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John 1:1-3

“In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. This one was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and apart from him not one thing came into being that has not come into being.”

“En arche eimi ho logos, kai ho logos eimi pros ho Theos, kai ho logos eimi Theos. Houtos eimi en arche pros ho Theos. Pas ginomai dia autos, kai choris autos oude heis ginomai hos ginomai.”

The disciples must have been blown away at what they had witnessed when they saw all the miracles Jesus performed throughout His lifetime.

I can’t imagine them trying to wrap their minds around the entirety of God’s revelation of Himself in the person of Jesus!

Especially for John. Aside from Peter, John was part of the inner circle of disciples that also included his brother James.

John witnessed the transfiguration! And he was there with Jesus’ mother Mary at the crucifixion.

John witnessed Jesus at His highest point, as well as arguably his lowest point

Here in our scripture reading, John the apostle of Jesus, inspired by the Holy Spirit wrote down truths that either must be taken as fact, or you have to discard his account in its entirety!

John doesn’t pull any punches starting His account of the life of his teacher and resurrected Lord, Jesus!

In the beginning…

The word used for ‘the beginning is the Greek word: arche

Arche means the beginning of rule or what was done/said originally.

John used a specific word to describe who Jesus was: the word (logos)

Logos is simply the Greek word for: word or message.

John gives this title to Jesus Himself.

John shares that in the beginning, the word was with (pros) God!

Pros means being close by!

Note: John doesn’t say that Jesus and God the Father were the same being occupying the same space…

The word pos means Jesus was close by…

In the beginning! Before creation.

Before time began as we know it.

God the Father and God the son were next to one another.

To clear any ambiguity John says that the word…

Was God! (Logos eimi Theos)

Eimi is used often in New Testament writing and it means: to be, or to exist.

Here John shares some huge theological implications!

Jesus, whom he witnessed transfigured before his very eyes…

Whom John saw crucified!

Whom he saw ascend into heaven!

Was standing next to God the Father and was somehow God also?!?

This has to be either reconciled in some way, or we have to discount John’s account as way off base with his very first words!

The early church did not dispute the accuracy of John’s account…

None of the other disciples chimed in to say that John was completely off his rocker!

This account of John was included as one of four gospel accounts of the life of Jesus.

We must accept these words as God’s revelation of Himself through the person of Jesus!

John would even continue to say that all things (pas) came into being (ginomai) through (dia) Him.

Ginomai literally means: come into being

And, dia means: through or because of…

There is little ambiguity with the words John used here.

You can’t refute the words, you can try to refute the messenger

Was John a reliable witness and person to state these claims?

I believe he was.

He was closest to Jesus…

He along with Peter and James saw a more complete and intimate revelation of who Jesus was.

And the other persons (Peter and James)

Did not refute John’s claims!

So we are left with grappling with this truth!

How can Deuteronomy 6:4 say:

“Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one”

…be correct?

And how can John say what he shared in our scripture reading, and that be correct as well?

Well, the resounding answer is what took theologians many years to analyze and press out…

Due to the persecution that the church was enduring in the first few centuries of its existence.

It was not until Christianity became the established religion of the Roman Empire by Emperor Constantine when He gathered all the bishops of the cities where the church had been established…

In AD 325 the Council of Nicaea took place.

In that gathering, the leaders of the church answered many questions, and debated many thoughts.

One question to answer was: what books of Bible should be considered divinely inspired and what writings should not?

Also, they debated and pressed out who/what was the nature of Jesus?

After much heated debate and with 318 leaders of the church…

What came out of that event was the Bible as we know of it today…

66 books

39 of Old Testament
27 of New Testament

Within the 27 books of the New Testament

The four gospel accounts: Matthew, Mark, Luke, AND John.

What followed was to establish the nature of God and Jesus

What came out was the doctrine of the Trinity that God exists as being One but simultaneously existing as three persons:

God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit!

The words of John within the first words of his gospel account are a resounding affirmation to this truth!

I love this quote! The challenge is where you are placing your feet. Once you know who you are, and where you are…you STAND.