Page 8 - The Gospel of John - Student textbook

The Preexistence of the Word

EPHESUS: THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE TERM, “THE WORD”

JOHN 1:1
AROUND 500 BC, A GREEK NOBLEMAN OF EPHESUS NAMED HERCULITUS TAUGHT THAT THE
UNIVERSE OPERATES ACCORDING TO A RATIONAL STRUCTURE, A UNIFIED ORDERING PRINCIPLE,
WHICH WE CAN DISCERN IF WE CAREFULLY OBSERVE ITS LAWS OF PHYSICS, MATHEMATICS, REASON,
AND EVERY MORALITY CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THIS ONE ORDERING PRINCIPLE, WHICH HE CALLED
LOGOS, "THE WORD."

OTHER PHILOSOPHERS, SUCH AS THE STOICS, ADOPTED THIS SEMINAL IDEA AND ADDED THEIR OWN
DOCTRINES, EVEN GOING SO FAR AS TO DESCRIBE "THE WORD" AS A DIVINE ANIMATING (LIFE –
GIVING, LIFE – MOVING) PRINCIPLE PERMEATING THE UNIVERSE. PHILO (20 BC – A.D. 50), A JEWISH
PHILOSOPHER HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY PLATO, TAUGHT THAT THE LOGOS WAS GOD'S CREATIVE
PRINCIPLE IN THE REALM OF PURE THOUGHT, WHICH CANNOT HAVE ANY DIRECT ASSOCIATION WITH
ANYTHING IN THE TANGIBLE REALM OF MATTER.

EPHESUS WAS NOT ONLY THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE LOGOS IDEA; IT HAD ALSO BECOME A CELEBRATED
REPOSITORY OF TEXTS ON GREEK PHILOSOPHY. BY THE TIME JOHN LIVED AND TAUGHT IN EPHESUS IN
THE FINAL DECADES OF THE FIRST CENTURY, CLASHES WITH THE PRIEST OF ARTEMIS WHERE A
DISTANT MEMORY. IN JOHN'S TIME, THE PHILOSOPHERS OF GREECE, BOTH ANCIENT AND MODERN,
THREATENED TO CORRUPT CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE. SOME HAVE SUGGESTED THAT JOHN WAS OVERLY
INFLUENCED BY THE GREEK LOGOS IDEA AND HAVE ACCUSED HIM OF LEANING TOWARD
GNOSTICISM. HOWEVER, GREEK PHILOSOPHERS WOULD HAVE STRONGLY OBJECTED TO THE LOGOS
BECOMING FLESH. JOHN MERELY AFFIRMED THE PARTS OF GREEK PHILOSOPHY THAT WERE VALID IN
ORDER TO PREACH THE TRUTH OF CHRIST ON COMMON GROUND.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with
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God in the beginning.

Jesus Christ was already in existence when the heavens and the earth were created; thus, he is not a created
being, but existed from all eternity. The Word did not then begin to be, but at that point at which all else began
to be, he already was. In the beginning, place it where you may, (God exist outside of time) the word already
existed. That truth provides definite proof of Christ's deity, for only God is eternal.

The Word is a person, not an attribute of God or an emanation from Him. He is of the same essence as the
Father. Yet in an act of infinite condescension, Jesus left the glory of heaven and the privilege of face – to – face
communion with His Father (John 1:1; 17:5). He willingly "emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant,
and being made in the likeness of men… He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even
death on a cross" (Philippians 2:7 – 8) It must be noted at the beginning of the study of the book of John, that
how we perceive the doctrine of God, will affect everything else we believe and teach.

Confusion about the deity of Christ is inexcusable, because the biblical teaching regarding it is clear and
unmistakable. Jesus Christ is the eternally preexistent Word, who enjoys full face – to – face communion and
divine life with the Father and is Himself God. Therefore, the Greek term “Word” (See Above) had a profound
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