John 1:2 Bible Study -- revised!

John 1:2"He was in the beginning with God."

Last week, we discussed John 1:1. We discussed the concept of the Word and touched on to areas dealing with the Word as the expression of God. Specifically, we discovered that the scriptures say that the Word is instructive and effective. Psalm 19 further describes God's word. Of course, because we cannot separate God's Word from Himself, all things that apply to the Word apply to God Himself, and thus, Christ as well. Furthermore, the Word was with God intimately in eternity past.Contrary to what many teach, Jesus Christ is God.

He was pros ton theon or face-to-face with God in eternity past. Jesus is therefore no mere man. This is part of the mystery of the trinity. That was verse one.

In verse two, John reinforces this intimacy by simply saying the same was in the beginning with God. Again, that is no benign statement, for again, it uses the phrase that implies face to face intimacy and equality. There can be no mistake that John's intent is to underscore the deity of Christ.

In verse 3, in the Modern King James version, John writes "All things came into being through Him, and without Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being." He thus establishes Jesus as the source of all things that have come into being, which is everything but God Himself, for Genesis 1:1 states that "In the beginning God created the heavens and the Earth." It was Jesus Christ Who brought everything into existence. It was in the beginning of the 20^th century that science discovered the five categories in which all things fall: Time, force, energy, space and matter. He created it all. This flies in the face of many contemporary so-called scientists who, in an effort to give credibility to evolution, attempt to claim that everything came from a simple piece of matter. Life cannot come from non-living things. Only life produces life. That would seem to be simple enough to believe. But so dedicated to the denial of God are so many so-called scientists that they make the non-scientific claim that matter can be eternal. this violates the second law of thermodynamics, or the law of entropy, which basically says that everything wears out. Either that is true, or it isn't. And while none of us could name one thing in our lives that doesn't break down, need maintenance or blow up, there are those who would say that at one time, before everything we see came into being, there was a piece of matter that floated around for eternity. Of course, that assumes that space even existed...which is contrary to what the Scriptures tell us.

And while I can't remember the precise argument that says this,time came into being with the creation of energy and matter. But such is the silliness of men who seek to rule out God and His sovereign rule. But remember, it is scripture that tells us that all things were created. It is the scriptures that tell us that matter isn't eternal...and that was written long before modern science. So, Jesus was the One who created energy, space, time and matter. It has been said that he created all things while standing on nothing. Try to get your mind around that. Imagine that in the beginning, there was only God. There was nothing else at all. There was no space. There was no energy, there was no matter and no time. He created all things. He even created the space to put it all in. He created it all from nothing.

Psalm 33:6 says that 6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

Psalm 102:25 says 25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

Isaiah 45:12 says 12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.

Colossians 1:16: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him...

Kind of puts everything in perspective, doesn't it? To think that Jesus Christ has control of all things, for the one who made them certainly controls them. He even created anything in the spiritual realm.

Paul says in Colossians 1:16 and 17 that

...all things were created by Him, the things in the heavens, and the things on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers, all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. Did you get that?

...and by Him all things consist.It is by the word of His power that all things are held together (see Hebrews1:3...upholding all things by the word of His power...).

See, Jesus not only made everything, He holds it all together. Lee Chestnut, in an out of print book titled The Atom Speaks, discusses the impossibility of the universe's existence apart from God. His argument is that the scientific community cannot explain how anything continues to exist. This is because every atom everywhere shouldn't be able to hold together. It has to do with atomic particles having like charges. And this should result in universal nuclear fission. But it doesn't. They just can't explain this but they know that something somehow is holding or forcing everything to stay together. As those who believe God's Word, we know it is because Jesus holds all things together by the Word of His Power, just as the writer of Hebrews tells us. So Jesus was eternally with God in the beginning. He spoke everything into existence from absolutely nothing. Not only that, He put it together in a way that points to His Sovereign control. Not onlythat, He continues to hold it all together. But why does He do this?:

1. His mercy. It is his mercy. How many times have you heard someone say How is it that a loving God could send anyone to Hell? They say that as if love was the only attribute of God while there are many. The better statement is to say that man is sinful and God is just and there is no reason why God wouldn't be justified in sending everyone to Hell immediately. It is only His mercy that keeps him from doing that. But you know what? There is a time when his mercy will be exhausted.

