and without Iago nothing was hurting because it was hurting.
4. They had a life, and the life was holy of people.
5. I am holy and the earth is blessed, and the earth did not destroy it.
6. There was a chalavek, shepherded by God’s hell; The name of the pit is Yang;
7. Once upon a time, when everyone believed in the goodness of Iago;
8. He wouldn’t be holy, but he would be paslany, if he were the great saint.
9. There was a Holy Sapraudnaya, Such a holy man’s skin that walked in the world.
10. The world had, and Iago’s light was dying, and Iago’s light was not known;
11. the past and theirs, and theirs did not accept Iago;
12. And to you, who have taken Iago, who believe in the name of Iagonae, may I rule the world of God,
13. This is not the hell of a roof, nor the hell of a precious place, nor the hell of a precious husband, but the hell of God has been taken care of.
14. I Words became common, and they became common among us, with all their joys and truths; And we received the glory of Yagon, the glory of Adzinarodnaga ad Aitz.
15. Yang is the svedchyts pra Yago and ўsklіkayuchy kazha: Geta was the one, pra Yakoga I will say that the one who is behind me, apriedzіў māne, because he would have been earlier for me.
16. And Iago’s hell has fallen, we have all fallen into hell and sweetness;
17. Because the law of dazena is the law of Maisei, and the law of justice has become the law of Jesus Christ.
Bulgarian
From John the Holy Gospel. Chapter 1
1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word.
2. That’s the beginning with God.
3. Everything came to be through Him, and without Him nothing was made anew, and some things came to be.
4. There is life in Him and there is life, and there is life and light in the world.
5. And that light shines in the darkness, and I do not see the darkness.
6. And there is one man who is from God, that is, John;
7. He will come for the testimony, and the testimony for the light is that, that all the chicks will tear through him.
8. That is not be she svetlina ta, but be praten and testify for svetlina ta.
9. There is light in your life, somehow enlightening all people, and two in the world.
10. There is light in the light, and there is light through Him, but He does not know the light.
11. You get to Svoite Si, but Svoite Go did not arrive.
12. And for all the things that He has arrived, you are ready to eat in Him, so that it is possible for God’s sake;
13. These are not from blood, nor from the lusts of the flesh, nor from the lusts of the flesh, but from God of this birth.
14. And the Word came from here to the land, and living among us, it was full of grace and truth; and seeing the glory of Mu, glory to the Only Begotten of the Father.
15. Joa Ned, the Teli for the NOT and Vis, the souls of Mikey: I take it, for which they are ready to say: the idea is not a darling to me, it will take a shatter in a naplera from a measure of not.
16. And from Him the fullness of all things came, and all grace came;
17. Therefore the Law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus and Christ.
Gagauz
II KHABER IOANDAN
Sӧz adam oldu
1 Bashtan Sӧz varda, Sӧz Allahtaida, Sӧz Allahty.
2 Bashtan O Allahtaida.
3 Hepsi Onunnan kuruldu, Onsuz bishey kurulmada.
4 Onda yashamak vardy. Yashamak insan ichin aydinnykty.
5 Aydinnyk karannykta shafk eder, karannyk onu enseiämedi.
6 Allahtan bir adam geldi, onun ady John.
7 Geldi Aydinnyk ichin shaatlyk etsin, hepsi insan onun ashyry inansin.
8 About Kendi diildi Aydinnyk, ama geldi Aydynnyk ichin solesin.
9 Odur hakyna Aydinnyk, Angysy kherbir adamy, bu donneya gelän, aydinnader.
10 About Kendi bu donneyo geldi. Donno Onun ashyry yaradyldy, ama donna Onu tanymada.
11 Kendikilerina geldi, kendikileri Onu kabletmed.
12 Ama hepsi onnar, kim Onu cabletti, kim Onun adyna inanda, O izin verdi onnar olsun Allahyn ushaklary,
13 angylary diil kandan, diil ettan hem diil adam istediindan, ama Allahtan duudu.
14 Soz adam oldu, bizim aramyzda yashady, ivergiylan hem aslylyklan dolu. Onun metinniin görðÿk, nía Bobadan biriöik Oolun metinniin.
15 Ioan Onun ichin shaatlyk etti da bÿÿk seslän bölä dedi: “Budur O, Kimin ichin haberledim: “Oh, Kim bendän sora geler, taa ÿstÿán bend än, zerä Benden taa ileriidi.”
16 Onun dolushundan hepsimiz iivergi ÿstÿnä iivergi edendik.”
17 Zerä Law Moses ashyry verdi, ama hayyr hem aslylyk Jesus Christ ashyry geldi.
Greek
| Greek | Transcription |
|---|---|
|
1. λόγος |
With ofi a, orfi, aku somen to agi u Evangeliu. (Wisdom, forgive me...) 1. En archi in about Logos, ke about Logos in pro s ton Feon, ke Feo s, in about Logos. |
Hebrew
1. bereshit haya hadavar, vehadavar haya et halohim, velohim haya hadavar
2. hu haya bereshit etzel halohim.
3. hakol nihya ‘al-yado umibal’adav lo nihya kal-asher nihya.
4. bo hayyu hayyim, vəhayyim hayyu or bəne ha-adam.
