In The Beginning Was the Word
John 1:1-5
Before we get into the heart of tonight’s study, I’d like to take a look at the background behind the Book of John, and it’s writer. I think this will give us more of a feel for these verses of scripture.
The Apostle John, also known as John the Beloved, or John the Revelator is overwhelmingly believed by scholars to have written this book. We find in scripture that he was the brother of the James and was a son of a man named Zebedee. Now John and his brother James were fishermen in partnership with the sons of Jonah – a man named Simon who was called Peter, and Peter’s brother Andrew.
All four men were living in Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee. Now the Lord found John and his brother washing their nets one day, after having an unprofitable fishing excursion. Then the Lord ordered them to launch out a short way from the shore and cast their nets one last time. They obliged the Lord, and they caught such a great multitude of fish, that their nets began to break, and called for their partners to help then haul in this great load of fish. Let’s pick up there and read Luke 5:9-11 – Can I get a volunteer?
(Someone reads Luke 5:9-11)
So, we see that John was called at that time to be fisher of men. We also know from scripture that John’s brother James, and their partners Simon Peter and Andrew were also called. They were called from that point on to be disciples. They traveled with the Lord, and learned from Him.
We know that John was with the Lord when lepers became clean, when the blind received their sight, and when unclean spirits were cast out of those who were possessed.
We read later in scripture that Jesus chose twelve out of his followers to be called apostles. Out of the twelve, we also learn that three were the Lord’s quote – unquote “inner circle”. This was Simon Peter, James and John. These three went up on the mountaintop in Matthew 17:1-13 and saw the Lord transfigured before them. It was these three that were asked to withdraw and keep watch with the Lord in the garden as we read in Mark 14:33, just after the Last Supper, and before the Lord was carried away to be crucified.
Of these three of the inner circle, we read that John was in many ways closest to the Lord. Scripture calls him “the disciple whom Jesus loved”. It was John who was reclined next to the Lord at the Last Supper. He asked, “Who is going to betray you Lord?” He was the only apostle to be at the cross when the Lord was crucified, and there we read that John was entrusted with caring for the Lord’s mother, Mary.
After the Lord’s resurrection and ascension into heaven, we read in scripture that John stayed in Jerusalem for a period of time. Paul mentions John as being in Jerusalem in his letter to the Galatians chapter 2, verse 9.
Tradition maintains that John later became the pastor of the church of Ephesus, teaching and caring for the Lord’s mother until her death. Tertullian, an early Christian apologist writes in an extra-biblical work that John was taken to Rome where he was quote “plunged into boiling oil, unhurt, and then exiled on an island.” This was likely the island of Patmos, where the book of Revelation was written around 96 AD. It is believed that John’s body was returned to Ephesus for burial, after living to an old age.
Drawing this all together then, we see that John had a special relationship with the Lord, and I believe some special insight into the ministry and life of the Lord.
Most scholars believe that the gospel of John was written after the other three. Mark is believed to have been written in 50 AD, Luke between 58 and 63 AD, Matthew in 75 AD, and finally John between 90 and 100 AD Now, I personally believe that the gospel of John was written closer to 90 A.D., before the book of Revelation. Here is why.
In a secular book written by the fourth century writer Theodore of Mopsuestia claims that John wrote the gospel at Ephesus. He writes, “It occurred to the Christians of Asia that St. John was a more credible witness than all others, forasmuch as from the beginning, even before Matthew, he was with the Lord, and enjoyed more abundant grace through the love which the Lord bore to him. And they brought him the books [i.e. the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke] and sought to know his opinion of them. He praised the writers for their veracity, and said that a few things had been omitted by them, and that all but a little bit of the teaching of the most important miracles was recorded. He added that they who discourse on the coming of Christ in the flesh ought not to omit to speak of His divinity, lest that later, men might suppose that Christ was only a man. The brethren at Ephesus urged John to write these things down. Therefore John began with the divinity of Christ, being the necessary beginning of the gospel.”
We do not know whether or not this is completely true. But, it does seem reasonable to believe that this may be pretty close to what transpired. Now we do know that the divine nature of Christ is emphasized by John at the beginning of his gospel, and that is what we will study tonight – John’s discourse on the divine nature of Christ. So, without any further ado, let’s dive right in to tonight’s study.
As I mentioned, we will look at the first five verses of John chapter 1. Let’s all turn there right now. Can I have a volunteer to read verses 1 through 5?
