John 1:14

And the Word became flesh

(κα ο λογος σαρξ εγενετο). See verse John 1:3 for this verb and note its use for the historic event of the Incarnation rather than ην of verse John 1:1. Note also the absence of the article with the predicate substantive σαρξ, so that it cannot mean "the flesh became the Word." The Pre-existence of the Logos has already been plainly stated and argued. John does not here say that the Logos entered into a man or dwelt in a man or filled a man. One is at liberty to see an allusion to the birth narratives in Matthew 1:16-25; Luke 1:28-38, if he wishes, since John clearly had the Synoptics before him and chiefly supplemented them in his narrative. In fact, one is also at liberty to ask what intelligent meaning can one give to John's language here apart from the Virgin Birth? What ordinary mother or father ever speaks of a child "becoming flesh"? For the Incarnation see also 2 Corinthians 8:9; Galatians 4:4; Romans 1:3; Romans 8:3; Philippians 2:7; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 2:14. "To explain the exact significance of εγενετο in this sentence is beyond the powers of any interpreter" (Bernard). Unless, indeed, as seems plain, John is referring to the Virgin Birth as recorded in Matthew and Luke. "The Logos of philosophy is, John declares, the Jesus of history" (Bernard). Thus John asserts the deity and the real humanity of Christ. He answers the Docetic Gnostics who denied his humanity.Dwelt among us

(εσκηνωσεν εν ημιν). First aorist ingressive aorist active indicative of σκηνοω, old verb, to pitch one's tent or tabernacle (σκηνος or σκηνη), in N.T. only here and John 1:7-15; John 12:12; John 13:6; John 21:3. In Revelation it is used of God tabernacling with men and here of the Logos tabernacling, God's Shekinah glory here among us in the person of his Son.We beheld his glory

(εθεασαμεθα την δοξαν αυτου). First aorist middle indicative of θεαομα (from θεα, spectacle). The personal experience of John and of others who did recognize Jesus as the Shekinah glory (δοξα) of God as James, the brother of Jesus, so describes him (James 2:1). John employs θεαομα again in John 1:32 (the Baptist beholding the Spirit coming down as a dove) and John 1:38 of the Baptist gazing in rapture at Jesus. So also John 4:35; John 11:45; 1 John 1:1; 1 John 4:12; 1 John 4:14. By this word John insists that in the human Jesus he beheld the Shekinah glory of God who was and is the Logos who existed before with God. By this plural John speaks for himself and all those who saw in Jesus what he did.As of the only begotten from the Father

(ως μονογενους παρα πατρος). Strictly, "as of an only born from a father," since there is no article with μονογενους or with πατρος. In John 3:16; 1 John 4:9 we have τον μονογενη referring to Christ. This is the first use in the Gospel of πατηρ of God in relation to the Logos. Μονογενης (only born rather than only begotten) here refers to the eternal relationship of the Logos (as in John 1:18) rather than to the Incarnation. It distinguishes thus between the Logos and the believers as children (τεκνα) of God. The word is used of human relationships as in Luke 7:12; Luke 8:42; Luke 9:38. It occurs also in the LXX and Hebrews 11:17, but elsewhere in N.T. only in John's writings. It is an old word in Greek literature. It is not clear whether the words παρα πατρος (from the Father) are to be connected with μονογενους (cf. John 6:46; John 7:29, etc.) or with δοξαν (cf. John 5:41; John 5:44). John clearly means to say that "the manifested glory of the Word was as it were the glory of the Eternal Father shared with His only Son" (Bernard). Cf. John 8:54; John 14:9; John 17:5.Full

(πληρης). Probably indeclinable accusative adjective agreeing with δοξαν (or genitive with μονογενους) of which we have papyri examples (Robertson, Grammar, p. 275). As nominative πληρης can agree with the subject of εσκηνωσεν.Of grace and truth

(χαριτος κα αληθειας). Curiously this great word χαρις (grace), so common with Paul, does not occur in John's Gospel save in John 1:14; John 1:16; John 1:17, though αληθεια (truth) is one of the keywords in the Fourth Gospel and in 1John, occurring 25 times in the Gospel and 20 in the Johannine Epistles, 7 times in the Synoptics and not at all in Revelation (Bernard). In John 1:17 these two words picture the Gospel in Christ in contrast with the law of Moses. See Epistles of Paul for origin and use of both words.