On your whiteboard: What can you remember from last lesson? What are the key ideas included in the prologue?

Today’s Objective: To understand the first three key themes of the Prologue: the word the word made flesh the nature of Jesus (Next time we’ll do the last three themes)

Logos Whilst the version of the prologue we’ve been using uses the term “word” – in actual fact all uses of the term within the text would in the original version, be “Logos”. An understanding of this term then, is key to understanding the prologue.

Logos - Word One of the most important concepts in the Prologue is that of “Logos”, it is translated “Word” in English versions, but this translation does not express everything that the term would have suggested to ancient readers. The term has a history in both Jewish / Christian and Hellenistic writings, the author of the prologue would have been aware of this and chose the term carefully.

Logos In Judaism From Judaism, the author links Logos with the notion of God’s creative breath (ruah or spirit). Words are Gods way of creating things and performing miracles. There are a number of instances of this throughout the old testament meaning the readers would have been intimately familiar with the idea. In simplest terms, when God speaks, something happens. Words are at the very centre of his power.

Logos In Judaism Similarly, Jewish tradition has always held God’s speech as a guiding force. Through speaking to prophets and leaders God guided the Jewish people to the promised land. Thus the Logos could also be considered to be a light for humanity to show us the way. Something the world of darkness and sin would never be able to put out.

Logos In Judaism Since the Logos is a creative force rather than a specific thing, it would be strange for the Jews to read about the incarnation. The idea that this force from God could become human would be something they had never considered. Thus the author knew exactly how controversial it was for him to explain the idea of word made flesh.

Who were the Hellenists? Logos In Hellenism Who were the Hellenists?

Logos In Hellenism From the Hellenistic tradition the author brought in the concept of an ultimate reality and a perfect human. An ideal “form” that we all mimic in our lives and existence. The Logos in this case is the “form” of a human. A perfect thing which we all reflect in our own ways.

Forms as illustrated by cats…

Logos In Hellenism Crucially though in Greek philosophy this Logos was not an actually existing being, but a rational concept that would help us to understand the way the world worked. There is a “form” behind everything (e.g. cats, cars, tables) but to say one actually came into human form would be shocking for the traditionalists!

Logos In Hellenism Never the less this is exactly the idea the author goes for. The Logos has taken human form (Jesus) and is a source of wisdom, knowledge and spiritual truth for humanity. He is a guiding light showing us the way to heaven and eternal life for all people.

Logos In The Prologue In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

Logos In The Prologue The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Read pages 2-3 Do the Stretch Yourself task