Here the word “God” is without the article in the original. Benjamin B. Warfield said: “And the Word was with God.” The language is pregnant. He was in the beginning with God. John 1:1 also means that, as God's Word, Jesus always communicated God's will to humanity, even in Old Testament revelation (Genesis 28:10-15, John 1:50-51, Exodus 17:6, 1 Corinthians 10:4). Hardly seems coincidental, does it? This phrase, if taken completely alone, would be very confusing, since John has already asserted the eternality of the Word. Donate The distinct personality of the Word is therefore not obscurely intimated. “God” and “Word” are not interchangeable terms. Jesus, as we know Him as the Word, does not constitute everything that is included in the Godhead. What does it mean that God is light? The subject is made plain by the article (ho logos) and the predicate without it (theos) just as in John 4:24 pneuma ho theos can only mean “God is spirit,” not “spirit is God.” So in 1 John 4:16 ho theos agape estin can only mean “God is love,” not “love is God” as a so-called Christian scientist would confusedly say. Others, however, while not denying the eternality of the Son, argue that that is not John’s meaning here. KJV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Here we have the revelation of Christ: He is God for believers.17, To summarize: The phrase kai theos en ho logos is most literally translated as “and the Word was God.” (Robertson, Bruce). ho logos sarx egeneto (John 1:14). The Word created all things, and there is absolutely nothing in existence that the Word did not create. Jesus said in John 15:6, “If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.” And in John 8:31, he said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples”So when John says, “These are written so th… Newsletter All people reading John’s words would understand that the Creator is God, not some lower being created by God to do the work for Him. A person who accepts the inspiration of the Scriptures can not help but be thrilled at this passage. The unbelieving Jews called it blasphemy and sought to murder whoever made this claim. Introduction to the Gospel of John; In the Beginning was the Word (John 1:1-18) I Have Called You Friends (John 1:35-51, John 15:15) Water Into Wine At the Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11) Jesus Teaches Nicodemus (John 3:1-21) Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well (John 4) Jesus Heals on the Sabbath (John 5) Jesus the Bread of Life (John 6) Instead, John here asserts the full Deity of Christ, while informing us that He is not the Father, but that they (“God” and the “Word”) have eternally co-existed. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. The Bible is the written Word. His upbringing and Jewish heritage forbade that. They argue that this is supported by the phrase in 1 John 1:2, “was with the Father,” and by 2:13, 14, which refers to Jesus as existing “from the beginning.” (John Stott argues for this, The Epistles of John [Eerdmans], pp. The next phrase says, “and the Word was with God.” Again we find the verb “was” cropping up, again pointing to the timelessness of the subject at hand. also hoi theristai angeloi eisin (Mt.13:39), ho logos ho sos alatheia estin (John 17:17), ho nomos hamartia; (Ro. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being…And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth… No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. It can not be doubted that John would never call a creature theos. John 1:2 He was with God in the beginning. He is the “Word made flesh” (Jn 1:14). This phrase must be taken with the one that follows. Much has been said about how John got the term “Logos,” the Word. Is it necessary to what John is saying? (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal … And Some Other Stuff, Doing Theology Live on TV with Call-Ins With Jet-Lag, Same Sex Controversy part 1 of 3: Sodom, and more from the JW Martin Smart, Advice for Witnessing to Mormons and Role Playing With “Elder Hahn”, The Only Begotten of the Father in the Flesh: Mormonism’s Embarrassing Theology. No one would argue that John just simply left the Logos as he found it among the philosophers. The First Epistle of John, often referred to as First John and written 1 John or I John, is the first of the Johannine epistles of the New Testament, and the fourth of the catholic epistles.There is no scholarly consensus as to the authorship of the Johannine works.The author of the First Epistle is termed John the Evangelist, who most scholars believe is not the same as John the Apostle. He possesses the same essence as God the Father, is one with Him in nature and attributes. James White is the director of Alpha and Omega Ministries, a Christian apologetics organization based in Phoenix, Arizona. This statement is all the more powerful when you realize it is the first sentence of what will follow as the life and passion of Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, Lamb slain since the foundation of the world, which was “in the beginning.”. John is very careful in his language at this point. Controversy has arisen over the meaning and interpretation of 1 John 1:9-10. Author: 1, 2, and 3 John have from earliest times been attributed to the apostle John, who also wrote the Gospel of John. A quick look at his comments on John 14:28 in Word Pictures in the New Testament, volume 5, page 256 refutes this idea. No, he filled the Word with personality and identified the Word not as some fuzzy, ethereal essence that was the guiding principle of all things, (as the Greeks thought), but as the eternal Son of God, the One Who entered into time, and into man’s experience as Jesus of Nazareth. 3) It ignores the position of theos in the clause – it comes first, and is emphatic. The Logos who became flesh and revealed the invisible God was a divine being, God by nature. 