“In the beginning was the Logos, and the Logos was with God, and the Logos was God” (John 1:1). What did the apostle John mean when he wrote this statement to his audience. When he wrote this, his audience consisted of both Jews and Greeks. He knew that each group understood this Greek word differently. Each had their own meaning based on their beliefs and philosophical thoughts. They’re similar, but different.
The Logos Explained
In Judaism, as the Old Testament describes, God’s word is the dynamic force of his will.
The psalmist declares in Psalm 33:6, “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made” And likewise the prophet Isaiah proclaims that as God speaks, it is done.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there without watering the earth and making it bear and sprout, and furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so will my word be which goes forth from my mouth; it will not return to me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it” (55:9-11).
In Greek philosophy, logos, was used of the divine reason which brought unity and order to the cosmos.
The Hellenistic Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria married the Jewish and Greek ideas together and taught that the logos was the intermediary between God and the cosmos, being both the agent of creation and the agent through which the human mind can apprehend and comprehend God.
[How does Christianity differ from other sects? You can read about it in this article, here]
The Logos as the Intelligent Designer
It’s important to note that the idea of intelligent design was prevalent in Judaism and even Greek philosophy. The Bible never argues a case for God. All of its contents is a story about Him in relation to man and creation. God’s existence is presumed.
Greek philosophers and Stoics, such as Plato and Aristotle, argued the point of an intelligent being as the designer of all things. This of course goes against the reigning theory of today which is evolution—a theory that doesn’t require God, just time and natural selection.
Summary
Both descriptions are different, but they are both true of Jesus who is the Logos, and so John can shorthand the simple word Logos knowing that it had a much deeper meaning to his audience.
If you are curious about the difference between the Jews and the Church, check out this article [read here].
If you want to learn more about the Logos, consider checking out my book “Believe: A Commentary on the Gospel of John” [You can get it on Amazon, here]
(This link is an affiliate link which I receive a small commission from any purchases from Amazon)