Even Less Simple Hermeneutics For John's Gospel Chapter One Verse Eighteen

Religion conceptualizes and attempts to teach what, how, who, and where God 'is'... and some religions have teachings that teach one man to kill another man over religious thoughts and words regarding ideas about God (a negative yet factual reality).

Atheists and agnostics have their own brand of religion; whatever makes sense to them is what they believe, even a world without meaning or purpose as often portrayed without a loving God, but instead chaotic and ruled by men fighting over it and with one another (a negative view attributed through certain atheistic arguments).

Every person has their own 'religion' (way of viewing and understanding the world and their place in it).

When it comes to talking about God, especially for those who claim to believe in God, emotions and arguments may easily arise.

Even when quoting the same body of written accounts, two men can differ greatly... and be at odds.

However, we are called to be at peace and humbly unified and likeminded.

I don't think this means we must argue over differences and make people believe certain things, but to be unified despite misunderstandings or things not fully comprehended.

Yet the message of God originates from a singular place despite a variety of approaches to understanding the message.

A single sentence, although speaking a single message, may speak differently to different people.

Depending on what God has gifted to an individual in terms of experience, understanding, and perspective, the verses and messages in this article may speak differently to your heart... despite its author aiming at extrapolating the message's main meaning(s).

I personally understand God as being One while being able to do things beyond man's imagination or logical understanding.

I've learned, from experience, to not doubt what God is able to do or bring about.

For Christians (and Jews and Muslims), how the Messiah is viewed, defined, and understood can be a contentious issue.

The early Church became divided in a way over the differing views and understandings of 'who' and 'how' Messiah was / is.

As I understand things, although in their minds men were divided and they drew physical lines between themselves, the Church continued to be one as He is One and included even those divided in their minds.

Was Messiah just a man with something positive to share?

Was Messiah another prophet in a long line of prophets, but still a man like previous prophets?

Was Messiah born a man and graduated into something unearthly?

Was Messiah born of God and woman and thus had two distinct natures?

Was Messiah born of God and woman yet had a single nature?

Was Messiah existing with / in God from eternity and then manifested somehow in the womb of a woman?

Was Messiah God with us?

Was Messiah the Son of God (the One and only true God revealed in the flesh)?

Did men make Yeshua into something more than what Yeshua said?

Did men go too far in their religion and go beyond Yeshua's ideas by adding their own ideas?

The view I wholeheartedly agree with is this: the Messiah was God appearing on earth, as prophecy had declared... which answers 'yes' to some of the previous questions, and refutes the other questions.

This is what my heart understands when I write and speak Yeshua is Lord... that to mention the Lord is to be talking about God, the only God, the Creator, however else one may view the concept of God... and to be talking about Yeshua whom God revealed as Himself for men to see.

As I understand things, God allowed certain men a glimpse at Himself throughout the ages in a variety of ways.

But did men actually 'see' God as we understand eyes seeing things material?

When God speaks through a prophet, the hearers are likely not 'seeing' God although they are talking with (or hearing) God speak through someone.

In this essence, God may appear to anyone.

Perhaps this can be similarly understood when Yeshua appeared to certain individuals after His resurrection, yet they did not recognize Him as one recognizes a familiar face.

I would caution the difference, however, when considering this similarity.

Yeshua was continuously inspired and speaking as God, unlike previous (or past) prophets who had moments of inspiration outside of their choice to turn on such inspiration.

Meaning: prophets would speak back and forth with God, or would have God speak through them and others would hear God's message through the prophet's mouth... and then the prophet would go back to being another human being having faults and their humanity to deal with.

Yet, this manner is not how Yeshua was observed by witnesses.

Yeshua never showed a flaw, committed a trespass, broke the Law in any way, nor sinned against God or man in any way.

Although Yeshua was accused as being a lawbreaker, such accusations were went unproven.

Christian, secular, and other religious sources affirm this.

Yeshua acted and spoke quite differently than, for example, John the Baptist.

Although both characters exemplified humility before God, one of them acknowledged God as preceding them and Above themselves, while the other called God His Father and proclaimed to be One with God.

Very different account between these two prophets; these two 'men'.

Both were murdered for what they preached, while One prophesied His resurrection and fulfilled that prophecy.

This same One proclaimed that He, and only He, gives eternal life and raises people to life from the dead.

What is more important to confirm, I think, is the fact that God has spoken to, and with, certain individuals throughout time and history... for a set purpose.