1 John 1 1 2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) In John 1:1 we have Christology: He is God in Himself. Home 2 He was with God in the beginning. John 4:18. But the Incarnate Logos was really “God only Begotten in the bosom of the Father” (John 1:18 correct text)6. The preposition John uses here is quite revealing. Some have gone so far as to assert that the correct translation, therefore, is “the Word was a god,” basing the argument on the lack of the definite article ho before theos. Neither was the place the only market, nor was the word all of God, as it would mean if the article were also used with theos. John 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. The article points out the subject in these examples. “The Word was God.” If both God and Word were articular, they would be coextensive and equally distributed and so interchangeable. 1. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. We must bear in mind that we are reading only a translation of what John wrote, and hence some mention will have to be made of the Greek language. Do You Struggle With Being Perfect. John 1:(1-9), 10-18 is the assigned Gospel lesson for Christmas 2, Years A, B, and C. While John 1:1-9 is optional, verses 10-18 make little sense without the premises set out in the opening verses. What is suggested is an active relation of intercourse. Date of Writing: The Book of 1 John was likely written between A.D. 85-95. In other words, John is not teaching the ancient heresy known as Sabellianism, which taught that Jesus and the Father and the Spirit are simply three different aspects of one person, i.e., Jesus is the Father, the Father is the Spirit, and so on. The Word was with God. Here... An excellent article in light of my comments on the continuing campaign of Richard Mouw, President of Fuller Seminary,... Alpha and Omega Ministries is a Christian apologetics organization based in Phoenix, Arizona. A Greater Calling // Recharged For A Purpose. P.O. This is interesting in light of the discussion we have been having on the DL about textual criticism. 2 He was with God in the beginning() 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made() 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. Another scholarly source along this line is found in the Expositor’s Greek Testament: The Word is distinguishable from God and yet Theos en ho logos, the Word was God, of Divine nature; not “a God,” which to a Jewish ear would have been abominable; nor yet identical with all that can be called God, for then the article would have been inserted…12. ESV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. By the simple omission of the article (“the”, or in Greek, ho) before the word for God in the last phrase, John avoids teaching Sabellianism, while by placing the word where it is in the clause, he defeats another heresy, Arianism, which denies the true Deity of the Lord Jesus. 8am to 5pm MST It is not a valid translation in any way. To recap, Robertson says that 1) the translation of the phrase theos en ho logos is “the Word was God.” 2) That the anarthrous theos is required for the meaning. Now he clearly distinguishes between the Word and God. We have seen that the Word is eternal. John 1:1-18 (NIV) The Word Became Flesh. John avoids confusion by telling us that the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Others could be added, but this is sufficient. 4 … 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 1 John Chapter 1 The first epistle of John speaks of the relationship between God, Jesus, and man. Only when we come to verse 14 does John use “to become” of the Word, and that is when the Word “became flesh.” This refers to a specific point in time, the incarnation, and fully demonstrates John’s intentional usage of contrasting verbs. I begin with the most quoted scholar on this subject, Dr. A. T. Robertson: And the Word was God (kai theos en ho logos). The fact that theos is the first word after the conjunction kai (and) shows that the main emphasis of the clause lies on it. Try to detach yourself from that knowledge for a moment, and imagine what kind of being you would be imagining while reading about this Word. This is a great mystery but the Word is the will of God declared. It means “to be in company with someone”1 or to be “face-to-face.” It speaks of communion, interaction, fellowship. Philip B. Harner did an extensive study of anarthrous predicate nouns which was published in the Journal of Biblical Literature as well.15 His research led to some realignment in viewing Colwell’s rule, it is true. John goes on in verse two to reiterate the eternal fellowship of the Father and Son, making sure that all understand that “this one,” the Word, was (there it is again) in the beginning pros ton theon, with God. The changing of water to wine is Jesus’ first public act in John, the inaugural “sign” … Continue reading "Commentary on John 2:1-11" 58-59.) He certainly revealed God's will when He came as the God/Man in Israel, and … From all eternity the Word has been with God as a fellow: He who in the very beginning already “was,” “was” also in communion with God. Jesus of Nazareth, the carpenter, the teacher, is Very God.8. Though Colwell’s rule is not exceptionless, it is a valuable guide. John 1:1–18 is a poetic introduction of Jesus Christ. Luke 24:53 praising God continually in the temple. NIV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Proverbs 8:23 From everlasting I was established, from the beginning, before the earth began. Emphasis is upon the quality or character. Office Hours So in John 1:1, theos an ho logos, the subject is perfectly clear. The decrees of God are the revealed Word. In light of Dr. Robertson’s comments, it is indeed unbelievable that some will quote from the above section and try to intimate that Robertson felt that Jesus was less than the Father because he quoted John 14:28. The following article was originally an information sheet that we began distributing around 1985 . (Robertson, Dana and Mantey, Bruce, Nicoll) Colwell’s rule also comes into play at this point. No one would dare publish such a “translation.” However, in 1950, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society published its own translation of the Bible, The New World Translation of the Greek Scriptures. The apostle, through the direction of the Holy Spirit, expresses this making use of an expression that was well known in the ancient world but unknown in Scripture (in exactly the same way) prior to this. Bible Commentary Bible Verses