In The Beginning Was The Word

The beginning of the Gospel of John states:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. – John 1: 1

Notice there are three usages of the word "Word" in verse 1.

The same was in the beginning with God. – John 1: 2

Logos means "word" or "communication." God is spoken of as the logos because He is the Word. Christ is the logos, God's Word in person; while the Bible is the logos, God's Word in writing.

It is most important that you understand the three usages of the word “Word” in John chapter 1, verse 1. Most theologians and so-called ministers hash the Word of God to pieces in John 1: 1. Remember that the first usage of Word is referring to God because God is His Word. The second usage is referring to Christ as the logos and is God’s Word in person. The third usage is referring to the Bible which is the logos or God’s Word in writing. I felt it was necessary to go over these points twice. Now you can finally understand what the Word says and means in the gospel of John 1: 1. Let’s go over this lesson one more time so that you get this principle of rightly dividing God’s Word in your heart.

Which logos is John 1: 1 speaking of? "In the beginning was the logos, and the logos was with God, and the logos was God." The word used in this verse is both the written Word, which we speak of today as the Bible, and Christ, The Word in person. We need also to completely understand that the word logos means “word” or “communication”. Some of you can probably see the importance of understanding Greek words as they are used in the Bible. Now let’s move on to a preposition that is most important when rightly dividing God’s Word.

The key to understanding John 1: 1 and 2 is the word "with." If any other Greek word were used for the word “with” except pros, the whole Bible would crumble. The word pros means 'together with, yet distinctly independent of. That is exquisite semantic accuracy. Jesus Christ in the beginning was together with God, yet he was distinctively independent of Him. The written Word was originally with God, yet distinctively independent of God. This is its remarkable usage because it refutes the erroneous teaching that in the beginning Jesus Christ was with God to start everything. This is not what The Word says. It says that he was with Him, but the written Word was also with Him. How? In what you and I would express as "in the mind of God." God in His foreknowledge knew of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He knew of the prophets to whom He could give The Word, and of their faithfulness in writing and speaking the Word. This was all with God because of His foreknowledge. Do you know that you were with God from the beginning if you are a born-again believer?

According as he [God] hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame. -- Ephesians 1: 4

We were in God’s foreknowledge even before the foundations of the world. Since God can see the future, He could see that we would believe and stand for Him. That’s quite amazing if you think about it. God knew that we were going to believe and stand with Him, not only before we were born, but before the world was even created.

Remember that man added all punctuation including chapters and verses and many times they were incorrect grammatically. This is really a good example of what I have just said. In the above verse, the verse stops with the word ‘blame’. The other two words which are “in love” are actually the beginning of the fifth verse. If you study this and look closely at what I have just taught you, you will clearly see that this is the accurate dividing of the Word of God.

If you were chosen before the foundation of the world, where were you? Do not tell me that you already have lived in eternity with Him. No, but in the foreknowledge of God, God knew that someday you would believe because you would be born again of God's Spirit. That is why the Word says that He chose you and that you were in Him before the foundation of the world.

Observe another corroborating Scripture.

But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: -- II Thessalonians 2: 13

We were with Him from the beginning as Jesus Christ was with Him, as the written Word was with Him, and yet distinctively independent of Him. This explains the importance of the use of pros as we previously discussed. (see above)

By deductive logic, if God is perfect, then the logos, Jesus Christ, has to be perfect. If God is perfect and Christ is perfect and the Word is given as holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, then God's Word must be perfect also.

For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. – II Peter 1: 21

God is perfect, so Jesus Christ is perfect, so the revealed Word of God is perfect. Consequently the words which make up The Word must also,be perfect. This is why if any other word had been used than the preposition pros in John 1: 1 and 2 the whole Bible would fall to pieces because of imperfect usage of words. To have a perfect Word, the words must be perfect and the order of the words must be perfect.

Have you ever asked yourself why John 3: 16 is placed exactly where it is? Why is Galatians 5: 4 exactly where it is? Why is I Corinthians 12 where it is? Why is I Corinthians 14 where it is? If they were at any other place the order of the words would be imperfect. A chain is no stronger than its weakest link. This is true of The Word also. If The Word can be broken at any one place, The Word crumbles from Genesis to Revelation. Either the whole Bible is God's Word from Genesis 1: 1 to Revelation 22: 21 or none of it is God's Word. Someone may say, "I believe John 3: 16, but I do not believe I Corinthians 14, where Paul says:

I would that ye all spake with tongues . . . . -- I Corinthians 14: 5a

If one can believe John 3: 16 and throw out I Corinthians 14, then I can believe I Corinthians 14, and throw out John 3: 16. What have we got? Nothing. Men's opinion. All must be God's Word or none of it is.

