John 1:16

An Exegetical Analysis of John 1:14-17: Textual and Syntactical Considerations

This exegetical study of John 1:14-17 is based on a b-greek discussion from July 12th, 2014. The discussion commenced with an observation regarding the punctuation of John 1:15 in the SBL Greek New Testament (2010), which encloses this verse in parentheses. This editorial choice implies that the subsequent ὅτι clause in verse 16 is understood to continue the thought from the final clause of verse 14, specifically connecting “full of grace and truth” with the reception of grace from Christ’s fullness.

The main exegetical issue revolves around the grammatical and rhetorical function of John 1:15 and 1:16 within the prologue. Specifically, scholars debate whether verse 15, which introduces the witness of John the Baptist, functions as a parenthetical interruption of the narrative flow, and how the conjunction ὅτι in verse 16 relates to the preceding verses. The textual variant between ὅτι and καὶ in 1:16 further complicates the interpretation, impacting whether the verse offers a causal explanation, an independent assertion, or a simple continuation of the narrative.

John 1:14-17 (Nestle 1904)
14 Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας·
15 Ἰωάννης μαρτυρεῖ περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ κέκραγεν λέγων· Οὗτος ἦν ὃν εἶπον· Ὁ ὀπίσω μου ἐρχόμενος ἔμπροσθεν μου γέγονεν, ὅτι πρῶτος μου ἦν.
16 ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἐλάβομεν, καὶ χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος.
17 ὅτι ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐδόθη, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο.

Key differences with SBLGNT (2010):

• SBLGNT (2010) encloses verse 15 in parentheses, indicating it as a parenthetical interruption. Nestle 1904 does not use this punctuation.
• Both Nestle 1904 and SBLGNT (2010) present ὅτι at the beginning of verse 16. However, some textual traditions (e.g., Majority Text, as noted in the discussion) read καὶ instead of ὅτι in this position.

Textual criticism (NA28), lexical notes (KITTEL, BDAG):

The primary textual variant in these verses concerns the initial word of verse 16. The critical text (NA28, UBS5) strongly supports ὅτι (for/because), relying on robust early and diverse manuscript evidence (e.g., Papyrus 66, Papyrus 75, Codex Sinaiticus א, Codex Vaticanus B, Codex Ephraemi Rescriptus C). The alternative reading, καὶ (and), is found in a significant minority of manuscripts, including Codex Alexandrinus A and Codex Bezae D, often associated with the Western text-type. The widespread and early attestation of ὅτι makes it the preferred reading, indicating a causal or explanatory connection rather than a simple additive one. Scribes might have changed ὅτι to καὶ to smooth the transition, especially if the causal link was not immediately apparent or if verse 15 was not perceived as a parenthetical interruption.

Lexical notes for key terms:

• λόγος (logos): (BDAG 601) “the Word, term for the pre-existent divine Being, Jesus Christ, through whom the universe was created.” Often understood as God’s self-expression, embodying divine wisdom and creative power (cf. KITTEL, TDNT IV, 69-140).
• ἐσκήνωσεν (eskēnōsen): (BDAG 928) “to live, dwell, reside, make one’s abode,” often with the connotation of “tabernacling,” recalling the divine presence in the Tabernacle (Exod 25:8-9; 40:34-38).
• μονογενοῦς (monogenous): (BDAG 660) “the only one of its kind, unique, unparalleled.” In John, it emphasizes Jesus’ unique relationship as Son to the Father, rather than merely “only begotten.”
• πλήρης (plērēs): (BDAG 830) “full, filled.” Here, it describes the Logos as being characterized by a complete abundance of grace and truth.
• χάριτος (charitos): (BDAG 1079) “grace, favor, good will.” In the Johannine prologue, it signifies God’s unmerited favor and salvific benevolence revealed through Jesus Christ (cf. KITTEL, TDNT IX, 372-401).
• ἀληθείας (alētheias): (BDAG 43) “truth, reality.” In John, it often denotes divine reality, consistency, and fidelity, particularly as embodied in Christ.
• πληρώματος (plērōmatos): (BDAG 831) “fullness, completion, totality.” Refers to the divine plenitude and abundance of blessings residing in Christ, from which believers receive.
• χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος (charin anti charitos): (BDAG 85) “grace instead of grace” or “grace upon grace.” ἀντὶ can denote exchange, replacement, or succession. The phrase suggests a continuous, abundant supply of grace, one grace following another, or perhaps the New Covenant grace replacing (or fulfilling) Old Covenant grace.

