Posts by towerwatchman

77

Interpret John 1:1 by John 1:1.

by towerwatchman in

interpret john 1:1 by john 1:1. .

the greek language has the definite article which has approximately thirty variations, is translated into english as “the”, and points to an identifiable personality, someone we have prior knowledge of.

but the greek language has no indefinite article corresponding to the english “a”, or “an”.

towerwatchman

To half Banana

On the contrary, just as Paul’s thorn in the side were the Judiazers, John’s thorn in the side was the Gnostics. Polycarp one of John’s disciples wrote about John’s dislike with Gnosticism. When we read the opening to John and especially 1 John, we notice that John is countering the Gnostic beliefs the Jesus was either a spirit [no flesh], or fully human [offspring of Joseph and Mary]. None of John’s writings are pro Gnostic.

Notice John 1:1, in one verse John identifies Jesus as God, to the Greek as the “Logos” from whence everything commenced

The Greek’s believed that everything pre existed as a thought and then came into existence. Logos was that divine reason or thought which created the physical world and causes the natural world to grow. John comes along and says that he knows the Logos and that it is not a thought but a person. That for the Logos thought to exist it had to have a thinker and that thinker was Jesus. This would have caught the attention of every Hellenistic thinker in that time. Not only does he identify the “Logos” to them but in the following verses John gives the “logos” a name, human qualities and affections making Jesus conceivable to them.

And to the Jew = Jewish ‘dabar’ = Divine word.

The rabbinical schools at that time taught that the Word was the image and likeness of God, the universe was created by God through the Word, the Word was God’s first and oldest creation, the Word was a separate being from Elohim, the Word had not descended to Earth, and had the Word a need for a body of flesh.

John masterfully capitalizes on the idea and connects the Greek’s idea of “Logos” and the Jewish idea of “dabar” with Jesus Christ as God.

77

Interpret John 1:1 by John 1:1.

by towerwatchman in

interpret john 1:1 by john 1:1. .

the greek language has the definite article which has approximately thirty variations, is translated into english as “the”, and points to an identifiable personality, someone we have prior knowledge of.

but the greek language has no indefinite article corresponding to the english “a”, or “an”.

towerwatchman

To Finkelstein

The Apostles would know if it was a lie or not. They are the ones preaching the Resurrection of Jesus. No one has taught them this. They are sharing and dying for something they witnessed themselves. If it was a lie, the lie would have originated with them. And no one does for a lie.

77

Interpret John 1:1 by John 1:1.

by towerwatchman in

interpret john 1:1 by john 1:1. .

the greek language has the definite article which has approximately thirty variations, is translated into english as “the”, and points to an identifiable personality, someone we have prior knowledge of.

but the greek language has no indefinite article corresponding to the english “a”, or “an”.

towerwatchman

To sir 82

Attributes is what makes X ,X. As to how X is manifested 'stuff' is another matter. John opens describing the Logos as a spirit, then in vs. 14 the Logos 'became fleshed and dwelt among us.

Same is in the opening of 1 John, John describes Jesus as being tangible, (seen, heard, touched).

77

Interpret John 1:1 by John 1:1.

by towerwatchman in

interpret john 1:1 by john 1:1. .

the greek language has the definite article which has approximately thirty variations, is translated into english as “the”, and points to an identifiable personality, someone we have prior knowledge of.

but the greek language has no indefinite article corresponding to the english “a”, or “an”.

towerwatchman

To sir 82

The car and the bridge are both steel. They serve two purposes.

What makes God = God? Five attributes. Omnipresent, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Immutable, and Holy. God the Father, Jesus, and the HS all have the attributes that make God -God.

Note eimi 'was' in all three clauses 1a,b and c is in the same tense. Therefore if 'eimi' in 'c' is descriptive then it should also be descriptive in the two previous clause. Eimi 'was' in each clause is =verb, imperfect, active, indicative, third person, singular.

verb — A word that describes an action, state of being, or the production of a result.

imperfect — The verb tense where the writer portrays an action in process or a state of being that is occurring in the past with no assessment of the action’s completion.

active — The grammatical voice that signifies that the subject is performing the verbal action or is in the state described by the verb.

indicative — The mood in which the action of the verb or the state of being it describes is presented by the writer as real.

third person — In grammar, “person” refers to the feature of verbs or pronouns that helps us distinguish

singular — Refers to one person or thing.

Seems the author is conveying absolute existence.

77

Interpret John 1:1 by John 1:1.

by towerwatchman in

interpret john 1:1 by john 1:1. .

the greek language has the definite article which has approximately thirty variations, is translated into english as “the”, and points to an identifiable personality, someone we have prior knowledge of.

but the greek language has no indefinite article corresponding to the english “a”, or “an”.

towerwatchman

To Finkelstein

John did not write a fictional work, but an eyewitness account of what he saw and experienced. Note with the exception of John the Apostles all died defending their belief in Jesus. It is one thing to die for what you believe is true; but I doubt anyone would die for a lie.

