John 1:16 kjv

And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

John 1:16 nkjv

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

John 1:16 niv

Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.

John 1:16 esv

For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

John 1:16 nlt

From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.

John 1 verses

John 1 16 Meaning

John 1:16 declares that from the inexhaustible fullness of Jesus Christ, all who believe have received an unending supply of divine grace. This signifies not just an initial gift of grace, but a continuous, escalating flow—grace given in place of grace, or grace upon grace, signifying superabundant and ever-renewed divine favor, provision, and strength. It emphasizes Christ as the sole, overflowing source of every spiritual blessing and truth for humanity.

John 1 16 Context

John 1:16 is a pivotal statement in the prologue of John's Gospel, building directly upon the preceding declaration that the Word (Jesus Christ) became flesh and dwelt among us, full of "grace and truth" (John 1:14). Following John the Baptist's witness to Christ's preeminence (John 1:15), this verse solidifies the divine supply flowing from the incarnate Son. It stands as a profound assertion of the Christian experience of receiving Christ's divine sufficiency. This sets the stage for the contrast presented in John 1:17, distinguishing the law given through Moses from the grace and truth that came through Jesus Christ, thereby highlighting the superiority and new covenant nature of Christ's revelation. Historically, this countered notions that the Mosaic Law was sufficient, emphasizing the ultimate and living source of true blessing in Jesus.

John 1 16 Word analysis

• And (Καί - Kai): A conjunction connecting this verse to the preceding affirmation of the Incarnate Word, "full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). It implies that the divine attributes resident in Christ are now poured out to humanity.

• from His fullness (ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ - ek tou plērōmatos autou):

  • "from" (ἐκ - ek): Denotes origin or source. It emphasizes that Christ Himself is the ultimate reservoir.
  • "His" (αὐτοῦ - autou): Refers specifically to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word, confirming Him as the unique divine source.
  • "fullness" (πλήρωμα - plērōma): A significant Greek term meaning "that which fills," "completeness," "the sum total," or "superabundance." In Hellenistic thought, particularly Gnosticism, pleroma referred to the totality of divine powers or emanations. John uses it here in an orthodox Christian sense to describe the sum total of divine attributes, spiritual blessings, and divine presence dwelling completely in Christ (Col 1:19, 2:9). It signifies that Jesus lacks nothing; all perfection and power reside in Him without limit.

• we have all received (ἡμεῖς πάντες ἐλάβομεν - hēmeis pantes elabomen):

  • "we" (ἡμεῖς - hēmeis): Refers to all believers, implicitly those who have received Christ (John 1:12).
  • "all" (πάντες - pantes): Universalizes the reception to every true follower of Christ, signifying that the gift is not partial or selective among believers.
  • "received" (ἐλάβομεν - elabomen, from λαμβάνω - lambanō): Implies active reception, taking hold of what is offered, rather than earning it. It underscores that grace is a gift. The aorist tense (simple past) indicates a past action with continuing results, suggesting an initial act of receiving followed by continuous benefit.

• grace for grace (χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος - charin anti charitos): This is a crucial and multi-layered phrase:

  • "grace" (χάριν - charin): Refers to divine favor, unmerited divine benevolence, kindness, and spiritual enablement. It's God's underserved favor to humanity, providing salvation, strength, and blessings.
  • "for" (ἀντὶ - anti): A preposition with several nuanced meanings, key to interpreting the phrase. It can mean:
    1. "in place of" / "instead of": Implies replacement, e.g., one blessing after another, or grace succeeding grace as new needs arise. Old covenant provisions replaced by superior New Covenant grace.
    2. "upon" / "in addition to": Suggests accumulation, grace heaped upon grace, or continuous layers of increasing favor. This denotes a never-ending, overflowing supply.
    3. "corresponding to" / "answering to": Implies a harmony between divine grace and human need or growth—grace that fits grace, or grace proportioned to our spiritual progress.
  • The most prevalent interpretations emphasize the abundant, continuous nature: a successive flow of grace, an ever-increasing measure of favor, or grace received one blessing after another blessing. It powerfully contrasts with a limited, measured supply, pointing to an inexhaustible well.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "from His fullness we have all received": This phrase highlights Christ as the overflowing fountainhead of all spiritual good and blessing. It underscores that what believers possess is not inherent to them but derived entirely from Christ's abundant nature. The reception is universal among believers.
  • "grace for grace": This is a Johannine idiom signifying superabundant and successive grace. It depicts grace as an unending cascade—each measure of grace received is immediately met with more grace, perpetually overflowing, addressing new needs, strengthening new desires, and revealing new depths of divine love and power. It also speaks to a new economy, where the limitations of the Law are surpassed by an unbounded fount of grace in Christ (implied in the upcoming verse, John 1:17).

John 1 16 Bonus section

The concept of "fullness" (pleroma) being present in Christ directly refutes any Gnostic leanings that would propose a distant, unknowable God who interacts through lesser emanations. Instead, John affirms that the entirety of God's essence and blessing resides directly and completely in Jesus, and from Him, it flows to believers. This verse establishes the direct, personal, and abundant relationship God desires with humanity through His Son, offering not just forgiveness, but a full, ever-present, and dynamic experience of His divine favor and enabling power. This boundless provision from Christ's infinite supply encourages an expectation of continuous blessing and divine enablement, fostering dependence not on self or law, but solely on His never-ending grace.

John 1 16 Commentary

John 1:16 beautifully articulates the Christian experience of an unending divine provision emanating from Jesus Christ. The phrase "from His fullness" establishes Christ as the self-sufficient, ultimate source of all divine qualities and spiritual blessings. He is not merely a conduit but the embodiment of divine pleroma. When it says "we have all received," it speaks to the universal application of this truth to every believer, indicating that salvation and spiritual empowerment are entirely a matter of divine gift and human reception, not merit. The profound idiom "grace for grace" conveys the limitless and progressive nature of this divine favor. It’s not just an initial infusion but a continuous outpouring—grace meeting every new need, compounding upon prior grace, flowing ceaselessly and superabundantly throughout the believer's life. This dynamic, overflowing grace, therefore, underpins the believer's existence and journey, providing everything needed for life and godliness. It means as one experiences God's grace, they are simultaneously prepared and given the capacity for more. This continuous stream contrasts sharply with the measured obedience under the Old Covenant, portraying Christ as ushering in an era of immeasurable divine generosity.