THEOS prōtos

A study of only the first 14 verses of the Gospel of John:

John 1:1-14

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

• Parallels the Old Testament creation story
• The Word was already there, at the beginning, The Word didn’t begin at the beginning, it always was.
• The Word was with God, at the beginning of creation. This also shows that The Word was a distinct and unique person of God, in that his person was also with God. John Chrysostom said: ‘Not in God but with God, as person with person, eternally.’
• The Word was also God himself establishing that The Word and God, though distinct from each other were still the same in essence, equality, and Being; the single Godhead, God.
• Jehovah’s Witnesses’ NWT Bible commits a serious (purposeful) error when it’s committee injects the notion of The Word being one of many other gods by injecting the plural polytheistic concept of gods with a rendering of “a god.” This is in blatant historical and textual error because the historical context of this author and the belief systems of the author at the time of this writing were strictly monotheistic and thus would never have considered the notion that there was more than one God. From a religious perspective, the J.W. NWT commits blasphemy and shall be outright rejected.
• Another scholarly rebuttal to J.W.’s translations is this: “In answer to this approach to Greek grammar and translation, we can only refer to the multitude of other times in the New Testament where “God” appears without the article. If the Watchtower were honest and consistent, they would translate “God” as “god” every place it appears without the article. But it seems that this grammatical rule only applies when it suits the purpose of backing up the doctrinal beliefs of the Watchtower. The Greek text of Matthew 5:9, 6:24, Luke 1:35 and 1:75, John 1:6, 1:12, 1:13, and 1:18, Romans 1:7 and 1:17, shows how the Watchtower translates the exact same grammar for “God” as “God” instead of “god” when it suits their purpose. In the main resource the Watchtower uses to establish their claim (The Kingdom Interlinear), the Watchtower quotes two well-known Greek authorities to make them appear to agree with their translation. But they both have been misquoted, and one of them, Dr. Mantey has even written the Watchtower, and demanded that his name be removed from the book! Another “scholar” whom the Watchtower refers to in their book The Word — Who Is He? According to John, is Johannes Greber. Greber was actually an occult-practicing spiritist, and not a scholar of Biblical Greek.” – David Guzik
• Predominate Greek Scholars who reject the NWT: Dr. Julius R. Mantey, Dr. F.F. Bruce, Dr. Charles L. Feinberg, Dr. Paul L. Kaufman, and Dr. William Barclay
• Cross References: Genesis 1:1, Colossians 1:17, 1 John 1:1, Revelation 19:13, John 17:5, 1 John 1:2, Philippians 2:6

² He was in the beginning with God.

• John then shifts gears and puts a gender to the divine Word, now reveals that The Word that was with God and was God, is a HE, and this HE was with God in the beginning.
• Since The Word was God, we now know that God reveals himself to be a He, a singular male figure.

³ All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.

• All means All. Which also means that ALL things came AFTER Him, thus, He cannot have been created, sense ALL THINGS were created AFTER Him. This Word, He, is timeless and eternal.
• This Word, He, is also the creator of ALL things because without HIM nothing would have been made and nothing would exist. This makes The Word, He, the Almighty omnipotent Creator.
• We can also deduce that because This Word, He, is a single eternal omnipotent creator, He must also be completely sovereign, independent from creation and the natural world, because he was before all things, without all these things.
• “In Genesis 1:1, GOD is said to have created all things: in this verse, Christ is said to have created all things: the same unerring Spirit spoke in Moses and in the evangelists: therefore Christ and the Father are ONE.” (Clarke)
• Cross References: John 1:10, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1:2

⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. 

• This “Him”, who THE single eternal omnipotent sovereign creator is the cause of LIFE itself, He is life. He is the author, inventor, creator, and embodiment of life itself. Without HIM, there is NO life. He is literally, The Life.
• Him, being LIFE itself, He was the light to his creation. This LIFE shined so bright, it gave meaning, purpose, vision, knowledge, wisdom, ethics, morals, and revealed the essence of existence; He is the source of all knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and truth.
• Cross References: John 5:26, John 11:25, John 14:6, John 8:12, John 9:5, John 12:46

⁵ And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.

• The Word, this single male eternal omnipotent sovereign creator and author, inventor, creator, embodiment of life itself, and revealer of his universal truths to his creation reaches into all aspects of his creation, even into the darkness.
• Where there is darkness, it has no control, effect, or comprehension of the light of truth. Darkness can’t avoid it.
• “The Greek verb is not easy to translate. It contains the idea of laying hold on something so as to make it one’s own. This can lead to meanings like ‘lay hold with the mind’, and thus ‘comprehend’…[Yet] The verb we are discussing has a rarer, but sufficiently attested meaning, ‘overcome’. It is that that is required here.” (Morris)
• Mankind lives in darkness without The Word.
• Cross References: John 3:19

⁶ A man came, one sent from God, and his name was John. ^7a He came as a witness, to testify about the Light,…

• A man, just a normal imperfect sweaty, stinky, hungry, aging person, was first CHOSEN by God and THEN SENT from God, because you can’t be sent unless you are first chosen to be sent; This is John the Baptist.
• He was MADE a witness of The Word
• He was GIVEN a purpose, to TESTIFY about The Word and His Light; and he, John the Baptist, was sent into the world, sent into the darkness.
• Proclaiming and testifying about the light is making truth known and shining the Light of truth, which exposes that which is dark and reveals that which are not truths of The Word. Separates light from dark.

^7b …so that all might believe through him. 

• All who? All of mankind, who live in darkness.
• Believe what? That The Word is LIFE.
• The word “might” is mildly questionable in the translation. The Greek word used here is πιστεύω, synonyms to this word are “commit [to]” and “trust“. which also means “to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in” That doesn’t leave much room for “might.” So why is “might” placed before “believe“? There are 2 perspectives:
  • Might is preferencing the fact that not everyone will believe and drawn from the overall context and theme of his writing. But the issue becomes, why didn’t the author add/blend that word too? δύναμαι is the word for “could” or “may” or “able” or also “might” but that word wasn’t added specifically.
  • The other perspective is that there is no might, and that all who SEE the LIGHT and come to KNOW the LIFE, will ALL believe through John’s witness and testimony.
• Regardless of perspectives, both are TRUE. Not everyone, not all will believe though some might, BUT ALL those who do SEE the light and know the life, do believe, all of them.
• Cross References: John 1:12, Acts 19:4, Galatians 3:26

⁸ He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

• For eternal clarity, John the Baptist was NOT the Light, The Word is.
• His purpose was to come into the world and testify about (reflect the Light) the Light, who is the Life, who is The Word, who is God.
• “Possibly this was directed toward the sect that survived John and perpetuated his teaching but had not knowledge of the completion of the work of Christ (Acts 18:24-25; 19:1-7).” (Tenney)
• Cross References: John 1:20

⁹ This was the true Light that, coming into the world, enlightens every person.

• Now the concept and notion that here are untrue “lights” in the world is revealed.
• The true Light, which is The Life, which is The Word, who is God, was “coming into the world.” Not a metaphor. This HE, the Word, was literally coming INTO the world He created.
• His coming was to bring TRUE enlightenment.
• This enlightenment effects EVERY person, even those who don’t believe. It exposes their belief in a false light and their love for darkness. Reveals that they don’t have the Life or The Light, who is God. Instead of being innocently ignorant about God and their lifeless dark state, they are compelled to embrace it in order to reject him, the true Light and the only Life. That is their enlightenment.
• Cross References: 1 John 2:8

¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and yet the world did not know Him

• HE, the Light, the LIFE, The Word, who is with God and who is God, now was IN the world he created. He came INTO space time FROM eternal.
• The people groups in China, Africa, and all other parts of the world, in 3AD had no idea. In fact, hardly ANYONE in creation had no idea their creator was in their plain. They didn’t know him.
  • Except for Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, and the wisemen. And even they didn’t fully know who he was yet.
• Cross References: 1 Corinthians 8:6, Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1:2

¹¹ He came to His own, and His own people did not accept Him.

