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Websters 1828 Dictionary defines 'word' in its first definition as the following:
"An articulate or vocal sound, or a combination of articulate and vocal sounds, uttered by the human voice, and by custom expressing an idea or ideas; a single component part of human speech or language. Thus 'a' in English is a word; but few words consist of one letter only. Most words consist of two or more letters, as 'go', 'do', 'shall', called monosyllables, or of two or more syllables, as 'honor', 'goodness', 'amiable'."
We have at the very beginning of John's Gospel such an introduction of "the Word" or in the Greek, 'logos'. This is the "word, logic, order, thought, mind" and declared to be the Word of God.
JOHN 1:1-2, 14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God.
Thus we read the following words: "...and the Word was God." "...was..." being in the perfect present tense or "always was". Three Persons in One Godhead is what we know as the Tri-unity of God. Think of Three Persons so exactly identical that its impossible to tell them apart: they are entirely equal in power, authority, character, attributes, abilities, knowledge and wisdom and love. So identical are they that it would seem you're seeing One - in triplicate form. The only difference among them are in the roles that they fulfill (the roles of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit).
This opening of John is similar to the opening in Genesis:
GEN 1:1
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
God [Eloheim, the plural form of "El" that also reveals to us the tri-une nature of God] created time ("in the beginning GOD") and space ("created the heavens") and matter ("and the earth"). We understand that time is as much a physical property of this universe as is space and matter (space tells matter how to move, matter tells space how to bend; time tells both how to transpire) - all created by the Almighty.
Incidentally the Bible is the only Holy Book that proclaims that God exists outside of time (ISAIAH 57:15); every other book that claims Divine authorship places God within the time domain of this universe.
His name (in biblical times, names were a defining characteristic that most often alluded to character) is Emmanuel - God with us. Indeed He dwelt among us, and in so dwelling, we were exposed to His wondrous nature, His glorious truth, His insurmountable grace, His indisputable wisdom, His unfailing insights into mankind and we were bound then to confess that He is truly the "only begotten of the Father" - which is to say, God the Son and not just the Son of God.
Not only is the Word God Almighty, but He is the Word made flesh (1 TIM 3:16); thus He is the Second Person of the Trinity and also 100% God and 100% Man (in theology this is known as the hypostatic union) - a profound and deeply awesome truth that is a mystery. Just as His Person was fully Deity and fully Humanity, the Word is also full of grace and truth in perfect and balanced proportion. The Truth made flesh spoke with perfect grace towards all that approached Him. LORD, help us to gain a greater balance in these things!
We can be assured that as we, His children approach Him as He is seated in the heavenlies, at the right hand of the Father on His throne, He will address us with blessed and steadfast truth and speak grace to us, to sustain and empower us. And we get to explore all of this as we delve into the Scriptures as well as times in prayer!
For more on "the Word" read the following exposition from StudyLight ministries (www.studylight.org):
For more on the DEITY of JESUS CHRIST, read this article from The TRUTH Under FIRE.
Thus ends this first installment to JEWELS from the GOSPEL of JOHN. Next we will look at JOHN 1:3-11,19-23 in The LIGHT and the VOICE.
Websters 1828 Dictionary defines 'word' in its first definition as the following:
"An articulate or vocal sound, or a combination of articulate and vocal sounds, uttered by the human voice, and by custom expressing an idea or ideas; a single component part of human speech or language. Thus 'a' in English is a word; but few words consist of one letter only. Most words consist of two or more letters, as 'go', 'do', 'shall', called monosyllables, or of two or more syllables, as 'honor', 'goodness', 'amiable'."
We have at the very beginning of John's Gospel such an introduction of "the Word" or in the Greek, 'logos'. This is the "word, logic, order, thought, mind" and declared to be the Word of God.
JOHN 1:1-2, 14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Any word seen by the human eye is immediately translated by the brain to a related thought in the mind. One cannot see the word "house" without then thinking of the corresponding object that this word belongs to, that is, a structure with a roof, walls, floor, and windows and doors.
When we see "the Word" we as Christians immediately think of the One that this title belongs to (REV 19:13). What strikes me is that "In the beginning was the Word..."
It doesn't say the Word was at the beginning, but in the beginning. The Word already was when there was a beginning. This tells us that the Word pre-existed everything in creation (JOHN 1:3).
All words have definition, but this One Who is eternal is self-defining (for in eternity there existed no one else but God to define Him). He is the Word, and just as all words have definite meaning and parameters of significance that do not extend beyond those parameters, Jesus Christ the Word is immutable and eternal - beyond being re-defined or re-imagined or re-made according to the proclivities and prerogatives of mere (and foolish) mortals such as today's liberal theologians and pastors and professing Christians.
