# Be Ready - Saturday, 2026.01.03 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. {John 1.1-2 (BSB)} ## Context - The opening paragraph of John's Gospel - The paragraph is about "the Word" being with God in the beginning and that all of creation was made through the Word. - Most of the verbs are translated into the past tense ## Questions - Who or what is "the Word?" - What does it mean to be "with God?" - Is the statement, "the Word was God" a declaration that Jesus and God are one and the same? - What is the significance of John's use of past tense in this paragraph? ## Observation / Interpretation - The English word, "God" occurs three times in the opening two verses of the Gospel of John. 1. the Word was with God ---> Jesus was with God 2. the Word was God ---> Jesus was God 3. He was with God ---> Jesus was with God - All of the verbs in this paragraph except for the phrase at the end, "has not overcome" are translated into past tense. I checked my usual 13 versions and didn't see any significant variation. - Despite having read this paragraph countless times and studying it more than a few, must admit I never noticed the past tense until this morning. - I think John is telling us that even before time began, Jesus had all of the divine attributes of His Father - I concur with most people who believe Jesus is the Word in this paragraph - The first and third occurrences say that the Word / Jesus was "with God." There is nothing in the context to suggest that being "with God" means anything other than being with God. - It is obvious that the first and third occurrence of "God" does not refer to Jesus but rather His Father. - On the other hand, based on the past tense "to be" verb connecting "Word" with "God", the two have to be connected. The next question ... what does John mean? I don't believe the word "God" in this instance refers to an entity, but rather the attributes of an entity. My post on [[260101_p|2026.01.01]] discussed the various attributes an entity must posses to be God. - Jesus was with God in the beginning ... even before everything was created. - My view of time colors how I see things in the Bible and needs it own full length study. But for now, here is a short summary: - I believe God created time in Genesis 1 and for that matter, time will cease to exist in the New Jerusalem discussed near the end of Revelation. ## Application - Continue to pursue "Him who is from the beginning!" {1 John 2.13-14} ## Methods - Since I am not a Hebrew or Greek expert (nor did I stay in a Holiday Inn Express recently) I rely on the translators to give me clues as to the meaning of the sentence, etc. However, it is my experience that none of the translations are perfect in every verse from Genesis to Revelation. Therefore, I use 13+ versions to shed light on the original meaning. The 13 are listed at[[Bible_Versions]].