Christ Divinity Explained in John 1:1c

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BroRando

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Christ Divinity Explained in John 1:1c

John 1:1 is the Beginning of Creation that supersedes Genesis 1:1. For example, we read, "When the morning stars joyfully cried out together, And all the sons of God began shouting in applause?" (Job 38:7)

Morning stars are among the first angels or the beginning angels of creation. Morning Stars and all the sons of God are the angels that existed before Abraham was and before the earth itself. After all, it was the newly created earth that they were applauding.

Jesus even admitted of coming from the gods whom the word of God came! Jesus answered them: “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said: “You are gods”’?  If he called ‘gods’ those against whom the word of God came—and yet the scripture cannot be nullified— do you say to me whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You blaspheme,’ because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? (John 10:34-36)

The Hebrew and Greek languages often use feminine nouns to point to a creation. According to the strong concordance theos can be rendered two ways. One way, is in the Masculine sense as in the first instance of (John 1:1) But what about in the second instance as in John 1:1c? Isn't that scripture describing his qualitative sense? His divinity in being divine?

Strong's Concordance

theos: God, a god
Original Word: θεός, οῦ, ὁ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine; Noun, Masculine
Transliteration: theos
Phonetic Spelling: (theh'-os)
Short Definition: God, a god
Definition: (a) God, (b) a god, generally.



Many Scholars know this, but withhold the fact that theos can be rendered (a god) as it was with Paul and Moses. Other variations of rendering John 1:1 also exist:

1808: "and the Word was a god" – Thomas Belsham The New Testament
1822: "and the Word was a god" – The New Testament in Greek and English
1829: "and the Word was a god" – The Gospel History According to the Four Evangelists
1863: "and the Word was a god" – A Literal Translation (Herman Heinfetter)
1879: "and the Word was a god" – Das Evangelium nach Johannes (J. Becker, 1979)
1885: "and the Word was a god" – Concise Commentary on The Holy Bible (R. Young, 1885)
1911: "and the Word was a god" – The Coptic Version of the N.T. (G. W. Horner, 1911)
1935: "and the Word was divine" – An American Translation, John M. P. Smith & Edgar J. Goodspeed, Chicago
1955: "so the Word was divine" – The Authentic New Testament, by Hugh J. Schonfield, Aberdeen.
1958: "and the Word was a god" – The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Anointed" (J. L. Tomanec, 1958);
1975 "and a god (or, of a divine kind) was the Word" – Das Evangelium nach Johnnes, by Siegfried Schulz, Göttingen, Germany
1975: "and the Word was a god" – Das Evangelium nach Johannes (S. Schulz, 1975);
1978: "and godlike sort was the Logos" – Das Evangelium nach Johannes, by Johannes Schneider, Berlin

The use of a feminine nouns emphasis the fact that the Word was created. When?

“In beginning was the Word . . . ”
(en arche en ho logos) Words such as arche', godlike, wisdom, grace, divinity, or deity are all in the feminine sense.

Many religions teach that God has a beginning but if the truth be known, God is eternal.


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BroRando

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This bring us back to John 1:1 and its rendering. To be consistent with other Feminine Nouns the second theos is speaking about the Word's qualitative sense.

An Eastern/Greek Orthodox Bible commentary notes: "This second theos could also be translated 'divine' as the construction indicates "a qualitative sense for theos". The Word is not God in the sense that he is the same person as the theos mentioned in 1:1a; he is not God the Father."

Really, truth be known. John 1:1 is giving witness to God's Chief Messenger his Foremost Messenger and that he is divine. Beginning Messenger when translated means Archangel.

It was Michael whom was the one to be given a New Name in Philippians 2:6-11 and that Name is Jesus to the Glory of God the Father.

Most people think the Word of God is God because the deny that God has a Chief Messenger. Looking up the meaning of Names can be helpful.

Michael -- Who is godlike or Who is like God?
Immanuel -- With us is God?

The one who conquers—I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will by no means go out from it anymore, and I will write upon him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem that descends out of heaven from my God, and my own new name. (Revelation 3:12)

I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you on the Way and to bring you into the place that I have prepared. Pay attention to him, and obey his voice. Do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgressions, because my name is in him. (Exodus 23:20-21)

Jesus -- Jehovah is Salvation