In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
As the Fourth Gospel was not written until the other three had become the household words and daily bread of the Church of Christ-thus preparing it, as babes are by milk, for the strong meat of this final Gospel-so, even in this Gospel, the great keynote of it, that "The Word was made Flesh," is not sounded until, by 13 introductory verses, the reader has been raised to the altitude and attempered to the air of so stupendous a truth.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Three great things are here said of The Word: First, He was "in the beginning" х en (G1722) archee (G746) = bªree'shiyt (H7225) Genesis 1:1]. Thus does our Evangelist commence his Gospel with the opening words of the book of Genesis. Only, as Meyer remarks, he raises the historical conception of the phrase, which in Genesis denotes the first moment of time, to the absolute idea of pre-temporality. That the words "In the beginning" are here meant to signify, 'Before all time' and all created existence, is evident from John 1:3, where all creation is ascribed to this Word, who Himself, therefore, is regarded as uncreated and eternal See John 17:5; John 17:24; Colossians 1:17.
Second, The Word "was with God" х pros (G4314) ton (G3588) Theon (G2316)]. This conveys two ideas-that He 'had a conscious personal existence distinct from God,' as one is distinct from the person he is "with;" and that He 'was associated with Him in mutual fellowship.' See the note at John 1:18, and observe Zechariah 13:7, "My Fellow, saith the Lord of hosts" х `ªmiytiy (H5997) 'My Associate']. Observe that He who is called "God" here is in 1 John 1:1-2, called "THE FATHER:" - "The Word of Life (says this same exalted penman) was with the Father, and was manifested unto us." And such is the familiar language of Scripture, with respect to Him who absolutely is "God," but personally, and relatively to the Son, is "the Father."
Third, The Word "was God" х Theos (G2316) een (G2258) ho (G3588) logos (G3056)]. No other translation of this great clause is grammatically possible. Even should the order of the original words be retained (as in Luther's German version) - "and God was the Word," the sense will still be the same: 'and God the Word was' But this is against the genius of the English language.
Each of these three pregnant statements is the complement of the other; each successive one correcting any misapprehension to which the others might give rise. Thus: The Word, says the Evangelist, was eternal. Yet this was not the eternity of the Father, nor the eternity of a mere attribute of the Father, but of One who is consciously and personally distinct from, and associated with, the Father. But neither is this the distinctness and fellowship of two different Beings-as if there were a plurality of Gods, but of two subsistences in the one absolute Godhead; in such sort that the absolute Unity of the Godhead-the great principle of all Region-instead of being thereby compromised, is only transferred from the region of shadowy abstraction to that of warm personal life and love.
But why all these sharp definitions? it may be asked. Not to tell us of certain mysterious internal distinctions in the Godhead, which but for the Incarnation could never perhaps, have been apprehended at all; but for the purpose of throwing light upon that stupendous assumption of our nature about to be announced, even as that assumption throws light back again upon the eternal distractions and fellowships of the Godhead.