Ruby 456,
To some extent you are absolutely correct.
But the discussion is limited to the idioms of the expressions of the narratives. There is a methodology called philology that governs how far we can go with ancient language applications, and it even effects the etymology of the words involved.
That "wide semantic range" you talked about is not possible here. The author of the gospel of John is speaking of the Jewish Messiah and his relationship to the God of Abraham. At the time of composition the writer still thought of himself as a Jew, but had new concepts in mind due to how Paul had brought changes to Christianity. It appears, some scholars say, that Jewish Christians did not agree or at least struggled with these Pauline views. The author of John seems to have an agenda to set some matters straight.
Without Jewish words for incarnation, and with no intention to counter the Shema, the author composed the verses in the language of the Septuagint, following the pattern of Genesis in that translation. EN ARKHE are the first words there too, a translation of the Hebrew BERESHIT, which means "where."
So according to the methodology of philology, we cannot say that any other concepts of "beginning" or "before time" apply. They weren't part of the original material.
We cannot use them for any critical analytical translation or discussion. Critical methodologies make no room for such things. There are strict limits to critical thinking. Critical thinking employs the scientific method, and this method doesn't allow for just random thought that can be anything. It's a very strict method. It's a very strict discipline.
I can't help at this moment to comment on how surprised I am. I have read constantly from posters everywhere on this forum how they state they are critical thinkers. Yet, how is it I am introducing philology into this discussion?
You people do know that you have to formally study critical analytical methodology (called "forensics") in a school environment, right? You have to go to college or some school to study forensics and have a teacher or instructor. You can't learn it on the Internet. When you were all saying you were critical thinkers I thought you had formal training in forensic methods. Am I missing something?