5. vehaor bahoshekh zarah vehahosheh lo hishigo.
6. vayhi ish shaluah meet halohim, ushmo yochanan
7. hu ba lə‘edut ləha‘id ‘al-haor ləma‘an ya-aminu hulam ‘al-yado’.
8. hu lo hayah haor ki im-ləha‘id ‘al-haor.
9. haor ha-amitti hameir ləhal-adam haya va el-ha‘olam.
10. ba'olam haya ve'al-yado nihya ha'olam, veha'olam lo hikiro.
11. hu va el-asher lo, va-asher hemma lo, lo qibəluhu.
12. vəhamqablim oto natan ‘oz lamo lihot banim lelohim hama-aminim bishmo.
13. asher lo midam, velo-mehefetz habashar, af lo-mehefetz gaver, ki im-melohim noladu.
14. vəhadavavar nihya vashar, vayishkon betokhenu vanheze tif-arto, kati
[‘] is a guttural consonant, formed deep in the throat, very compressed.
[ə] – reduced, very short sound, almost disappears.
[x] – guttural, like Russian [x], but is formed much deeper, as when expectorating
[h] – exhalation sound
[a] – always unstressed, more of an overtone than a sound.
[q] – guttural, like Russian [k], but is formed much deeper
Spanish
LECTURA DEL SANTO EVANGELIO SEGÚN SAN JUAN
1 En el principio existía el Verbo, y el Verbo estaba con Dios, y el Verbo era Dios.
2 Él estaba en el principio con Dios.
3 Por Él fueron hechas todas las cosas, y sin Él no se ha hecho cosa alguna de cuantas han sido hechas.
4 En Él estaba la vida, y la vida era la luz de los hombres.
5 Y la luz resplandece en medio de las tinieblas, y las tinieblas no pudieron retenerla.
6 Hubo un hombre enviado por Dios que se llamaba Juan.
7 Este vino como testigo para dar testimonio de la luz, a fin de que por medio de él todos creyeran.
8 No era él la luz, sino quien daría testimonio de la luz.
9 El Verbo era la luz verdadera que alumbra a todo hombre que viene al mundo.
10 En el mundo estaba, y el mundo fue por Él hecho, pero el mundo no lo conoció.
11 Vino a su propia casa, y los suyos no lo recibieron.
12 Pero a todos los que lo recibieron, que son los que creen en su Nombre, les dio poder de llegar a ser hijos de Dios.
13 Los cuales no nacieron de sangre, ni de deseo de carne, ni de voluntad de hombre, sino que de Dios nacieron.
14 Y el Verbo se hizo carne y habitó entre nosotros; y nosotros hemos visto su gloria, gloria que tiene del Padre como el Unigénito, lleno de gracia y de verdad.
15 De Él da testimonio Juan, y clama diciendo: He aquí Aquél de quien yo les decía: el que viene detrás de mí, se ha puesto delante de mí, por cuanto era antes que yo.
16 Así pues de la plenitud de Él hemos participado todos nosotros y recibido gracia sobre gracia.
17 Porque la Ley fue dada por Moises; mas la Gracia y la Verdad fueron traídas por Jesucristo.
Transcription
1 en el principio era el barbo, and el barbo era con dios, and el barbo era dios
2 este era en el principio con dios
3 todas las cosas por el fueron echas, and sin el nada de lo que a sido echo fue echo
4 en el estaba la bida, y la bida era la luz de los ombres
5 la luz en las tinyeblas rasplandesa, y las tinyeblas no prebalecieron contra eia
6 ubo un ombre enbiado de dios, el cual se yamaba Juan
7 este bino por testimonyo, para que diese testimonyo de la luz, a fin de que todos criesen por el.
8 but era la luz, sino para que diese testimonyo de la luz
9 akeya lus berdadera, que alumbra a todo ombre, benia a este mundo
10 en el mundo estaba, and el mundo por el fue echo, pero el mundo no le conocio.
11 a lo suyo bino, and los suyos no le recibieron
12 mas a todos los que le recibieron, a los que craen en su nombre, les dio potestad de sir echos ijos de dios
13 los cuales no son engendrados de sangre, ni de boluntad de carne, ni de boluntad de baron, sino de dios
14 and akel berbo fue echo carne, and abito entre nosotros, and bimos su gloria como del unigenito del padre, yeno de gracia and de berdad
15 Juan dio testimono de el, and clamo disiendo, este es de quien yo desia, el que biene despues de mi, es antes de mi, porque era primero que yo
16 porque de su planetitud tomamos todos, and gracia sobre gracia
17 pues la lay por madio de moises fue dada, pero la grace et la berdad bigneron por madio de Hesucristo
с = [θ]
b = [β] (sound between [b] and [v])
y = [w] (very short non-syllabic [u])
d = [đ] (very weak [d], from which only an overtone remains)
