The Greek word logos, as ''word'', refers to expression from the inside out.
When one uses ''reason'' (i.e. logos), these two are involved [1]:
logos endiathetos - the word within the mind (i.e. thoughts)
logos prophorikos - the thoughts expressed out as letters (word) or speech (words).
When one uses reason (the human ability to think in an intelligent way, make sensible decisions, etc. [2]), one is ''thinking'' (forming thoughts) in his mind. And when one shares his ideas/thoughts to others, he says/utters (forming words) them from his mouth.
When translating the Greek phrase ''ho logos'' of John 1:1, 1:14 into English, it should be treated as a proper noun: (''the Logos'', not ''the logos'' or ''the Word'', not ''the word'') because it refers to the name of a person [3].
John only used the Greek word logos by itself. in John 1:1, 1:14. The apostle did not use either the Greek phrase logos endiathetos (thoughts) or logos prophorikos (word). It's highly likely that John intends to utilise both of its meanings.
The logos is word (thoughts expressed out) but the logos still exists even if it is not expressed out (thoughts). This means that the logos always exists. It's just impossible not to. There was never a time when God was without his logos. Thus, to identify Jesus as the Logos means that there was never a time when Jesus did not exist. The gospel of John did affirm quite repeatedly that the divine Jesus has always existed (John 1:1, 1:2, 1:18, 8:58, 16:32, 17:5).This is the significance of using Logos as a title of Jesus in the Prologue.
The Logos was with God John 1:1bIn the bosom of the Father John 1:18c
Jesus as the Logos was so near to God (reclining in God's own bosom, or chest). This shows Jesus as the Logos has a close relationship with God. In John 13:23-24, Peter asked John (who was reclining in the bosom of Jesus) about who was Jesus talking about, because he (Peter) thought that John, who was in a very close proximity to Jesus, heard what Jesus said.
Majority of English Bibles translates logos as into English as logos prophorikos (''word'') in John 1:1, 1:14.
No one has ever heard the voice of God (John 5:37) just as no one has ever seen God (John 1:18). Mortals cannot see God and does not hear directly from God in his dwelling place (which is unapproachable). God can only be seen and heard by mortals through intermediaries, like the angels, prophets and the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 5:36 God cannot be seen by mortals is consistent with John 1:18 (no one has ever seen God).
1 Timothy 6:16New Revised Standard Version16 It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.
No one can see him and live (Exodus 33:20). Any mortal will instantly be killed once he/she tries to see the Lord God. Jesus had seen God (John 6:46) and shared glory (i.e. brightness) with God before creation (John 17:5). This brightness was God and Jesus dwelling in an unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see (1 Timothy 6:16).
When the Word became flesh, (John 1:14), he was manifest in flesh (1 Timothy 3:16) and was seen, heard and touched (1 John 1:1-3).
In the Old Testament, the word (logos) of God came to the prophets and these prophets share what they heard from God to the people [4]. John 10:35 speaks of the word (logos) of God which came to the gods (i.e. angels) in Psalm 82:6.
"and the word of the Lord came to Micah"καὶ ἐγένετο λόγος κυρίου πρὸς Μιχαιαν (Micah 1:1 LXX)
"and the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel"
καὶ ἐγένετο λόγος κυρίου πρὸς Ιεζεκιηλ (Ezekiel 1:3LXX)
" and the word of the Lord came to Zechariah" καὶ ἐγένετο λόγος κυρίου πρὸς Ζαχαριαν (Zachariah 7:8 LXX)
Angels can hear the voice of the Lord (Psalm 103:20, John 10:35) and the angels will share the word (i.e. message) of the Lord to mortals. The Greek word anggelos itself means ''messenger''.
Luke 1:19New Revised Standard Version19 The angel replied, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.
It was not God the Father in heaven who spoke to Moses. According to Acts 7, Jesus was the Lord (functioning as an angel/messenger) who appeared to Moses and spoke to him:
Acts 7:30-33, 7:59-60 (NRSV): “Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight; and as he approached to look, there came the voice of the Lord: 32 ‘I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look. 33 Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 59 While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.''
Jesus as the Word (of God) means Jesus is how God speaks his mind. Jesus hears from God and Jesus relays what he heard to others (John 5:30, 8:38, 12:49). Jesus is the Logos because God communicates to us through Jesus, not through literal speech. In other words, Jesus as ''the Word'' functions as God's ''spokeperson'', a function which is also carried by prophets and angels.
The Personified Logos in the Old Testament
In the 3rd century B.C.E., the logos was personified in the Septuagint:
His Logos will run swiftly ( ἕως τάχους δραμεῖται ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ Psalm 147:15 LXX)Your Almighty Logos leaped down from heaven out of thy royal throne, as a fierce man of war into the midst of a land of destruction, (ὁ παντοδύναμός σου λόγος ἀπ’ οὐρανῶν ἐκ θρόνων βασιλείων ἀπότομος πολεμιστὴς εἰς μέσον τῆς ὀλεθρίας ἥλατο γῆς ξίφος ὀξὺ τὴν ἀνυπόκριτον ἐπιταγήν σου φέρων. Wisdom 18:15 LXX)
The logos is god in the third century B.C.E.
In ancient Greece, Athens (circa 300 B.C.E.), Greek Stoic philosophers said that the "logos was god". However, they deemed the logos to be also nature. Hence, Stoicism is pantheistic.
"For the Stoics, logos was equally reason (individual and universal), nature, and God, while for Philo, logos is not ultimate reality but merely what we can see and understand of God, who is Himself very far from human comprehension. In Stoicism, logos is God; in Philo it corresponds to his specific doctrine of the dunameis, the powers of God who created the world and governs it (Philo of Alexandria, 3.2 Stoicism, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2018).
For John, the logos was also god (John 1:1c) but that his logos was a personal god, not impersonal like that of the Stoics. The logos was "with God", repeated by John twice in his prologue (John 1:1, 1:2). John taught that the logos was a unique God (μονογενης θεος) different from all the other gods (cf. John 1:18, 10:34-35, Psalm 82:6).
The logos is god in the first century A.D.
In the 1st century A.D., Philo of Alexandria (c. A.D. 50) called the Logos "God" (θεος) [4]). The gospel of John was written in this time period (c. A.D. 90) and also called the Logos ''God" (θεος) (John 1:1c). This logos christology persisted in the next century. Justin Martyr (c. A.D. 100-160) spoke of Jesus as the other God, next to the first God, the Father, who has no God above him [5]).
Notes
[1] ''Stoic psychology emphasized the lack of coincidence between the reasoning power, which rests within, and language, which gives outward expression to the powers of reason. Since the same word logos was used to designate both the power of reasoning and reason as expressed in speech, the difference came to be stated as a difference between two logoi. One might no less properly express this as a distinction between two types or states of language. A language within, or an inner language (logos endiathetos ), is then distinguished from a language that we have in common with talking birds, a language expressed in speech (logos prophorikos).'' (https://www.encyclopedia.com/philosophy-and-religion/philosophy/philosophy-terms-and-concepts/logos).
[2] https://www.macmillandictionary.com/us/dictionary/american/reason_1
[3] The logos per se is not a person. However, logos is a name for Jesus both in John 1:1, 1:14 in the same exact way in Revelation 19:13.
Also, if θεος is interpreted in its general sense (i.e. god), it shows that ho logos (the subject in John 1:1) was a name/title for a person who is being called θεος.
- Moses was god (θεος) (Exodus 7:1).
- ...they thought that Paul was a god (θεος) (Acts 28:6)
- The Word was God (θεος) (John 1:1).
[4] Philo of Alexandria (c. A.D. 50) calls the Logos "second god [deuteros theos]" (Questions and Answers on Genesis 2:62).
[5] ''Justin: I shall attempt to persuade you, since you have understood the Scriptures, [of the truth] of what I say, that there is, and that there is said to be, another God and Lord subject to the Maker of all things; who is also called an Angel, because He announces to men whatsoever the Maker of all things— above whom there is no other God — wishes to announce to them.'' (Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, Chapters 56)
