The English Standard Bible (ESV) and the 1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB) translate the first part of John 1:3 as saying that all things were created “through Him.”
All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. John 1:3 (NASB)
But both the 1611 and 1900 King James Bibles say that all things were created “by Him.” Therefore, which is the correct translation? The purpose of this article is to answer that question. The meaning of John 1:3 is supported by other New Testament passages.
Greek Text of All Four Bible Translations
Since the Greek phrase for the first part of John 1:3 is identical in the 1611 KJV, 1900 KJV, NASB, and ESV there are disputes about the Greek text of the King James Bible being superior. That is a common argument. But in this situation, the Greek words for “through Him” and “by Him” are identical. Therefore, we will focus solely on those Greek words.
The Greek text for “through Him” and “by Him” is di’ autou. The root Greek word for di’ is dia and the root Greek word for Him is autou. The term “root Greek word” refers to the basic Greek word from which the Greek word is derived. For example, the English word “speaking” is derived from “to speak.” Therefore, “to speak” is the root English word.
Meaning of the Greek Words
We will start with the second English word which is “Him”. The Greek word for this English word is autou, and the root Greek word for autou is autos. Since it is in the masculine gender, it just means “him.” From the context of the passage, we conclude that it refers to Christ, the second person of the trinity.
Now, the first English word in the phrase is either “through” or “by.” As stated above, the root Greek word for either English word is dia. Since autou is a Greek genitive, it has the meaning of either “through” or “by.” So, either translation is within reason. Therefore, the translations of the ESV, NASB, 1611 KJV, and 1900 KJV are all acceptable translations to some degree. Notice that the Louw and Nida Greek Lexicon defines dia as,
“A marker of intermediate agent, with implicit or explicit causative agent—‘through, by.”1
But B. F. Westcott states that the correct translation of the Greek phrase, di’ autou, is “through Him” and not “by Him.” The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament states that dia has the basic meaning of “through,” “through … to” when used with the genitive, and autuo is a genitive in the Greek language.2
To understand dia as meaning “through” in John 1:3 reveals that Christ is the causative agent of all things that came into existence. Colossians 1:16-17 and Hebrews 1:2 reveal that Christ created everything.
For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities — all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. Colossians 1:16-17 (NASB)
This passage teaches us that Christ created all things. He was before all things. In Him all things hold together. We could say He is the super-glue of the universe. He did not just decide to create or command that someone or something do the creation, He was the active designer. He still holds everything together. Since He existed before all things, there was no one or nothing else to design or make all things. Simply stated, He was the agent through which everything was made. Hebrews 1:2 sends us the same message.
Thus to translate dia as “by” implies that Christ was somewhat detached when He created all things or was not completely involved when He created all things. But to translate dia as “through” provides a very strong statement that He was involved in the creation and everything was made “through” Him.
One’s final explanation will depend upon one’s view of Christ as the Creator. Was He a passive and detached Creator or was He the God of the Bible? Was He a loving, caring, wise designer of all things in the visible and invisible worlds? Whatever one’s choice, it must convey the meaning of the Greek word which has the idea that Christ was the acting agent of creation. Anything less is a rejection of the fundamental meaning of dia in John 1:3. The correct answer is that Christ was the active agent, designer, and creator of all things.
Conclusion
The ESV and NASB are the better translations in this author’s opinion since they leave a stronger impression that Christ was the active creator and designer of all things. The King James Bible does not do that. However, all four Bible translations are acceptable since the meaning of the root Greek words for “through” and “by” are both considered to be accurate. Nevertheless, the KVJ conveys a weak theology about Jesus as our Creator.
Reference:
1. Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 796.
2. Albrecht Oepke, “Διά,” in Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964–), 65.
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