John 1:1-18

[lunamoth]

What do you think is the main point of this passage?

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.

3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood[a] it.
6There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. 9The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.[b]
10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent,[c] nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.
14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only,[d] who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' " 16From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only,[e][f]who is at the Father's side, has made him known.

 

[dawny0826]

Life is found in Christ. Christ is the Word. The Word is God.

 

[Darkness]

Being the Synoptic Gospels do not portray Jesus as God, merely the Messiah, I would say the author of John wanted to make it clear that Jesus was God right from the beginning.

 

[tomspug]

It's also interesting that Jesus is called 'the Word'. He really is like the mouthpiece of God, putting truth into spoken word. The gospels constantly mention the wonder of the people about Jesus's authority and where it came from. His authority came from God because he was and is.

 

[Mister Emu]

John 1 establishes Jesus's divinity, and establishes the framework for a duality...

 

[ChristineES]

It says that Jesus is the Word of God, and the Son of God and therefore God.

 

[Darkness]

It is an interesting contrast to Jesus' statement in the First Gospel: "[W]hy callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God."

 

[deviant1]

Being the Synoptic Gospels do not portray Jesus as God, merely the Messiah, I would say the author of John wanted to make it clear that Jesus was God right from the beginning.

But isn't it interesting that the Chief Priests and Elders knew that Jesus was claiming to be "equal" with God? Who better to believe what Jesus claimed/inferred than the Jewish leaders of His day, face to face with Christ's teachings and practices?

What of Thomas' response to the resurrected Christ
"And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God."
To which the gospel claims that Jesus replied
"Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

Believed what? If Thomas stated/believed the wrong thing, wouldn't Jesus have corrected him and spared him from blasphemy?

 

[tomspug]

It is an interesting contrast to Jesus' statement in the First Gospel: "[W]hy callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God."

Since Jesus doesn't elaborate on this quotation, I'm not 100%, but his question seems rhetorical, not an actual question. That is to say, the man is asking what he must DO to inherit eternal life. Jesus's answer is that it cannot be inherited, for only God is totally good.

Another explanation is that Jesus did not yet want to say publicly that he was the Messiah. By saying 'there is none good but one, that is, God', he is NOT saying that he is not God. He is stating a truth. Jesus goes on later in the same book saying that he is the Christ. Does he change his mind? If Jesus knew that he was the Son of God, then he was in fact calling himself in this passage.

 

[Darkness]

What of Thomas' response to the resurrected Christ
"And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God."
To which the gospel claims that Jesus replied
"Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

Believed what? If Thomas stated/believed the wrong thing, wouldn't Jesus have corrected him and spared him from blasphemy?

Isn't this from the Gospel of John? If so, it is a moot point.

Since Jesus doesn't elaborate on this quotation, I'm not 100%, but his question seems rhetorical, not an actual question. That is to say, the man is asking what he must DO to inherit eternal life. Jesus's answer is that it cannot be inherited, for only God is totally good.

Jesus was effectively saying, "why should you call me good? Only God is wholly good and I am merely a man."

Another explanation is that Jesus did not yet want to say publicly that he was the Messiah. By saying 'there is none good but one, that is, God', he is NOT saying that he is not God. He is stating a truth. Jesus goes on later in the same book saying that he is the Christ. Does he change his mind? If Jesus knew that he was the Son of God, then he was in fact calling himself in this passage.

I would disagree. Simply because Jesus was the Messiah does not make him, God. It merely means he was God's chosen one. Jesus' statement clearly separates him from God. The Rich man kneels before him and Jesus tells him that he is merely a man.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

This was the Gospel to night in communion....Though the version was different to the one you quote.

It describes the foretelling and Purpose of both John the Baptist of Jesus in a nutshell. and Jesus part in our becoming the children of God.
That it needs interpreting is true for most of us... however if you take it at face value it is a very powerful message, that differs markedly from that which most churches teach today. It also puts a different light on most peoples understanding of the Trinity and our relationship with it

 

[deviant1]

Isn't this from the Gospel of John? If so, it is a moot point.

Okay two different gospels -

Mark 2:5-7

"When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

Again, I ask, who better to determine Jesus' intent than those in the same culture?

Mat 25:17-46 Here Jesus sets Himself up as judge of eternal destinies for all mankind. I would argue that between claiming the right to forgive sin and the power to send who He chooses to heaven or hell, Jesus *did* infer that He was divine.

 

[Ringer]

Jesus was effectively saying, "why should you call me good? Only God is wholly good and I am merely a man."

Jesus commonly answers a question with a question because it does two things:

1.) It forces the person who asks the question to challenge their own assumptions about the subject.

2.) It determins the entry point of the discussion

Jesus' reply is not his way of saying that he wasn't God and merely a man. He is forcing the person asking the question contemplate Christ's claim of divinity. In other words, you say that I am good but only God is good, therefore, are you saying that I am God?

 

[Darkness]

Mark 2:5-7

"When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, "Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"

Again, I ask, who better to determine Jesus' intent than those in the same culture?

It is interesting that Jesus never says he is God here. It would be the perfect opportunity (especially if your man's eternal destiny depends on believe Jesus is God). All he says is "the Son of Mankind has Authority on earth to pardon sins."

Mat 25:17-46 Here Jesus sets Himself up as judge of eternal destinies for all mankind. I would argue that between claiming the right to forgive sin and the power to send who He chooses to heaven or hell, Jesus *did* infer that He was divine.

Jesus is the Mouth of God.

 

[deviant1]

It is interesting that Jesus never says he is God here. It would be the perfect opportunity (especially if your man's eternal destiny depends on believe Jesus is God). All he says is "the Son of Mankind has Authority on earth to pardon sins."


Jesus is the Mouth of God.

It sounds more like you are setting yourself up as the mouth of God. I wish you luck with that responsibility my friend.

 

[Darkness]

It sounds more like you are setting yourself up as the mouth of God. I wish you luck with that responsibility my friend.

I do not believe in God. I merely want to understand the story of the Gospels. I think storytelling is a great way to make philosophical ideas more tangible.

 

[roli]

Jesus commonly answers a question with a question because it does two things:

1.) It forces the person who asks the question to challenge their own assumptions about the subject.

2.) It determins the entry point of the discussion

Jesus' reply is not his way of saying that he wasn't God and merely a man. He is forcing the person asking the question contemplate Christ's claim of divinity. In other words, you say that I am good but only God is good, therefore, are you saying that I am God?

Excellent post !!!!

 

[Popeyesays]

So what does "Word" mean?

I believe it is God's command to Creation: BE!

For fun look at it from that perspective.

Regards,

Scott

 

[Francine]

So what does "Word" mean? I believe it is God's command to Creation: BE!

If something already existed that could hear the command to be, it wouldn't need to obey it. "Been there, don't that, got the t-shirt."

 

[MFaraz_Hayat]

I think I heard somewhere that if we go back to the original greek manuscript, we will find that first time the word used means God and second time the word is used it means god.