The Word Was God: Exegesis of John 1:1-18 Essay

Introduction

All Holy books and religious texts have their secrets and can provide insightful information for those who read them carefully. Some of their parts and verses are so famous that they are easily recognized most of the people. The beginning and the whole part of “Prologue to John” is one of the most well-known Holy texts (“The Word was God”). The purpose of this paper is to provide an exegesis of John 1:1-18. In other words, its genre, some background information, keywords and places, custom, and philosophies of the day will be discussed.

Background Information

John 1:1 is the first verse in the opening chapter of the Gospel of John, which is the fourth of the canonical gospels and the fourth book of the New Testament of the Bible. It is a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus written anonymously, probably between AD 66 and 110. Thought the author is unknown, it is evident that he is someone from the group of apostolic eyewitnesses of the ministry and life of Jesus (Swindoll, Insights on 1, 2 & 3 John, Jude 5). John 1:1 begins with a significant section, John 1:1-18, which may be called the “Prologue to John.” It is dedicated to Jesus, who is “the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (New International Version, Joh. 1:14). It is a subset of the ancient biography genre, which typically included preaching and propaganda. The Prologue’s exact genre is challenging to determine since it is a unique mixture of lyric form with some poetic sections being rhythmic or elevated prose and a source in the Gnostic faith’s or the early church’s hymnic traditions.

It is of vital importance to read the Prologue in order to understand all of its information. According to van Egmont, “in a very real sense, the prologue provides a profound and highly developed theological summary that has a structural integrity of its own, while also introducing many of the key themes of the Gospel account.” It is connected to a number of various religious texts through repetitive topics, characters, and ideas.

Key Words and Terms

Before proceeding to the discussion of the meanings of every part of the “Prologue to John,” it is of vital importance to get acquainted with the essential terms. It is necessary to understand them in order to see the whole picture of this section.

1. charis – grace, joy, divine kindness, an unmerited blessing. This Greek term means rejoicing and is associated with this feeling. According to Swindoll, “John draws heavily upon the joy of harvest time and wedding celebration, both of which picture great blessing received as a gift” (Swindoll, Insights on John 34).
2. lambano – to receive, to accept, to hold to oneself. This term has a couple of meanings, and the first is literal – to accept what has been offered (Swindoll, Insights on John 34). The second one is figurative – to welcome personal connection, for example, when a man chooses a woman to get married.
3. logos – word, issue, reasoning. Word is the most fundamental meaning, and it may be a single term or an entire message. It is interesting that “Greek philosophers adopted the term to describe the apparent logic that causes the universe to obey natural laws, such as gravity, mathematics, and morality” (Swindoll, Insights on John 34). The Word is the impersonal divine mind that does not let the universe fall into chaos.
4. sarx – substance of the body, flesh, and earthly and tangible matter. There are three spheres of usage for this word: philosophical, technical, and literal (Swindoll, Insights on John 34). Greek religion and philosophy came to see everything tangible, including the flesh of people, as inherently sinful and evil. The technical meaning denotes the material aspect of humanity. Finally, the literal one is rather simple: it is sinew and muscle, which is distinct from blood and bone. According to Swindoll, “John uses “flesh” to speak of humanity in the tangible realm for the express purpose of undermining the influence of Greek religion on Christian doctrine” (Insights on John 34).
5. zoe – life. Basically, this term refers to the physical vitality of a living being. It’s meaning may also be considered as the supreme good of creation and a divine gift to be cherished, but corrupted and shortened by sin and evil (Swindoll, Insights on John 34).

Detailed Analysis Line by Line

Since this is a rather complicated sacral text, it is of vital importance to study its every line. Some of them have several meanings; others refer to a cognizant and understanding reader to other various literary works.

The Word in the Beginning (1:1-5)

• The Word and God (1:1-2).

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning” (New International Version, Joh. 1:1-2).

