Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

John 1:12

ἔλαβον. As distinguished from παρέλαβον, denotes the spontaneous acceptance of individuals, Jews or Gentiles. The Messiah was not specially offered to any individuals as He was to the Jewish nation: παρέλαβον would have been less appropriate here.

ἐξουσίαν. This word (from ἔξεστι) means ‘right, liberty, authority’ to do anything; potestas. Δύναμις, which is sometimes coupled with it, is rather ‘capability, faculty’ for doing anything; potentia. Δύναμις is innate, an absence of internal obstacles; ἐξουσία comes from without, a removal of external restraints. We are born with a capacity for becoming the sons of God: that we have as men. He gives us the right to become such: that we receive as Christians.

τέκνα θεοῦ. Both S. John and S. Paul insist on this fundamental fact; that the relation of believers to God is a filial one. S. John gives us the human side, the ‘new birth’ (John 3:3); S. Paul the Divine side, ‘adoption’ (Romans 8:23; Galatians 4:5). But τέκνα θεοῦ expresses a closer relationship than υἱοθεσία: the one is natural, the other is legal. Both place the universal character of Christianity in opposition to the exclusiveness of Judaism. Note γένεσθαι. Christ is from all eternity the Son of God; men are enabled to become sons of God.

τοῖς πιστ. εἰς. Epexegetic of αὐτοῖς; ‘namely, to those who believe on.’ Such epexegetic clauses are common in S. John; comp. John 3:13; John 5:18; John 7:50. The test of a child of God is no longer descent from Abraham, but belief in His Son. The construction πιστεύειν εἰς is characteristic of S. John; it occurs about 35 times in the Gospel and 3 times in the First Epistle; elsewhere in N.T. about 10 times. It expresses the very strongest belief; motion to and repose upon the object of belief. It corresponds to S. Paul’s πίστις, a word which S. John uses only once (1 John 5:4), and S. Paul about 140 times. On the other hand S. Paul very rarely uses πιστεύειν εἰς. Πιστεύειν τινί without a preposition has a weaker meaning, ‘to give credence to,’ or ‘accept the statements of.’

τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ. This is a frequent phrase in Jewish writings, both in the O. and N.T. It is not a mere periphrasis. Names were so often significant, given sometimes by God Himself, that a man’s name served not merely to tell who he was, but what he was: it was an index of character. So also of the Divine Name: τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Κυρίου is not a mere periphrasis for ὁ Κύριος; it suggests His attributes and His relations to us as Lord. The ‘name’ specially meant here is perhaps that of Logos; and the full meaning would be to give entire adhesion to Him as the Incarnate Son, the expression of the Will and Nature of God.

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Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary

John 1:12

Old Testament

New Testament