In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse emphasizes the Word's eternal existence before creation began, not just at the start of it. This isn't simply saying the Word existed at the beginning, but that "In the beginning, the Word was"—implying a continuous state of being that predates any temporal "beginning" of creation itself.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage launches the Gospel of John with a profound theological statement that echoes the creation account in Genesis. John begins by asserting the eternal existence of "the Word" (Logos) before creation, emphasizing its distinct presence with God while simultaneously declaring its divine nature. This foundational declaration sets the stage for the entire Gospel, which will unfold the identity and mission of this divine Word who later becomes flesh.
The opening words of John's Gospel echo Genesis, but with a profound twist. What does it mean for the Word to 'be' before creation even began?
John intentionally mirrors the opening of Genesis: "In the beginning..." (Genesis 1:1). However, while Genesis starts the clock of creation, John uses "In the beginning" to point to a reality that precedes all time and all creation.
Beyond the Dawn of Creation
Why does John call Jesus 'the Word' (Logos)? It's more than just a title; it unlocks a profound understanding of who Jesus is.
The term 'Word' (Greek: ) was rich with meaning for John's original audience. It points to God's self-expression and communication.
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More Than Just Speech
The verse states the Word was 'with God' AND 'was God.' How can one Being be both distinct from and identical with God?
This is the heart of the Trinity – a divine mystery that John lays bare with stunning simplicity.
With God, Yet God
Understand the original words
archē · Greek Noun
Refers to the primordial origin of creation. In this context, it points to a time before creation, emphasizing the pre-existence of the Word.
logos · Greek Noun
A divine title for the Son of God, representing the communication, revelation, and creative expression of God to humanity. It identifies Jesus as the embodiment of God's self-revelation.
theos · Greek Noun
The Supreme Being and Creator of the universe. In this context, it affirms the distinct personhood of the Word in relation to the Father, while also asserting his divine nature.
egeneto · Greek Verb
The act of bringing the universe and all that is within it into existence. This highlights the mediating role of the Word in the creative process.
John echoes the opening words of Genesis, 'In the beginning,' drawing a direct parallel but elevating the concept from the start of creation to eternal pre-existence.
Proverbs 8:22-31This passage personifies Wisdom as being with God before creation, speaking to the eternal Word's close relationship with the Father and His role in creation.
Colossians 1:15-17Paul describes Christ as the 'image of the invisible God,' the 'firstborn over all creation,' through whom all things were made and in whom all things hold together, paralleling John's depiction of the Word.
Hebrews 1:1-3This passage identifies Jesus as the one through whom God created the universe and who, as the 'radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being,' sustains all things, echoing the divine nature and creative power of the Word.
1 John 1:1-2John himself refers back to this foundational concept, describing 'the Word of life' that 'was with the Father and was made manifest to us,' reinforcing the eternal, personal nature of the Word.
vincentJohn 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
In the beginning was (ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν)With evident allusion to the first word of Genesis. But John elevates the phrase from its reference to a point of time, the beginning of creation, to the time of absolute pre-existence before any creation, which is not mentioned until John 1:3. This beginning had no beginning (compare John 1:3; John 17:5; 1 John 1:1; Ephesians 1:4; Proverbs 8:23; Psalm 90:2). This h…
expositorsJohn 1:1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
Chapter 1THE INCARNATION. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that hath been made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness; and the darkness apprehended it not. There came a man, sent from God, whose name…
The verse emphasizes the Word's eternal existence before creation began, not just at the start of it. This isn't simply saying the Word existed at the beginning, but that "In the beginning, the Word was"—implying a continuous state of being that predates any temporal "beginning" of creation itself.
This passage launches the Gospel of John with a profound theological statement that echoes the creation account in Genesis. John begins by asserting the eternal existence of "the Word" (Logos) before creation, emphasizing its distinct presence with God while simultaneously declaring its divine nature. This foundational declaration sets the stage for the entire Gospel, which will unfold the identity and mission of this divine Word who later becomes flesh.
This passage launches the Gospel of John with a profound theological statement that echoes the creation account in Genesis. John begins by asserting the eternal existence of "the Word" (Logos) before creation, emphasizing its distinct presence with God while simultaneously declaring its divine nature. This foundational declaration sets the stage for the entire Gospel, which will unfold the identity and mission of this divine Word who later becomes flesh.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." — The verse emphasizes the Word's eternal existence before creation began, not just at the start of it. This isn't simply saying the Word existed at the beginning, but that "In the beginning, the Wor…
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Last reviewed October 2026