He continues to speak Today in quite literal terms, besides the myriad of ways believers hear God speaking to their hearts and through simple and magnificent signs alike.

Of further importance is this: what was said regarding human activity and things to forward onto others - the Gospel message... a gospel that clarifies what is unclear, corrects what is wrong, and speaks Truth to what is false.

Somehow, in some way, God appeared before Abraham and spoke with him... then God left Abraham as one leaves the company of a friend or their presence physically.

Someone may suggest that 'the Lord' is when God enables Himself to be 'seen' or 'understood' in a manner that man is able to perceive.

Spirit is unseeable, since spirit is not something physical and thus is beyond man's ability to perceive with human senses.

Perhaps this is what is meant when one hears or reads that no man has ever seen God.

Yeshua taught that God is Spirit.

Spirit has no tangible or measurable qualities as man understands things tangible and measurable.

Spirit is not like energy that can be understood by man's mind.

Spirit is not an element on man's periodic table, and likely will never be labeled or defined as such.

But for Spirit to be 'seen' or perceived by mankind, we can look to Yeshua and learn from Him.

Behind all is Spirit (God).

The beginning of God's account with mankind is found in Genesis, and the first three verses from the first chapter may grant an insight:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 

- Genesis 1: 1-3

We see mention of God, and the Spirit of God, and God speaking (Word).

I don't think there is a distinction of God, Spirit, or Word when speaking of the Lord.

Thus when a believer is baptized in the Name (singular) of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit, they are baptized into the Name God has revealed under heaven through which men are saved: Yeshua.

It is understood, however a man perceives or designates God speaking or God creating or God doing, that it is the Lord and not specifically 'only' the Spirit having spoken or done something.

We see that God creates, and it is by speaking things into existence the manner that God creates.

Perhaps this is what can be understood when it is explained that through Yeshua all things came into being; things both physical and invisible, like the elements and other things man is able to measure or detect.

The Gospel proclaims that the Word is God.

The Gospel proclaims that the Word became flesh.

As to how this happened or is possible is what men argue and fight over, instead of simply accepting God at His Word as did Abraham.

Consider how Abraham didn't doubt what God was able to do or promise.

But when Sarah did doubt regarding the birth of Isaac to a lifelong barren and elderly woman, we understand that God works beyond man's logic and typical human expectation.

Looking once more at the 18th verse from John's first chapter:

No one has ever seen God, but the One and only Son, who is Himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made Him known. 

- John 1: 18

In literal and direct terms, the Gospel proclaims the Son is God Himself.

Simple and straightforward.

To answer men who argue over words, translations, and meanings, let us look into the Greek (what is likely the first language the written account of the Gospel was found).

Read the word-by-word meaning (lexicon) of each single word and the contextual intention.

It is more an issue of understanding the message rather than arguing over whether a certain word was used (or should have been used).

The real issue is the inability of human words to describe heavenly things and things miraculous.

Thus why it is with the heart one believes, and then with the mouth do they utter a faithful declaration.

The Greek translates into English word-for-word (text analysis) as:

God no one has ever seen yet 

   only begotten God 

      the being in the bosom of the Father 

   He has made known 

- John 1: 18

The 'begotten' term is a strict contention among adherents of another popular religion that originated south from where Yeshua was born.

Much how the early Church contended over the description and understanding of who Yeshua was / is (and caused much trouble within the Church), so did those outside the Church have their minds and hearts ruined by such bickering over words.

Did God, who is Spirit and not physical, physically beget a child like human beings beget children through through a physical means?

Of course not.

The human being used as a vessel to birth Messiah, namely Mary, did beget in such a way (flesh giving birth to flesh).

But it was the Spirit who gave birth to Spirit, and that manner of begetting is obviously not physical, but something otherworldly.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a Son, and you are to call Him Yeshua. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; His kingdom will never end.” 

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.” 

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her. 

- Luke 1: 26-38

Luke's account describes precisely how God begat Yeshua (born of the Spirit), and why Yeshua was called the Son of God (because Yeshua is from the bosom - within - God).

Thus, physical procreation is not what was messaged nor intended to be mentioned in the Gospel's proclamation of the manner the Son of God came into the world.

Interestingly, this notion is what those who seemingly listened to arguments over words have perceived from afar... and much has been written and repeated as a contention against the Gospel's clarity.