The Prologue’s primary focus is not on God in relation to Himself but on God in relation to humankind. However, precisely the first and the second verses have a close connection to an intra-Trinitarian description (“The Word was God”). The reference to the “Word” and some descriptions are hardly separable from the Genesis’ language and its echoes of “in the beginning” and an exceptional “Word” that managed to call all things into being (Van Egmond). The common interest of these two sacral texts in God’s self-communication establishes a clear connection between them. Moreover, keeping in mind that John’s tendency to use those words and expressions that may be taken in several ways, the phrase “in the beginning” may have a mixture of both a cosmological sense (the birth of the universe) and a temporal meaning (the beginning of history). However, this phrase in the Prologue may have a much broader sense than it does in Genesis. It may refer to something behind the other sacral text – the Word and its existence, even before the world itself was created.

• The Word and Creation (1:3-5).

“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (New International Version, Joh. 1:3-5).

The first part of 1:3 may be considered as a specific expansion of the Logos’ activity in the creation of everything in this world, and the second part of 1:3 emphasizes that the involvement of the Logos has all-inclusive character. In the second sentence (1:4), there is a term “life” (zoe) that is loaded with meaning in John 1:1-18 and was described in the section of keywords. The most common definition of this term in the Gospel is “eternal life,” it may seem challenging to apply it here (“The Word was God”). However, it is difficult only at first because, from the beginning, precisely the Logos is the source of all life. Moreover, this term directs the readers to the close life and light connection in the sustaining and giving of life.

Though the final line’s translation requires some discussion,¹ it is possible to explain its general meaning. Despite the fact that the creation has fallen into sin and rebellion, the Logos’ work continued instead of getting extinguished. Moreover, “the word may refer to the opposition experienced by Jesus during his ministry, and the inability of his opponents to thwart his mission” (Van Egmond). The power of light, life, and the Son of God is higher and more durable than that of their enemies and the darkness itself. Moreover, since God was the creator of everything, there is nothing and no one more powerful than Him.

The Coming of the Light of the World (1:6-13)

• John the Baptist and The Word (1:6-9).

“There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world” (New International Version, Joh. 1:6-9).

This part is dedicated to John – a man who was sent from God to prove to people that he is trustworthy. In the sentence 1:9, the attention of readers is drawn light.² According to Van Egmond, “the description of the light as “true” (Gr., alethinon) is at first confusing since, in the Fourth Gospel, there is no foil for this term; that is, a “false” or lesser light.” Probably the best way to explain the usage of this description in this sentence is to refer it to the well-established tradition in Judaism.³ Moreover, in this verse, John is portrayed as the only person who was able to make people believe. Hence, his own dedication to God was so strong and powerful that it could be shared with hundreds of other people.

• The World’s Response to the Word (1:10-13).

“He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God” (New International Version, Joh. 1:10-13).

The interpretation of this section is possible in a number of rather different ways. First, this passage may be considered as a reference to the Old Testament and its presence of the Logos among his people.⁴ Another suggestion is that there is an initial reference to Jesus’ of Nazareth career and also to the contrast “between lack of recognition on the part of Jesus’ enemies and detractors and recognition of the Incarnate Word among the Johannine circle” (Van Egmond). It is challenging to determine which suggestion is true, but those people who believe that the evangelist referred both to the link between Israel, the Logos, and creation and to the Incarnation of the Word in the ministry of Jesus are more possible to appear right.

The Word’s Glory in the Flesh (1:14-18)

• The Word’s Incarnation (1:14).

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (New International Version, Joh. 1:14).

A number of various elements are drawn together in the final section. The attention of the Prologue is now shifted to the Incarnation’s and its implications’ centrality (New International Version, Joh. 1:14). Since Joh. 1:1, it is the first time when the term Word, Logos, is reformulated. It is interesting that “the movement from the cosmological dimensions of the term (in 1:1)” is emphasized to the temporal conviction and experience of the community of Johannine (Van Egmond). Moreover, John uses the verb ginomai, “to become,” instead of “to be,” so the presence of this movement is also evident. It is apparent that, in a comprehensive and dramatic way, the Word has changed its form to a new one.

• John the Baptist’s Testimony (1:15).

“(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”)” (New International Version, Joh. 1:15).

