A question for fellow Christians: What does this verse from the Bible mean to you?

Question

John 1

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

I believe Christ is God the Son.

Answer 1

I agree 500% with you, Debra.

John 1: 1-4
1. In the beginning - (Referring to Gen. i, 1, and Prov. viii, 23.) When all things began to be made by the Word: in the beginning of heaven and earth, and this whole frame of created beings, the Word existed, without any beginning. He was when all things began to be, whatsoever had a beginning. The Word - So termed Psalm xxxiii, 6, and frequently by the seventy, and in the Chaldee paraphrase. So that St. John did not borrow this expression from Philo, or any heathen writer. He was not yet named Jesus, or Christ. He is the Word whom the Father begat or spoke from eternity; by whom the Father speaking, maketh all things; who speaketh the Father to us. We have, in the 18th verse, both a real description of the Word, and the reason why he is so called. He is the only begotten Son of the Father, who is in the bosom of the Father, and hath declared him. And the Word was with God - Therefore distinct from God the Father. The word rendered with, denotes a perpetual tendency as it were of the Son to the Father, in unity of essence. He was with God alone; because nothing beside God had then any being. And the Word was God - Supreme, eternal, independent. There was no creature, in respect of which he could be styled God in a relative sense. Therefore he is styled so in the absolute sense. The Godhead of the Messiah being clearly revealed in the Old Testament, (Jer. xxiii, 7; Hosea i, 6; Psalm xxiii, 1, ) the other evangelists aim at this, to prove that Jesus, a true man, was the Messiah. But when, at length, some from hence began to doubt of his Godhead, then St. John expressly asserted it, and wrote in this book as it were a supplement to the Gospels, as in the Revelation to the prophets.

Verse 2. The same was in the beginning with God - This verse repeats and contracts into one the three points mentioned before. As if he had said, This Word, who was God, was in the beginning, and was with God.

Verse 3. All things beside God were made, and all things which were made, were made by the Word. In the first and second verse is described the state of things before the creation: verse 3, In the creation: verse 4, In the time of man's innocency: verse 5, In the time of man's corruption.

Verse 4. In him was life - He was the foundation of life to every living thing, as well as of being to all that is. And the life was the light of men - He who is essential life, and the giver of life to all that liveth, was also the light of men; the fountain of wisdom, holiness, and happiness, to man in his original state.


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Answer 2

The "Word" is refering to Jesus Christ the Son of God. It is saying that he was in the beginning with God and that he also had Godhood status. John also refers to Jesus Christ as the Word in 1 John 5:7 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." Though some versions of the bible have truncated this verse to end at the word heaven, presumably because they think it's OK to add and take away etc from God's word.

Answer 3

I believe the same but my mother believes that word translated as Word is properly translated into the word order and the capitalization is not in the original text it is added by we who translate it into Jesus in the end. Here is the twist. If the word = order then it gives a whole "nature did it" to that section of scripture and therefor nature made Jesus and nature is God, I have a hard time with that. My opinion nature is something God created it is not all that God is. So in my belief God created nature or all the forces we do not see that cause everything to work, like gravity, time, space, and I think some of these can be changed temporarily in order to meet special needs, where as if nature is the god then there are no loop holes where man can be helped by God. Since this particular belief (Jesus is devine or not is tricky and in my opinion not something that can be explained in words) about the Bible can wash either way and not affect the act that leads to salvation, nor does it affect trusting or obediance to God. Is it a point worth causing separation within a Family. I think it is a differance we should tollerate, without causing a rift in the church, because one major doctrine is to be of "one accord". We do not have to agree about everything, but the important things are trust and obediance and reconciliation with God. Jesus is necessary for one of these even if a person is Muslim. (who also praise the God of Abrham.) There are numerous ways to understand this point but none of them cause any differances in behavior, or that knowing God is a good thing to do. Does not effect what is good and what is evil, does not affect a persons ability to act loving or to sing praises or to worship. What emphasizing these differences does is cause separations where the merchants can come in and turn us against one another and profit off of war. If eliminating war is a worthy cause then we need to be in one accord. Is this differance worth killing over, or even loving a neighbor less than one can. My opinion it is not and atheists the people who see us argue and kill each other do not want any part of a God who is part of this nonsense so thousands are lost to the outer darkness because we want to preserve something which we will not fully understand until we are done looking in a mirror darkly. spel check no worky

Answer 4

The Word is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has always existed. Jesus Christ is the physical manifestation of God. Read Genesis 1:1-5 in conjunction with John1:1-14. the two dovetail together beautifully. Also read Romans chapter 8 for an excellent explanation of the gospel and for further reference to John 1. Jesus is the Light, who went forth to pave the way for creation. Everywhere you go in the universe there is light----this is the light of Christ which maintains all of Creation. Jesus is the Christ. The Christ is a complex person to explain. He is more than a man, more than a person----he is the power of God to create and maintain. You have stated that you are a daughter of God; thus, you have the Christ within you. Romans chapter 8 will make this clear to you. God bless you sister. May the Almighty God who is Christ Jesus bless you and open your heart to all the Scriptures. Send us some more of your lovely poetry.

Answer 5

it very simply states that God was the Word(the Christ), and he had the plan of Christ from the beginning.

Have you never had an idea and had to wait for the right time to put it to work, that is what this describes, that God planned salvation even before he made the earth.

1Ti 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

Answer 6

First there was the thought of God (his spirit--will per se)
and as the Bible says, God always was, and ever will be.... so, therefore you must assume that there was never a time without God. This verse tries to describe the beginning of life, but it cannot separate God's beginning or end. So, it says that first God started as his own word, mind, thought, will, essence, whatever you want to call it, and evolved into his own being as the "Word was with God". But, the word was God. So, there was never a beginning. God always WAS.

Answer 7

I too believe that Christ is the God the son.........
In the beginning was the word (God gave all his people the word in the beginning) I feel that it was put into our hearts at the beginning. The word was with God. ( I think that this means he kept the word with in himself so that it would never be lost) The word was God. ( this mean father, son, and holy ghost..........

Answer 8

Don't forget the most important part in verse 14, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt amoung us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

You know the Bible also says that by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created by Him and for Him. Col 1:16

I believe Christ is indeed God (the Son).

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, with everlasting Joy upon their heads. They shall obtain Joy and Gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Let everything that hath breath praise His Holy name.

Answer 9

Word comes from the Greek Logos or thought. It means that God took His word or thought, and made a body to inhabit.
Or if you prefer,
In the beginning was the thought, and the thought was with the thinker, and the thought was the thinker,

Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh

ITim 3:16

Answer 10

It is my belief that Torah and the Word are the same person. Torah = Life / Everlasting / Truth. Jesus said, "I am the truth." Jesus said, "I am the life." Jesus said, "I have come to give you eternal life." Jesus is the authority of the written text. He was in the beginning separating light from darkness. He is that word that divides soul from spirit, thoughts from the heart, bone and marrow. Jesus daily confounded the religious leaders who knew God's word (Torah). He spoke with authority, they wondered at such an early age how he could have learned his teaching. In the beginning was the word and the word was God the same was in the beginning. All things were created by the word and nothing was created apart from the word.