Reference: Logos
Hastings
In classical Greek logos signifies both 'word' and 'reason,' but in the Septuagint and the NT it is used, with few exceptions, in the former sense only. When it is God's word that is spoken of, it denotes the declaration or revelation of the Divine will, and specifically the Christian gospel as the utterance of the Divine plan of salvation (e.g. Mt 13:19-23; Php 1:14). But in the Prologue to the Fourth Gospel (Joh 1:1 [3 times] 14, with which cf. 1Jo 1:1 [1Jo 5:7 of AV is spurious; see RVand Re 19:13) 'Logos' (English Version Word) is applied to Jesus Christ, and is used to set forth His peculiar glory as the only-begotten Son of God, who is also the Life and Light of men. It is with this Johannine Logos that we have now to deal, and in doing so it seems necessary to consider (1) the content of John's Logos doctrine; (2) its sources; (3) its place in the Fourth Gospel; (4) its theological significance.
1. Content.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
When any one hears the Message of the Kingdom without understanding it, the Evil One comes and snatches away what has been sown in his mind. This is the man meant by the seed which was sown along the path. By the seed which was sown on rocky places is meant the man who hears the Message, and at once accepts it joyfully; read more. But, as he has no root, he stands for only a short time; and, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Message, he falls away at once. By the seed which was sown among the brambles is meant the man who hears the Message, but the cares of life and the glamour of wealth completely choke the Message, so that it gives no return. But by the seed which was sown on the good ground is meant the man who hears the Message and understands it, and really yields a return, sometimes one hundred, sometimes sixty, sometimes thirty fold."
In the Beginning the Word was; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God.
In the Beginning the Word was; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God.
In the Beginning the Word was; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God.
In the Beginning the Word was; and the Word was with God; and the Word was God. He was in the Beginning with God; read more. Through him all things came into being, and nothing came into being apart from him.
Through him all things came into being, and nothing came into being apart from him.
Through him all things came into being, and nothing came into being apart from him. That which came into being in him was Life; and the Life was the Light of Man;
That which came into being in him was Life; and the Life was the Light of Man; And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness never overpowered it.
And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness never overpowered it. There appeared a man sent from God, whose name was John; read more. He came as a witness--to bear witness to the Light that through him all men might believe. He was not the Light, but he came to bear witness to the Light. That was the True Light which enlightens every man coming into the world.
That was the True Light which enlightens every man coming into the world. He was in the world; and through him the world came into being--yet the world did not know him.
He was in the world; and through him the world came into being--yet the world did not know him.
He was in the world; and through him the world came into being--yet the world did not know him. He came to his own--yet his own did not receive him. read more. But to all who did receive him he gave power to become Children of God--to those who believe in his Name. For not to natural conception, nor to human instincts, nor to will of man did they owe the new Life, but to God. And the Word became Man, and dwelt among us, (We saw his glory--the glory of the Only Son sent from the Father), full of love and truth. (John bears witness to him; he cried aloud--for it was he who spoke--"'He who is Coming' after me is now before me, for he was ever first"); Out of his fullness we have all received some gift, gift after gift of love; For the Law was given through Moses, love and truth came through Jesus Christ. No man has ever yet seen God; God the Only Son, who is ever with the Father--He has revealed him.
No man has ever yet seen God; God the Only Son, who is ever with the Father--He has revealed him.
No one has ascended to Heaven, except him who descended from Heaven--the Son of Man himself. And, as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up; read more. That every one who believes in him may have Immortal Life." For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that every one who believes in him may not be lost, but have Immortal Life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. He who believes in him escapes condemnation, while he who does not believe in him is already condemned, because he has not believed in the only Son of God. The ground of his condemnation is this, that though the Light has come into the world, men preferred the darkness to the Light, because their actions were wicked. For he who lives an evil life hates the light, and will not come to it, for fear that his actions should be exposed; But he who acts up to the truth comes to the light, that his actions may be shown to have been done in dependence upon God.
"In truth I tell you," answered Jesus, "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink his blood, you have not Life within you. He who takes my flesh for his food, and drinks my blood, has Immortal Life; and I will raise him up at the Last Day. read more. For my flesh is true food, and my blood true drink. He who takes my flesh for his food, and drinks my blood, remains united to me, and I to him. As the Living Father sent me as his Messenger, and as I live because the Father lives, so he who takes me for his food shall live because I live. That is the Bread which has come down from Heaven--not such as your ancestors ate, and yet died; he who takes this Bread for his food shall live for ever."
