The Logos
(Part 2)
By Jonathan Mitchell
In Part 1 we observed that, in Gen. 1, God spoke - and His speaking took the form of the Logos. The Directives that He spoke were, in fact, the Logos. And thus, in Jn. 1:3, we read that all things came into being through the Logos. Then, in Jn. 1:14, we are instructed that the Logos "became flesh." So we ask, "What did the Logos become as a result of the Declarations in Gen. 1?"
"The skies (heavens; atmospheres) constantly set out, and continue fully describing in detail, an assumed appearance which is God (or: repeatedly relate, progressively tell, and keep on thoroughly declaring a glory of, and a reputation from, God), but (or: and yet) the effect of firmness and the result of solidity (or: the firmament) continuously recounts (proclaims again; reports back) a producing of (or: a performing, a doing, a creating, a working, and a doing, from) His hands. Day to (or: by) day continuously discharges (spews forth) a result of the Flow (or: repeatedly utters an effect of a gush of what is, or was, spoken; habitually bubbles up a saying), and then night to (or: by) night continuously recounts (proclaims again; reports back) Gnosis (intimate, experiential Knowledge and Insight).
Are there (or: they) not continual conversations (or: Do not chats and speeches continuously exist) and not also [are there, or, they] words (expressed thoughts; reasons; ideas; patterned messages, blueprints), from which are their voices (or: sounds; articulations) not constantly heard (normally listened to and obeyed)? Their sound (tone; voice) goes forth (or: went out) into the midst of all the earth - and the results of the Flow (effects of the gush of utterances) into limits (boundaries) of the habitable earth (or: inhabited land)" (Ps. 19:1-4; rendered from 18:1-4 in the LXX, JM).
Gen. 1 is echoed in Ps. 33:6,
"By (With; In) the Logos (Word; patterned communication; reasoned thought; idea) of, and from, the LORD [Yahweh] the heavens (skies; atmospheres) were established (fixed; made firm and solid), and their every power (or: all the ability of, and from, them) by (with; in) the Breath-effect (Spirit) of, and from, His mouth" (32:6, LXX, JM).
Here the Logos is set as parallel to the Breath-effect. The Word is the Spirit, or the Spirit coveys and gives existence to the Word.
Ps. 119:89 proclaims:
"Unto the age [of Messiah], O LORD [Yahweh], the Logos, which is You (or: Your Word; the Blueprint from You; the pattern-forming Message, pertaining to You; Your thought, reason and idea; the flow and transfer for input of Information that was conveying Meaning concerning You) continues remaining-throughout, within the midst of the Atmosphere (in union with the heaven; centered in the sky)" (LXX, numbered 118:89; JM).
The Logos, from the time of
"the Beginning," "continued remaining-throughout, within the midst of the Atmosphere (in union with the heaven; centered in the sky)."
The Atmosphere that blankets the earth continued with
"the flow and transfer for input of Information that was conveying Meaning concerning [God]."
God's presence drenched the earth, but folks continued sitting in darkness, and lived unaware of Him (Jn. 1:5). We find a beautiful proclamation in Ps. 119:160 (118:160, LXX):
"A beginning of Your Words [is] Truth (An origin of Your blueprints [is] reality; a first cause and rule from the thoughts, reasons, ideas and patterned messages from You [is] reality of Truth), and on into the midst of the Age [of Messiah] (the indefinite time of [the Anointing]) [continue] all the effects of the decisions of Your eschatological deliverance (all the results from the evaluations and judgments which are the rightwised relationships in covenant participation of the Way pointed out)!" (JM).
It would seem that all of creation is infused with the Logos, the flow of God's speech, in Gen. 1. But we see that the Logos interacted with the life of Israel. The book of Jeremiah opens with:
"The Gush-effect from God (or: The result of the flow of God; The thing spoken, which was God), which came to be upon Jeremiah... A Logos of God (or: God's Logos) came to be face-to-face with him (or: [The] Word from God was birthed into existence [directed] toward him)..." (Jer. 1:1-2a, LXX; JM)
In Ezk. 1:3a, 4a, and 5, we read:
"And then [the] Logos of [the] LORD came to be face-to-face with Ezekiel (or: a Word, or a patterned message from [Yahweh] was birthed into existence [directed] toward Ezekiel).... And [the] Hand of [the] LORD [= Yahweh] came to be upon me. And then I looked, and - consider this - a Breath-effect (Spirit; Wind), continuously lifting up from out of the midst, was progressively coming from the north, and a great cloud [was] within (centered in) it.... And within the midst [there was] a likeness of four living beings, and this [was] the appearance of them: a likeness of a human being [was] upon them" (LXX, JM).
Those four living beings appear once more, in Rev. 4:6-9, and can be seen as, among other things, both representations of God's Life within all of creation, and of the new-creation humanity, because Ezk. 1:5 instructs us that
"they had the likeness of a human."
Verse 1:8 tells us that they had
"the hands of a human,"
indicating their ability to work and do tasks. Ezekiel sees these four symbolic beings again, in Ezk. 10, where they are termed "cherubim." This terms takes us back to those watching and guarding the Way of the Garden, in Gen. 3:24, and which we also find embroidered onto the inner Veil of the Tabernacle (noted in Heb. 10:20 as a symbol of Christ's flesh), which was the entrance and Way into the Holy of Holies, the place of God's manifest presence, His throne room. Cherubim were also of one piece with the Mercy Seat (God's throne) that covered over the Law written in stone, and Aaron's priestly leadership rod. They were two witnesses of God's presence, and they faced God there. In Ezk. 1:9a, the Hebrew reads:
"Their wings joined a woman to a sister."In Ezk. 3:13 he tells us that
"the noise of the wings of the living creatures touching (or: brushing; kissing) a woman and a sister, and the noise of the wheels with them, [was] also a sound of a great rushing (or: quaking)."
These beings were visionary symbols of the activities of God through humans who "walk in the Spirit," as Paul says in Gal. 5:25,
"Since we continue living in and by spirit (or: for [the] Spirit; to Breath-effect; or: with Attitude), we also can habitually advance orderly in line in regard to, or amidst, elementary principles in and by spirit (or: for [the] Spirit; by Breath-effect; with Attitude; or: = walk in rank following [the footsteps] behind the Spirit)," [cf Ezk. 1:9b]
This calls to mind Rom. 8:14, where he speaks of those who are led by the Spirit, being sons of God. But we digress, and this broad topic is for another study.
Mal. 1:1 opens with:
"A theme, or matter, received from [the] LORD's Logos, laid upon Israel, within [the] hand of His agent: place [it; this], then, upon your hearts" (or: You folks, at this point, at once lay upon your hearts a burden from a premise of [the] Logos of [Yahweh] that is laid upon Israel, centered in [the] hand of His messenger") (LXX, JM).
The Logos (both in the singular, and in the plural) is found throughout the LXX of the OT. It does not suddenly appear in Jn. 1:1. Most of the time it is associated with Yahweh, and can be read in the text as being Yahweh's Logos, or the Logos which was Yahweh - i.e., Yahweh coming in the form (or, expression, or appearance and manifestation) of, and as, the Logos. We should not jump to premature conclusions, for as we have seen, the word logos has a wide semantic range. Here is where we must listen to the Breath-effect as we read the Scriptures. Context must be attended.
Throughout the NT, the word logos is used by many people and with a variety of significances. When God first spoke in Gen. 1, the Logos could be "face-to-face with" only God, for there was nothing else to face, until the effect of that Pattern-laden Breath took shape and assumed a form. Was this the situation of the Beginning of which John spoke in Jn. 1:1? The orientation of the Logos could only be toward God, for God was all there was, until the Logos brought everything else into being (Jn. 1:3).
With what we have thus far considered regarding the Logos, let us now return to John's Prologue, taking it up in Jn. 1:4ff, reading the pronoun as "It," since John is still speaking of the Logos:
4. Within It life was continuing and progressively existing (or: In It was life [as a source]; [Aleph, D and other witnesses read present tense: In union with it there continues being life; Life progressively exists within the midst of It]). And the life was continuing being, and began progressively existing as, the Light of the humans (or: Furthermore, the Light progressively came to be the life known as {or: which was} the humans, and was for the human beings; or: Then later the life was existing being the light from the humans).
5. And the Light is constantly shining in the dim and shadowed places, and keeps on progressively giving light within the gloomy darkness where there is no light (or: within the midst of the obscurity of The Darkness where there is no light of The Day; or: = in the ignorant condition or system). And yet the darkness does not grasp or receive It on the same level (or: Furthermore, the Darkness did not take It down, so as to overcome It or put It out; or: = the ignorant condition or system would have none of It, nor receive It down into itself [in order to perceive It]; But that darkness does not correspondingly accept It nor commensurately take It in hand so as to follow the pattern or be in line with Its bidding).
Notice the switch from the Logos (It) to the Light. Let us pick up the trail of this Light in vs. 9, and then read on through vs. 14:
9. It was the True and Genuine Light which is continuously (repeatedly; progressively) enlightening (giving light to) every person (or: all humanity) continuously (repeatedly; progressively; constantly; one after another) coming into the world (or: the ordered system of culture, religion, economics and government; aggregate of humans; or: the universe) (or: It was the real Light, progressively coming into the world {organized system and aggregate of humanity}, which is progressively illuminating {or: shedding light on} every human).
In Jn. 8:12, Jesus makes a definitive statement:
"I, Myself, am (or: continuously exist being) the Light of this ordered world. The one habitually and progressively following Me can by no means walk around (= under no circumstances live his or her life) within, or in union with, the Darkness [of the old order] but, to the contrary, he will progressively possess (constantly have and hold) the Light of 'the Life!' (or: the light which is life; or: the Light from the Life.)"
But, continuing on in Jn. 1:
10. It was (and continued existing being) within the world (or: centered in the ordered system; in the midst of the aggregate of humanity), and the world (ordered system; etc.; or: cosmos) came to be (or: was birthed) through It and the world (ordered system; etc.) did not have intimate, experiential knowledge of It (or: had no insight into It).
Observe the allusion to creation, here in vs. 10:
"the world (ordered system; etc.; or: cosmos) came to be (or: was birthed) through It,"
once again joining the Light to the Logos.
11. It came into Its own things (possessions, realms, or people), and yet Its own people did not grasp, receive or accept It or take It to their side.
12. Yet, as many as grasp, receive or accept It - to, for and among the ones habitually trusting into Its Name - It gives to them (or: for them; in them; among them) authority ([the] right; or: privilege from out of the midst of Being) to be birthed God's children (or: to become born-ones from God),
It is both the Logos and the Light that implant the privilege to be born as God's children.
13. who are born (or: were given birth) not out of bloods (or: [flows] of blood), neither forth from the will of flesh (or: from the intent of a flesh [ceremony]), nor yet out of the will (purpose; intent) of an adult male, but to the contrary and in contrast, from out of the midst of God!
The last phrase joins God to the topics of Logos and Light. God is both of these manifestations of Himself.
Verse 14 is one of the foundational verses for "the Incarnation," and Jn. 8:12, cited above, affirms its truth. But we should ponder the fact that vs. 14 follows directly out of vss. 12-13, where the subject is us humans. The "glory" of the Logos' "assumed appearance" is, in vs. 14, COMPARED to "an only-begotten person at a father's side." John does not say that the Logos WAS "an only-begotten person." Our common reading of the text has made this latter assumption. Consider what Paul said of God's glory, in 1 Cor. 11:7, which speaks of:
"a husband (or: a mature Male), on the one hand, is continually obligated not to be covering [his] Source (or: veiling down the head) - [he] being inherently (or: constantly being under the rule and headship of) God's image (resemblance; likeness; portrait) and glory."
Also, observe the reading in vs. 14, above, "The Logos births Itself flesh and lives in a tent, within us." The term "tent" (a temporary and moveable residence) was used metaphorically of a person's body.
Might we take the term "flesh" (which is used in more than one way, in Scripture) in the sense of "matter"? God appeared as a Pillar of Smoke mingled with Fire during Israel's Exodus. Then He "tabernacled" (took up residence) among them, in the Tabernacle. And speaking of "appearing," the word "glory" has a wide semantic range, as seen in the parenthetical expansions of this verse, with "assumed appearance" being one of those meanings. Also, consider Mk. 16:12,
"Yet after these things, He was displayed in clear light and manifested - in a different form - to two of their group, when they continued walking along, being on their way journeying into [the] country."
We wonder if tradition has taken too limited an understanding of Jn. 1:14, above.
In 1 Jn. 1 we get another picture:
2. and the Life was manifested (or: is brought into the clear light and made visible)! And so we have discerningly seen, and still perceptively observe, and are repeatedly testifying (bearing witness; giving evidence) and in a message are constantly reporting to you folks the Life which has the character and qualities of the Age (or: the life of, for and pertaining to the age [of the Messiah]; eonian life) which Certain [Life] was continuously existing [oriented and proceeding] toward (or: was face to face with) the Father, and was manifested (or: is made visible; appeared) to us, in us, by us, among us and for us. [cf Jn. 14:26]
3. The One whom we have seen, and still now see, and we have heard, and now continue listening to and hearing, we are also constantly reporting to you, to the end that you, too, may be continuously having common being and existence (or: would be progressively holding partnership and participation) with us. And yet, our common being and existence (or: participation; fellowship; partnership; sharing) [is] with the Father, even with His Son (or: as well as with the Son from Him; or, in apposition: and with the Son which is Him), Jesus Christ.
Here,
"the Logos, which is the Life,"is identified as Jesus Christ. But notice what vs. 3 says about us:
"our common being and existence [is] with the Father, even with His Son."
We should just pause and meditate on that clause. We have a common existence with the Father; we have a common existence with His Son (as in Rom. 8:29). We are His Family (Acts 17:28-29a).
Now let us consider Col. 1:12-20 and note the correlations between Gen. 1, John 1 and this passage:
12. [We are folks who are] constantly giving thanks to the Father: the One calling you [other MSS: us] - as well as making [you; us] competent (sufficient; qualified; fit; suitable) - into the divided share of the lot of the inheritance (or: into the part and portion of the allotted possession) of the set-apart folks (or: pertaining to the holy ones; belonging to the saints; from the sacred people; which is the different-from-the-ordinary folks) within the Light;
In both Gen. 1, and Jn. 1, the first act of the Logos is the creation/existence of the Light. Here, in vs. 12, the "calling" is a function of the Father's Logos, and the inheritance of the set-apart folks is that of being "within the Light." Then 1 Jn. 1:7a informs us,
"Yet if we keep on walking about (= continue living our life) within the midst of and in union with the Light, as He exists (or: is) within the Light, we constantly have common being and existence (or: hold common fellowship, participation and enjoy partnership) with one another..."
13. He who drags us out of danger (or: rescued us) forth from out of the midst of the authority of the Darkness (from Darkness's jurisdiction and right; from existing out of gloomy shadows and obscure dimness; = the privilege of ignorance), and changes [our] position (or: transported [us], thus, giving [us] a change of standing, and transferred [us]) into the midst of the kingdom and reign of the Son of His love (or: into the midst of the sovereign influence of the Son Who has the characteristics and qualities of His accepting love; into union with the sovereign activities of the Son Whose origin is His love; or: into the sphere of the reign of the Son of the Love which is Him; into the center of the kingdom of the Son, which is His love and drive toward union),
Observe "the Darkness," here, and recall Gen. 1:2, and take note of "the Son" being introduced into this context.
14. in Whom (or: in union with [which Son]) we continuously have and hold the release into freedom from slavery or imprisonment (the liberation from our predicament) [which results in] the sending away of the failures (or: the dismissal of the errors pertaining to falling short and straying to the side of the target; the flowing away of the sins; the divorce from mistakes).
15. It is [this Son] Who is the Image (portrait; the Exact Formed Likeness; the Figure and Representation; visible likeness and manifestation) of the not-seen God (or: the unable to be seen God; the invisible God), the Firstborn of all creation (or: of every creature; or: of every framing and founding; of every act of settling from a state of disorder and wildness; or: pertaining to the whole creation; or: = the Inheritor of all creation Who will also assume authority over and responsibility for every creature [note: this is the duty of the firstborn]),
Note the reference to "the image of God," and to "creation," in this verse.
16. because within Him was created the whole (or: in union with Him everything is founded and settled, is built and planted, is brought into being, is produced and established; or: within the midst of Him all things were brought from chaos into order) - the things within the skies and atmospheres, and the things upon the earth (or: those [situations, conditions and/or people] in the heavens and on the land); the visible things, and the unseen (or: unable to be seen; invisible) things: whether thrones (seats of power) or lordships (ownership systems) or governments (rulers; leadership systems; sovereignties) or authorities - the whole has been created and all things continue founded, put in order and stand framed through means of Him, and [proceeds, or were placed] into Him (or: = He is the agent and goal of all creation).
17. And He is before (prior to; or: maintains precedence of) all things and all people, and the whole has (or: all things have) been placed together and now continues to jointly-stand (stands cohesively; is made to have a co-standing) within the midst of and in union with Him,
18. and so He is the Head (or: Source) of the body - which is the called-out community (the ecclesia; the summoned congregation) - Who is the Beginning (or: the Source, Origin and Ruling Principle; the Beginning Power and Ability of the process), a Firstborn forth from out of the midst of dead folks, to the end that He would be birthed (may come into existence; or: could come to be) within all things and in all people: He continuously holding first place (or: constantly being preeminent; or: habitually being the First One; or: continuing being the First Man),
Verses 16-18 continue on the subject of "the Son," and vs. 18 points us to "the Beginning," and "a Firstborn," which can be construed as pointing back to Adam (humanity), and then to Israel, and ultimately to Jesus, and then to the Family of sons (Rom. 8:29).
19. because WITHIN Him all - the entire contents (the result of that which fills everything; all the effect of the full measure [of things]) - delights to settle down and dwell as in a house (or: because He approved all the fullness [of all existence] to permanently reside within Him) [cf 2:9]
Verses 16 and 19 give rise to the philosophical concept of "the cosmic Christ" that we find in current theology. But we may be on more solid ground by relating these verses to the Logos, in all that we've considered about It, along with the corporate, many-membered Son/body which composes the Anointed.
20. and THROUGH Him at once to transfer the all (the whole; = all of existential creation), away from a certain state to the level of another which is quite different (or: to change all things, bringing movement away from being down; to reconcile all things; to change everything from estrangement and alienation to friendship and harmony and move all), INTO Him - making (constructing; forming; creating) peace (harmonious joining) through the blood of His cross (execution stake/pole): through Him, whether the things upon the earth (or: land) or the things within the atmospheres and heavens!
And that last clause takes us back to Gen. 1:1, so let us consider another version of this same topic, in Heb. 1:
2. upon [the] last of these days spoke to (or: speaks for and concerning; discourses in; makes conversation with) us in a Son whom He placed (or: sets) [as; to be] Heir of all (or: One who receives all humanity as an allotment; or: One who received everything as His allotted inheritance) through Whom He also made the ages (or: forms and constructs the various designated periods of time [which compose existence, as well as God's influence and activities]; produces the life-times);
3. Who, continuously being an effect of the radiance from (or: a result from a dawning and breaking forth of the bright light of the Day which is; a result of the outshining which is; an effulgence from; an effect of an off-shining [light]-beam belonging to; or: a result of a reflection of) the Glory and Splendor as well as an exact impress (or: exact likeness as from a stamp or a die; or: a carving) of His substructure (or: of His substance [that is] standing under as a foundation; which is the underlying support of His outward form and properties; from His sub-placing; or: from His assumed groundwork of the full expression [of His idea]) - besides continuously bearing (or: and while progressively carrying; and then repeatedly bringing) the whole (all things; everything and all existence) by the gush-effect which is His power (or: in the result of the flow from the power which is Him; or: with the saying pertaining to His ability; in the spoken declaration of, and which has the character of and its source in, His power and ability) through and by means of Himself - in producing a cleansing of (or: after making a ritual purification in regard to) the failures (the misses of the target; the mistakes and errors; or: a clearing by pruning which pertains to the sins) He at once seated Himself within [the] right part (or: hand; = in union with the receiving aspect, honored position and place of power) of the Greatness centered and resident within high places.
This passage can be viewed as an expansion of Rom. 11:36, cited above. Verse 2b echoes Gen 1, as well as Jn. 1:3. Although the term logos is not used in these verses, the topic of "speaking" is prominent in vss. 1-2, and vs. 3 uses the word rhema ("the gush-effect which is His power," etc., in the parenthetical expansion).
Heb. 4:2 alludes to Israel's history, and the interaction of the Logos with them: "But the Word (or: message; thought; idea; Logos) which they heard did not profit (or: benefit) those folks." And now let us ponder two verses in this same chapter that shed light on our investigation:
12. You see, the Word of God (or: God's thought, idea and message; or: the expressed Logos from God; or: the Word which is God) [is] living (or: alive), and active (working; operative; energetic; at work; productive) and more cutting above every two-mouthed sword, even passing through (penetrating) as far as a dividing (or: parting; partitioning) of soul and spirit (or: of inner self-life/consciousness and breath-effect), both of joints and marrows, even able to discern (separate; judge; decide) concerning thoughts (ponderings; reflections; in-rushings; passions) and intentions (notions; purposes) of a heart (= core of the being).
13. And no creature (thing formed, framed or created) is (or: exists being) out of sight (not manifest; concealed) in Its (i.e., the Word's; or: His) presence, but all things [are] naked and have been gripped and bent back at the neck [thus, exposing the face and throat] to (or: in; by) Its (or: His) eyes, face to face with Which (or: Whom) in us (or: to us; for us; with us) [is] this Word (or: with a view to Whom by us [is] the message and the account; or: toward which, for us and among us, [comes] the Logos: the Idea and the Reason).
So, without discounting the connection of the Son, and of Jesus, with the Logos, we can discern the pervasiveness and imminence of the Logos, from the Alpha to the Omega; from the Beginning on through to the End (telos: Goal; Finished Product). The Logos is both the Creator, and the creation. Paul put it this way, in 1 Cor. 15:28,
"Now when the whole (or: all things) would be completely supportively-aligned in Him (or: attached and appended to Him; subordinately sheltered and arranged by and for Him), then the Son Himself will also continue being supportively aligned to, fully subjoined for and humbly attached under as an arranged shelter in, the One subjecting, appending and sheltering the whole in Him (or: attaching all things to Him), to the end that God can be all things within the midst of and in union with all humans (or: may be everything in all things; or: should exist being All in all; or: would exist being everything, within the midst of everyone)."
Can we not see an almost interchangeability, as well as union, expressed in Jn. 14:10?
"it is continuously (it constantly exists being) I, Myself, within the midst of the Father, and the Father within the midst of Me (or: I Myself centered in union with the Father, and the Father centered in union with Me). The gush-effects (results of the flow; or: utterances, declarations, words spoken) which I, Myself, am constantly saying to you men, I am not constantly saying from Myself. But the Father, continuously dwelling and remaining (abiding; staying) within the midst of Me, is habitually (constantly) doing (making; constructing; creating; forming; performing; producing) His works (actions; deeds)."
Here it is not stated as the Logos doing the work, but the Father, yet the gush-effects come through the Son. If we focus on the idea of "union" that is expressed by Jesus, in this verse, we may encounter less confusion than by trying to make from it a theological statement about the Being of God.
In Jn. 14:18 Jesus says,
"I am repeatedly (or: habitually) and now progressively coming to (or: face to face with; toward) you people."
The Logos is now face-to-face with us. This is the result of It bringing into existence the creation - both the old, and now the new. Reminiscent of Gen. 2:7, Jn. 20:22 reports that Jesus
"suddenly blows on, and says to, them (or: He breathes within [them], so as to inflate them [note: same verb as used in Gen. 2:7, LXX], and is saying to them), ‘Receive a set-apart spirit! (or: Get [the] Holy Spirit!; take the Sacred Breath-effect!; or: Receive a sacred attitude).'"
To be continued...
Jonathan
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