The Logos in John

I. John's Logos combines elements of Jewish, Stoic, and Hellenistic ideas of the Logos

--existed from the beginning

--was with God

--was God

--was the agent of creation

--was life and light to humans

--was the light that shone in the darkness

--was not John the Baptist

--was in, but not recognized by, the world

--gave humans the power to become the children of God

--became flesh and dwelled in the world

--revealed his glory

--was God's son

--was the means of grace

--was superior to Moses

--opposition of law to grace

--no one has ever seen God

II. Jesus combines all the possible ways of understanding Logos in his person

--Not a philosophical principle (Greek)

--Not a personified activity (Hebrew)

--The abstract and the mythical brought together into the concrete and human who existed on earth in order to reveal himself to humans

--Jesus is a divine, uncreated, preexistent being

--Jesus is an agent of divine creation (not just the redeemer of creation)

--He is a distinct being, yet identical to God

In Greek philosophy, he could be the expressive aspect of divinity (revealing, outward-directed)

In Jewish thought, he could be the dimension of God that humans can understand (In rabbinic Judaism, the Torah holds this position)

--The word became flesh and dwelt among us: an incarnational theology

--An aspect of God lived on earth for awhile as a human (rather than designated as God's agent

--High Christology