We find this in 2 Peter 3: But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness...

This is an allusion to the reversal of God's restraining and upholding of the universe. Notice the phrase...the elements shall melt with fervent heat... If you read that to any nuclear scientist, he will tell you that is a reference to nuclear fission which is when an atom flies apart. Again, the scientific community is still trying to figure out why this isn't already happening on a literally universal scale.

2. His universal grace. It isn't just God's mercy. It is also his grace. Mercy is where God doesn't give us what we do deserve. Grace is where God gives us what we don't deserve. So, beyond his mercy which delays his immediate justice, he also gives us all things, of which we deserve none. He gave us a stewardship. But I did say this is just universal grace. In other words, he does this for all people everywhere, redeemed or not. Rain is a good thing and He gives it to the just and the unjust. He provides food for the inhabitants of the Earth, redeemed or not. He provides for everyone. Then of course is His redemptive grace which is shown to the elect, to whom He gives the gifts of repentance and faith.This is the God we worship. The Lord Jesus Christ, Who existed asco-equal with God in eternity past, Who created all things, Who instructs us and is effectual. By His Word, he was creator and is sustainer of all things visible and invisible. He continually upholds all things.

But one day that will all end. He will withhold his sustaining grace and let everything come to an end in judgment. Until then, he offers us repentance and faith in the finished work of his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.In verse one, it is established that the Word or Logos is eternal, with God,and indeed is God, verse 2 begins with houtos which means this one/man or he.The gender is masculine. This gives emphasis to the fact that it is not an it, but a He. Also that the Word is equal to God reinforces this. Then a restatement of verse one is made, In Hebrew literature, this is a device that emphasizes a point, much like that is Psalms or Proverbs. You restate a phrase, or even change it some, and that makes it like you shouted on paper. He was in the beginning with God. From the larger context, we know that this He is Christ Jesus.(v. 15, 29-34)(John 1:2 NKJV) He was in the beginning with God.Jesus was with God before time existed he is eternal and at no point in time did he come into existence. This also proves that Jesus was divine and the second person of the trinity. It is amazing how many times throughout Gods word the smallest verses speak volumes. For a Bible believing Christian this is one of those verses that we can use to prove the trinity as well as his divinity.

John 1:2"The Same was in the beginning with God.""Houtos en en arche pros theos"The very same that we believe in the same, the Word, or the Logos. It is said again, to guard the doctrine and to prevent the possibility of a mistake. John had said that he existed before creation, and that he was with God and that he was God; but he had not said in the first verse"that the union with God existed in the beginning." He now expresses that idea, and assures us that that union was not one which was commenced "in time," and which might be, therefore, a mere union of "feeling", or a compact,like that between other beings, but was one which existed in eternity, and which was therefore a union of nature in essence.It also shows His eternal distinctness, in unity, from God -- the Father.Genesis 1:1"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."Psalm 102:25"Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and thy heavens are the work of thy hands."Acts 17:24"God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands."Romans 1:20"For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."Rev 4:11"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."This description of God creating heaven and earth is understood to be...1.) recent, i.e., thousands not millions of years ago.2.) ex nihilo, i.e., out of nothing; and3.) special, i.e., in 6 consecutive 24 hour periods called "days" and further distinguished as such by this phrase, "the evening and the morning."Scripture does not support a creation date earlier than about 10,000 years ago.- in the beginning -while God exists eternally (Psalm 90:2), this marked the beginning of the universe in time and space. In explaining Israels identity and purpose to her on the plains of Moab, God wanted His people to know about the origin of the world in which they found themselves.- the very same that we believe in -this is the Creator God who set out to redeem His creation -- this is the One whom we believe in.

The Same was in the beginning with God. John 1:2