Italian
LETTURA DAL SANTO VANGELO SECONDO GIOVANNI
1 In principio era il Verbo, il Verbo era presso Dio e il Verbo era Dio.
2 Egli era in principio presso Dio:
3 Tutto è stato fatto per mezzo di lui, e senza di lui niente è stato fatto di tutto ciò che esiste.
4 In lui era la vita e la vita era la luce degli uomini;
5 La luce splende nelle tenebre, ma le tenebre non l’hanno accolta.
6 Venne un uomo mandato da Dio e il suo nome era Giovanni.
7 Egli venne come testimone per rendere testimonianza alla luce, perché tutti credessero per mezzo di lui.
8 Egli non era la luce, ma doveva render testimonianza alla luce.
9 Veniva nel mondo la luce vera, quella che illumina ogni uomo.
10 Egli era nel mondo, e il mondo fu fatto per mezzo di lui, eppure il mondo non lo riconobbe.
11 Venne fra la sua gente, ma i suoi non l’hanno accolto.
12 A quanti però l’hanno accolto, ha dato potere di diventare figli di Dio: a quelli che credono nel suo nome,
13 I quali non da sangue, né da volere di carne, né da volere di uomo, ma da Dio sono stati generati.
14 E il Verbo si fece carne e venne ad abitare in mezzo a noi; e noi vedemmo la sua gloria, gloria come di unigenito dal Padre, pieno di grazia e di verità.
15 Giovanni gli rende testimonianza e grida: Ecco l’uomo di cui io dissi: Colui che viene dopo di me mi è passato avanti, perché era prima di me.
16 Dalla sua pienezza noi tutti abbiamo ricevuto e grazia su grazia.
17 Perché la legge fu data per mezzo di Mosè, la grazia e la verità vennero per mezzo di Gesù Cristo.
Chinese
| Chinese | Transcription |
|---|---|
|
1 太初有道，道與神同在，道就是神。 |
1 Tàichū yǒu dào, dào yǔ shén tóng zài, dào jiùshì shén. |
Listen:
Latin
| Latin | Transcription |
|---|---|
|
1. In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum. |
1. in principle pio er rat ve rbum, et ve rbum er rat a pud de um, et de us er rat ve rbum 2. hok er rat in principle pio a pud de um 3. o mnia per i psum fakta sunt, et si ne i pso faktum est ni hil kvod faktum est 4. in i pso vi ta er rat, et vi ta er rat lux ho minum 5. et lux in tene bris lucet, et tene bre e am non konprehe nderunt 6. fu it ho mo mi ssus a De o ku i no men e rat Johannes 7. hik ve nit in testimonium, ut testimonium perhi beret de lu mine, ut o mnes kre derent per i llum 8. non er rat i lle lux, sed ut testimo nium perhi beret de lu mine 9. er rat lux que inluminat o mne ho minem venie ntem in mundum 10. in mundo erat, et mundus per i psum factus est, et mundus e um non cognovit 11. in pro pria venit, et su i e um non retse parunt 12. kvo tkvot a utem retse perunt e um de dit e is pote statem filios De i fie ri his kvi kradunt in no mine e yus 13. qui non ex sanguinibus, ne que ex vol ntate karnis, ne que ex vol ntate vi ri, sed ex De o na ti sunt 14. et Värbum ka ro faktum est, et habita vit in no bis, et vidi mus glo riam e yus, glo riam quasi unige niti a Pa tre ple num gra cie et verita tis 15. Yoha nnes testimo nium perkhi bet de i pso et klya mat ditsen ns, hik er rat kvem di xi vo bis qui post me ve nturus est, a nte me factus est, qui a pri or me e rat 16. et de plenitu dine e yus nose o mnes acce pimus et graciam pro gracia 17. kvi a lex per Mo zen da ta est, et ve ritas per Ye zum Khristum fakta est |
Listen:
German
LESUNG AUS DEM HEILIGEN EVANGELIUM NACH JOHANNES
1 Im Amfang war das Wort, und das Wort war bei Gott, und Gott war das Wort.
2 Dasselbe war im Anfang bei Gott.
3 Alle Dinge sind durch dasselbe gemacht, und ohne dasselbe ist nichts gemacht, was gemacht ist.
4 In ihm war das Leben, und das Leben war das Licht der Menschen.
5 Und das Licht scheint in der Finsternis, und die Finsternis hat’s nicht begriffen.
6 Es ward ein Mensch, von Gott gesandt, der hieß Johannes.
7 Dieser kam zum Zeugnis, daß er von dem Licht zeugete, auf daß sie alle durch ihn glaubten.
8 Er war nicht das Licht, sondern daß er zeugete von dem Licht.
9 Das war das wahrhaftige Licht, welches alle Menschen erleuchtet, die in diese Welt kommen.
10 Es war in der Welt, und die Welt ist durch dasselbe gemacht; und die Welt kannte es nicht.
11 Er kam in sein Eigentum; und die Seinen nahmen ihn nicht auf.
12 Wie viele ihn aber aufnahmen, denen gab er Macht, Gottes Kinder zu warden, die an seinen Namen glauben;
13 Welche nicht von dem Geblüt noch von dem Willen des Fleisches noch von dem Willen eines Mannes, sondern von Gott geboren sind.
14 Und das Wort ward Fleisch und wohnte unter uns, und wir sahen seine Herrlichkeit, eine Herrlichkeit als des eingebornen Sohnes vom Vater, voller Gnade und Wahrheit.
15 Johannes zeugt von ihm, ruft und spricht: Dieser war es, von dem ich gesagt habe: Nach mir wird kommen, der vor mir gewesen ist; den er war eher den ich.