(Someone reads John 1:1-5)
In this study, we will look at the deity of divine nature of Christ in verse 1. In verse 2, we’ll look at Christ’s pre-incarnate existence, or his existence before coming to earth. In verse 3, we will examine the creation by and through Him. In verse 4, we’ll look at Christ as the life and light of all men. Last, in verse 5, we will examine the world’s lack of comprehension of Christ, and Christ’s victory over the darkness of this world.
Now, let’s look at the deity, or divine nature of Christ. Verse 1 in the New Revised Standard Version reads – “In the beginning the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Many scholars regard the New Revised Standard as the version that best translates the original Greek. So much so, that in most seminaries, it is against the rules to use a New Revised Standard bible in a Greek class, because it translates the Greek too well – kind of like using a calculator in a math class!
In the original Greek, the last part of this verse, …and the Word was God, reads, ka-hee’ thay’-os anay logos. Literally word for word it reads – and God was the Word.
We can see from this verse that God was the Word, and the Word was God, and in the beginning, the Word was with God. The Word and God (which are one in the same) were in the beginning. Now this does not mean that I am saying that the Word and God are the same person, because how can the Word be with God if they are the same person? They can’t. That’s because God is triune in nature. The best way I can explain it is this: God is one what. One God. There are three who’s on the one God – God the Father, God the Son, Jesus (referred to in this verse as the Word), and God the Holy Spirit. One God. Three persons who make up that God.
Because of all the confusion about God’s triune nature, this verse is one of the most abused and twisted in Scripture, and has been for centuries. Dr. John Gill, who was Charles Spurgeon’s seminary professor writes in his 1809 Body of Doctrinal and Practical Divinity “There was a set of men in ancient times called the Patripassians that held that the Father suffered; believing that Father, Son, and Spirit are only so many names and manifestations of the same person; that the Father became incarnate, obeyed, suffered, and died.”
Dr. Gill continues, “But this notion continued not long, but was soon rejected, as it must be, by all who read their Bible with care.”
Today we have many modern-day Patripassians – Jehovah’s Witnesses are one, The Way International, and I could go on and on listing cults that seek to deny the deity of Christ, or deny His incarnation - His becoming a man. The JW’s went so far as to translate John 1:1 in their Watchtower Bible quote “In the beginning was the word, (little w) and the word (little w) was with God (big G), and the word (little w) was a god (little g). This was an attempt to change scripture to support their view that Christ was not divine, or God. Under intense scrutiny, they released the names of their team of translators, and it was revealed that only one person on the team knew how to read Greek. Now, I’m not a Greek scholar, but I do know how to read reference books, and use God’s infallible Word to validate itself. Can someone look up 2 John verse 7 for me?
(Someone reads 2 John 7)
This is why it is so very important to study God’s Word. Be like the Bereans, search the scriptures, and arm yourself with the Sword of the Spirit. Be prepared to defend against these heresies that seek to deny Christ’s deity or His incarnation. I could spend much more time here looking at the incarnate deity of Christ, but for time’s sake, let’s move on to verse 2, and examine Christ’s pre-incarnate existence.
(Read John 1:2 – NRSV)
John emphasizes here again that He, being the Word or Christ was with God in the beginning. This is important. That’s why he says it twice. John re-iterates Christ’s being in the beginning. Genesis 1:1 reads – In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. This is not a coincidence. I believe that when the Holy Spirit moved John to write, He (meaning the Spirit) drew a parallel or connection to Genesis 1:1. Here’s why.
The word translated beginning in Genesis 1:1 is the Hebrew word ray-sheeth – it means first in place, time, order, or rank, a firstfruit. Now this is different from other words in the Old Testament translated beginning, like tek-il-law’ used in many places. It means a starting or commencement. Similarly, the word translated beginning used in John 1:1 and John 1:2 is arch’-ay which also means chief in time, rank, place, or order. Arch’-ay is also found in Revelation 3:4, where Peter speaks concerning the beginning of creation. Now, this is also different from arch-o-maie, also translated beginning, and found in other parts of John which similarly like the Hebrew word tek-il-law’ means starting up or commencement.
From this we see that the Greek word translated as beginning in John 1:1 and 1:2 is VERY similar to the Hebrew word translated as beginning found in Genesis 1:1. Both words mean “the BIG beginning”, or “the beginning of it all”. So we see that Christ was with God and was God in the beginning of time, space, and this universe, as we know it, let alone the world. You hear a lot of people talking about the Big Bang. Well, here is how that went down. God spoke, and BANG! It happened. This universe speaks to the very existence of God. Here is something all these scientists talking about the Big Bang don’t tell you about: The laws of Physics as we know them today DO NOT work with the Big Bang theory. Something, or in our case someone, had to set it into motion OUTSIDE the laws of Physics.
I praise God that he is bigger than the laws of Physics.
This brings us to our third point, found in verse 3.
(Read John 1:3, NRSV)
A third time the Holy Spirit through the apostle’s hand affirms Christ’s deity. What he is putting forth is a statement – Through Him, all things are made. But, also an argument, without Him nothing came into being. Meaning without Christ, this universe would have not come into being. We read in Genesis chapter 1, that the Spirit hovered over the waters, and that when God spoke, creation became created. All three persons of the Godhead were active in creation. This is being affirmed in John 1:3. Take away Christ, and you have no creation, and what is inferred is that if you take away Christ from the Godhead, God ceases to be God. All three persons, or “who’s” are necessary to make up the Godhead.
Let’s move on to verse 4, and look at Christ as the light of all men.
(Read John 1:4, NRSV)
Now this is an interesting verse, because it has a two-fold meaning. It draws upon verse 3, and the Genesis 1 creation account. “In Him was life”: this universe, this world, and all living things were created or received life, by and through Him. Now, I could spend more time developing this aspect of the verse, but we covered it in verses 2 and 3 pretty well.
Let’s dig into the meat of this verse. The meat is in the second meaning. The second meaning is that the word life is zo-ay’ in the original Greek. It is the same word used in John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him will have everlasting zo-ay’- or life. In Him, not only is life on this earth created into existence, but also in Him, by Him, and through Him is EVERLASTING or ETERNAL LIFE. Not only by His hand was our nearest star, the sun, which gives us light created, but also He is the light for our souls. 1 John 1:5 reads – This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you; God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. Also, by the nails put into His hands, and through His resurrection power, He comes to live in and through us, and we become His witnesses, and the spiritual light to the world. We see this in Matthew 5:16.
Drawing it all together – By Christ’s life on earth (which includes his death, burial, and resurrection) the spiritual light of salvation came into this dark world of sin. We as his disciples called to be the light, as He is present within us. It is important that we live like the light.
My last point tonight is in verse 5.
(Read John 1:5, NRSV)
The New King James Version reads “And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” Well, the first thing we need to do is to take a look at is the word in the latter part of the verse that seems to be translated differently in these two versions.
The King James and New King James translate this word comprehend. The NRSV translates this word overcome. Now the word in the Greek is kat-al-lam-ban’-o. Strong’s defines this word – to take eagerly, to seize, apprehend, obtain, overtake, or comprehend.
Now, I believe that both translations are correct, in the light of other supporting scripture, maybe this word with its dual meanings was put there in purpose. Other scripture can support both meanings.
First let’s look at using comprehend, as the King James and New King James translate it. The light mentioned is a metaphor describing Jesus as we see in verse 4. The darkness is a metaphor for this fallen world. John 8:12 reads – “When Jesus spoke again to the people He said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”
Those that do not follow Christ then, are walking in the darkness, or this world, and their life of sin. We are called a Christians to walk free from the darkness, as the light is in us if we have Christ is in us.
Now those that are in the world don’t or can’t understand believers or Christ. We see from Isaiah 6:10 that man is in the darkness, and does not comprehend or see the things of God. This includes salvation. Without God revealing Himself, to us, we cannot be saved.
We could spend more time on this, but for time’s sake, let’s move onto the other meaning “..And the darkness did not overcome it.” We see this in other places in scripture. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus speaks to Peter, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Also in the book of Revelation we see Christ coming with the church and swiftly defeating the armies of the Anti-Christ.
We clearly see that both the church and Christ are not overcome, are not defeated, but on the contrary – we win a resounding victory over the forces of Satan. I don’t know about you, but that makes me feel great!
Now, let’s draw all this to a close. Tonight we examined the deity of Christ, the pre-incarnate existence of Christ, and the creation through Christ. We also looked at the world’s misunderstanding of Christ, and Christ’s victory over the world.
I have thoroughly enjoyed putting this study together, and was even more blessed being able to share it with you tonight. Thanks and God Bless!
