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 and without Him was not anything made that was made” John 1:1-3 KJV
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. John 1:1-3 NASB
God is able to say a volume of truth in a very few words. Take the above-cited Scriptures. We are told here, concerning His Son, of His –
Eternality
In the beginning, He already was. He predates the beginning of creation, an uncreated Creator! When we look at Genesis 1:1, we see that three things began with God’s fiat: space (the heavens), matter (the earth), and time (in the beginning). Since the Lord Jesus “was” before time began, He is eternal. John’s first strike in proving the deity of the Lord Jesus is to show that He is eternal in His person.
Intention
As the Word, we discover something of the intention of the Godhead. A “word” is the means by which we know each other’s thoughts. Purposes, desires, and intentions can reside within a person and be undetected. It is by their speech that we begin to comprehend those very same intentions. As “the Word” we have come to know all that is in the Father’s heart. Here is the great communication from God to us.
But another aspect of truth is present here. Since the Word “was” from all eternity, that means it has been the eternal purpose of God to reveal Himself to you and to me. God has desired to make Himself known and to share with us all His thoughts of His Son.
Immutability
In the beginning, when creation sprang from the divine edict, He was already there. “The Same (a divine title) was in the beginning with God” (John 1:2). Though incarnation saw a “change” in the outward display of His person, inherently, He knew no change.
His Intimacy
“The Word was with (pros) God” (v 1). Those more proficient in the Greek language tell us that the preposition used here, “pros,” suggests an intimate face-to-face relationship. It reminds us that divine persons enjoyed unhindered love and appreciation for each other. There was a completeness within the Godhead that did not somehow require or look for others in order to be complete. It was love and grace which stooped to include us in that “circle of divine favour.”
His Identity
“The Word was God.” John will allow no speculation or confusion. This One Who is titled as “the Word” is none less than God. The cults try to diminish the significance of the truth by claiming that it should read “a God,” thus demoting the Lord Jesus to some lesser level of rank. What they fail to see is that if we must translate this as “a God,” then for consistency we must do the same in verses that follow such as 12 and 18. The absence of the definite article (the) does not automatically mean that you must insert the indefinite article (“a”).
His Individuality
“The same was in the beginning” attests to His individuality. The truth of the trinity may transcend our ability to illustrate it or to comprehend fully, but it is attested to throughout Scripture. Three persons sharing one nature.
His Indispensability
“Without Him was not one thing made that was made” (v 3, Newb.) John asserts that creation was the work of His hands. Nothing that ever came into being did so independently of Him. But His indispensability does not end with creation. John shows through the remainder of chapter 1 that the Lord Jesus is indispensable to communication (v 1), revelation (v 18), and salvation (v 29).
The remainder of his Gospel will continue to unfold that everything has been put into the hands of the Son (3:35) and that the eternal purposes of God rest upon His work.
Click here: Short Video – Idioms and Metaphors – Lesson #1 Turning Over a New Leaf
Consider:
What other basic doctrinal truth can you find in the prologue, John 1:1-18? It contains a wealth of truth for our souls.