16 Und von seiner Fülle haben wir alle genommen Gnade um Gnade.
17 Denn das Gesetz ist durch Mose gegeben; die Gnade und Wahrheit ist durch Jesum Christum geworden.
Transcription
1 im anfaŋ vaa das voat, unt das voat vaa bye got, unt got vaa das vort.
2 daszelbə vaa im anfaŋ bai goth.
3 alə díŋə zint duaç daszelbə gəmakht, unt o:nə daszelbə ist niçts gəmakht, you gəmakht ist.
4 in i:m vaa das lé:bən, unt das lé:bən vaa das liçt dea manshən.
5 unt das liçt shaynt in dəa finsteanis, unt di finsteanis hats niçt bəgrifən
6 es vaat ain mensh von goth gəzant, dəa hi:s johanəs
7 dizəa kam tsum tsoiknis, das ea von dam liçt tsoiktə, auf das zi: alə duaç i:n glauptən
8 ea vaa niçt das lçt, zondəan das ea tsoiktə von dəm lçt
9 das vaa das va:ahaftigə litət, welçəs alə manshən ealoyçtət, di in dí:zə welt comən
10 es vaa in dəa velt, unt di velt ist durç daszelbə gəmakht, unt di velt kantə es niçt.
11 ea ka:m in zayn aigəntum, unt di zaynən na:mən i:n niçt auf
12 vi fi:lə i:n abəa aufna:mən, dénən ga:p ea makht kindəa gotəs zu véadən, di an zainən na:mən glaubən,
13 vélçə niçt von dəm gəblu:t noh von dəm wī́lən dəs flyshəs noh von dəm wilən ainəs manəs, zondəan von goth gəbo:an zint.
14 unt das voat vaat flysh unt vo:ntə una uns, unt via for:ən zaynə healiçkayt, ainə healiçkayt als dəs ainəborənən zo:nəs fom fatəa, fo ́ləa gna:də unt va:ahayt.
15 johans zoikt von i:m, ruft unt spricht, di:zəa vaa es, von dəm iç gəzakt ha:bə, nah mia viat komən, dəa foa mia gəve:zən ist, den éa vaa é :a als iç
16 unt fon zaynəa fülə ha:bən via alə gənómən gna:də um gna:də
17 den das gəzets ist duaç mo:zəs gəge:bən, di gna:də unt va:ahayt ist duaç yezum kristum gəvoadən
[ə] - reduced, very short sound, almost disappears.
[ç] - a dull parallel to the sound [j], similar to a very soft Russian [x]
[h] - exhalation sound
[a] - vocalized [r] (same in English), like a very unclear, disappearing [a]
- long vowel
[ŋ] - nasal [n]
Ukrainian
1 From the beginning the Word became, and the Word became into God, and God became the Word.
2 There was peace in God.
3 Everything stood up through Him, and nothing that stood up stood up without Him.
4 And life was in Him, and life was the Light of people.
5 And the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not burn him.
6 There was one man who received messages from God, my name was Ivan.
7 We came to the testimony to testify about Svetlo, so that everyone would believe through him.
8 I was not in this Svetlo, but you can also tell me about Svetlo.
9 The truthful light is the One who shines through the skin of a person who comes into the world.
10 It was in the world, and the world came through Him, but the world did not know Him.
11 Before Vono arrived, Yogo had a fight with his friends.
12 And to all who received Him, He gave His power as children of God, to those who trust in His Name,
13 But not by blood, nor by the greed of the body, nor by the greed of a man, but were born unto God.
14 And the Word became a body, and it was among us, outside of grace and truth, and we saw His glory, the glory of the One-begotten before the Father.
15 Ivan testified about Him, and they called out, saying: This is the One that I said about Him: He who will come for me, having stood before me, for He was first, below me.
16 And yet again we have all won, and then grace upon grace.
17 The law came through Moses, and grace and righteousness came through Jesus Christ.
French
LECTURE DU SAINT EVANGILE SELON SAINT JEAN
1 Au commencement était le Verbe, et le Verbe était avec Dieu, et le Verbe était Dieu.
2 Il était au commencement avec Dieu.
3 Toutes choses ont été faites par lui, et rien de ce qui a été fait nˋa été fait sans lui.
4 En lui était la vie, et la vie était la lumière des hommes.
5 Et la lumière luit dans les ténèbres, et les ténèbres ne lˋont point comprise.
6 Il y eut un homme, appelé Jean, qui fut envoyé de Dieu.
7 Il vint pour servir de témoin, et pour rendre témoignage à la lumière, afin que tous crussent par lui.
8 Il n’était pas la lumière, mais avait à rendre témoignage à la lumière.
9 Le Verbe était la vraie lumière, qui éclaire tout homme venant en ce monde.
10 Il était dans le monde, et le monde a été fait par lui, et le monde ne lˋa point connu.
11 Il est venu chez lui; et les siens ne lˋont point reçu.
12 Mais à tous ceux qui l’ont reçu, il a donné le pouvoir de devenir les enfants de Dieu, à ceux qui croient en son nom,
13 Lui qui n'est pas né du sang, ni de la volonté de la chair, ni de la volonté de lˋhomme, mais de Dieu.
14 Et le Verbe a été fait chair, et il a habité parmi nous, plein de grâce et de vérité; et nous avons vu sa gloire, gloire qu’il tient de son Père comme Fils Unique.
