John Chapter 1, Verse 12
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12: οσοι δε ελαβον αυτον εδωκεν αυτοις εξουσιαν τεκνα θεου γενεσθαι τοις πιστευουσιν εις το ονομα αυτου
12: But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become
the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
12: But as many as received him, he gave them power to be made the
sons of God, to them that believe in his name.
οσοι δε ελαβον αυτον, εδωκεν αυτοις κτλ
"His own received Him not" might suggest that no Jew welcomed Him for what He was. Accordingly, the evangelist notes that there were some of whom this could not be said. hosoi de ktl = but (de must be given its full adversative force), at the same time, as many as received Him (and this would include Jews as well as Greeks) were endowed with (he capacity and privilege of becoming children of God. For lambanein used of "receiving" Christ, cf. Jn 5:43, Jn 13:20.
This is the first appearance of a constr. which is very frequent in Jn., viz. the reinforcement of a casus pendens by a pronoun. It is a common, if inelegant, form of anacoluthon more often met with in colloquial than in literary Greek. John employs it 27 times (as against 21 occurrences in all three Synoptists). Burney suggests (Aramaic Origin, p64) that this is due to the Aramaic original which he finds behind Jn., the casus pendens being a favourite Semitic idiom.
εξουσιαν τεκνα θεου γενεσθαι
The Jews rejected Christ; but His message was addressed to all mankind. He gave to "as many as received Him" the right to become children of God. exousia occurs again Jn 5:27 Jn 10:18 Jn 17:2 Jn 19:10f; it stands for authority rather than power. The privilege and right of those who "receive" Christ, i.e. those who "believe on His Name," is that they may become tekna theou; but this (Jn. suggests) is not an inherent human capacity. The conception of the faithful as "children of God" has its roots deep in Jewish thought. Israel conceived of herself as in covenant with Yahweh (see on Jn 3:29), and the prophets speak of her as Yahweh's wife (Hos. 1, 2). "Thy sons whom thou hast borne to me" are words ascribed to Yahweh when addressing the nation (Ezek 16:20). Thus the Jews were accustomed to think of themselves as peculiarly the children of God (see on Jn 8:41). But the teaching of Jesus did not encourage any such exclusive claim of Judaism. He taught the doctrine of the Fatherhood of God as having a more catholic range. To enter the kingdom of God is to become the child of God and the possessor of eternal life (for all these phrases mean the same thing; cf. Jn 3:3f), and the gate of the kingdom is the gate of faith in Christ. This is the message of the Fourth Gospel (Jn 20:30), and it is addressed to all who will hear it. We have here (in vv. 12, 13) a summary of the teaching of chapter 3 about the New Birth and Eternal Life.
The phrase tekna theou is not placed either by Synoptists or by Jn. in the mouth of Jesus Himself: He is represented as speaking of vioi theou (Mt 5:9); and this is also the title for believers generally used by Paul (Gal 3:26), who employs the notion of adoption, as recognised by Roman law, to bring out the relation of God to the faithful. But tekna theou is thoroughly Johannine (cf. Jn 11:52 and 1Jn 3:1f 1Jn 5:2), and the phrase implies a community of life between God the Father and His children, which is described in v. 13 as due to the fact that they are "begotten" of God (cf. Jn 3:3f). teknon is from the root tek-, "to beget."
The "children of God" are all who "believe in the Name" of Christ. The idea of the Fatherhood of God as extending to all mankind alike, heathen or Jewish, prior to belief in Christ, is not explicit in the Gospels (cf. Acts 17:28), however close it may be to such a pronouncement as that of the Love of God for the world at large (Jn 3:16). But for Jn., the "children" are those who "believe."
τοις πιστευουσιν εις το ονομα αυτου
The frequency of the verb pisteuein in Jn. has been already noted (Jn 1:7). Here we have to mark the form pisteuein eis ... The phrase "to believe in Christ," in Him as distinct from believing His words or being convinced of certain facts about Him, is, with one exception (Mt 18:6), not found in the Synoptists; but in Jn. we find pisteuein eis 35 times, always referring to God or Christ, except eis ton marturian (1Jn 5:10). (Note that pisteuousin is the present participle, and expresses the continual life of faith, not an isolated act of faith (see on Jn 6:29).
The phrase pisteuein eis to onoma autou occurs again Jn 2:23, Jn 3:18 (cf. 1Jn 5:13), but not in the speeches of Jesus Himself. In the O.T. the "Name" of Yahweh is often used as equivalent to His Character or Person, as He manifests Himself to men (cf. 2 Sam 7:13, Isa 18:7; see on Jn 5:43). It is possible that this usage of onoma in the N.T. is an Aramaism. We have it several times in the expression baptizein eis to onoma tinos (cf Mt 28:19). But, whether it is Aramaic or no, to believe in "the Name" of Jesus for John is to believe "in Him" as the Son of God and the Christ.
To as many as received him. The great mass; the people; the scribes and Pharisees rejected him. A few in his lifetime received him, and many more after his death. To receive him, here, means to believe on him. This is expressed at the end of the verse.
Gave he power. This is more appropriately rendered in the margin by the word right or privilege. Comp. Acts 1:7, Acts 5:4 Rom 9:21; 1Cor 7:37, 1Cor 8:9, 1Cor 9:4, 1Cor 9:5.
Sons of God. Children of God by adoption. See Mt 1:1.
Christians are called sons of God --
1st. Because they are adopted by him, 1Jn 3:1.
2nd. Because they are like him ; they resemble him and have his spirit.
3rd. They are united to the Lord Jesus, the Son of God -- are regarded by him as his brethren (Mt 25:40) , and are therefore regarded as the children of the Most High.
On his name. This is another way of saying believeth in him. The name of a person is often put for the person himself, Jn 2:23
