John 1:1 (YLT)

Passage

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;

Nearby Context

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God;

John 1:2 this one was in the beginning with God;

John 1:3 all things through him did happen, and without him happened not even one thing that hath happened.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "beginning" and "word". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "beginning" and "word", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The next verse adds "this one was in the beginning with...", so "beginning" and "word" should be read forward into that movement. 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 "beginning" and "word" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.