• Who were “his own” people? If this He is God, how does he have his own people, wouldn’t everyone be his people? Well, Israel were God’s chosen people to usher in redemption, offer life, and to shine his light in the dark world. These people, these chosen people, were his own people.
• Not only his own in a spiritually chosen sense, but in a physical sense too. The Word came INTO the physical material world, same physical material state as His own people.
• His own people didn’t even accept him. The Greek word for “accept” here is παραλαμβάνω, which means: “to take to, to take with one’s self, to join to one’s self, an associate, a companion, to accept or acknowledge one to be such as he professes to be, not to reject, not to withhold obedience.” They literally rejected him, withheld obedience, and rejected who he professed to be. In every meaning of the word, they didn’t accept him.
• “We might translate the opening words, ‘he came home’. It is the exact expression used of the beloved disciple when, in response to Jesus’ word from the cross, he took Mary ‘unto his own home’ (John 19:27; cf. 16:32). When the Word came to this world He did not come as an alien. He came home.” (Morris)

¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name,

• Eventually some did receive, accept, and believe in Him. And only THOSE are children of God.
• This HE, The Word who is God, who is IN the world, God incarnate, is the one who GIVES the right to be a child of God. NO one is a Child of God without God first giving them the rights.
• God alone owns the rights to the claim of a child and their family inheritance. We alone do not have a claim to what belongs to God alone.
• God legally and justly ADOPTS (grants rights) those who believe in His name, The Word, who is the LIFE and the Light, who is Almighty God creator of all things, who was now IN the world.
• Cross References: John 11:52, Galatians 3:26, John 1:7, John 3:18, 1 John 3:23, 1 John 5:13

¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of a man, but of God.

• Being born of God as NOTHING to do with who your earthly family was, or your earthly nation you were physically born into, or your good deeds and efforts earning any sort of right, or your mental decision making, choices and accepted opinions. There is no earthly will that compels and propels someone into becoming a child of God.
• Being born of God is a right only granted by God himself.
• Cross References: John 3:5-John 3:36, James 1:18, 1 Peter 1:23, 1 John 2:29, 1 John 3:9

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

• Who was The Word John was speaking about this whole time?
  • The Word with God and is God, who is:
  • A singular Male figure, “He”
  • Eternal immaterial Creator of all things
  • The only source of Life
  • The true Light, which is truth
  • Adoptive Rights giver and authoritative righteous justifier
  • Father to those who believe in Him
• The Word became flesh and took on a human fleshly body himself.
• The word “dwelt” is a cool word to better picture what happened: σκηνόω, means: “to fix one’s tabernacle, have one’s tabernacle, abide (or live) in a tabernacle (or tent), tabernacle, to dwell.” The tabernacle was a huge fancy holy tent that housed God’s presence in the Old Testament (a typology of God’s plan in Jesus). The Word became a huge fancy holy tent of flesh in the form of a human body.
• “Properly the verb signifies ‘to pitch one’s tent’.” (Morris) “The association in John’s mind was…with the Divine tabernacle in the wilderness, when Jehovah pitched His tent among the shifting tents of His people.” (Dods)
• This huge fancy holy tent of flesh in the form of a human body is expressed to us in space time as “the only Son from the Father” ALL of whom are God.
• NOW we can properly understand what God said in Genesis 1:26 and 3:22 “²⁶ Then God said, “Let Us make mankind in Our image, according to Our likeness; 3:²² Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us“
• “Christ entered into a new dimension of existence through the gateway of human birth and took up his residence among men.” (Tenney)
• Cross References: Revelation 19:13, Romans 1:3, Galatians 4:4, Philippians 2:7-Philippians 2:30, 1 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 2:14, 1 John 1, 1 John 4:2, 2 John 1:7, Revelation 21:3, Luke 9:32, John 2:11, John 17:22, John 17:24, 2 Peter 1:16-2 Peter 1:21, 1 John 1:1, John 1:17, Romans 5:21, Romans 6:14, John 8:32, John 14:6, John 18:37

The Word is revealed to us as the divine Son of God from God who is God, the God man Jesus of Nazareth, God incarnate.