became manifest that `His own' people as a whole would not receive

Him. The other Gospels lead the reader step by step to the crisis of the

Lord's rejection. John, on the other hand, places it in his prologue, and

the whole Gospel is written with the previous knowledge that Israel

had failed. John speaks of `the world', and of `other sheep' that must

be sought, and his witness is related to the revelation that had already

been made in Paul's epistles.

We read that to those who did receive Him, the Lord gave `power

to become the sons of God' (1:12). The words `power' and `sons' here

need a little revision. The word translated `power' is exousia, from

exesti, `lawful'. For example, `It is not lawful for thee to carry thy

bed' (5:10). A little further on in the same chapter we meet with

exousia: `and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also,

because He is the Son of Man' (27). The word is in constant use, for

example, `one having authority' (Matt. 7:29), `by what authority?'

(Matt. 21:23).  It is often translated `power', as in the phrase

`principality and power' (Eph. 1:21), and `prince of the power of the

air' (Eph. 2:2). The last occurrence in the New Testament is in

Revelation 22:14, `that they may have right to the tree of life'. It is not

a question of `power' in John 1:12, but of `right' or `authority'. When

Israel as a nation was set aside, the Lord gave to all believers,

irrespective of nationality, the `right' or `authority' to become

`children of God'.

The word for `sons' also needs revision. There are two possible

words which may be translated `son', huios and teknon. Huios occurs

in 1:18 (in the Received Text): `the only begotten Son', and with thesia

forms the word translated `adoption', `to be given the standing and

dignity of the heir'. The word used in 1:12, however, is not huios but

teknon. In his epistles John uses huios twenty-four times, but never in

connection with the believer. The familiar words of 1 John 3: `That

we should be called the sons of God ... Now are we the sons of God',

are not a correct translation. In both cases the word used is teknon, `a

child'. On the other hand, the familiar title `the children of Israel'

should read `the sons of Israel'. Sonship (or `adoption') belongs on

earth to Israel (Rom. 9:1-4). When Israel failed (Acts 28), the Lord did

not give those to whom John ministered Israel's sonship, but rather the

right to be called `the children of God'.