As He is the Word Incarnate, the Scriptures written by the prophets and apostles are also referred to as the Word of God, but as the Inspired (God-breathed; 2 TIM 3:16) Word of God (2 PET 1:21). Just as the written Word was communicated to us by God's prophets, so also the Living Word who is God became flesh and communicated with us as well (HEB 1:1-2) so that by seeing Him, we have seen the Father; He spoke with clarity, with truth, with confrontational assertions that would brook no neutral position, and with grace.
To understand that the Word was with God means that God had Someone else besides Himself dwelling with Him (ZECH 13:7), and yet who could dwell with God as one "with Him" but One who is His equal?
Any word seen by the human eye is immediately translated by the brain to a related thought in the mind. One cannot see the word "house" without then thinking of the corresponding object that this word belongs to, that is, a structure with a roof, walls, floor, and windows and doors.
When we see "the Word" we as Christians immediately think of the One that this title belongs to (REV 19:13). What strikes me is that "In the beginning was the Word..."
It doesn't say the Word was at the beginning, but in the beginning. The Word already was when there was a beginning. This tells us that the Word pre-existed everything in creation (JOHN 1:3).
All words have definition, but this One Who is eternal is self-defining (for in eternity there existed no one else but God to define Him). He is the Word, and just as all words have definite meaning and parameters of significance that do not extend beyond those parameters, Jesus Christ the Word is immutable and eternal - beyond being re-defined or re-imagined or re-made according to the proclivities and prerogatives of mere (and foolish) mortals such as today's liberal theologians and pastors and professing Christians.
As He is the Word Incarnate, the Scriptures written by the prophets and apostles are also referred to as the Word of God, but as the Inspired (God-breathed; 2 TIM 3:16) Word of God (2 PET 1:21). Just as the written Word was communicated to us by God's prophets, so also the Living Word who is God became flesh and communicated with us as well (HEB 1:1-2) so that by seeing Him, we have seen the Father; He spoke with clarity, with truth, with confrontational assertions that would brook no neutral position, and with grace.
To understand that the Word was with God means that God had Someone else besides Himself dwelling with Him (ZECH 13:7), and yet who could dwell with God as one "with Him" but One who is His equal?
Thus we read the following words: "...and the Word was God." "...was..." being in the perfect present tense or "always was". Three Persons in One Godhead is what we know as the Tri-unity of God. Think of Three Persons so exactly identical that its impossible to tell them apart: they are entirely equal in power, authority, character, attributes, abilities, knowledge and wisdom and love. So identical are they that it would seem you're seeing One - in triplicate form. The only difference among them are in the roles that they fulfill (the roles of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit).
This opening of John is similar to the opening in Genesis:
GEN 1:1
1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
God [Eloheim, the plural form of "El" that also reveals to us the tri-une nature of God] created time ("in the beginning GOD") and space ("created the heavens") and matter ("and the earth"). We understand that time is as much a physical property of this universe as is space and matter (space tells matter how to move, matter tells space how to bend; time tells both how to transpire) - all created by the Almighty.
In order to create "all things" He would by necessity be All-mighty (omnipotent; GEN 17:1) to do so. He would have to be omniscient (perfect knowledge of all things; ISAIAH 46:9-10) in order to know how to get it all to work. He would have to be omnipresent in order to exist before time in order to create time, and everything else - that is, to dwell in eternity (ISAIAH 57:15). Since we call such a One "Abba" we as His children have no cause for anxiety or feelings of being overwhelmed by any and all of the most nerve-wracking and dire circumstances.
Incidentally the Bible is the only Holy Book that proclaims that God exists outside of time (ISAIAH 57:15); every other book that claims Divine authorship places God within the time domain of this universe.
His name (in biblical times, names were a defining characteristic that most often alluded to character) is Emmanuel - God with us. Indeed He dwelt among us, and in so dwelling, we were exposed to His wondrous nature, His glorious truth, His insurmountable grace, His indisputable wisdom, His unfailing insights into mankind and we were bound then to confess that He is truly the "only begotten of the Father" - which is to say, God the Son and not just the Son of God.
Not only is the Word God Almighty, but He is the Word made flesh (1 TIM 3:16); thus He is the Second Person of the Trinity and also 100% God and 100% Man (in theology this is known as the hypostatic union) - a profound and deeply awesome truth that is a mystery. Just as His Person was fully Deity and fully Humanity, the Word is also full of grace and truth in perfect and balanced proportion. The Truth made flesh spoke with perfect grace towards all that approached Him. LORD, help us to gain a greater balance in these things!
We can be assured that as we, His children approach Him as He is seated in the heavenlies, at the right hand of the Father on His throne, He will address us with blessed and steadfast truth and speak grace to us, to sustain and empower us. And we get to explore all of this as we delve into the Scriptures as well as times in prayer!
For more on "the Word" read the following exposition from StudyLight ministries (www.studylight.org):
For more on the DEITY of JESUS CHRIST, read this article from The TRUTH Under FIRE.
Thus ends this first installment to JEWELS from the GOSPEL of JOHN. Next we will look at JOHN 1:3-11,19-23 in The LIGHT and the VOICE.
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