Hi Clolibre,

Here is my more proper response to the questions you ask in your reply to my reply to your post, “Questions I Would Like To Ask”. First of all, you say that I am wrong calling the Bible God’s Word, and you present a piece of scripture that you believe will support your claim. I would like to address this part first.

Surprisingly, the scripture that you chose is one of the most beloved in the entire Bible; certainly it is in my own top ten list. I love the Gospel of John because his love of Jesus just shines through from the very first sentence to the last. But the first chapter of John is special in all of scripture. First of all, I see no discrepancies in verses 1-5. They perfectly agree with the creation account in Genesis. God created everything through His Word. He spoke the word, and everything was created. Just as it says in John 1:3, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” God created all things by speaking His holy Word. That is the power of His Word. However, I think the problem you are having with this passage is that God’s Word is referred to as “him”…as a person. “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.” Then, down in verse 14 you read the startling sentence, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling amongst us.” The problem you have with this passage is probably a matter of faith. John makes a huge statement in just a few sentences here. He is saying that Jesus was (and is) not only a man or the Son of God, but the living word of God. He is saying that God’s word actually became a man and lived among us. The actual Word of God that created all there is somehow became the man we know as Jesus. For believers there is no contradiction here; it is simply a magnificent statement of faith. Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s Word. He is the fleshed-out, embodiment of everything God has spoken and everything that is written in the Bible. My Pastor is fond of saying that Jesus was “The word of God with skin on.”. In the beginning God said, “Let there be light” and in Genesis the sun was “born” (or created). But what John was saying was that there is more to light than physical rays of the sun; there is also the light of the Son (S.O.N., not s.u.n.). There is the light of ultimate truth, which is Jesus Christ. “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.”

You can look at God’s Word as three things, each of them true and valid in the faith of the believer. His Word is His spoken Word as you see in Genesis. It is also the written Word, because it has been put into book form (or scroll form in the past). It is also the living Word because, as John testifies, Jesus was actually His Word made flesh. It is also the living Word because it lives in the hearts and minds of those who believe. I myself can testify to that. As I see it, there is no contradiction in this passage at all. On the contrary, John’s statement is a huge declaration of a loving faith in his Savior.

On a personal note; it is only when a person accepts Christ into his or her heart that they can actually experience the light of truth that John is talking about here. The words of Jesus become light in your soul and you know beyond doubt that everything he has to say is not only true but actually personally directed at you and your life. This is my experience and I hope and pray it is yours.

The second passage you quote comes from the book of 1st John. It is 1 John 1: 5-10. From what I have read, it was probably written by the same John the Apostle who wrote the Gospel of John. Here I do not see or understand how there can be a discrepancy. What John is saying here is quite simple and yet profound. I think it might be easier to understand if you take in verses 8 through 10 before you look at 5 through 7. What he is saying is said again by Paul in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” John says it this way, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” The words “we” and “all” mean the same thing; that everyone born into this world is a sinner. Everyone. And he means it, too, because he says in verse 10, “If we say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar (which He is not), and His word is not in us. But then in verse 9 comes the wonderful promise, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” In other words, we can either deny our sins and sinful nature or we can agree with God and face the truth; that we are each a sinner and in desperate need of forgiveness. To be cleansed by the only one who can do so…God Himself, through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Then, back in verses 5 through 7, John explains this further. In fact, he echoes what he was saying in his Gospel (although I think the Gospel was written after this book, if I’m not mistaken). He says that God is light (the light of truth) and that in Him there is no darkness (or falsehood) at all. And that if we say we walk with Him in His light, but still live in darkness (or lie to others and ourselves that we have no sin…or continue in sin without asking His forgiveness), then we lie and live in a lie. But “if we walk in the light as he is in the light” by agreeing with God that we are sinners in need of His grace and redemption, then we will be cleansed of all of our sins and declared by Him to be His very own. We will have fellowship with God and with other believers as children of God. That is what I believe John is saying in this passage, and he says it so beautifully.

I think where you are confused by this passage is that the author says things a little backward. His main message about the condition of all mankind and God’s divine
answer to that condition is in the latter verses (8 through 10), and he gives further explanation in the earlier verses (5 through 7). I think this is a common literary technique used by the writers of his time and I am sure there are many other examples of this in the Bible; which have caused many a modern reader some confusion and made for a lot of debate. However, when you examine the passage closely, you will see that there are no contradictions at all. All John was trying to say here was that all people have sinned and must confess their sins before God and man (but especially God) to be forgiven and then continue to live this way. We” walk in the light as He is in the light (the light of truth)”, in order to continue to have fellowship with God. Or, in other words, have a relationship with Him. Another passage to look at would be the famous John 3:16-21, where the same author expands on the same theme.

There is my answer to your questions. Please feel free to ask more if you like. Hopefully I will be able to answer them or someone else will. I really enjoyed writing this for you. As a final note, the Bible is a collection of ancient writings, originally written in old Hebrew and Greek languages, which have been translated into modern language by faithful scholars throughout history. The study of the history of the Bible is almost as fascinating as the writings themselves, although I am admittedly a beginning student at best. It can be somewhat confusing or even very confusing; and it can seem to be filled with contradictions because of the style of these ancient authors or because we sometimes read it without the understanding that faith in God can bring. And sometimes (or often) we are unaware of the literary differences in our languages. I know where you are coming from. Like I said, I am no theologian; just a “garden-variety” Christian. But although I know very little, my faith tends to fill in the gaps. Plus I have an assortment of different Bible translations and a very good instructional program with my computer. I pray that your faith will do the same for you as it has for me and that you will continue to always ask many questions. As Jesus said, “Ask and you shall receive.”.

In Christ’s Love,