15 Jean rend témoignage de lui, et il crie, disant: C'est de lui que j'ai dit: Celui qui vient après moi, le voilà passé devant moi, parce quˋil était avant moi.
16 Et nous avons tous reçu de sa plénitude, et grâce pour grâce.
17 Car la loi a été donnée par Moïse; mais la grâce et la vérité sont venues par Jésus-Christ.
Beginning with a monogram
Easter reading: “In the beginning was the Word” is perhaps the most difficult of all the gospel texts. Why is this particular passage, which doesn’t even say anything about the Resurrection, read at Easter? On the understanding of the Logos in the ancient, Old Testament and New Testament traditions - in the commentary of Archpriest. Alexander PROKOPCHUK, teacher at PSTGU.
The Easter Gospel is read facing the people. In the photo: During the Divine Liturgy in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on the day of the Resurrection of Christ on May 5, 2013, the Gospel was read His Holiness Patriarch Cyril, bishops and priests - read, according to tradition, in different languages
1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2. It was in the beginning with God.
3. All things came into being through Him, and without Him nothing began to be that has come into being.
4. In Him was life, and life was the light of men.
5. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it.
6. There was a man sent from God; his name is John.
7. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that through him all might believe.
8. He was not light, but was sent to testify to the Light.
9. There was the true Light, which enlightens every person who comes into the world.
10. He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and the world did not know Him.
11. He came to his own, and his own did not receive Him.
12. And to those who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave power to become children of God,
13. who were born neither of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten of the Father.
15. John testifies of Him and, exclaiming, says: This was He of whom I said that He who came after me stood before me, because He was before me.
16. And from His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace,
17. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
(John 1; 1-17).
The introduction to the Gospel of John begins the same way as the book of Genesis: “In the beginning...”. The next phrase - “there was the Word” (Greek “Logos”) - recalls how God, by His word, translated various elements of chaos into the orderliness of creation (for example, “And God said: let there be light and there was light”). However, if the book of Genesis speaks of the beginning of the world in time, then the first verse of the prologue of the Gospel of John indicates the existence of the Word even before the creation of the world. For the evangelist, the Word is a personal Being who was with God from eternity, consubstantial with Him and acting as the Mediator of creation (1.1-3).
But since outside the prologue of the name Logos not in the Gospel text, in biblical scholarship the reasons for using this term in relation to Jesus Christ were discussed. The word “logos” is of Greek origin, so first of all, researchers tried to find the origins of the idea of the Logos of the Evangelist John among Hellenistic thinkers.
For the Stoics it is vital energy, which permeates the universe and creates perfect order in it. The Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria (c. 20 BC - 42 AD) adhered to the Greek concept of God as an entity removed from the world and used the concept of logos to explain how communication occurs between the transcendental God and His creation. Logos is perceived as the inner plan of all things in the consciousness of God and the power that realizes it. She strives to maintain the distance between God and the world and at the same time surpass it.
Thus, divinity cannot be attributed to her. Philo's Logos is not a person, but an element of the world of ideas, which is neither an object of faith nor an object of love.
Therefore, other researchers reasonably believe that the description of the Word in the prologue is much closer to the biblical tradition. This is confirmed by the following.
1) In the psalms, the Word of God is an effective force that creates the world and brings salvation: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were created” (Ps 32.6), “He sent His word and healed them” (Ps 106.20). In the prophets, it acquires an almost independent existence, itself accomplishing that for which it was sent: “So My word, which proceeds from My mouth, does not return to Me void, but accomplishes what I please, and does what I want.” why have I sent him” (Isaiah 55:11).
2) By the 1st century. BC Aramaic became the spoken language throughout Palestine. Therefore, the reading of Scripture in synagogues on Hebrew began to be accompanied by a parallel translation into Aramaic. In such translations (in Aramaic “targums”) the anthropomorphisms of the Bible were replaced by the expression “the word of God.” For example, the sentence “My hand founded the earth and My right hand spread out the heavens” (Is. 48.13) was translated as: “With My word I founded the earth and with My strength I stretched out the heavens.”
3) In the post-exilic era in Israel, the idea of personified Wisdom developed. In the 8th chapter. In the book of Proverbs, she appears as a person who was created before everything else and helped God in creation. “She is the breath of the power of God and the pure outpouring of the glory of the Almighty: therefore nothing defiled shall enter into her. She is a reflection of eternal light and a pure mirror of God’s action... She is alone, but she can do everything and... renews everything” (Wis. 7.25-27).
But no matter what coincidences the meaning of the initial verses of the prologue may be found with previous biblical and philosophical views, the idea of the Logos can only be understood, first of all, in the context of the Gospel of John itself, where the acts of the Word are presented as a continuation of the creative activity of God in the world He created (5.17 ). And the teaching of Jesus Christ is the “fullness of truth” revealed in God’s address to people (15.15, 12.49)
Let's look at the content of each verse of this hymn.