Translation Variants

The interpretation of John 1:14-17 hinges significantly on the perceived relationship between verse 14, 15, and 16. The SBLGNT’s parenthetical enclosure of verse 15 (Ἰωάννης μαρτυρεῖ περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ κέκραγεν λέγων…) is a critical editorial decision. Grammatically, this reading suggests that the narrative flow from the end of verse 14 (πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας) is interrupted by John the Baptist’s testimony, only to be resumed by the ὅτι clause in verse 16. This creates a strong causal or explanatory link: “full of grace and truth, because from his fullness we have all received.” Rhetorically, the parenthetical nature highlights the significance of the Baptist’s witness as an external validation inserted into the theological discourse on the Logos. The phrase ἡμεῖς πάντες (“we all”) in verse 16 also indicates a shift from the divine Logos’s attributes to the experience of believers, reinforcing the narrative voice as distinct from the Baptist.

If verse 15 is not read parenthetically, then the ὅτι in verse 16 becomes more challenging to interpret directly as causal to verse 15. The statement in verse 15 about the Baptist’s witness does not readily provide a “reason” for receiving from Christ’s fullness. In such a non-parenthetical reading, ὅτι in verse 16 might function as an independent assertive particle (“Indeed, verily”) or as a resumptive “for” referring back to the broader statement of the Logos’s nature in verse 14. This interpretation maintains the flow of the narrative as a sequence of statements rather than an interruption and resumption. The absence of a discourse particle like δέ for a parenthetical insertion is noted as a potential issue, though parenthetical statements without such particles are not entirely unprecedented in Greek narrative.

The textual variant καὶ in verse 16 fundamentally alters the grammatical and rhetorical structure. If καὶ is adopted, verse 16 simply adds another statement to the preceding narrative without implying a causal relationship. It would read “And from his fullness we have all received,” making the connection to verse 14 less explicitly explanatory and more of a straightforward continuation. This reading would align with the proposed “easier reading” noted in the discussion, but it lacks the stronger manuscript support of ὅτι.

Conclusions and Translation Suggestions

Based on the textual evidence favoring ὅτι in John 1:16 and the compelling argument for the parenthetical nature of verse 15, the most coherent interpretation suggests a direct causal link between the Logos’s being “full of grace and truth” (v. 14) and believers’ reception from His fullness (v. 16). The witness of John the Baptist (v. 15) serves as a divinely appointed, yet syntactically secondary, confirmation of the Logos’s identity.

1. ¹⁴And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, and we gazed upon his glory, a glory like that of the unique Son from the Father, full of grace and truth— ¹⁵(John testified concerning him and cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘The one who comes after me has come before me, because he was before me.’)— ¹⁶because from his fullness we have all received, even grace upon grace.

   This translation adopts the parenthetical understanding of verse 15, linking the “full of grace and truth” of verse 14 directly to the causal “because from his fullness” of verse 16. The parenthetical remark provides a corroborative witness within the theological discourse.

2. ¹⁴And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, and we gazed upon his glory, a glory like that of the unique Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵John testified concerning him and cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘The one who comes after me has come before me, because he was before me.'” ¹⁶Indeed, from his fullness we have all received, even grace upon grace.

   This translation treats verse 15 as a direct narrative statement, not parenthetical. The ὅτι in verse 16 is interpreted as an independent assertive particle (“Indeed” or “Verily”), signaling a continuation of the theological exposition rather than a direct causal link to the immediately preceding verse.

3. ¹⁴And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, and we gazed upon his glory, a glory like that of the unique Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵John testified concerning him and cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘The one who comes after me has come before me, because he was before me.'” ¹⁶And from his fullness we have all received, even grace upon grace.

   This translation adopts the textual variant καὶ for 1:16, presenting verse 16 as a simple additive continuation of the narrative, without a causal or strongly emphatic connection. This reading offers a less complex grammatical flow but relies on weaker manuscript support.