John 1:1
1. Grammar of John 1:1
The second use of theos (“the Word was God”) lacks the definite article (it is anarthrous).
In Greek, this construction is qualitative, meaning “the Word was divine” rather than “the Word was the God (of Israel).”
2. Contemporary Understanding in the 1st Century
In the late 1st century CE, “divinity” could be participated in without making someone identical to the one true God.
Saying the Word is theos without the article meant “divine,” not “the very God of Israel.”
3. Philo’s Writings
Jewish philosopher Philo explicitly said:
Only God with the article (ho theos) is the true God of Israel.
Others (like the Logos) can be called theos without the article, meaning they share in divinity but are not the Most High God.
Philo even calls the Logos a “second god.”
4. Parallel in John 10
Jesus’ opponents accuse him: “You, being a man (anthropos, anarthrous), make yourself theos (without the article).”
Proper translation: “You make yourself divine,” not “You make yourself God.”
The same qualitative grammar shows theos ≠ the God of Israel.
5. Early Christian Writers Noticed This
Origen (3rd century): Commented that John omits the article for the Logos, showing Jesus is not the true God, but shares in divinity.
Justin Martyr (2nd century): Used theos without the article for the Logos, but with the article for “the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
This shows a consistent interpretive tradition: the Logos is divine but not identical with the God of Israel.
6. Broader Implication
According to John’s Gospel, this divinization (sharing in God’s life) is extended to Jesus’ followers too: just as Jesus is one with God, his disciples also can become one with God and share in divinity.
Thus, the Logos being “divine” is about participation in God’s nature, not identity with God.
✅ Conclusion
John 1:1 should be translated as:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was divine.”
The grammar, contemporary Jewish/Christian thought, and early church interpretations all support this — the Logos shares in divinity but is not the same being as the one true God.
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