The Word: Another Messenger?

The Watch Tower Society has much to say about John 1:1.

‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god.’—John 1:1, New World Translation. In Insight on the Scriptures they write:

'This scripture reveals details about Jesus Christ’s life before he came to earth as a human. (John 1:14-17) In verse 14, “the Word” (or “the Logos,” Greek, ho loʹgos) is used as a title. The title “the Word” apparently describes Jesus’ role in communicating God’s commands and instructions to others. Jesus continued to make known God’s word during his ministry on earth and after he returned to heaven.—John 7:16; Revelation 1:1.'

It is noteworthy that the Watch Tower Society utilises words like 'apparently' ‘evidently’ and 'seemingly' quite a lot in their commentary on Bible teaching. It's as if they are determined to not be nailed down and so use ambivalence as a backstop.

Their understanding of the word, 'Word,' is that it 'apparently describes Jesus’ role in communicating God’s commands and instructions to others.' Is ‘the Word’ a title, as though God has given Jesus a job, a task to carry out, and this title signifies his authority to carry it out, rather like ‘manager’ ‘general’ ‘herald’ or ‘prophet’?

The Jesus of Paul

In his letters Paul builds a clear picture of Jesus that seems to anticipate the gospel of John.

The Jesus of Paul:

Lived a life with God before his incarnation – Gal.4:4; Ro.10:6

Is the one in whose image earthy beings are made – 1 Cor.15:45-49

Participated n the creation – 1 Cor.8:6

Is distinctly ‘God’s own Son’ – Ro.8:32

Most noticeably:

He is the one ‘in whom the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily’ – Eph.3:19

And, ‘In whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden’ – Col.2:3

As Doug Harris used to ask, ‘How full is full’?

The Jesus of John

The prologue to the fourth gospel delivers the clearest picture of who Jesus is, saying of him:

He was there when the beginning began, at a point prior to all temporal things – John 1:1,2

He created all things – John 1:3

‘Without him not anything that was made was made’ – John 1:3

He had life in himself (was not contingent) and is the source of life – John 1:4

This one ‘became flesh and dwelt among us,’ is the one whose glory was seen, ‘the glory of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth’ – John 1:14

Later in John’s gospel, anticipating his passion, Jesus seeks to reassure his disciples, saying he goes to prepare a place for them with the Father.

‘Philip said to him, ’Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say show me the Father?’ John 14:8,9

The Incarnate God

Jesus, the Word, is not simply a messenger, an agent through whom God speaks. Jesus is God’s incarnated expression of himself, the one Matthew calls ‘Emmanuel’ God with us Mt.1:23 He is the one of whom the writer to the Hebrews said:

‘He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.’ Heb.1:3

Of John 1:1 B.B. Warfield wrote:

‘In this remarkable sentence there is asserted in the most direct manner the full deity of the incarnate Word and the continuity of his life as such in his incarnate life. Thus he is fitted to be the absolute revelation of God.’ (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia [1915], 4:2343)

If you want to know what God is like do what Jesus told Philip to do, look at Jesus and realise who it is you gaze upon, the ultimate revelation of God, who ‘became flesh and dwelt [tabernacled] among us’ John 1:14 c.f Ex.40:33-38

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