John 1:1-4
Contemporary English Version
The Word of Life
1 In the beginning was the one
who is called the Word.
The Word was with God
and was truly God.
2 From the very beginning
the Word was with God.
3 And with this Word,
God created all things.
Nothing was made
without the Word.
Everything that was created
4 received its life from him,
and his life gave light
to everyone.
John 1:1-4
Living Bible
1 1-2 Before anything else existed,[a] there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God. 3 He created everything there is—nothing exists that he didn’t make. 4 Eternal life is in him, and this life gives light to all mankind.
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- John 1:1 Before anything else existed, literally, “In the beginning.” Christ, literally, “the Word,” meaning Christ, the wisdom and power of God and the first cause of all things; God’s personal expression of himself to men.
John 1:10
Contemporary English Version
10 The Word was in the world,
but no one knew him,
though God had made the world
with his Word.
John 1:10
Living Bible
10 But although he made the world, the world didn’t recognize him when he came.
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John 1:14
Contemporary English Version
14 The Word became
a human being
and lived here with us.
We saw his true glory,
the glory of the only Son
of the Father.
From him the complete gifts
of undeserved grace and truth
have come down to us.
John 1:14
Living Bible
14 And Christ[a] became a human being and lived here on earth among us and was full of loving forgiveness and truth. And some of us have seen his glory—the glory of the only Son of the heavenly Father!
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- John 1:14 Christ, literally, “the Word.” loving forgiveness, literally, “grace.” seen his glory, see Matthew 17:2. the only Son of the heavenly Father, literally, “his unique Son.”
John 1:18
Contemporary English Version
18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son, who is truly God and is closest to the Father, has shown us what God is like.
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John 1:18
Living Bible
18 No one has ever actually seen God, but, of course, his only Son has, for he is the companion of the Father and has told us all about him.
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John 8:56-59
Contemporary English Version
56 Your father Abraham was really glad to see me.”
57 “You are not even 50 years old!” they said. “How could you have seen Abraham?”
58 Jesus answered, “I tell you for certain that even before Abraham was, I was, and I am.”[a] 59 The people picked up stones to kill Jesus, but he hid and left the temple.
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- 8.58 I am: See the note at 8.24.
John 8:56-59
Living Bible
56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day. He knew I was coming and was glad.”
57 The Jewish leaders: “You aren’t even fifty years old—sure, you’ve seen Abraham!”
58 Jesus: “The absolute truth is that I was in existence before Abraham was ever born!”
59 At that point the Jewish leaders picked up stones to kill him. But Jesus was hidden from them, and walked past them and left the Temple.
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Philippians 2:6-7
Contemporary English Version
6 Christ was truly God.
But he did not try to remain[a]
equal with God.
7 Instead he gave up everything[b]
and became a slave,
when he became
like one of us.
Philippians 2:6-7
Living Bible
6 who, though he was God, did not demand and cling to his rights as God, 7 but laid aside his mighty power and glory, taking the disguise of a slave and becoming like men.[a]
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- Philippians 2:7 becoming like men, literally, “made in the likeness of men.”
Colossians 1:16-19
Contemporary English Version
16 Everything was created by him,
everything in heaven
and on earth,
everything seen and unseen,
including all forces
and powers,
and all rulers
and authorities.
All things were created
by God's Son,
and everything was made
for him.
17 God's Son was before all else,
and by him everything
is held together.
18 (A) He is the head of his body,
which is the church.
He is the very beginning,
the first to be raised
from death,
so that he would be
above all others.
19 God himself was pleased
to live fully in his Son.
Colossians 1:16-19
Living Bible
16 Christ himself is the Creator who made everything in heaven and earth, the things we can see and the things we can’t; the spirit world with its kings and kingdoms, its rulers and authorities; all were made by Christ for his own use and glory. 17 He was before all else began and it is his power that holds everything together. 18 He is the Head of the body made up of his people—that is, his Church—which he began; and he is the Leader of all those who arise from the dead,[a] so that he is first in everything; 19 for God wanted all of himself to be in his Son.
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- Colossians 1:18 he is the Leader of all those who arise from the dead, literally, “he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead.”
Hebrews 1:1-3
Contemporary English Version
1 Long ago in many ways and at many times God's prophets spoke his message to our ancestors. 2 (A) But now at last, God sent his Son to bring his message to us. God created the universe by his Son, and everything will someday belong to the Son. 3 (B) God's Son has all the brightness of God's own glory and is like him in every way. By his own mighty word, he holds the universe together.
After the Son had washed away our sins, he sat down at the right side[a] of the glorious God in heaven.
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- 1.3 right side: The place of honor and power.
Hebrews 1:1-3
Living Bible
1 Long ago God spoke in many different ways to our fathers through the prophets, in visions, dreams, and even face to face,[a] telling them little by little about his plans.
2 But now in these days he has spoken to us through his Son to whom he has given everything and through whom he made the world and everything there is.
3 God’s Son shines out with God’s glory, and all that God’s Son is and does marks him as God. He regulates the universe by the mighty power of his command. He is the one who died to cleanse us and clear our record of all sin, and then sat down in highest honor beside the great God of heaven.
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- Hebrews 1:1 in visions, dreams, and even face to face, implied.
2 Peter 1:1
Contemporary English Version
1 From Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ.
To everyone who shares with us in the privilege of believing that our God and Savior Jesus Christ will do what is just and fair.[a]
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- 1.1 To everyone who … just and fair: Or “To everyone whose faith in the justice and fairness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ is as precious as our own faith.”
2 Peter 1:1
Living Bible
1 From: Simon Peter, a servant and missionary of Jesus Christ.
To: All of you who have our kind of faith. The faith I speak of is the kind that Jesus Christ our God and Savior gives to us. How precious it is, and how just and good he is to give this same faith to each of us.
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The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.