John 1:12 (WEB)

Passage

But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name:

Nearby Context

John 1:10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn’t recognize him.

John 1:11 He came to his own, and those who were his own didn’t receive him.

John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name:

John 1:13 who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "received", "gave", "right", "become", "children", "believe", and "name". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "received" and "gave", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 11's "He came to his own and those..." into verse 13's "who were born not of blood nor...", so "received" and "gave" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "received" and "gave" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.