But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights that becoming a child of God isn't a passive inheritance but a profound gift of "right" or "authority" granted to those who actively receive and believe in Jesus. This doesn't just mean intellectual assent, but a trusting reliance on His name, which signifies His whole being and authority.
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After the light of the world entered the world, many rejected Him, including "His own" people. However, the passage emphasizes that this rejection was not universal, and it contrasts those who received Him with those who did not. This verse, therefore, highlights the turning point from rejection to acceptance, explaining what happens to those individuals who choose to believe in Jesus.
When Jesus arrived, some people locked their doors, but others threw them wide open. What's the difference between welcoming and rejecting Him, and what does it mean for us today?
John contrasts the world's rejection of Jesus with the acceptance found in Him. The phrase 'as many as received Him' isn't about a nation as a whole, but about individuals who made a conscious choice. This reception isn't based on who you are or where you're from, but on a willingness to open your heart to Him, even when others refuse.
The Difference:
It's one thing to be allowed into God's family; it's another to be given the right to be there. What does this incredible 'right' truly mean?
The word translated 'right' (exousia) is powerful. It's not just about possibility or ability, but about a legitimate, divinely granted authority and privilege. When you receive Jesus, you're not just getting a pardon; you're given the legal standing and inherent dignity of being a child of God.
What 'Right' Means Here:
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This isn't something earned, but a gift bestowed upon those who believe.
What does it truly mean to 'believe in his name'? It's more than just intellectual agreement; it's a profound trust that reshapes our entire lives.
The verse connects receiving Jesus with believing in His name. 'Believing in His name' is John's way of describing a faith that goes beyond mere acknowledgment. It's about placing your trust, your confidence, and your very soul onto who Jesus is – His character, His authority, His finished work.
Key Aspects of Believing in His Name:
This active, continuous faith is the doorway to becoming a child of God.
Understand the original words
exousia · Greek Noun
The divine authority, legal power, or privilege granted by God to those who believe, enabling them to transition into a new spiritual status.
gennaō · Greek Verb
A spiritual transformation or 'new birth' initiated solely by God, by which a person is brought into the family of God through faith.
pisteuō · Greek Verb
To place one's full trust, reliance, and commitment in Christ, acknowledging Him as the object of one's saving faith.
This passage explains that believers become children of God 'through faith in Christ Jesus,' echoing John 1:12's connection between belief and sonship.
Romans 8:14-17It highlights that 'all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God' and emphasizes the Spirit's role in our adoption as children, which is the privilege granted in John 1:12.
1 John 3:1This verse speaks of the Father bestowing 'amazing love' so that we may be called children of God, directly correlating with the new identity and right given to believers in John 1:12.
John 3:3-7Jesus explains the necessity of being 'born again' to enter the kingdom of God, which is the underlying spiritual reality of becoming a child of God as described in John 1:12.
ellicottJohn 1:12: "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) Yet the light ever shineth, and the better things lie hidden. As many as received him.—The words are less wide and yet more wide than “His own.” The nation as such rejected Him; individuals in it accepted Him; but not individuals of that nation only. All who according to their light and means accept Him, receive from Him an authority and in Him a moral power, wh…
vincentJohn 1:12: "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:"
As many as (ὅσοι)Denoting individuals, as οἱ ἴδιοι (John 1:11) signified the nation at large.Received (ἔλαβον)The simple verb of the compound παρέλαβον in John 1:11. The meaning of the two verbs is substantially the same (so Alford, De Wette, and apparently Meyer), though some recognize a difference, as Milligan and Moulton, who render παρέλαβον accepted, an…
The verse highlights that becoming a child of God isn't a passive inheritance but a profound gift of "right" or "authority" granted to those who actively receive and believe in Jesus. This doesn't just mean intellectual assent, but a trusting reliance on His name, which signifies His whole being and authority.
After the light of the world entered the world, many rejected Him, including "His own" people. However, the passage emphasizes that this rejection was not universal, and it contrasts those who received Him with those who did not. This verse, therefore, highlights the turning point from rejection to acceptance, explaining what happens to those individuals who choose to believe in Jesus.
After the light of the world entered the world, many rejected Him, including "His own" people. However, the passage emphasizes that this rejection was not universal, and it contrasts those who received Him with those who did not. This verse, therefore, highlights the turning point from rejection to acceptance, explaining what happens to those individuals who choose to believe in Jesus.
"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." — The verse highlights that becoming a child of God isn't a passive inheritance but a profound gift of "right" or "authority" granted to those who actively receive and believe in Jesus. This doesn't ju…
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Last reviewed October 2026