Therefore, Jesus, as he was teaching in the Temple Courts, raised his voice and said: "Yes; you know me and you know where I am from. Yet I have not come on my own authority, but he who sent me may be trusted; and him you do not know. I do know him, for it is from him that I have come, and he sent me as his Messenger."
Jesus again addressed the people. "I am the Light of the World," he said. "He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life."
"Even if I bear testimony to myself," answered Jesus, "my testimony is trustworthy; for I know where I came from, and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from, nor where I am going.
Yet, even if I were to judge, my judgment would be trustworthy; because I am not alone, but the Father who sent me is with me.
What my Father has entrusted to me is more than all else; and no one can snatch anything out of the Father's hands.
But Jesus had proclaimed: "He who believes in me believes, not in me, but in him who sent me; And he who sees me sees him who sent me. read more. I have come as a Light into the world, that no one who believes in me should remain in the darkness. When any one hears my teaching and pays no heed to it, I am not his judge; for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects me, and disregards my teaching, has a judge already--the very Message which I have delivered will itself be his judge at the Last Day. For I have not delivered it on my own authority; but the Father, who sent me, has himself given me his command as to what I should say, and what message I should deliver. And I know that Immortal Life lies in keeping his command. Therefore, whatever I say, I say only what the Father has taught me."
Jesus answered: "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one ever comes to the Father except through me. If you had recognized me, you would have known my Father also; for the future you will recognize him, indeed you have already seen him." read more. "Master, show us the Father," said Philip, "and we shall be satisfied." "Have I been all this time among you," said Jesus, "and yet you, Philip, have not recognized me? He who has seen me has seen the Father, how can you say, then, 'Show us the Father'? Do not you believe that I am in union with the Father, and the Father with me? In giving you my teaching I am not speaking on my own authority; but the Father himself, always in union with me, does his own work. Believe me," he said to them all, "when I say that I am in union with the Father and the Father with me, or else believe me on account of the work itself.
And now do thou honor me, Father, at thy own side, with the honor which I had at thy side before the world began.
For I have given them the teaching which thou gavest me, and they received it, and clearly understood that I came from thee, and they believed that thou has sent me as thy Messenger.
Father, my desire for all those whom thou has given me is that they may be with me where I am, so that they may see the honor which thou has given me; for thou didst love me before the beginning of the world.
But these have been recorded that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God--and that, through your belief in his Name, you may have Life.
And besides this, most of our Brothers have gained confidence in the Lord through my chains, and now venture with far greater freedom to speak of God's Message fearlessly.
Let the spirit of Christ Jesus be yours also. Though the divine nature was his from the beginning, yet he did not look upon equality with God as above all things to be clung to, read more. But impoverished himself by taking the nature of a servant and becoming like men; He appeared among us as a man, and still further humbled himself by submitting even to death--to death on a cross! And that is why God raised him to the very highest place, and gave him the Name which stands above all other names, So that in adoration of the Name of Jesus every knee should bend, in Heaven, on earth, and under the earth, And that every tongue should acknowledge JESUS CHRIST as LORD- -to the glory of God the Father.
For God has rescued us from the tyranny of Darkness, and has removed us into the Kingdom of his Son, who is the embodiment of his love, And through whom we have found deliverance in the forgiveness of our sins. read more. For Christ is the very incarnation of the invisible God-- First-born and Head of all creation; For in him was created all that is in Heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible--Angels and Archangels and all the Powers of Heaven. All has been created through him and for him. He was before all things, and all things unite in him; And he is the Head of the Church, which is his Body. The First-born from the dead, he is to the Church the Source of its Life, that he, in all things, may stand first. For it pleased the Father that in him the divine nature in all its fulness should dwell, And through him to reconcile all things to himself (making peace by the shedding of Christ's blood offered upon the cross)-- whether on earth or in Heaven.
God, who, of old, at many times and in many ways, spoke to our ancestors, by the Prophets, has in these latter days spoken to us by the Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. read more. For he is the radiance of the Glory of God and the very expression of his Being, upholding all creation by the power of his word; and, when he had made an expiation for the sins of men, he 'took his seat at the right hand' of God's Majesty on high, having shown himself as much greater than the angels as the Name that he has inherited surpasses theirs.
It is of what has been in existence from the Beginning, of what we have heard, of what we have seen with our eyes, of what we watched reverently and touched with our hands--it is about the Word who is the Life that we are now writing.
It is a three-fold testimony--
He has been clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood; and the name by which he is called is 'The Word of God.'