62 THE KING’S BUSINESS Studies in the Gospel According to John (continued) By R. A. TORREY ( 3 ) The Word becoming incarnate in Jesus Christ, vv. 14-18.
sta tem en t in th e first verse of th e E te rn ity a n d D eity of th e W o rd . A ll th a t h as com e b e tw e en verse 1 a n d 14 is p aren th e tic al. T h e W o rd which w as in th e beginning, an d was w ith G od , a n d w as G od , now en te rs in to h um an history, a n d G o d u tte rs o r reveals H im self fully in a Man. T h e re is a rem a rk ab le c o rre sp o n d en c e a n d c o n tra st b e tw e en th e sta tem en ts o f verses 1 a n d 14 : T h e W o rd “w as G o d ”— T h e W o rd “b e cam e flesh” (a s B ishop W e stco tt pu ts it, “E te rn ity a n d tim e, th e D i v ine a n d th e h um an a re reconciled in H im . H e ‘w as w ith G o d ’ ; an d H e ‘ta b e rn a c led am o n g u s’ ” ). H e w as “ in th e beg inn ing .” “W e b e h e ld H is g lo ry .” T h e w o rd s “w as m a d e ” shou ld ra th e r re a d “b e c am e ,” an d w e a re n o t to u n d e rsta n d th a t b y b e com ing flesh th e W o rd ceased to b e w h a t H e w as befo re. A s A ugu s tine p u ts it, “H e d id n o t cease to b e w h a t H e w as befo re, b u t H e b ecam e w h a t H e w as n o t b e fo re .” T h e w o rd “ flesh” is m e an t to d e n o te hum an n a tu re in its en tirety . A w o rd is used th a t describes h um an n a tu re from its m a te ria l side in o rd e r to m ak e m o re viv id th e c o n tra st b e tw een th e in h e ren t D eity o f th e W o rd a n d th a t which H e becam e. T h e w o rd also describes hum an n a tu re from th e side th a t em phasizes its w eakness an d m ortality . “H e to o k up o n H im self ou r p itiab le n a tu re in all its w eakness as it now is, excep ting th e ta in t o f sin.” D o u b t less J o h n h a d in m ind in using this w o rd th e e rro r o f tho se w ho m a in ta in ed th a t th e W o rd only seeming ly to o k hum an natu re, th a t is to say, th a t ou r L o rd ’s b o d y w as n o t a real body , b u t only a n a p p a re n t b o d y ;
V, 14. “And the Word was made (ra th e r “became” ) flesh, and dwelt (ra th e r “tabernacled” ) among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten of (ra th e r, “from” ) the Father, full of grace and truth.” T h e H o ly S p irit in speak ing th ro u g h th e A p o stle J o h n h e re le ad s us ou t in to v e ry d e e p w aters, an d we m u st p ro c e ed cautiously, y e t b o ld ly ; b e ing v e ry carefu l n o t to go b ey o n d w h a t is w ritten , a n d y e t d a rin g to b e liev e all th a t is w ritten. W e find in th is verse th re e th ing s: ( 1 ) T h e F a c t o f th e In c a rn a tio n ; ( 2 ) T h e A p o stle ’s T e stim o n y to th e In c a rn a tion as a m a tte r o f personal, careful o b se rv a tio n ; ( 3 ) an d th e C h a ra c te r o f th e In c a rn a te W o rd . T h e Verse m ay b e an a ly z ed an d summ ed up u n d e r th e follow ing h e ad s: ( 1 ) T h e N a tu re o f th e In c a rn a tion— “The Word became flesh.” ( 2 ) T h e In c a rn a tion as a H istoric F a c t— He “tabernacled among us.” ( 3 ) T h e A p o stle ’s P e rson a l T e s tim ony to th e F a c t a n d C h a ra c te r of th e In c a rn a te W o rd— “We beheld His glory, glory as of the only be gotten from the Father.” ( 4 ) T h e C h a ra c te r o f th e In c a r n a te W o rd— “Full of grace and truth.” W e w ill tak e th e se po in ts up one b y one: ( 1 ) T h e N a tu re o f th e Incarna- tion-“A n d th e Word becam e flesh .” T h e w o rd “ a n d ” h ere tak e s our th o u g h t w ay b a c k to th e first verse an d connects th e assertion o f th e In c a rn a tio n o f th e W o rd w ith th e
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs