The Logos - pt 3 (RDB files)

The Encyclopedia Britannica sums it up pretty well:

"The Logos which having been in the beginning, and with God, and divine ['a god'], had entered human life and history as the Word 'made flesh!' .... But the identification of Jesus with the Logos was not tantamount to recognizing him as 'God.' Neither the 'Word of God' in Hebrew nomenclature nor the Logos in Greek speculation was 'God' though it was definitely 'divine' ['a god']." - Encyclopedia Britannica, 14th ed., vol. 13, p. 25.

In fact, notice this admission by respected trinitarian scholar Prof. John J. Collins:

"Even the extreme claim of the Gospel of John that the Word was God could be defended in a Jewish context by appeal to Philo's distinction between the analogical use of 'God' without the article [theos or 'a god'], which could refer to the Logos, and 'the God' [ho theos or 'God'], with the article, which was reserved for the Most High" - p. 96, Aspects of Monotheism - How God is One, Biblical Archaeology Society, 1997.

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NOTES

{1} The trinitarian The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (TNIDONTT) by Zondervan, p. 704, vol. 3, 1986 ed. shows the rarity of this use of the word by being 'unable' to find "where John derives the title 'Paraclete' (parakletos) from," whereas it obviously comes from Philo who also calls the Logos "Paraclete" ["Helper," "Advocate," "Comforter" - e.g., John 14:16]!

{2} For example, John, unlike the other NT writers (none of whom call Jesus the Logos) repeatedly calls Jesus "the light [phos]" (e.g. Jn 1:9) and "the light [phos] of the world" (e.g. Jn 8:12). It is certainly no coincidence that in Philo's concept of the Logos "the logos is light [phos]" and John also clearly identifies his Logos (Jesus) as "light" (Jn 1:9)! - p. 493, TNIDONTT, vol. 2, Zondervan, 1986.

This is highly significant! TNIDONTT also says: "Surrounded as they were by 'a cultural and religious atmosphere that was saturated with all kinds of astrological false belief'..., the Israelites laid great stress [which John could not help but know] on light having been created, in order to render abortive any attempt to deify it. There is only one God Yahweh [Jehovah, the Father only]. He creates light and darkness." - p. 491.

In fact, this same trinitarian source, on the same page, also quotes G. Von Rad referring to light as "the first-born of creation [Gen 1:3]." This is exactly what the Apostle Paul called Jesus at Col. 1:15 (see BWF). - Cf. Rev. 3:14, KJV. Philo also said that the Logos "is over all the world, and is the most ancient ... of all the things that are created." - p. 70, The Works of Philo, Yonge, Hendrickson Publ., 1993.

The obvious conclusion is that John used Philo's concept of the Logos. And since Philo clearly taught that the Logos was a creation by God, it is not surprising that the understanding that "light" itself is a creation of God also indicates that "light" cannot actually be God Himself.

So when we see the Messiah described as "light," we could consider that as evidence of his creation by God.

"Light" has an obvious literal meaning but also many different figurative meanings. When referring to its literal meaning of radiated energy which is visible to men, it truly is something created by God.

And most figurative uses of "light" also refer to things created and produced by God. For example, when "light" is figuratively meant as spiritual enlightenment or knowledge concerning God's purposes and will for those who would gain divine favor (Jn 9:5; cf. Is. 42:6, 7; 61:1, 2; Lu 4:18-21), it is something produced or created by him. It comes to men in a package they can literally see (and hear) much like literal light. This is the figurative use of "the light" as applied to the Messiah in the Logos description by John at John 1:9 (cf. 3:19).

However, there are many other figurative uses of "light" found in the scriptures. One has to do with purity and holiness. It's in this sense that "God is light"! "God's holiness is expressed in terms of light... cf. 1 Jn 1:5." - p. 701, New Bible Dictionary, 2nd ed., Tyndale House Publ., 1984.

So some trinitarians will tell us that Jesus is God, and "prove" it with the following comparison: "God is Light" and "the Word is light." Therefore, they will say, the Word is God!

This common trick takes advantage of the various levels of meaning given to many words and titles used in the inspired scriptures. It ignores the fact that many besides God and the Word are also called "light" in the inspired scriptures. It ignores the fact that the expression "God is light" is referring to God's absolute purity and holiness, whereas "the Word is light" refers to the Word being the messenger of spiritual enlightenment to men. This is a creation by God who gives the spiritual knowledge leading to salvation to men. It is the same kind of "light" as that of Ro. 2:19 (Jews); 2 Cor. 4:4 (the Gospel); Acts 13:47 (Christians); etc.

John made the very same connection of Logos with "Light" (on the "spiritual knowledge which leads to salvation" level of figurative meaning) as Philo had taught.

"Philo used phos ['light'] particularly with reference to questions of knowledge. .... he viewed salvation in terms of light.... The logos is light." - p. 493, TNIDONTT, vol. 2, Zondervan, 1986.

So, exactly like Philo, John recognizes that God may be called "light" on one level, whereas the Logos (who is not 'God,' but 'a god') may be called "light" on a different level (particularly that of one who is the bearer of spiritual knowledge and enlightenment which can lead to salvation)!

{3} "The Logos-doctrine is placed first [in the Gospel of John], because, addressing a public nurtured in the higher religion of Hellenism, the writer wishes to offer the Logos-idea as the appropriate approach, for them, to the central purport of the Gospel" - p. 296, The Interpretation of the Fourth Gospel, C. H. Dodd, Cambridge University Press, 1995.

{4} Many terms and expressions in the Gospel of John can only be explained by acknowledging the fact that John was writing this Gospel for those familiar with Judaism! One of many such examples is the use of the expression "the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world" (Jn 1:29). This, like "the Word was a god," goes without further comment by John who had to know that his readers already understood it. Yes, they were already very familiar with the Old Testament, the Law, and the traditions of the Temple, whereas other people simply would not understand.

These Christian Jews knew that until the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., "Every morning and every evening a lamb was sacrificed in the Temple for the sins of the people (Exodus 29:38-42)" - Barclay.

Therefore, the expression, "the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world" needed no background information to be clear to these Hellenistic Jews. This was a person whose sacrificial death would be great enough to take away the sin of the entire world.


Edited 2 times by tigger 2 Oct 10 11 6:43 PM.