82) Tips on Talking to Trinitarians about John 1 (Part 3): the Word became Flesh

In this episode we focus on John 1:9-18.

In Part 1 one we saw that “in the beginning” of John 1:1, while being a parallel to the Genesis creation, refers directly not to the Genesis creation but to the new beginning that God brings about through the man Jesus, who is metaphorically called “the Word”.

In Part 2 we focused on how God in the statement “and the Word was God” is the Father. In this Gospel Jesus declared consistently that it was the Father who dwelt in him who did His, the Father’s works. Never in this Gospel is there a “God the Son” or a “God the Word” in Jesus.

Time stamps for the current episode, Part 3:

00:17  Review of Parts 1 and 2, and introduction to Part 3

02:23  John 1_9-13, “the world” is not planet earth or the universe. The “world” that came to be in John’s Gospel is a segment of human society. Verses 9-13 relate to the coming to be, the birth, of God’s children, a new community of God.

04:45  John 1_14, “the Word became flesh”.

Is this a statement about “incarnation” or a transformation of essence?

Is trans-naturism or trans-essence any more a biblical idea than trans-genderism is? Perhaps these ideas are of the same spirit?

Consideration of what the word “became” means.

The translation, “So the Word was flesh”. Or, if a change or difference is implied, perhaps a change in method. Hebrews 1_1-2 – God spoke in different ways in past times, but in these latter days He has spoken by a son. That is, by a human being, flesh.

John 1_14 begins a new paragraph which is a review and expansion upon information already given. In verses 1-13 the man Jesus (the Word, Light) has been compared to the man John the Baptizer, who was not the Light. A short statement about the conception or birth of Jesus (no where else detailed in John’s Gospel) is out of place after a summary of the ministries of the Baptizer and John has been presented.

The glory of the Word is from the Father, or originates from the Father.

16:18  John 1_15, More John the Baptizer and Comparison with Jesus! More evidence that the Prologue is not about the Genesis creation.

16:55  John 1_17, Jesus parallel to Moses, through whom both came good things. Moses and Jesus were the channels for these good things, but not the source. The source was God.

17:11  John 1_18 Is the Triune god in John 1? Why do Trinitarians appeal immediately to John 1 when the God of John 1 is not Triune?

The “deity of Christ” appeal to John 1. But in John 1, the Word is subordinate to, and dependent upon his God. The Word is not co-eternal with God. The Word has an origin outside of itself.

No one has ever seen God, but thousands of people say Jesus Christ.

Textual variants of John 1_18, in each case Jesus (the son, unique one, begotten god) who is at the Father’s side, is subordinate to the God.

23:32  The context of John’s entire Gospel considered. An interpretation of John 1 must be consistent with the entire Gospel. Jesus is a man who told the truth that he heard from God (8:40), who did nothing on his own authority or initiative (5:19, 5:30, 8:28, 8:44). He differentiates himself from God (14:1, etc.). Jesus has a God, the same God as the apostles (20:17). Jesus in the Gospel of John said the Father is the only true God (17:3). The author of the Gospel stated that the reason he recorded the signs Jesus did was so that his readers would believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, that is, not God (20:31, 1:49).

23:48  Summary and Conclusions

31:01 Parallel between Paul in Acts 26_23 and John’s Prologue. In the man Jesus, specifically in his life as being the firstborn from the dead, there is light to Israel and the Gentiles. As in John’s Prologue, life is first, which gives light (which is the opposite order in Genesis).