Read Online The Forgotten Trinity by James R. White - Free Book Online

so, too, John makes sure that we do not leave room
for anythingthat is not made by the Logos. If it exists, it does so because
it was created by the Logos.
    John continues his work of introducing us to the Word by stating
that in Him was life, and that life was the light of men. He goes on to
speak of the preparation for the coming of the Logos into the world
through the ministry of John (vv. 6-8). He then turns to the matter of
the rejection, by some, of the Logos, and the acceptance by others, resulting in regeneration and salvation (vv. 10-13). In these verses John
speaks to us about what the Logos does by coming into the world. But starting in verse 14 John returns to the subject of who the Logos is. And
what he says is as amazing as what we saw in the first few verses.

    ETERNITY INVADES TIME
    Throughout the first thirteen verses of the gospel of John, our author has carefully distinguished the eternal Logos from that which is
made by Him through the use of the verbs en and egeneto. But in verse
14 he communicates a deep truth to us by changing his pattern, and
that for a clear reason. He writes:
    And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw
His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of
grace and truth.
    "And the Word became flesh." Here John uses egeneto, a verb that refers
to an action in time. And the reason is clear: the Word entered into
human existence, "became flesh," at a particular point in time. The
Logos was not eternally flesh. He existed in a nonfleshly manner in
eternity past. But at a blessed point in time, at the Incarnation, the
Logos became flesh. The Eternal experienced time.
    We need to stop and consider this truth for just a moment. Sometimes Christians who have known God's truth for a long time become
somewhat hardened to the impact such a declaration was meant to
carry. The Word, the Creator of all things, the Eternal One, became
flesh. Maybe we think so highly of ourselves that we are not properly
struck by such a statement. We need to be amazed by the assertion,
"The Word became flesh." How can the unlimited enter into limitation? John does not tell us. The mechanics of how are not revealed to
us, for God is under no obligation to answer every prying question.
We are simply told that the eternal Word became flesh. Faith rests in
God's revelation.
    The Word became flesh. He did not simply appear to be flesh. He
was not "faking it," to use modern terminology. Jesus was not simply
some phantom or spirit masquerading as a real human being. He became flesh. John uses a term that was easily understandable in his day.
It's not an unusual word. At times it refers solely to flesh, as in the material stuff of our bodies. At other times it refers to the whole
human nature. In any case, its meaning could not be missed. The Logos
entered into the physical realm. He became a human being, a real, living, breathing human being.

    John is so concerned that his readers understand that he points out
that He "dwelt among us, and we saw His glory." John is not reporting
a second- or third-hand story. He is giving an eyewitness account. Jesus
dwelt among us. He lived His life in the middle of the mass of humanity. He rubbed shoulders with sinners and saints. He walked dusty
roads, thirsted for water on hot days, and reclined at the table with
friends, and even with enemies. He really existed, He really lived.
    Why is John so concerned about this? We note that he repeats this
emphasis in 1 John 1:1-5, and then goes so far as to say that anyone
who denies that Jesus Christ came in the flesh is the antichrist (1 John
4:2-3)! The reason is found in the fact that even while the apostles lived
on earth, false teachers were entering into the church. Specifically,
there were men teaching a system that would eventually become
known as "Gnosticism." This belief system teaches that everything that
is spirit is good, and everything that is material