In the beginning was the Torah: Wisdom in John's Prologue

YLG, who commented on my review of Moltmann’s Theology of Hope raised a few questions about the Word of God in John 1 and the Genesis story.  Today’s post is a response to YLG’s first question on John 1.

YLG asked:

“1… Since the Apostle John was a Jew and we believe that the scriptures are God breathed…Is it possible that he would have used and only meant-the Hebrew or Aramaic term Memra and not the Greek word Logos?”

YLG,

Everything that I have read about John 1 leaves a question mark concerning the nature of the Evangelist’s use of the word Logos.  While I may tend to agree with you that the term in John’s prologue may have more of a Jewish meaning (even though I do not know what form of Second Temple Judaism the author of John was a part of), let us not forget that the author, who is inspired by God, used the term Logos in the text; there is no escaping that fact.  But we do know, however, that there are many usages for the term logos, and it is not just used in the hellenistic sense.  It only makes sense to recognize the historical context of John 1; regardless of where this gospel is supposed to be written, we know that in the first century Roman imperial context, the prevailing culture was polytheistic and inclusivist in nature.  Roman imperialist theology proposed that Rome itself served as the location of deities upon which all human beings were to submit.[1] John’s prologue is exclusive, monotheist, and declares the Logos to be the sole benefactor of the people.  Grace, (the greek word charis) used in verses 14-17, is the same term used to describe the emperor’s giving of political status to builders of imperial cultic temples.  Authority belongs to the Logos alone.

The Logos of John 1:1-18 has more in common with the Wisdom tradition of the First Testament, if anything.  Usually, Christians assume that this passage is a statement on the Trinity without examining the content that the author depends on from the First (old) Testament.  Warren Carter notes (with Sharon Ringe) that the Wisdom traditions in the Hebrew Bible  such as the early writings of Psalm 104 and Job 28, are more about the ordering of creation and human society since Wisdom is with God (Proverbs 8:22-36) before  and during creation.[2] Among other things, Wisdom lives among humanity (Baruch 3:37; Sirach 24:8, 11-12), is rejected by humans (Baruch 3:20-21), as well as posses a special glory (Wisdom 7:22,25); all of these themes can be found in John’s prologue.
YLG,

I have right now a working translation of John 1:1-18 (since I have been working on the first three chapters of the fourth Gospel).  All I can add to my case is that Genesis Rabbah, Chapter One has a commentator who translates the Hebrew word amon as a tutor hidden in the world; Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning” refers to the Torah in this tradition, just as Proverbs says that Wisdom was made as the beginning of the Lord’s way (Proverbs 8:22).  “In the Beginning” are the words spoken by the Torah, God’s Wisdom.  Just as an architect utilizes a blueprint to build a house, so does God consult the Torah to create the world.  After reading Athanasius’s On the Incarnation as well as other writings by and on the early Christian theologians, I conclude with Joel: (see here and here) that the Fathers and Mothers of our faith may have referred to the Logos in John 1 as “it” rather than he.  In the end, perhaps it would have been more beneficial for me two years ago to understand the Logos and wisdom tradition in the original context of the Prologue more fully rather than reading Trinitarian theology into John 1:1-18.

Working Translation[3]:

John 1

1. In the beginning, the (Torah) was; the (Torah) was both with God and was divine.
2. It was with God in the beginning
3. All things happened through it, and in the beginning, nor did it happen apart from it.
4. Life was in it, and the life was the light of humanity;
5. And the light shined in the darkness, and the darkness did not detect it.
6. A human appeared, sent by God, his name, John:
7. He came to testify, so that he testified about the light, in order that all would believe through him.
8. He was not the light, but in order that he testified about the Light.
9. It was the true light, which enlightens all of humanity, going to the universe.

10. It was in the universe, and the universe happened through it. And the universe did not know it.

11. It came to its own, and its own detected it not.

12. And to all who received it, it gave to them the authority to become God’s children; the ones believing on its Name,

13. They, not out of blood neither from the will of the flesh nor the will of a man but it happened because of God.

14. And the (Torah) became flesh and made its tabernacle among us, and we have beheld his glory, glory as the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15. John testified about him and had cried out saying, “This was he who I spoke, the one coming after me, before me, it happened because he was first.

16. Because from his fullness, we all had received grace upon grace;

17. that the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth appeared through Jesus the Messiah.

18. No one has seen God ever; that unique One, this One explained, existing in the Father’s bosom.

Truth and Peace,
Rod

Works Cited

Carter, Warren. John and Empire : Initial Explorations. New York: T & T Clark, 2008.

[2] Ibid. page 115-117.

[3] Note: in the King James version for verse 17, the translation reads: For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.  However, there is no word for “but” in the original Greek (which would be either- de, alla, or men…de) of this passage.  Rather, it shows a theological bias on the part of the translators to water down the Jewish origins of this particular passage.  Also, in verse 18, the Greek term cardia for heart does not show up; it is only kolpon or chest of the father.

Truth and Peace,
Rodney

RodtRDH

Formerly known as Rod of Alexandria, Rod the Rogue Demon Hunter Preacher of Hope | Black Scholar of Patristics | Writer for Nonviolent Politics. Destroyer of Trolls. It must be that angry puppy.

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