John 1:3

 

Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.
John 1:3 Berean Standard Bible (BSB)
 
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
John 1:3 King James Bible (KJV)
 
All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created.
John 1:3 New English Translation (NET)
 
Through Him
This phrase emphasizes the agency of Christ in creation. The Greek word "δι' αὐτοῦ" (di' autou) indicates that Jesus, the Word, is the divine agent through whom God created the universe. This aligns with the conservative Christian belief in the pre-existence of Christ, affirming His divinity and active role in creation. It echoes the wisdom literature of the Old Testament, where wisdom is personified as a co-creator with God (Proverbs 8:27-30).
 
all things
The Greek term "πάντα" (panta) signifies the totality of creation. This includes everything in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible. From a conservative Christian perspective, this underscores the sovereignty and omnipotence of Christ. It reflects the Genesis account of creation, where God speaks the universe into existence, affirming that nothing exists outside of His creative will.
 
were made
The verb "ἐγένετο" (egeneto) is in the aorist tense, indicating a completed action. This suggests that creation was a definitive act, accomplished through Christ. It highlights the distinction between the Creator and the created, reinforcing the belief in a transcendent God who is distinct from His creation. This counters any pantheistic views that equate God with the universe.
 
and without Him
This phrase, "καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ" (kai choris autou), emphasizes the indispensability of Christ in the creative process. It asserts that nothing came into being apart from His involvement. This is a profound statement of Christ's essential role in the cosmos, affirming His divine nature and authority over all creation.
 
nothing was made
The Greek "οὐδὲ ἕν" (oude hen) translates to "not even one thing," underscoring the comprehensive scope of Christ's creative work. This phrase negates any possibility of creation occurring independently of Christ, reinforcing the doctrine of His omnipotence and omnipresence.
 
that has been made
The phrase "ὃ γέγονεν" (ho gegonen) refers to all that exists. It serves as a concluding affirmation of the preceding statements, encapsulating the totality of creation as the work of Christ. This aligns with the conservative Christian view that all of creation is a testament to the glory and power of God, as revealed through Jesus Christ.
 
Berean Study Bible
 
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Creation through the Word - This verse emphasizes that everything that exists was created through "the Word." In the context of the Gospel of John, "the Word" (in Greek, "Logos") is identified with Jesus Christ. Therefore, this verse suggests that Jesus, as the Word, was the agent through which God created everything.
 
Completeness of Creation - The phrase "all things were made by him" indicates an all-encompassing act of creation. It implies there's no part of creation that exists independent of the Word's creative act.
 
Exclusivity in Creation - "Without him was not anything made that was made" further solidifies the idea that there is no secondary or alternative source of creation outside of the Word. This can be seen as a theological assertion against dualism or any polytheistic views where multiple deities might be responsible for creation.
 
Philosophical and Theological Implications - This verse has been pivotal in Christian theology for understanding the nature of Christ. It supports the doctrine of Christ's pre-existence before his incarnation and his role in creation, underscoring his divinity. It aligns with other New Testament passages like Colossians 1:16-17, which also speak of Jesus as the creator of all things.
 
Interpretation in Christian Doctrine - This verse is often cited to affirm the doctrine of the Trinity, where Jesus (the Word) is both distinct from yet one with God the Father. It's a cornerstone for discussing the nature of Christ's deity and his relationship to creation.
 
In summary, John 1:3 is a foundational verse for understanding the Christian belief in Jesus' role in the creation of the universe, emphasizing his divine nature and the completeness of his involvement in all acts of creation.
 
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All things were made by him,.... Which is a proof at once of all that is said before; as that he was in the beginning; and that he was with God the Father in the beginning; and that he was God; otherwise all things could not have been made by him, had either of these been untrue: which is to be understood, not of the new creation; for this would be a restraining "all" things to a "few" persons only; nor is it any where said, that all things are new made, but made; and it is false, that all were converted, that have been converted, by the ministry of Christ, as man: all men are not renewed, regenerated, nor reformed; and the greater part of those that were renewed, were renewed before Christ existed, as man; and therefore could not be renewed by him, as such: though indeed, could this sense be established, it would not answer the end for which it is coined; namely, to destroy the proof of Christ's deity, and of his existence before his incarnation; for in all ages, from the beginning of the world, some have been renewed; and the new creation is a work of God, and of almighty power, equally with the old; for who can create spiritual light, infuse a principle of spiritual life, take away the heart of stone, and give an heart of flesh, or produce faith, but God? Regeneration is denied to be of man, and is always ascribed to God; nor would Christ's being the author of the new creation, be any contradiction to his being the author of the old creation, which is intended here: by "all things", are meant the heaven, and all its created inhabitants, the airy, starry, and third heavens, and the earth, and all therein, the sea, and every thing that is in that; and the word, or Son of God, is the efficient cause of all these, not a bare instrument of the formation of them; for the preposition by does not always denote an instrument, but sometimes an efficient, as in 1Co_1:9 and so here, though not to the exclusion of the Father, and of the Spirit:
 
and without him was not any thing made that was made: in which may be observed the conjunct operation of the word, or Son, with the Father, and Spirit, in creation; and the extent of his concern in it to every thing that is made; for without him there was not one single thing in the whole compass of the creation made; and the limitation of it to things that are made; and so excludes the uncreated being, Father, Son, and Spirit; and sin also, which is not a principle made by God, and which has no efficient, but a deficient cause. So the Jews ascribe the creation of all things to the word. The Targumists attribute the creation of man, in particular, to the word of God: it is said in Gen_1:27. "God created man in his own image": the Jerusalem Targum of it is,
 
"and the word of the Lord created man in his likeness.
And Gen_3:22 "and the Lord God said, behold the man is become as one of us", the same Targum paraphrases thus,
 
"and the word of the Lord God said, behold the man whom I have created, is the only one in the world.
Also in the same writings, the creation of all things in general is ascribed to the word: the passage in Deu_33:27 "the eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms", is paraphrased by Onkelos,
 
"the eternal God is an habitation, by whose word the world was made.
In Isa_48:13 it is said, "mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth". The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziah on it is,
 
"yea, by my word I have founded the earth:
which agrees with what is said in Heb_11:3, and the same says Philo the Jew, who not only calls him the archetype, and exemplar of the world, but the power that made it: he often ascribes the creation of the heavens, and the earth unto him, and likewise the creation of man after whose image, he says, he was made (t). The Ethiopic version adds, at the end of this verse, "and also that which is made is for himself",
 
(t) De Mundi Opificio, p. 4, 5, 31, 32. De Alleg. l. 1. p. 44. De Sacrificiis Abel & Cain, p. 131. De Profugis, p. 464. & de Monarch. p. 823.
 
John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible