John 1:17

Moses proclaimed God’s laws to our ancestors. But what Jesus Christ did for us was much better. He acted in kindness toward us in ways we did not deserve and told us the truth about God.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

In Context

16We have all benefited very much from what he has done. Again and again, he has acted in kind way toward us in ways we did not deserve.

18No one has ever seen God. But God’s only Son, Jesus, who has always had a very close relationship with God, has told us about God.

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Cross References

Genesis 3:15And I will cause you and the woman to act in a hostile way toward each other, and I will cause your brood and her descendants to act hostilely toward each other. You will strike at the heel of one descendant of hers, but he will strike your head.”

Exodus 20:1Then God said this to the Israeli people:

Deuteronomy 5:1Moses/I summoned all the people of Israel and said to them, “You Israeli people, listen to all the rules and regulations that I am giving to you today. Learn them and be sure to obey them.

Psalms 85:10When that happens, he will both faithfully love us and faithfully do for us what he promised to do [PRS]; and we will act/behave righteously, and he will give us peace, which will be like a kiss that he gives us.

Psalms 98:3Like he promised to us Israeli people [MTY], he has faithfully loved us and ◄been loyal to/not abandoned► us. People who live in very remote places in all the earth have seen that our God has defeated his enemies.

Luke 1:54He promised to Abraham and all our other ancestors who descended from him that he would act mercifully toward them forever. And now he has remembered what he promised. So he has helped me and all the other people of [MTY] Israel who serve him.”

Matthew Henry on John 1:16-19

John's Testimony to Christ. 15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me. 16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace. 17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. 18 No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. In these verses, I. The evangelist begins again to give us John Baptist's testimony… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

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