The Doctrines of the Trinity & The Deity of Christ

1. The Doctrines of the Trinity&The Deity of Christ as revealed in John’s prologue

2. Historical Markers in John’s Prologue 1.3 --------- Gen. 1 1.4 --------- Gen. 2 1.5 --------- Gen. 3 1.6 ------- Lk. 1 1.14 ------- Lk. 2 Where does John 1.1-2 fit?

3. Gen. 1.1 John’s frame of reference Reshiyth means first, first part, first time, starting point. Brown, Driver, Briggs explained Reshiyth as referring to the first phase, step or element in a course of events. end of present age

4. Gen. 1.1 Arche indicates the looking back to a past expanse of time; it denotes the imagery of ancient or of old; hence, the English word archaeology. Unlike the specific meaning of reshiyth, its meaning is unrestricted, referring not only to Gen. 1.1, but including the existence prior to Gen. 1.1--eternity past. John’s frame of reference end of present age

5. Eternity Past John (arche) Moses (reshith) Gen. 1.1 John’s frame of reference end of present age

6. It would be difficult not to recognize in these first verses an allusion to the beginning of Genesis. The first words of the two writings manifestly correspond with each other. The beginning of which John here speaks can only be that which Moses had made the starting-point of his narrative. But, immediately afterwards, the two sacred writers separate from each other. Starting from the fact of the creation, Moses descends the stream of time and reaches the creation of man (v. 26). John, having started from the same point, follows the reverse course and ascends from the beginning of things to eternity. Frederic Godet, Commentary on John’s Gospel, pg. 243, 1863, English trans. 1886 Godet on John 1.1

7. Each of these scriptures gives us precise instruction of the highest kind. Even Genesis i., though it points in verses 1 and 2 to states of creation indefinitely anterior to Adam, only begins with John i. 3. But of the details that followed in time no scripture gives us such complete information. What was before creation is wholly omitted by Moses. John i. 1, 2 shows us eternity before creation, as well as creation itself (ver. 3), in the most precise terms. William Kelly, An Exposition of the Gospel of John, pg. 14, cir. 1898 Kelly on John 1.1

8. Eternity Past John (arche) Moses (reshith) Gen. 1.1 John’s frame of reference The Word was end of present age

9. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. John 1:1-2 and the Word was with God. He was in the beginning with God.

10. Grammatical Paradox Three common uses of the term God: Used in reference to the nature of God: For since the creation of the world [God’s] invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made… Used in reference to the Trinity: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Or when we say, “The God of the Bible.” Used to identify the Father person of the Trinity: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

11. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. John’s use of the term God and the Word was with God. He was in the beginning with God.

12. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. John’s use of the term God and the Word was with [the] God. He was in the beginning with God.

13. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God. John’s use of the term God and the Word was with [the] God. He was in the beginning with [the] God.

14. subject predicate E. C. Colwell’s Rule of Greek Grammar,1933 Original Greek reads, “…and God was the Word.” When the subject has the article and comes after the verb, the noun, in this case Theos, is a predicate. A predicate is the part of a sentence or clause that tells something about the subject.Webster’s II New Riverside Pocket Dictionary In these propositions, "paper is white" and "ink is not white," whiteness is the predicate affirmed of paper, and denied of ink.Webster’s 1828 Dictionary.

15. Name of a personhood of the Trinity predicate describing the Word, “the Word was deity.” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God (in nature). John’s use of the term God and the Word was with [the] God. He was in the beginning with [the] God.

16. Eternity Past John 1.3 Moses (reshith) Gen. 1.1 John’s frame of reference The Word >>> <<<The God together (face-to-face) eternally co-existing end of present age John (arche)

17. Nature The essence, essential qualities or attributes of a thing, which constitute it what it is; as the nature of the soul; the nature of blood; the nature of a fluid; the nature of plants, or of a metal; the nature of a circle or an angle. Webster’s 1828 Dictionary Simply, nature is the collection all the attributes that make something what it is.

18. Personhood Personhood is the center of self-consciousness or self-awareness of a being. It is more than mere consciousness. Self-conscious means to be personally and distinctly aware of one’s self among others. It is self-consciousness that makes us aware of and tells us we are distinct from all other creatures. Adam demonstrated our created, unique design of personhood.

19. Personhood Personhood is the key to being made in God’s image. Schaeffer on man being made in God’s image: Man was made in God’s image. this is man’s glory, and it is this which sets him off from other creatures. What does it mean that man is made in God’s image? Well, among other things it certainly means this: man is moral. This means he can make moral choices. Also, man is rational. This means that he can think. It also means that man is creative — we find that men everywhere make works of art. It is also the reason why man loves. Francis A. Schaeffer, Basic Bible Studies, pg. 19, 1972. Personhood enables us to relate to God

20. John does not propose in this prologue to explain what God is, but what the Word is. If the word yeov (God), although the predicate, is placed at the beginning of the proposition, it is because in this word is contained the progress of the idea relatively to the preceding proposition…The word yeov , God, is used without an article, because it has the sense of an adjective and designates, not the person, but the quality.…The idea contained in the third proposition is thus that of the essential divinity of the Word. Godet, pg. 246, 1863 Godet on John 1.1c

21. “The Word was God.” This statement answers the question as to whether the distinction to be drawn between the Word and God makes the Word somewhat less than God. In the original text the word “God” (theos) appears first in the clause without the article and before the verb, and “the Word” (ho Logos) follows the verb and uses the article…By placing theos first in the clause, John gave it the emphatic position, and by employing it without the article he stressed the qualitative sense of the noun. His point was: “The Word was deity.” The distinction in person between the Word and God expressed previously did not mean that the Word was not equally God. Although the Logos was not the same as God the Father personally, they were the same in quality or essences. Both are deity. Homer A. Kent, Jr., Light in the Darkness, pg. 26, 1974 Kent on John 1.1c

22. Proven Attributes of the Word • The Logos is not a metaphor, but a He • He is eternally existent • He Existed eternally in communion with (pros) God • He Existed eternally in a realm known only to God • He is distinct from the God in personhood • He is deity in nature (everything that makes the God deity, the Word is also)

23. A Personhood A Personhood Common Nature, Attributes, Essence A Personhood OntologicalTrinity The God The Word Common Divine Nature Three PersonsOne Nature The Holy Spirit

24. Is Jesus God? Yes! …and No. Yes, if by “God” you mean a person of the Trinity who is fully deity. No, if by “God” you mean the Father person of the Trinity.