77

Interpret John 1:1 by John 1:1.

by towerwatchman in

interpret john 1:1 by john 1:1. .

the greek language has the definite article which has approximately thirty variations, is translated into english as “the”, and points to an identifiable personality, someone we have prior knowledge of.

but the greek language has no indefinite article corresponding to the english “a”, or “an”.

towerwatchman

To Sir 82

If Jesus is made of the same 'stuff' as God, then logically He is God.

77

Interpret John 1:1 by John 1:1.

by towerwatchman in

interpret john 1:1 by john 1:1. .

the greek language has the definite article which has approximately thirty variations, is translated into english as “the”, and points to an identifiable personality, someone we have prior knowledge of.

but the greek language has no indefinite article corresponding to the english “a”, or “an”.

towerwatchman

To Steel.

There are many translation of the the NT, with some in disagreement. Now how do we know what the truth is. How do we know that what is being translated is the authors intent? We go back to the original language, the oldest copies and compare.

Some of us have invested years in acquiring degrees that would only serve us for several decades, would it be more prudent to invest the same amount of time or more when it comes to the eternal?

77

Interpret John 1:1 by John 1:1.

by towerwatchman in

interpret john 1:1 by john 1:1. .

the greek language has the definite article which has approximately thirty variations, is translated into english as “the”, and points to an identifiable personality, someone we have prior knowledge of.

but the greek language has no indefinite article corresponding to the english “a”, or “an”.

towerwatchman

To TTWSYF

When John places the Logos in the beginning with the imperfect 'was', John is stating that before the beginning commenced the Logos already existed. In other words before time and space existed the Logos existed. And the only one that existed before time and space was God.

77

Interpret John 1:1 by John 1:1.

by towerwatchman in

interpret john 1:1 by john 1:1. .

the greek language has the definite article which has approximately thirty variations, is translated into english as “the”, and points to an identifiable personality, someone we have prior knowledge of.

but the greek language has no indefinite article corresponding to the english “a”, or “an”.

towerwatchman

To Fisherman

Please note that eimi in 1a and 1c are both imperfect, indicative, active, third person singular. Following your reason to a logical conclusion if God is descriptive in 1c then it also applies to beginning would be descriptive in 1a also.

The imperfect tense shows continuous or linear type of action just like the present tense. It always indicates an action continually or repeatedly happening in past time. It portrays the action as going on for some extended period of time in the past.

77

Interpret John 1:1 by John 1:1.

by towerwatchman in

interpret john 1:1 by john 1:1. .

the greek language has the definite article which has approximately thirty variations, is translated into english as “the”, and points to an identifiable personality, someone we have prior knowledge of.

but the greek language has no indefinite article corresponding to the english “a”, or “an”.

towerwatchman

Interpret John 1:1 by John 1:1.

The Greek language has the definite article which has approximately thirty variations, is translated into English as “the”, and points to an identifiable personality, someone we have prior knowledge of. But the Greek language has no indefinite article corresponding to the English “a”, or “an”. Often the Grammarians add the English indefinite articles “a” or “an” to give the proper sense of the passage, therefore pointing to an unidentifiable person, someone we do not have prior knowledge of. But this does not mean that every time a noun lacking the definite article occurs in the Greek text it should have an indefinite article in the translation. Depending on the context of the verse, chapter, book, and the main idea that the writer, translators render nouns lacking the definite article, either indefinite, definite, or none.

The gospel of John is intended to be read based on the thesis which is the first 18 verses, which is anchored on the first verse. If one believes that in the first verse, Jesus is God, then one reads the gospel from that point of view, but if one believes Jesus is a created being based on the first verse, then one will read the rest of the gospel based on that point of view. Therefore the deity of Jesus in John 1:1 should be determined by John 1:1

Dissect vs 1 into a logical argument [premise 1] In the beginning was the Word, [premise 2] and the Word was with God, [conclusion] and the Word was God [or a god.] Therefore premise 1and or 2 should support either “God” or “a god”.

In the beginning was (ἐν ἀρχ͂ῃ ἦν)[en- ar•khay eimi].

If we are able to draw an imaginary line, on a razors edge, where one side there exist only God and the eternal, and the other exists the created and the temporal, this razors edge is what John is opening to. John does not open referring to the beginning of Genesis but prior to it, in fact prior to time itself. Note this imaginary line relates to the eternal and the temporal, and not to the Genesis account of creation, because creation is not mentioned until vs. 3. Notice where John places the Logos in reference to the beginning; if the Logos is a created being then the Logos would be included in the ‘beginning’ or after. Using [ἦν eimi] “was”, which denotes absolute existence instead of [ἐγένετο, egeneto] “came into being”, or “began to be”, which is used in vs. 3, John is placing the Logos prior to the beginning. John is saying that the Logos absolutely existed prior to the beginning, and the only One who existed prior to the beginning is God in the eternal. Therefore the only logical conclusion for John 1:1 is “the Word was God” not “was a god”.

Any rebuttal should be able to support its position by using John 1:1 only.