67) Why the Man Jesus is called the Word in John 1:1

This episode is part 2 of our discussion with Dr. Andrew Perry about themes in the Prologue of the Gospel of John.

In this episode Dr. Perry explains why the human Christ Jesus is called the Word in John 1:1, and gives reasons how we can know that the man Christ Jesus is referred to in the Gospel’s opening statement, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

1. In parallel to Genesis creation, things “happen” or “come to be” through the spoken word of the man Christ Jesus. Jesus can heal the sick, heal the lame, calm a storm and raise the dead simply by speaking. Renewed creation, indeed new life, "comes to be" through God's Word. 

2. The phrases “and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” have no precedence in either biblical or non-biblical literature in reference to either a second divine figure or to an abstract idea like “wisdom”. Rather, the phrases find a parallel in the biblical literature to human figures, especially to Moses.

3. The repetition of the phrase “This one was with God in the beginning” is an intentional contrast with John 1:7, a comparison between the man Christ Jesus and the man John the Baptizer, “this one came as a witness”. The persistent references and comparisons to John the Baptizer in the Prologue of John’s Gospel, and in the early chapters of the gospel indicate that the Baptizer is being compared to the man Christ Jesus (not to a pre-incarnate divine figure or to an "personified" abstract idea).

We also discuss what the phrase in John 1:14 means: “So the Word became/was flesh…”

Resource links:

Dr. Perry’s books and articles:

https://www.lulu.com/search?adult_audience_rating=00&page=1&pageSize=10&q=andrew+perry+john+1

https://durham.academia.edu/AndrewPerry

Previous One God Report Podcast on John 1:14:

https://landandbible.blogspot.com/2021/03/is-god-flesh-better-way-to-understand.html