One such example is found in the poetry of a man named Muhammad, in what is popularly called the Quran, over 500 years after Yeshua walked the earth:

Say thou: He is Allah, the One! Allah, the Independent, He begetteth not, nor was He begotten and there hath never been co-equal with Him anyone. 

- al Ikhlas (112.1-12) (Daryabadi translation)

From the human argument that God doesn't have children in the physical manner as a human male and female do, these poetic verses seem agreeable.

So also is it agreeable that God does not have a co-equal.

The Gospel message does not proclaim Yeshua as God's co-equal, but One with God (tawhid in Islamic theology).

The Gospel message does, however, mention a manner in which God begat the Son... as you have already read.

The Gospel message mentions how men are revealed to have been born of God:

Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. 

- John 1: 12-13

Man's logic cannot conceptualize how God begat the Word via the Holy Spirit... nor how believers become children of God when being born of God.

These are spiritual matters spoken in human language and terms.

Try explaining to an ant something about human life.

This may be possible if you know and speak the ant's language (if there is such a thing), and possibly if you were to become an ant yourself...but would the ants understand or believe ideas about human life when they are so different (the flesh and the spirit)?

Neither can scientific endeavor speculate, since Spirit is not a 'thing' to be seen or measured... and neither can hostile minds resolve what God has done (and all minds are, at one point, hostile to God according to their specific religion - be it theistic or atheistic or whatever).

If Muhammad and the ideology he promoted makes an accusation using a human argument in contesting a miraculous occurrence, then the contention violates / contradicts another poetic verse of his:

And mention thou in the Book Maryam, what time the retired from her people to a place eastward. Then she took beside them a curtain; then We sent unto her Our Spirit, and he took unto her the form of a human being sound. She said: verily seek refuge with the Compassionate from thee if thou art God-fearing. He said: I am but a messenger from thy Lord that I may bestow on thee a Boy Pure. She said: in what wise shall there be a boy unto me, whereas not a human being hath touched me, nor have I been a harlot? He said: even so! Thy Lord saith: it is With Me easy, and it is in order that We may make Him a Sign unto mankind and a Mercy from Us, and it is an affair decreed. Then she conceived Him, and she retired with Him to a place far-off. 

- Maryamn (19) 16-22 (Daryabadi translation)

Notice the similar message in the Quran's Maryamn chapter and from Luke's Gospel despite the use of different words.

The same event when the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary is evident, but notice what else is added a bit later in that same chapter:

And peace be on Me the day was born and the day die and the day I shall be raised up alive. Such is 'lsa [Yeshua], son of Maryam: this is the Word of Truth wherein they are doubting. Allah is not one to take to Himself a son. Hallowed be He! whensoever He decreeth an affair he only Saith to it: be, and it becometh. And verily Allah is my Lord and your Lord; so worship Him; this is a way straight. Then the sects have differed among themselves; so woe to those who disbelieve in the witness of a Day Mighty! 

- Maryamn (19) 33-37 (Daryabadi translation)

Although it is tempting to get into the hermeneutics of the Arabian text, I think the agreeable points, their contradictions, and how the confusion arose is sufficiently clear for this article's purpose.

The sects mentioned here are likely the various Christian-centered ideas that argued over Yeshua's definition (whether only a man, or God Himself).

Although it is eluded that Isa's / Yeshua's birth was absent a human father, and that the Spirit had some role in enacting a virgin to become pregnant (born of Spirit), it is no surprise a human argument is mentioned regarding a denial of the Son of God.

To acknowledge the Son of God coming from any other group, people, tribe, or place would empty any legitimacy any group, people, tribe, or place would have.

Thus why it was a major issue during and after Yeshua's time on earth for anyone to openly proclaim Yeshua as the Son of God when Roman ideology would declare living and dead Caesars as 'gods' and 'sons of the gods'.

To mention a 'son of god' outside of Roman thought was treasonous, giving fealty and honor and legitimacy not to the state government, but elsewhere. 

At the time of Muhammad, Arabia had competing religions... pagan and some derived from a monotheistic brand.

To conclude the exercise of extrapolating the weighty claim in the Gospel that the Son is God Himself, let us look at the mention of God / Allah being mentioned as my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him... which is something agreeable when seeking to define who the Lord is.

I've stated in previous articles that Muhammad's poetry (the Quran) contains about half of the Bible's testimony (both Old and New Testaments).

