What does John 1:1 say about the Word's relationship to God?
John 1:1 declares that in the beginning the Word already existed, and the Word was with God, meaning from eternity past, and the Word was God. The capitalized "Word" denotes deity, a person of the triune Godhead. It presents the Word as distinct yet fully God, sharing the divine identity.
Les teaches that John opens his Gospel with the same phrase Moses used in Genesis: "In the beginning." John does not say 20 million or 10,000 years ago; he simply says "in the beginning." In that beginning, Les explains, was the Word, and the capitalization marks it as a term of deity. The Word is a person of the triune Godhead. This person, the Word, was with God—that is, from eternity past, whenever that was—and the Word was God. Les also notes that some cults disagree, claiming Jesus was not God, but he says that flies in the face of the book.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
More Questions
Is the Word in John 1:1 a person or a force?
Les explains that John, inspired by the Holy Spirit, uses the same 'in the beginning' language as Moses in Genesis. In John 1:1, the capitalized 'Word' is a term of deity—a person of the triune Godhead who was with God from eternity past and was God. Les notes that some cults deny Jesus is God, but that denial flies in the face of the book.