Studies in the Gospel According to John By R. A. Torrey, D.D.
r. JOHN 'S INTRODUCTION TO HIS ACCOUNT OF THE WORDS AND WORKS OP JESUS. 1:1-18. WTN "reading most books we omit t he a u t h o r 's introduction and as a rule lose little by doing so, but in this book the introduction contains t he very heart of t he whole. It was written for t he definite purpose of preparing the reader for a r i g ht u n d e r s t a n d i ng of the incidents and discourses which were to follow. John, clearly led by the Holy Spirit, s t a r ts out by giving us a t r ue and full s t a t eme nt of the n a t u re of Him whose acts and teaching were to form the whole subject of the narrative which is to follow. " In this introduction to the Gospel we have the theological sum- mary of its contents." We shall not u n d e r s t a nd the rest of the book unless we ponder deeply these introductory words. Th e re is no a t t empt at argu- ment in the introduction: t h e re is some- thing f ar higher and better t h an argu- m e n t—a calm and full s t a t eme nt of the t r u th by one who knows. We have here not ma n 's a r g ume n t a t i on b ut God's reve- lation: and we do well to study it as such. i . THE WORD IN H IS ETERNAL BEING. Vs. 1-2. V. 1. " In t he beginning was the Word, a nd t h e Wo rd was with God, a nd t he Wo rd was God." This sentence is one of the profonndest, most inexhaustible, most r ema r k a b le and most significant sentences ever written. Whole volumes of t r ue theology a re wrapped up in it. Canon Westcott well says, " The first sentence of t he Gospel offers a perfect example of the ;stately symmetry by which the whole n a r r a t i ve is ma r k e d. . . . The symmetry of form corre- sponds with t he exhaustiveness of the thought. The t h r ee clauses contain all t h at it is possible for man to realize as to t he essential n a t u re of the Wo rd in relation to time, and mode of being, and character: He was (1) " I n t he begin- ning." He was ( 2 ), "W i th God." He was ( 3 ), God. At the same time these three clauses answer to the three great moments of the incarnation of the Word declared in v. 14. He who "was God,'' became flesh. He who "was with God,"
tabernacled amo ng us. (cf. I J o hn 1 : 2 ). He who "was in the beginning," became (in t i me ). " T h e Wo r d" is not merely a name of t h at historic person whom we know as J e s u s—f ar deeper than that, it is the name of the second Person of t h e ' T r i n- ity, who became incarnate in the per- son of Jesus. (V. 14). This a u g u st Person is called " T he Word", because a " wo r d" is t h at by which one expresses and reveals, n ot only his thought, but hjmself; and Jesus as t he incarnate "Wo r d" is God's perfect expression and revelation of Himself. He is " t he ef- fulgence of His glory (and t h e very image of His substance." (Heb. 1 : 3 ). To be able to recognize Him when He He "is the image of t he invisible God.' (Col. 1 : 1 5 ). As the incarnate Wo rd He could say, " He t h at h a th seen me, hath seen t he F a t h e r ." (Ch. 14.9). God has revealed Himself in His written Word, but t he full revelation of God is ¡n the incarnate Word, Jesus of Naz- areth: not merely in wh at Jesus said but in wh at Jesus is. To know Jesus Christ is t o k n ow all t h at can be known of God. (Cf. Ch. 1 7 : 3; 1 : 1 8 ); I J o hn 5:20. " In Him dwelleth all the fulness of the godhead bodily." (Col. 2 : 9 ). It has been t h o u g ht t h at J o hn bor- rowed his use of the t e rm, " The Wo r d" from Philo, the Jewish Alexandrian philosopher (B. C. 20 to A. D. 5 0 ), by whom the Greek words translated " T he Wo r d" were much used; but J o h n 's use of the expression is entirely different f r om t h at of Philo and his t h o u g ht ut- terly at variance with t h at of Philo. The corresponding Aramaic word seems to have been much in use in our Lord's Day, and in Philo's day, in the T a r g ums or Aramaic paraphrases of t he Old Testament, which existed in oral form before being committed to writing a f t er our Lord's time. " The Wo r d" was used as a substitute for the n ame of God in His communication with the world. This usage was apparently due to the Old Te s t ame nt teaching r e g a r d i ng the eternity and power of God's Word. (Ps. 3 3 : 6; 1 0 7 : 2 0; 1 1 9 : 8 9; 1 4 7 : 1 5; Is. 4 0 : 8; 55.10-11 cf. Gen. 1:3-6-9-11-14- 20-24-26-29). Ti the Ta r g um. Ps. 1 0 0 :1 is rendered " The Lord said unto His Wo r d" Is. 45:12 is rendered "I by my
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