When that poetry is considered and defined according to the Bible, the message can be clarified and the contradictions / interpolations can be clearly identified.

Interpolation in this sense meaning that things were added to the original testimony and account of things.

Who is the Lord?

You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship You. 

- Nehemiah 9: 6

Notice that God / the Lord made the heavens.

The Creator is the Lord.

It is God / the Lord who gave life to all things.

Genesis chapter one describes how God creates (speaking reality into existence - the Word).

Notice it says the multitudes of heaven worship God - God's creation worships the Creator.

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 

- Acts 17: 24

The New Testament (Acts) affirms and reiterates what the Old Testament (Nehemiah) proclaims.

Who is the Lord?

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Yeshua Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Yeshua’s sake. 

- 2 Corinthians 4: 4-5

Yeshua Christ as Lord is preached... here is the answer.

Those who do not perceive or believe this reality, it says, are currently blinded by the god of this age.

When God appeared to Abraham, it states that Abraham 'saw' and spoke with three men... then two men walked off towards Sodom while the Lord stayed speaking with Abraham.

In the following chapter, we read the two men are called angels when they arrive in Sodom.

To distinguish between God (Creator) and angels (creation), now for an explanation between who God is, who angels are, and who the Son is:

For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are My Son; Today I have become your Father”? 

Or again, “I will be His Father, and He will be My Son”? 

And again, when God brings His firstborn into the world, He says, “Let all God’s angels worship Him.” 

In speaking of the angels He says, “He makes His angels spirits, and His servants flames of fire.” 

But about the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” 

-Hebrews 1: 5-9

Here we read that God declares the Son 'God', while also calling 'God' the Son's 'God'.

We read that the angels are spirits, but notice that the Holy Spirit / God's Spirit is not like another spirit, but rather are spirits who can trespass, and fall from grace... but God's Spirit which is perfect and above all reproach.

We see here that angels worship the Son.

How is this possible when angels shall only worship God, and not created things such as themselves?

This shows that the Son, although born of a virgin, is worshipped by angels (created spirits), and thus is declared as the Creator (Word was God) through whom all things were made.

We are nearing the conclusion of who the Lord, the God of Israel, was revealed to be - the Son, the Messiah.

From the testimony of Isaiah regarding the virgin being found with child, that child would be called Immanuel (or plainly 'God with us' - which is akin to what the Son of God means: God in the flesh).

What else did God speak through Isaiah when describing Immanuel?

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, 

      and the government will be on His shoulders. 

         And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, 

            Mighty God, 

               Everlasting Father, 

                  Prince of Peace. 

               Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end. 

            He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, 

         establishing and upholding it with justice 

      and righteousness from that time on and forever. 

   The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this. 

- Isaiah 9: 6-7

In Isaiah chapter eight it mentions how God hid His face from Israel for a time and sent an army to conquer and punish them (when Israel went into slavery and was sent to Assyria and Babylon over six centuries before Yeshua appeared).

Chapter 9 opens saying God will honor Galilee and show a great light at a later time when eluding to the time of Messiah's appearance and Israel's salvation and redemption.

Galillee is where Yeshua lived and why He was known as a Galilean.

Yeshua is mentioned as the light during the Roman occupation several hundred years after Israel was brought back from Babylon:

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Yeshua to do for Him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took Him in his arms and praised God, saying: 

“Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You may now dismissd Your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen Your Salvation, which You have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the Glory of Your people Israel.” 

-Luke 2: 25-32

God is omnipresent and He can do as He pleases.

He is not limited by man's logical mind or what man considers impossible.

Since God is Spirit, what and how and where God is can be EVERYWHERE according to His Spirit.

He can speak from the mouths of all creation if He so desired, or occupying the body of a man who was revealed to be God Himself.

He can appear in the sky across the entire earth and make Himself visible for all eyes to see despite the earth being spherical.

He can appear as One yet be seen by all eyes from all points of view around the sphere of the earth.

God shows Himself in visions, in dreams, and has always done so as the Lord - the Son - Yeshua.

Men limit God (in their minds and hearts) when they doubt what the Almighty is able to do.

Men dishonor God when they deny, ignore, or doubt what God proclaimed He will do and has done.

The prophecies of God, and their fulfillments, are found in the written testimony of the Bible.

God has written His Word and Law on the hearts of men... although men may contend with one another over the reading and interpretation of what is written on paper / in other books.