1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The introduction to the Gospel of John begins with a declaration of the originality of the Word. It was always with God, therefore, it existed even before it was “uttered.” But the Word not only precedes everything else in being, It is completely identical with God.
2. It was in the beginning with God.
Here we are immediately faced with the fact that one term can have several meanings for an evangelist. If the originality of Art. 1 rather presupposes the existence of the Word outside of time, in eternity, then in Art. 2 “beginning” is the starting point of creation. The repetition of a word suggests its polysemy.
3. Everything came into being through Him, and without Him nothing came into being that came into being.
According to the book of Genesis, the world was created by the Word, which carried out God's plan. This means that the Word has colossal creative power. It is capable of creating, but it has never done it in isolation. Throughout the Gospel it is repeated many times that God always acts through the Son and does nothing without Him.
4. In Him was life, and life was the light of men.
Consequently, the salvation of the world could not be accomplished without His participation. Therefore, after the topic of the origin of all things, the prologue moves on to the topic of the relationship of the Word to people. Although the entire world was created out of nothingness by God, humanity did not have the life that the Word had, because it was in darkness. That the Word was the light of all men immediately introduces the theme of salvation through the Word. The life of God can only be received in unity with the Son (John 5.40), but for this you need to have Him in yourself (6.56-58). The life of the Word can lead people out of the captivity of darkness: “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (8.12).
5. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it..
The Evangelist does not tell where the darkness came from; it opposes the light and therefore, like the light, must be a personal spiritual principle. Light and darkness are incompatible with each other. And no matter how great the darkness is, it is not capable of hiding or destroying the light, since Light is life, the origin, existence itself: “I am” (8.24, 58).
6. A man appeared, sent from God, his name was John.
If John was called directly by God to his ministry, then everything he preached and did came from the one who sent him.
7. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that everyone would believe through him.
According to the prologue, John's mission was not baptism, but witness. Therefore, it is no coincidence that at the end of it the evangelist does not give a description of the baptism of Jesus, but immediately moves on to the numerous testimonies of the Forerunner.
In verse 7, Light becomes the object of faith. This, firstly, once again emphasizes that we are not talking about ordinary physical light here, but about a reality of a different order. And secondly, it indicates that this Light was a Personality, since one can only believe in a personality. It is important that everyone was destined for this faith, without any exceptions.
8. He was not the Light, but came to testify about the Light.
Although John could not be the light, Jesus will call him a “lamp,” burning and shining, so that all who interacted with him could “rejoice in his light” (5.35).
9. There was the true Light, which enlightens every person who comes into the world.
The definition of light as “true” is no longer found in the Gospel and is significant because truth is here for the first time associated with the Second Hypostasis: in verse 14 the Word will be declared to be the source of truth for people.
Another characteristic of Light is that, unlike ordinary light, it does not shine, but enlightens every person. This can be understood as an indication of the omniscience of Jesus Christ, which is mentioned more than once in the Gospel: “Jesus Himself did not entrust Himself to them because He knew everyone, and because He did not need anyone to testify about man; for He Himself knew what was in man" (2.24-25), "come, see a man, who told me everything that I have done" (4.29), "but I know you, that you do not have the love of God in yourselves" ( 5.42), etc.
Only Jesus revealed the true knowledge of man, while everything that His opponents said about Him came from the devil and was a lie (8.44-45). And since the appearance of Light serves to reveal the truth, it means the onset of judgment: “And this is judgment, that light has come into the world... For everyone who does evil hates the light and does not come to the light... But he who creates the truth comes to the light, so that they may be revealed his works, that they were done in God” (3.19, 20-21). This judgment is “true” (8.16) because it occurs in accordance with the Father who sent Him (5.30).
10. He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and the world did not know Him.
In Art. 10 the word “world” is both the entire universe (“the world came into being through Him”) and the human community (“the world did not know Him”), since only rational beings are capable of knowing anything. The theme of knowledge runs throughout the Gospel, with knowledge and acceptance generally going hand in hand (8.19, 15.21, 17.8; cf. 5.37-38, 42). Therefore, the continuation of the phrase “the world did not know Him” inevitably becomes “they did not accept Him.”
11. He came to his own, and his own did not receive Him.
That is, he “came” to the people whose reception He could count on first of all. “Ours” are the Jews, who thereby represent a world that has rejected the Son of God. Thus, the word “world” (verse 10) takes on a negative connotation; it becomes the personification of humanity’s disobedience to God. Contemporaries of Jesus Christ did not accept Him in divine dignity as their Creator, through whom the world was created (5.17-18).
12. To all who received Him, He gave them power to become children of God, who believe in His name,
This is indeed the power to become a son of God, since it abolishes all human conditioning. If life is given to a person not by people, but by God, then it is no longer subject to death. The word “authority” in the Gospel is used in the context of life and death: “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He gave also to the Son to have life in Himself, and gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man” ( 5.26-27); “No one takes My soul from Me, but I myself lay it down. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again” (10.18); “For You have given Him power over all flesh, so that He might give eternal life to as many as You have given Him” (17.2). The highest power in the world is the ability to control someone else's life. The sovereignty of Jesus Christ means that He has “life in Himself” (5.26). No one has the right to control His life (2.4), no one has “any power” over Him (19.10-11).
