Bible Study for Today

Note the powerful words loaded into John 1:1.

“In the beginning.” In contrast to 1 John 1:1 where John used a similar phrase (“from the beginning”) to refer to the starting point of Jesus’ ministry and gospel preaching, this phrase parallels Genesis 1:1 where the same phrase is used. John used the phrase in an absolute sense to refer to the beginning of the time-space-material universe. “Was.” The verb highlights the eternal preexistence of the Word, i.e., Jesus Christ. Before the universe began, the Second Person of the Trinity always existed; i.e., He always was (see 8:58). This word is used in contrast with the verb “was made” (or “were made”) in v. 3, which indicate a beginning in time. Because of John’s theme that Jesus Christ is the eternal God, the Second Person of the Trinity, he did not include a genealogy as Matthew and Luke did. In terms of Jesus’ humanity, He had a human genealogy; but in terms of His deity, He has no genealogy.

“The Word.” John borrowed the use of the term “Word” not only from the vocabulary of the Old Testament but also from Greek philosophy, in which the term was essentially impersonal, signifying the rational principle of “divine reason,” “mind,” or even “wisdom.” John, however, imbued the term entirely with Old Testament and Christian meaning (e.g., Gen. 1:3 where God’s Word brought the world into being; Pss. 33:6; 107:20; Prov. 8:27 where God’s Word is His powerful self-expression in creation, wisdom, revelation, and salvation) and made it refer to a person, i.e., Jesus Christ. Greek philosophical usage, therefore, is not the exclusive background of John’s thought. Strategically, the term “Word” serves as a bridge-word to reach not only Jews but also the unsaved Greeks. John chose this concept because both Jews and Greeks were familiar with it.

“The Word was with God.” The Word, as the Second Person of the Trinity, was in intimate fellowship with God the Father throughout all eternity. Yet, although the Word enjoyed the splendors of heaven and eternity with the Father (Is. 6:1–13; see 12:41; 17:5), He willingly gave up His heavenly status, taking the form of a man, and became subject to the death of the cross (Phil. 2:6–8). “Was God.” The Greek construction emphasizes that the Word had all the essence or attributes of Deity, i.e., Jesus the Messiah was fully God (Col. 2:9). Even in His incarnation when He emptied Himself, He did not cease to be God but took on a genuine human nature/body and voluntarily refrained from the independent exercise of the attributes of Deity

Reading for Today:

1 Samuel 22:1–23:29Psalm 59:6-17Proverbs 16:1-2John 1:1-28

Notes:

1 Samuel 22:1 cave of Adullam. A cave near Adullam was David’s refuge. Adullam, which may mean “refuge,” was located in the western foothills of Judah (Josh. 15:33), about 17 miles southwest of Jerusalem and 10 miles southeast of Gath. See titles of Psalms 57 and 142, which could possibly refer to 1 Samuel 24:3. brothers and all his father’s house. David’s family members went down from Bethlehem to join David in Adullam, a journey of about 12 miles.

John 1:12 as many as received Him…to those who believe in His name. The second phrase describes the first. To receive Him who is the Word of God means to acknowledge His claims, place one’s faith in Him, and thereby yield allegiance to Him. gave. The term emphasizes the grace of God involved in the gift of salvation (Eph. 2:8–10). the right. Those who receive Jesus, the Word, receive full authority to claim the exalted title of “God’s children.” His name. Denotes the character of the person himself.

John 1:14 the Word became flesh.While Christ as God was uncreated and eternal, the word “became” emphasizes Christ’s taking on humanity (see Heb. 1:1–3; 2:14–18).This reality is surely the most profound ever because it indicates that the Infinite became finite; the Eternal was conformed to time; the Invisible became visible; the supernatural One reduced Himself to the natural. In the Incarnation, however, the Word did not cease to be God but became God in human flesh, i.e., undiminished Deity in human form as a man (1 Tim. 3:16).dwelt. Meaning “to pitch a tabernacle,” or “live in a tent.” The term recalls the Old Testament tabernacle where God met with Israel before the temple was constructed (Ex. 25:8). It was called the “tabernacle of meeting” (Ex. 33:7) where “the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend” (Ex. 33:11). In the New Testament, God chose to dwell among His people in a far more personal way through becoming a man. In the Old Testament, when the tabernacle was completed, God’s Shekinah presence filled the entire structure (Ex. 40:34; 1 Kin. 8:10). When the Word became flesh, the glorious presence of Deity was embodied in Him (Col. 2:9).