God is perfect, The Word is perfect, and, therefore, the Word means what it says, and it says what it means. God has a purpose for everything He says, where He says it, why He says it, how He says it, to whom He says it, and when He says it.

At one point, at a young age, I received some comfort from reading the book of Proverbs. I used to wait for my landlady to go away for the day on weekends. I then would go down into her large living room that was similar to a library. She had a very large Bible there and that’s where I read Proverbs. When I was much younger, I can remember propping myself up in a bed and I began to read the book of Genesis. My earthly father, knowing no better, told me to get up out of bed and I had to stop reading the Bible. These are some of the memories that stay with you and I’m sure you have some of your own. There was a time in my life when I was much younger and never even opened the Bible. However, I did begin to believe in miracles at a very early age. They were always related to my health and remember, God knew that I was going to believe. I will tell you these things if it helps you to believe. I had a serious back problem from lifting some heavy boxes at a job. I was only about 16 years old. I was going to a chiropractor and I believe he was making things worse. I went to a medical doctor and he recommended a book called Royal Canadian Air Force exercise plan for physical fitness. This was only 11 minutes a day and I still have that book. Within a matter of three weeks all my back problems started to disappear and I felt that I experienced my first miracle in my life. I also had stomach ulcers when I was 11 years old if you can believe that. After three years, my mother took me to a different doctor and within three weeks, he told me to start eating the foods that I had to keep away from for three years. This medical regimen was very strict but it worked in three weeks after I suffered for three years. That was an absolute miracle as far as I am concerned. From early on, I was just a rank unbeliever, but I did know that God existed. I learned my unbelief in the educational institutions I attended which practically ignored the Bible. I believe that if a minister does not believe that the Bible is God's Word and if he thinks that it is full of myths and forgeries, what would be the man's actions if he followed what he believes? He would get out of the pulpit if he were honest with himself. You need to take notice and compare Absolute Bible Study with the boob tube preachers. Notice how they always avoid the deep and important subjects such as who is Jesus Christ and are the dead alive now? Do you wonder why? It’s simple. They don’t want to lose followers because there’s less money going in the baskets. Do you notice that I teach for what seems like endless hours and I don’t ask you for money? Did Jesus Christ ask for money when he taught God’s Word? You know damn well that he didn’t and it is my purpose to imitate Jesus Christ in as many ways as possible. I give you these teachings for free. You can print them – you can throw them away – you can teach them in Sunday school or at your church. Freely I have received, so freely I give.

I have very little respect for those who stand in the pulpits or stand behind podiums and declare, "This verse is all right, but that one is an interpolation, and that other one is a myth." Men want to teach us that the book of Genesis had four or five different writers in the first few chapters. That is a presumptuous teaching when the Word of God declares that holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Which are you going to believe - God's Word or men's opinions? We should be concerned about the integrity of God's Word.

We have failed to walk in deliverance in this our day and time because The Word is not real, it is not alive, it is not dynamic to or in us. Consequently most people are spiritual cripples, spiritual hitchhikers. They ride along on somebody else's beliefs. Many people today would much rather read and study the literature of the hour than the literature of eternity. Why? Because the word of man has had preeminence over the wonderful Word of God. If what man says contradicts what The Word says, they stick to man's word rather than the Word of God. If we want deliverance, if we want to tap the resources for the more abundant life, then God's Word demands that we study and live by His matchless Word.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needed not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. – II Timothy 2: 15

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear [respect] God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. -- Ecclesiastes 12: 13, 14

Do we ever stop to realize the dynamics of these two verses? I am going to put some emphasis on the first verse which is verse 13. We are to respect God and we are to keep His commandments which is His Word. Fellow believers, do you realize that we were designed to do this? That’s why we were born again of God’s Spirit. Our only purpose and duty in this life is to keep God’s commandments. How far we have come away from the truth? But the truth is in this website and all that I ever wanted when I began this venture, was for one person – one person, to believe. I thank you for all of the believers and followers of this website because it speaks the commandments of the Lord and that is how we are supposed to be living. Again, we were designed to live by the Word of God.

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