The Beginning Word (John 1:1-5)

The Beginning Word (John 1:1-5)

Divine Yet Distinct from the Father (John 1:1-2)

The Greek term translated into English “Word” was used by Greek philosophers to mean “reason.” There was a great deal of Greek influence in 1^stcentury Judaism whether they wanted to admit it or not. For one, the Scriptures had been translated from Hebrew into Greek and there were many Hellenistic Jews who imitated the manner, customs and language of Greeks. Even though the term logos (Word) is Greek, the Jewish people would have understood it.

The 1^stcentury Jew identified Wisdom/Word/Law with God, for all three come from God. To the 1^stcentury Jew, Wisdom/Word/Law are Divine; yet, distinct from God the Father; therefore, the Greek term logos (Word) was the best way for the disciple whom Jesus loved to describe Jesus as Divine, yet distinct from the Father, a being Who personifies Wisdom and Law from above.[1]

The author begins the text echoing the words of Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning,” but before saying He created, the author points to the Word of God as being with God at creation; therefore, uncreated, Divine, yet distinct from the Father. By using the term logos (the Word), the disciple whom Jesus loved calls Jesus the embodiment of the Wisdom and Law of God, Divine, yet distinct from the Father.

Then God said (John 1:3)

Jewish teachers taught that God created all things through Law. Is it a coincidence that Genesis chapter 1 declares 10 times in the creation account “Then God said,” and the ten commands are often referred to as the Decalogue? (Decalogue means 10 words.) Jewish teachers would have agreed with v.1:3 that all things were made through the Word (Wisdom/Law) and Greek Platonic philosophers would have agreed that God created the world through His logos (Word).[2]So by using the Greek logos (Word) in a Jewish understanding of creation, the disciple whom Jesus loved was setting up a position in which both Jews and Greeks would agree; that the “Word” Whom he will declare in v.1:14 became flesh is greater than any created thing.[3]

Life and Light (John 1:4)

The Old Testament made promises of long life for those who obeyed the Wisdom/Word/Law of God.[4]In Ex 20:12 and Dt 5:16 the command is given to “Honor your father and your mother” and the promise for obeying the commandment is long life. Then in Dt 8:1 and ll:8-9 Moses states that he is giving the Israelites the commandments that they may live. The Word of God has always been available to man for life. If Adam had listened to God, he would have lived long in the garden. Jewish teachers associated light with God’s Law.[5]“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Ps.119:105, NASB)

The Light Shines in the Darkness (John 1:5)

The darkness is in opposition to the light, but this could also mean a darkened heart or mind.[6]It has been said that unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. (Jn.3:3) Could it be that sin coming into the world has darkened the minds of men. Sin separates man from God. Genesis chapter 3 ends with man (male and female) being driven out of the garden away from the presence of God. This is spiritual death, and because of this, the entire world became dark in the sense that man can no longer see God. God warned Adam that in the day that he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he would surely die. Did Adam physically die on that day? No, but he and Eve began to physically die, for God told Adam that he would physically die after many years of struggling to live on his own by the sweat of his brow. (Gn.3:17-19) Adam and Eve spiritually died the day that they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for they were driven away from God. Their eyes were darkened for they could no longer see God. The disciple whom Jesus loves declares that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend. Think about this imagery; imagine a person who grew up in a dark cave, wouldn’t they be confused if someone suddenly lit a candle?

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[1]Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, 2^nded. (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2014), 249.

[2]Ibid.

[3]William McDonald, Believers Bible Commentary: A Complete Bible Commentary in One Volume5^thed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1990), 1467.

[4]Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, 2^nded. (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2014), 249.

[5]Ibid.

[6]William McDonald, Believers Bible Commentary: A Complete Bible Commentary in One Volume5^thed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1990), 1467.

The Apologetic of the Disciple Whom Jesus Loved

It is well documented that early Christians suffered for their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. All of the apostles except for John were martyred and it is said that John was arrested at Ephesus and cast into a vessel filled with boiling oil in Rome; after this, banished by the Emperor Domitian to the island of Patmos.[1]Throughout church history John the apostle has been attributed with authoring the fourth canonical gospel. Theophilus of Antioch (A.D. 170) is the first writer known to call John the author. Polycarp, a second-generation Christian sat under the teaching of John the apostle. Irenaeus, a third-generation Christian sat under the teaching of Polycarp[2]who was martyred in Rome A.D. 155.[3]For unknown reasons Irenaeus migrated to Lyons where he died in A.D. 202. Irenaeus was likely martyred for his faith in our Lord Jesus Christ as well.[4]Irenaeus widely quoted the fourth canonical gospel in his writings and attributed authorship to John the apostle; therefore, from Irenaeus on, the fourth canonical gospel has been attributed to John the apostle.[5]There is no reason for me to doubt John’s authorship and I believe that he is the author; however, the author of the fourth canonical was purposely anonymous, for that reason the author will be referred to throughout this writing the way that he referred to himself: “The disciple whom Jesus loved.”

Through the first few chapters of Acts (1-8) and prior to the conversion of Saul/Paul, (Acts 9) Peter and John are running partners. (cf.Jn.20:3-5) Along with the Pauline epistles, Peter and John’s epistles play a great part in New Testament theology. It is in 1 Peter 3:13-22 that Peter talks about Christian’s being prepared to suffer for doing good, and in the midst of this suffering to sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts, always being ready to give a defense for our hope to everyone who asks and do so with gentleness and reverence. (1Pt.3:15) 

It is from this text that an entire branch of Christian philosophy has been developed; however, this branch has become more Greco/Roman than any other branch of Christian study. Peter and John are Jewish Christians; therefore, I find it interesting that the most Greco/Roman branch of Christian thinking came from a text written by a Jewish follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. The branch of Christian philosophy that I am referring to is called apologetics which comes from the Greek word apologia, a Greek term about giving a defense in court.[6]Christ warned his disciples, “But be on your guard; for they will deliver you to the courts, and you will be flogged in the synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them.” (Mk.13:9, NASB)

It is my belief that the fourth canonical gospel written by the disciple whom Jesus loved is in fact an apologetic; however, not Greco/Roman as apologetics are done today but Jewish; therefore, not recognized as an apologetic writing. The apostle Paul wrote, “For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1Cor.1:22-24, NASB) I believe the fourth canonical gospel is a literarily Jewish apologetic because it is a book of signs about Jesus. (cf.Jn.20:30-31) 

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[1]John Foxe, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs(Alachua: Bridge Logos Foundation, 2001), 1-8.

[2]William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, 4^thed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1463.

[3]Justo L. Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity Volume I: The Early Church to the Dawn of the Reformation, 2^nded. (New York: harper Collins, 2010), 54.

[4]Ibid, 84.

[5]William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, 4^thed. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1463.

[6]Francis Beckwith, “Introduction,” in To Everyone an Answer: A Case for the Christian Worldview, ed. Frances J. Beckwith, et al. (Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2004), 14.

A Look Around the Room

As the teacher spoke, I looked around the room at those in attendance. In this rectangular room were 47 persons, male and female. The subject was something of significance in church governance but had been given little attention in the text of Scripture. Do we look beyond the text to church history for the answer? The subject is one that has become important in a modern western cultural context and had been previously addressed in church history but is not clearly addressed when looking at Scripture alone because the subject was not as important in the biblical cultural context in which the New Testament writers wrote.

The subject of the class discussion is not the subject for which I am writing today. It is the significance of what I was seeing and hearing that is the subject. Not the theology that was being discussed, but the manner and persons whom discussed the theology. As I surveyed the room, I saw 47 persons, male and female. Of the 47, 5 had seminary graduate degrees, 4 male and 1 female, 1 of the males had a PhD but none of these were teaching the class. I saw in the man teaching, a firm grasp on how to do theology: text, history, truth and application. Not only did this man have a firm grasp on the method of theology, many others in the class did as well and I was amazed.

Why was I amazed? Because, this is not the norm in the majority world. In the majority world 75% of the worlds Christians reside outside of the United States in Latin America, Africa, the Middle east and Asia.[1]In the majority world 85% of the pastors have no theological training at all, nor do they have access to theological books much less advanced seminary degrees and if they did a most cannot read. In the United States of America there is one theologically trained person for every two hundred and thirty persons but in the majority world there is one theologically trained person for every four hundred and fifty thousand persons; a ratio of 1:230 vs 1:450,000, the disparity is mind boggling.[2]

So, when I survey the classroom, I was amazed and thought to myself: “This is absurd, I live in the richest country in the world (and I was not thinking economically, it is rich in that aspect as well but I was thinking with regard to theological training and teachers) and this classroom has got to be one of the richest classrooms in the country. 10% of the persons in this classroom have advanced formal theological education and many who do not, are well read on the subject of Christian theology and doctrine.” There is a theological famine in the majority world and we are fat; therefore, let us go and feed the world.

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[1]BH Academic, Theological Famine in the Majority World, July 28, 2016, Accessed June 30, 2019, https://www.bhacademicblog.com/theological-famine-majority-world/.

[2]M. David Sills, Hearts, Heads, & Hands: A Manual for Teaching Others to Teach Others(Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2016), 6.