Copyright (C) 2002 by Lightheart.
The Gospel of John for Readers
Editor's Preface
"We must know before we can love. In order to know God, we must oftenthink of Him. And when we come to love Him, we shall then also thinkof Him often, for our heart will be with our treasure " … BrotherLawrence's The Practice of the Presence of God.
The way to know God is by reading the gospels. Gospel is interpretedGood News - God's good news to His world. It is the new testament andperspective we must have in order to know and love Him as He means usto know and love Him.
The gospel of John is called the gospel of love. And, indeed, itis a love story, written by that disciple whose heart was totallysurrendered. Brother Lawrence, whose heart was also totally surrendered,was a great believer in doing what was most practical, simple, and direct.
The Gospel of John for Readers is the KJV lovingly and faithfully adaptedto a flowing narrative style to allow for easy reading enjoyment. May ithelp us all to see the exquisite beauty and simple yet practical messageof God's good news through eyes of love.
in His gentle service, Lightheart PracticeGodsPresence.com August 2002
The Gospel of John
1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, andthe Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things weremade by Him. Without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him waslife; and the life was the light of men. The light shineth in darkness;and the darkness comprehended it not.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came to bearwitness of the Light that all men through Him might believe. John wasnot that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. That wasthe true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Hewas in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Himnot. He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many asreceived Him, to them He gave power to become the sons of God, even tothem that believe on His name: those who were born not of blood, nor ofthe will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Wordwas made flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld His glory, the gloryas of the only begotten son of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John bore witness of Him and cried, saying, This was He of whom Ispoke. He that cometh after me is preferred before me because He wasbefore me. We have all received of His fullness, grace for grace. Forthe law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Noman hath seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, which is in thebosom of the Father, hath declared Him.
And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levitesfrom Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed and didnot deny. He confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, Whatthen? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? Andhe answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou that we may givean answer to them that sent us? What sayest thou of thyself? He said,I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the wayof the Lord, as was said by the prophet Esaias. And they who were sentby the Pharisees asked him, Why baptizest thou then if thou be not thatChrist nor Elias nor that prophet?
John answered them, saying, I baptize with water but there standeth Oneamong you, whom ye know not. He it is, who, coming after me, is preferredbefore me and whose foot straps I am not worthy to unloose. These