13. who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Such a birth in a conversation with Nicodemus is called birth “from above... from water and the Spirit,” without which a person “cannot enter the Kingdom of God” (3.3, 5). The reference to “blood” means clan affiliation, participation in a certain people. Since being born “of blood” does not imply being born “of God,” the superiority of Jewish origin thereby disappears; Judaism does not convey any advantages before God; this is discussed in detail in the Conversation after the Feast of Tabernacles (8.). And below in the prologue it will be said that Moses and the law are also deprived of their former meaning (v. 17).
14. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
The fact that the Word who “was with God,” “became flesh,” and “dwelt among us” presupposes two, at first glance, mutually exclusive points:
1) The Word (Logos) is the revelation of God outside (see verse 18), and as a word it had to sound (15.22). But the evangelist speaks not about the fact that God turned to people in the preaching of Jesus Christ, and not about the miracles that accompanied His ministry, but about the sight of glory. And we are not talking about the Transfiguration here, as commentators often believe, since it is not mentioned in the fourth Gospel.
The glory of Christ did not involve light, voice, noise (Heb. 12.18-19) or any other effects. It was not clear to most of the people who surrounded Jesus Christ. To know it, you needed faith. Glory is the entire earthly ministry of the Son of God, which was the fulfillment of the will of His heavenly Father (John 17.4). Glory is the prerogative of God (5.44; 8.54), so to “see the glory” is to understand that Jesus is God. Glory confirms His divine dignity.
2) On the other hand, the incarnation means that the deity of the Word was hidden under the veil of “flesh.” The Son of God could be unidentified “because He” is a man (5.27). Therefore, communication with Jesus did not yet mean understanding who He is: “But I told you that you have seen Me and do not believe” (5.36).
15. John testifies of Him and declares: This was He of whom I said: He who came after me stood before me, because he was before me.
John gives primacy to Jesus Christ, pointing to His divine origin. Previous evangelists had already made similar statements, but they did not contain dogmatic elements. The ministry of John the Baptist, both in the prologue and in the subsequent gospel text, is always compared with Jesus Christ. On the pages of the fourth Gospel, John does not exist on his own; all his activities are correlated with Jesus: he is a witness who leads others to faith. In chapter 3 we learn that the disciples of John the Baptist were jealous of the increasing popularity of Jesus Christ. Even though John baptized Jesus (which would seem to place the latter in a subordinate position to the former), Christ's ministry is infinitely superior to John's. According to the synoptic gospels, the failure of John's disciples to fully comprehend Jesus' mission forced the Baptist to send them to Him from prison (Luke 7.19).
16. For out of His fullness we have received everything: and grace upon grace;
This verse contains one of the most important provisions of the Gospel of John: what previously belonged only to the Son of God can now pass to people. And the most important gift is life, which the Son brought in abundance: “I came that they might have life and have it in abundance” (10.10). Therefore, the prologue speaks of grace that overwhelms those who receive it (“grace upon grace”).
17. Because the Law was given through Moses, grace and truth were revealed through Jesus Christ.
Here we encounter another antithesis that runs through the entire gospel narrative: Moses, who received the law (7.19), is contrasted with Jesus Christ and the truth that He brought.
If the mention of grace is contained only in the prologue, then truth is one of the key themes of the fourth Gospel. Jesus is the truth itself, He completely identifies Himself with it: “... I am the way and the truth and the life” (14.6), it is known only to Him alone (8.45).
We have the right to talk about a conflict: the law comes into conflict with the truth and becomes the basis for its rejection. Jesus explains to Pilate that His coming into the world is connected with the revelation and dissemination of the truth: “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I came into the world, to testify to the truth” (18.37), and the high priests, seeking Pilate’s consent to the crucifixion of Jesus, will announce, that their demand was dictated by the law: “The Jews answered him: We have a law, and according to the law He must die, because He made Himself the Son of God” (19.7). For them, everything that He said about Himself is an obvious lie. Thus, the struggle between the law and the truth ultimately caused the condemnation of Jesus Christ to death.
The prologue of the Gospel of John took its place in the celebration of Easter only in Byzantium no earlier than the 7th century. In most sources of the ancient Church, the reading of the Easter liturgy is the 2nd Sunday reading (Mark 16.2-8). Perhaps the first connection between the prologue of the Gospel of John and the Easter holiday was established by Bl. Augustine (354-430).
In his two sermons delivered to the newly baptized on Easter, he quotes the relevant verses John 1.1-3, 14 and discusses the phenomenon of the incarnation of the Word. Since the end of the 2nd century, mass baptism of catechumens has become an indispensable and important part of the Easter service, while the prologue, containing the most complete expression of the doctrine of the Trinity in the New Testament, can serve as one of the New Testament creeds. Pope Leo I (440-461) used the prologue as an Easter reading, and later the Antiochian patriarch Sevier (512-518) dedicated two Easter sermons to John 1.14, “The Word became flesh,” as the basis of the baptismal rite.
The position of the Prologue of the Gospel of John in the annual circle of readings is determined solely by the significance of its content in both theological and liturgical aspects.
Thanks to the fact that we hear it on Easter night, the entire economy of salvation appears before us, the focus of which is the Resurrection of Christ.
