Since the beginning of the world is literally “from the age.” Most translations give the same meaning that Good News Translation gives this phrase. Since the beginning of the world may be rendered “since the world was created” or “from the very time that the world was first created.”

Nobody has ever heard of anyone giving sight to a blind person may require restructuring in the light of 9.1, which states that the man had been born blind. For example, “people have never heard that anyone ever gave sight to a person who had been blind from the day he was born” or “… caused a man who had always been blind to see” or “… caused that a man who was blind from birth would be able to see.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on the Gospel of John. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1980. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .