It has been known for a long time that the word God and its use is not limited to the Supreme Being. When it is used of others then it cannot be said that we have two God’s (as if both are the Supreme Being) nor can it be said that some other scripture is violated or abused because this same word is used in that text. The context must be the same and in John 1:1 it is not. This simplicity of words with their multiplicity of meanings is common to many words in scripture such as heaven(s), spirit, and soul.
This is the way Strong’s defines theos or God:
1
) a god or goddess, a general name of deities or divinities
2) the Godhead, trinity
2a) God the Father, the first person in the trinity
2b) Christ, the second person of the trinity
2c) Holy Spirit, the third person in the trinity
3) spoken of the only and true God
3a) refers to the things of God 3b) his counsels, interests, things due to him 4) whatever can in any respect be likened unto God, or resemble him in any way 4a) God’s representative or viceregent 4a1) of magistrates and judges
And John 1:1-2 uses it this way: 1
I n the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.
Therefore the Word was someone that was with God at the beginning of the human race and was put in charge of such human race or as John states “the Word was God” to such human race under discussion as this is what John is talking about in this introduction. This does not make two God’s or two Supreme Beings as commonly understood by many. The context or definition of this word is not the same for each use. The use of God as Supreme Being and God as Viceregent cannot be directly compared to some other text where God is used only in the sense of Supreme Being.
Joseph