The law given through Moses is rendered meaningless by all that is received through Christ.
We will meet this position in the further exposition of the Evangelist John. The Lord begins his conversation about the Bread of Life with the words: “Moses did not give you bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven” (John 6.32). And at the Feast of Tabernacles, addressing the Jews, He says: “Didn’t Moses give you the Law? And none of you keeps the Law” (John 7.19). “Moses gave you circumcision - not that it was from Moses, it was from the fathers” (7.22). In the above words of the Savior, what is given through Moses is immediately devalued by what follows... And although the divine origin of the revelation to Moses is not questioned - “God spoke to Moses” (9.29) - and for faith in Christ it is necessary to first believe Moses (5.46-47), however, what the Father communicates and accomplishes through the Son (12.49; 14.10) cancels out everything that precedes.
But the theme of “Christ and Moses” is not reduced by the Evangelist only to downplaying the importance of Moses. After the healing at the sheep's font on Saturday, when the Jews accuse Jesus of violating the Mosaic Law (5.16; 7.23), He answers them that all judgment has been given to Him by the Father (5.22) and Moses, whose defenders they present themselves as, will become their accuser at the final trial (5.45).
It has a deep symbolic meaning that, as a rule, the Easter Gospel is read in ten languages: Church Slavonic, Russian, Ancient Greek, Latin, Hebrew, English, German, French, Italian and Spanish. This “multilingualism” symbolizes that the Good News of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ has meaning for each of us and is addressed to all humanity, regardless of where people live and what languages they speak.
An integral part is reading the Gospel of John - one of the most beautiful and majestic sacred texts. During festive service sounds the beginning of this holy scripture, which does not talk about the miracle of the Resurrection of Christ, but talks about who God is and about the Light that he brings to us.
The Gospel of John is read for exactly 50 days, starting from Easter until the Feast of the Holy Trinity. That is, the entire period when in the hearts of the contemporaries of Jesus Christ, who saw with their own eyes his Resurrection and Ascension, there lived great joy from meeting the Savior and from the fact that they witnessed the greatest of miracles, which later formed the basis of the Orthodox faith.
The four Gospels are part of the books of the New Testament. These are texts in which contemporaries of Jesus Christ describe the period of his earthly life:
- the miracle of the birth of the Savior;
- his teaching:
- death;
- resurrection
Over time, the events of the life of Christ described in the Gospels formed the basis of almost all church celebrations. Composition of books Holy Scripture was defined by the church back in the 4th century. Despite the fact that there are many more Gospel texts, only four scriptures have been recognized as canonical. Books whose authors are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are considered true.
| Authors | What is the book about? |
| Matthew. | Former tax collector, one of the 12 apostles. In his description, he talks about the period of the Savior’s life until his Ascension. In this work, the main importance is attached to the logic and content of the speeches and sermons of Jesus Christ. |
| Mark. | He was not one of the 12 apostles, but was one of those who preached with the disciples of Christ. His book is one of the shortest and most impulsive. It is written in living language and tells mainly about the miracles the Savior performed. |
| Luke. | A former doctor, who was also not one of the apostles and began to preach the teachings of Christ after his death and subsequent resurrection. With his characteristic scientific approach and with amazing meticulousness, he describes all the events that took place during the life of the Savior. At the same time, the reader can see between the lines with what warmth, love and faith the author writes about the Son of God. |
| John. | One of the apostles and close friend of Jesus Christ. It was to him that the Savior entrusted after his death to take care of Holy Virgin Maria. In his work, John tells how Jesus lived, what he did and said. At the same time, he pays great attention to the relationship between the Father and the Son. The bulk of the information presented in this work is not found in any other description of the period of the earthly life of Jesus Christ. |
There are, of course, overlaps in these works, but these are four different books. The authors of these Gospels did not simply retell each other’s texts, but described the events of Christ’s earthly life as they saw them, placing their own emphasis. Jesus Christ was sent to us in order to tell people how they should live on earth in order to then ascend to the Kingdom of Heaven. And his words, which are a revelation of God’s will, were preserved for posterity on the pages of the Gospels.
Anyone who wants to know the will of the Lord and his word must turn to the holy books for this knowledge. That is why reading the Gospel is an integral part of church services, both everyday and holiday.
Gospel at Easter service
During the festive service in honor of the Light Christ's Resurrection in churches the Gospel of John is read, starting with the prologue, from its very first words, which says that God came to our world in order to give people Light and Salvation. Any Christian may wonder why on this great holiday this particular beginning of Holy Scripture is read, and not, for example, the text telling about the Resurrection of Christ.
In the first centuries of Christianity, one of the Gospel readings, telling about the Resurrection of Christ, was actually heard at Easter services. But then, around the 10th century, a kind of theological rethinking of everything that happened took place, and it was the beginning of the Gospel of John that was assigned for reading as one of the “highest”. The Holy Church decided that on Easter, when the entire Orthodox world glorifies the Resurrection of Christ, it is more important not to retell the story of the miracle that happened, but to remind people of why the Son of God came into our world and for which he died and then rose again.
For many years now, during Easter services in all churches, the prologue of John’s writing has been heard, where he says that God came into our lives to bring light and salvation into it.
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