What Was Heard, Seen, and Touched^(A)

1 That ^(B)which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have ^(C)seen with our eyes, ^(D)which we have looked upon, and ^(E)our hands have handled, concerning the ^(F)Word of life— ^2 (G)the life ^(H)was manifested, and we have seen, ^(I)and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was ^(J)with the Father and was manifested to us— ³ that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is ^(K)with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And these things we write to you ^(L)that ^[a]your joy may be full.

The Eternal Word^(A)

1 In the beginning ^(B)was the Word, and the ^(C)Word was ^(D)with God, and the Word was ^(E)God. ^2 (F)He was in the beginning with God. ^3 (G)All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ^4 (H)In Him was life, and ^(I)the life was the light of men. ⁵ And ^(J)the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not ^[a]comprehend it.

John’s Witness: The True Light

⁶ There was a ^(K)man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ This man came for a ^(L)witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might ^(M)believe. ⁸ He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that ^(N)Light. ^9 (O)That^[b] was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and ^(P)the world did not know Him. ^11 (Q)He came to His ^[c]own, and His ^[d]own did not receive Him. ¹² But ^(R)as many as received Him, to them He gave the ^[e]right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ^13 (S)who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Word Becomes Flesh

^14 (T)And the Word ^(U)became ^(V)flesh and dwelt among us, and ^(W)we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, ^(X)full of grace and truth.

²⁸ And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

²⁹ Jesus said to him, ^[a]“Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. ^(A)Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

That You May Believe

³⁰ And ^(B)truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; ^31 (C)but these are written that ^(D)you may believe that Jesus ^(E)is the Christ, the Son of God, ^(F)and that believing you may have life in His name.

¹⁷ But Jesus answered them, ^(A)“My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”

¹⁸ Therefore the Jews ^(B)sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, ^(C)making Himself equal with God. ¹⁹ Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, ^(D)the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. ²⁰ For ^(E)the Father loves the Son, and ^(F)shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. ²¹ For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, ^(G)even so the Son gives life to whom He will. ²² For the Father judges no one, but ^(H)has committed all judgment to the Son, ²³ that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. ^(I)He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

Life and Judgment Are Through the Son

²⁴ “Most assuredly, I say to you, ^(J)he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, ^(K)but has passed from death into life. ²⁵ Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when ^(L)the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. ²⁶ For ^(M)as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have ^(N)life in Himself, ²⁷ and ^(O)has given Him authority to execute judgment also, ^(P)because He is the Son of Man.

Dedication to Theophilus

1 Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those ^(A)things which ^[a]have been fulfilled among us, ² just as those who ^(B)from the beginning were ^(C)eyewitnesses and ministers of the word ^(D)delivered them to us, ³ it seemed good to me also, having ^[b]had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, ^(E)most excellent Theophilus, ^4 (F)that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

God’s Supreme Revelation^(A)

1 God, who ^[a]at various times and ^(B)in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, ² has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the ^[b]worlds; ^3 (C)who being the brightness of His glory and the express ^(D)image of His person, and ^(E)upholding all things by the word of His power, ^(F)when He had ^[c]by Himself ^[d]purged ^[e]our sins, ^(G)sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴ having become so much better than the angels, as ^(H)He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

The Race of Faith

12 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, ^(A)let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and ^(B)let us run ^(C)with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking unto Jesus, the ^[a]author and ^[b]finisher of our faith, ^(D)who for the joy that was set before Him ^(E)endured the cross, despising the shame, and ^(F)has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The Discipline of God^(G)

^3 (H)For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, ^(I)lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.

⁶ being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun ^(A)a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;