Devotionals Faith Prayers Coloring Pages Pros and Cons, 40 Important Bible Scriptures on Putting God First, Washing of Water by the Word Meaning and Meditation, Righteousness Exalts a Nation Meaning and Meditation, 18 Strong Prayers for a New Place to Live, Having Done All to Stand Meaning and Meditation, A Good Name Is Better than Riches Meaning and Meditation, 50 Compelling Bible Scriptures on Direction. John did not stop here, however. They were not far from the truth. Jesus contrasted Abraham’s “becoming” with His own eternal existence in John 8:58 in the same way. How then are we to understand these two phrases? So in John 1:14 ho Logos sarx egeneto, “the Word became flesh,” not “the flesh became Word.” Luther argues that here John disposes of Arianism also because the Logos was eternally God, fellowship of the Father and Son, what Origen called the Eternal Generation of the Son (each necessary to the other). Basically, the passage teaches that the Word, as to His essential nature, is God. And the Word was in fellowship with God the Father. Remember that the original readers of John’s Gospel would not have already read verse 14, and they would not have the preconceived knowledge that the Word is identified as Christ. 2) If one is to dogmatically assert that any anarthrous noun must be indefinite and translated with an indefinite article, one must be able to do the same with the 282 other times theos appears anarthrously. It should also be noted that his article has been used extensively by those who would deny the Deity of Christ and mistranslate this passage. It is used of John the Baptist in verse 6, of the world in verse 10, and the children of God in verse 12. They, like Robertson, point out that since theos is anarthrous, it shows that it is not convertible with logos and vice-versa. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. We have seen that the majority of scholarship sees the theos as indicating the nature of the Word, that He is God as to His nature. The prologue to John’s Gospel has long been a center of controversy when discussing the Deity of Christ, and naturally so. In 1 John Chapter 1, it tells of the blessings that true followers receive and the joy in fellowshipping with each other, which provides a connection to the Lord. In other words, if theos en ho logos is “a god,” how could John have said “the Word was God?” We have already seen that if John had employed the article before theos, he would have made the terms theos and logos interchangeable, amounting to Sabellianism. All Rights Reserved. God has put a desire for relationship in every one of us, a desire He intended to be met with relationships with other people, but most of all, to be met by a relationship with Him. Also, both approaches lead to the same conclusion – the passage teaches the Deity of Jesus Christ. NKJV In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. Statement of Faith John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”. F. F. Bruce’s comments on this passage are valuable: The structure of the third clause in verse 1, theos en ho logos, demands the translation “The Word was God.” Since logos has the article preceding it, it is marked out as the subject. That beginning goes back before creation. Contact. He did not leave us to simply know the eternity of the Word. In the beginning — Namely, of the creation, (for the evangelist evidently refers to the first word of the book of Genesis, בראשׁית, bereshith, rendered by the LXX. The context makes no such demand in the Gospel of John.”14 This is the view taken by Morris, Metzger, Griffith and others. The Lord Jesus came into the world as the incarnate WORD of God, to reveal to the depraved mind of man, the truth of God's eternal love and His perfect holiness. 1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched —this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 767f. ©2020 Alpha and Omega Ministries. Jesus did not just come to tell us what God is like – He showed us. It is not merely coexistence with God that is asserted, as of two beings standing side by side, united in local relation, or even in a common conception. En arche en ho logos, kai ho logos en pros ton theon, kai theos en ho logos. That would mean that all of God was expressed in ho logos and the terms would be interchangeable, each having the article. Instead, he used theos, the very word John will use consistently for the Father, the “only true God” (John 17:3). It is good to note Vincent’s comment that here “John is not trying to show who is God, but who is the Word.”10 The Logos is the central character here. But the separate personality of the Logos is affirmed by the construction used and Sabellianism is denied. These scholars refer to what is known as Colwell’s rule, named after E. C. Colwell, who first enunciated his rule in the Journal of Biblical Literature in 1933.13 The rule says, “The absence of the article does not make the predicate indefinite or qualitative when it precedes the verb; it is indefinite in this position only when the context demands it. He is the revelation of God. Η. E. Dana and Julius Mantey utilize John 1:1 to illustrate the usage of the article to determine the subject in a copulative sentence: The article sometimes distinguishes the subject from the predicate in a copulative sentence. At the very least, it is a good guide to translation in this case. John 1:1-3, 14, 18 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Jesus is referred to using the Greek word Logos, meaning “The Word.” This passage clearly describes Jesus as identical to God, and co-creator with God. Aside from the comment of The Expositor’s Greek Testament above, the following from F. F. Bruce sums up the truth pretty well: It is nowhere more sadly true than in the acquisition of Greek that “a little learning is a dangerous thing”. Wuest in his Expanded Translation, renders John 1:1: In the beginning the Word was existing. 1-john 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome [] it Phoenix, AZ 85069 One can hardly read the above sentences without catching a glimpse of One Who is far beyond the realm of simply human; even far beyond the realm of the angelic. 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