Smoodock's Blog

The Gospel of John begins with: “In the beginning…” but what is meant by that phrase? Is the author of the Gospel of John referring to Genesis 1:1? The word of God mentions several beginnings. For example, we are told about the beginning of the Gospel (Mark 1:1; Philippians 4:15; Hebrews 2:3). There is also the beginning of the miracles of Jesus (John 2:11), and the beginning or the first principles of the oracles of God (Hebrews 5:12). Even Jesus, himself, is referred to as the Beginning (Colossians 1:18; Revelation 3:14). So, what does the Gospel writer mean by: in the beginning? The Greek word arche (G746) means the “beginning” or the “origin” of something; it is the first of something, meaning its leader or its head. The term often refers to those in authority (Luke 12:11; 20:20; Romans 13:3 and Titus 3:1). Therefore, if we are to understand the beginning of the Gospel of John, we must first come to understand what he means by the phrase in the beginning.

Many scholarly commentators of the Bible have used this phrase to point to Genesis 1:1, and thereby used it to show the preexistence of Jesus before creation itself. Nevertheless, I don’t believe in the beginning at John 1:1 does that, at least not primarily. The problem comes with viewing in the beginning as a reference for time. The fact is that arche (G746; beginning) isn’t always a reference to time. It is often used as a reference to position and authority (translated in the KJV as: principality, magistrate, power, principles, rule). Therefore, I believe we need to be careful, if we are to perfectly understand what the Gospel writer is actually saying, that we consider how the word is used, before we determine what it refers to.

For example, as I said above many, probably most, Biblical commentators apply John 1:1 to the Genesis 1:1 beginning of creation, in an effort to show the deity and eternal existence of the Word, who became Jesus. Nevertheless, the scriptures refer to two other creations of which the Word, who became Jesus, is the magisterial Head or supreme Authority. Paul speaks of a new creation (Galatians 6:15; 2Corinthians 5:17), which has to do with those who have received Jesus as the Christ (Messiah) or the Anointed One of God. Paul would later go on to say: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10). Notice that believers are in Christ, and in him we are the workmanship of God. In other words, God is making believers into something new, and what he is doing is called the new creation. Nevertheless, believers still have human bodies, and we still grow old and our bodies will fall in death. So, is the new creation a “new physical creation”? No, apparently the new creation isn’t physical, so there must be some other creation, other than that mentioned in Genesis 1:1, which makes believers new and something else old, for the word of God states “old things are passed away, behold all things are become new” (2Corinthians 5:17). Obviously, the creation of Genesis 1:1 hasn’t passed away, but apparently some other creation has, because it became old when believers began receiving Jesus as their Christ or Messiah.

Peter mentions the argument of the scoffers in the last days was: “Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2 Peter 3:4). Obviously, the scoffers aren’t pointing to the creation of Genesis 1:1, because they point to a time after the fathers, vis-à-vis Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, fell asleep. The word creation (G2937; ktisis) is the same as that of the new creation (G2937), but, obviously the scoffers are speaking against it and in favor of another, which the New Covenant text defines as old (2Corinthians 5:17). Paul mentions in Hebrews: “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation” (Hebrews 9:11). Therefore, the scoffers’ argument in 2Peter 3:4 is “all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” vis-à-vis the beginning of the Old Covenant. The Temple still stands; sacrifices are offered daily; the Levites still officiate in worship. This was their argument.

In other words, the Old Covenant is the old creation and the New Covenant represents the new creation in Christ. Thus, we have one physical creation (Genesis 1:1), and the Lord has not made it old by creating a new physical creation. However, there are two spiritual creations, and one had become old, when the Lord began creating the new, and this is what I believe the Gospel writer is speaking of in the first chapter of the Gospel of John. “In the beginning was the Word…” In other words, “In Authority was the Word…” He is the responsible party, vis-à-vis God (third phrase of John 1:1) for what follows (the new creation), and so is God, our Father, who was/is with him (John 1:2). Both the Word and the Father are God over what follows.