It may seem rather unusual that there are two verbs, “testifies” and “cried out,” that are standing together and are homogeneous predicates, but appear to be in different tenses. The fact that the verb “testifies” (Gr. marturei) is used in the present tense emphasizes the enduring character of John’s testimony to the Christ and the importance of it both for the believers of John and the addressed audience. The Prologue is rooted in the historical present by reference to John the Baptist (Van Egmond). Moreover, it reinforces the idea of the Incarnation accomplishing the connection between the eternal God, history and human life events, and concrete people (Van Egmond). Besides, it is of vital importance to highlight that John witnesses to Jesus’ pre-existence and proves that the Logos and Jesus are one and the same.

• The Incarnate Word’s Superiority (1:16-17).

“Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (New International Version, Joh. 1:16-17).

This verse is focused on the increasingly abundant grace that the believing community receives. The word “grace” is repeated here, and the purpose of this may be to highlight either accumulation and plenitude or replacement (New International Version, Joh. 1:16). Moreover, there is a proof of the idea that one reality supersedes another one and the reference to gracious blessings that are continuing in the revelation of covenant truth and faithfulness of God.

• The Father’s Revelation (1:18).

“No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known” (New International Version, Joh. 1:18).

The purpose of the final verse is to serve as an introduction to the remainder of the Gospel and, at the same time, to provide the conclusion to the Prologue. According to these lines, Jesus, the incarnate Son, is the only one who has ever seen God (New International Version, Joh. 1:18). Thanks to him, God is known and honored by people (New International Version, Joh. 1:18). Moreover, in this verse, the total identification of God and Jesus and their close relationships are totally reinforced.

Custom of Judaism

Judaism consisted of several various groups at the beginning of the Christian era, but there were specific beliefs basic and common to all of them. For example, they had to believe in one God, in the foundational book, the Torah, and in the covenant that was made between God and his people of Israel. This covenant comprised particular commitments and duties that both parties had to follow. God was responsible for treating Israelites as his own people and teach them the principles of a blessed and good life. Israel people had to live a life befitting God’s people and to stay obedient to Him.

Philosophies of the Day

It is evident that the figure of Jesus has left a rather rich legacy and helped people to become free from sin and condemnation. He is close to God, and he is the light and also the one who has the power of giving light and life to everyone from the believing community. Everything that people see and experience every day, including love, friendship, and the truth, was created by God, who is the beginning of this world. If people want to be free of darkness and sin, they need to follow Jesus and God, who are almost united. Moreover, those who believe are gifted with becoming the children of God and receive grace and happiness. Besides, this Prologue describes another prominent figure – John himself. He was the only one who could persuade people in the truthfulness, correctness, and miraculousness of the light that comes from God and his Son. Precisely John was trusted with the mission of spreading the love for God and Jesus.

Conclusion

To draw a conclusion, one may say that this Prologue is indeed a special text that belongs to the group of the most important religious writings. It highlights the power of God, the one and only creator and Father, and states the necessity of loving and obeying Him. Moreover, this part focuses on Jesus, his role in spreading the true light and grace, and close relationships with God. After reading these lines, people can find proves that it is necessary for them to start or continue believing in God and His Son and glorifying their kindness and power.

Works Cited

New International Version. Bible Gateway, Web.

Swindoll, Charles R. Insights on John. Tyndale House, 2014. Insights on 1, 2 & 3 John, Jude. NavPress, 2018.

Van Egmond, Richard. “An Exegetical Study of The Prologue of John (John 1:1-18).” McMaster Journal of Theology and Ministry, Web.

“The Word was God.” Trusting in Jesus, Web.

Footnotes

• 1 – The verb katalambano may be translated as “understood” instead of “overcome” (“and the darkness has not understood it”). It is hard to disagree that this translation is also right since it is within the range of the meaning of this verb. However, it is rather challenging to attribute the verb “understand” to darkness. Hence, the sense of overcoming the darkness is probably better here, and it is more understandable by the readers.
• 2 – Light is a rather prominent Messianic theme that is discussed repeatedly in the prophetic tradition of the Old Testament.
• 3 – This tradition considered the Torah as symbolized by light, which is now contrasted by the evangelist with the real and eternal or the true and final revelation of the light of God.
• 4 – This passage forms a unique chronological bridge or connection between the Creation strophe (Joh. 1:1-5) and the Incarnation (Joh. 1:14). This kind of reading interrupts the Prologue’s chronological sequence because John the Baptist has already been introduced and mentioned before (New International Version, Joh. 1:6-8).