The profound depth of "In the beginning was the Word" isn't just about Jesus' existence before creation, but about the nature of that existence. John uses "was" to convey not just pre-existence, but an eternal, unchanging being, setting the Word apart from creation that "came into being" later. This emphasizes that the Word wasn't created but always was, pointing to His divine nature from the very start.
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. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
English Standard Version (ESV)
John begins his Gospel by looking back to the very moment of creation, before anything existed. He introduces a divine being called "the Word," who was not created but eternally existed with God and was, in essence, God Himself. This sets the stage for John's narrative about how this eternal Word would later become flesh and walk among humanity.
John doesn't just place the Word at the start of creation; he pulls us back further, to a place beyond time itself. What does this pre-existence tell us about the Word?
The phrase “In the beginning” (ἐν ἀρχῇ) is a deliberate echo of Genesis 1:1. However, John masterfully shifts our perspective. While Genesis marks the start of creation, John uses “In the beginning” to signify an existence before any beginning, before time itself commenced.
The verse boldly states the Word was 'with God' and 'was God.' How can one Being be both distinct and unified with God?
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John doesn't just state the Word's eternal existence; he reveals its profound relationship with God and its divine nature through two key phrases:
Why did John choose the term 'Logos' (Word)? What does this title reveal about God's communication with humanity?
The term 'Logos,' translated as 'Word,' is central to John's Gospel. It’s not just a name but a profound title that unpacks God's nature and His relationship with the world:
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.
zōē · Greek Noun
The fundamental principle of existence, both physical and spiritual, derived from and sustained by God. It signifies existence that is eternal and divine, ultimately fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ.
phōs · Greek Noun
A metaphor for truth, holiness, revelation, and the moral presence of God that exposes sin and guides humanity. It stands in direct opposition to the ignorance and sin represented by darkness.
skotia · Greek Noun
The state of moral, spiritual, or intellectual separation from God. It represents the domain of sin, evil, and the absence of divine truth.
katelaben · Greek Verb
To gain supremacy, defeat, or comprehend in such a way as to master. Here, it refers to the inability of evil or sin to extinguish or suppress the divine light of Christ.
John 1:1 deliberately echoes the creation narrative in Genesis 1:1, placing the Word ('Logos') at the absolute beginning, not just of creation, but of existence itself, emphasizing His eternal pre-existence and divine nature before anything else came into being.
c. 8th century BC
Personification of Wisdom
Hebrew poetry, particularly in books like Job and Proverbs, begins to personify Wisdom as an active agent alongside God, hinting at divine attributes being expressed outside of God's immediate self.
c. 150-100 BC
Apocryphal Writings Personify Wisdom and Word
Writings like Wisdom of Solomon and Ecclesiasticus further personify divine Wisdom and the Word, describing them as emanations of God, closely associated with creation and divine revelation, and sometimes even depicted as existing alongside God.
c. 280-150 BC
Septuagint Translation of Hebrew Scriptures
The translation of the Old Testament into Greek (Septuagint) circulated widely among Hellenistic Jews, familiarizing them with concepts of God's Word and Wisdom in a Greek cultural context.
c. 50 BC - AD 50
Philo of Alexandria's Philosophy
Philo, a Jewish philosopher in Alexandria, developed a complex system where the 'Logos' (Word/Reason) served as a mediator between the unknowable God and the created world, influencing philosophical thought on divine intermediaries.
c. 30-33 AD
Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection
The central events of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection occur, forming the historical basis for the Gospel accounts and the theological claims made about Him.
c. 80-90 AD— this verse
John's Gospel Written
The Gospel of John is written, beginning with the profound theological statement of John 1:1, which intentionally echoes the creation account in Genesis and introduces Jesus as the pre-existent divine Word.
John opens his Gospel with 'In the beginning,' directly echoing Genesis 1:1, but elevates the concept from the start of creation to the eternal pre-existence of the Word.
Proverbs 8:22-31This passage personifies Wisdom as being with God before creation, providing a significant Old Testament parallel to the concept of the eternal Word.
Colossians 1:15-17Paul describes Christ as the 'image of the invisible God' and the creator of all things, echoing the pre-existence and creative power of the Word presented in John 1:1.
Hebrews 1:1-3This passage identifies Jesus as the one through whom God created the universe and who is the 'radiance of God's glory,' aligning with the Word's divine nature and creative role.
1 John 1:1John refers to 'the Word of life' that he and others experienced, directly connecting the eternal Word described in his Gospel to the incarnate Jesus Christ.
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 profound depth of "In the beginning was the Word" isn't just about Jesus' existence before creation, but about the nature of that existence. John uses "was" to convey not just pre-existence, but an eternal, unchanging being, setting the Word apart from creation that "came into being" later. This emphasizes that the Word wasn't created but always was, pointing to His divine nature from the very start.
John begins his Gospel by looking back to the very moment of creation, before anything existed. He introduces a divine being called "the Word," who was not created but eternally existed with God and was, in essence, God Himself. This sets the stage for John's narrative about how this eternal Word would later become flesh and walk among humanity.
John begins his Gospel by looking back to the very moment of creation, before anything existed. He introduces a divine being called "the Word," who was not created but eternally existed with God and was, in essence, God Himself. This sets the stage for John's narrative about how this eternal Word would later become flesh and walk among humanity.
"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. In him was life, and the life was the…" — The profound depth of "In the beginning was the Word" isn't just about Jesus' existence before creation, but about the nature of that existence. John uses "was" to convey not just pre-existence, bu…
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Last reviewed October 2026
