“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him...” (John 1:1-3)
These verses, when properly understood, confirm and expand upon the conclusions reached in the last section. However, this passage is the one most widely misunderstood to teach that Jesus existed in heaven before his birth. A correct understanding of these verses hinges on appreciating what “the Word” means in this context. It cannot refer directly to a person, because a person cannot be “with God” and yet be God at the same time. The Greek word “logos” which is translated “word” here, does not in itself mean “Jesus”. It is usually translated as “word,” but also as:
The “word” is only spoken of as “he” because “logos” is masculine in Greek. But this does not mean that it refers to the man, Jesus. The German (Luther) version speaks of “das Wort” (neuter); the French (Segond) version speaks of “la parole” as feminine, showing that “the word” does not necessarily indicate a male person.
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Author: Duncan Heaster
Keywords: Pre-existent word, Preexistent word, Logos, Word was God, God was the Word, Word became flesh, Preincarnate, Pre-incarnate, Word incarnate, Word made flesh, God incarnate, God became a man, God the Son, Trinity, In the beginning was the word
Bible reference(s): John 1:1-3, 1 John 1:1
Source: Bible Basics.
Page indexed by: inWORD Bible Software.