# John 1.1-3 **Book:** [John](/codex/john-the-apostle/) · NASB95 ## Verse > In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. (John 1:1-3, NASB95) ## Immediate context (±2 verses) **NASB95** ([NASB95](/codex/nasb95/)) > **In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.** > > In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:1-5, NASB95) ## Setting - **Speaker:** John the Apostle (the Evangelist), writing as inspired narrator. The voice is theological prologue. - **Audience:** late-first-century Christian readership, Jewish believers familiar with Genesis 1:1 ("In the beginning") and the Hebrew *dabar* / *memra* concept; Hellenistic readers familiar with the Greek *Logos* tradition (Heraclitus, Stoicism, Philo of Alexandria). The prologue speaks to both. - **Location:** traditionally Ephesus (where John ministered late in life, Irenaeus *Against Heresies* 3.1.1; Eusebius *Hist. Eccl.* 3.23, 3.39). - **Time period:** late first century, c. AD 85-95 traditional dating. ## Theological reading This three-verse unit is the **densest Christological declaration in the New Testament**. Six load-bearing claims compressed into one prologue paragraph: 1. **Eternal pre-existence**, *en archē ēn ho logos*: when "the beginning" of Genesis 1:1 occurred, the Word *was already* (imperfect *ēn*, ongoing pre-existent state). Christ does not begin in [Genesis 1.1](/codex/genesis-1-1/); He existed *before* it. 2. **Personal distinction from the Father**, *ho logos ēn pros ton theon*: the Word was *toward / with* God (face-to-face relational presence). See [G4314 - pros](/codex/g4314-pros/) for the relational force. Two distinct persons; not modalism. 3. **Full deity**, *theos ēn ho logos*: the Word *was* God by nature. Anarthrous predicate before verb (Colwell / Harner) makes this qualitative, the Word shares the *essence* of God, not just divine qualities. Not Arianism ("a god"); not modalism ("the same person as the Father"). 4. **Eternal Trinitarian relation**, *houtos ēn en archē pros ton theon*: v. 2 restates v. 1 *summarily*, emphasizing the eternal mutual indwelling. The Father / Word relation is constitutive of the divine being, not contingent. 5. **Creation through the Word**, *panta di' autou egeneto*: all things came into being *through Him* (instrumental). The Word is not part of creation but the agent through whom creation happens. The verb *egeneto* (came into being) contrasts deliberately with *ēn* (was) of vv. 1-2: created things came-into-being; the Word *was*. Different verbs, different ontological categories. 6. **Universal scope of mediation**, *kai chōris autou egeneto oude hen ho gegonen*: "and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being." Triple emphasis: *all things*, *not even one thing apart from Him*. Excludes any room for an Arian "one creature created by the Father, then everything else through that creature" Christology, every created thing comes through the Word. The trio of verses is rigorously engineered against: - **Arianism**, Christ as the highest creature. Refuted by *en archē ēn* (was, not came-to-be) + *theos ēn* + *panta di' autou egeneto*. - **Modalism / Sabellianism**, Father, Son, Spirit as one person in different modes. Refuted by *pros ton theon* (relational distinction). - **Tritheism**, three gods. Refuted by *theos ēn ho logos*, one divine essence, the Word participates fully. - **Polytheism / Gnostic emanation**, hierarchy of intermediary beings. Refuted by *panta di' autou*, the Word is the *only* mediator of creation. **The Genesis-1 echo is deliberate.** John deliberately frames his entire Gospel by echoing *bereshit* / *en archē* with his opening words. He pushes the reader to ask: *what was, when "the beginning" of Genesis 1:1 occurred?* Answer: *the Word was*. The Word predates the temporal beginning of creation. **Patristic.** This passage anchors more patristic Christology than perhaps any other in Scripture. Origen (*Commentary on John* I-II, c. AD 230) develops the doctrine of eternal generation. Athanasius (*Discourses Against the Arians* I-II, c. AD 358) wields the imperfect *ēn* against Arius. Augustine (*Tractates on John* 1, c. AD 414) and [Cyril of Alexandria](/codex/cyril-of-alexandria/) (*Commentary on John* I, c. AD 425) build the dogmatic structure. The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (AD 325, 381) is largely an exposition of these three verses. See [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) for the detailed patristic treatment. **Reformed / modern.** Calvin's *Institutes* I.13-14 and *John* commentary; D. A. Carson, *The Gospel According to John* PNTC, 1991; Andreas Köstenberger, *John* BECNT, 2004. ## Why a separate page from John 1.1? ris3n's notes cite "John 1:1-3" as a unit (9 occurrences) distinct from "John 1:1" alone (24 occurrences), the unit-citation typically emphasizes the **creation-mediator** claim of v. 3 alongside the deity claim of v. 1. While [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) focuses on Christology *qua* Word, this page emphasizes the **agency-of-creation** claim (Christ as the Word *through whom* all things were made, paralleling [Colossians 1.15](/codex/colossians-1-15/)-17 and Hebrews 1:2). ## Key words - [G3056 - logos](/codex/g3056-logos/), *logos* (Word), the Christological subject - [G2316 - theos](/codex/g2316-theos/), *theos* (God), predicated, articular and anarthrous - [G0746 - arche](/codex/g0746-arche/), *archē* (beginning), temporal absolute - [G4314 - pros](/codex/g4314-pros/), *pros* (with / toward), relational orientation - [G1096 - ginomai](/codex/g1096-ginomai/), *ginomai* (come into being), contrasted with *einai* - [G1510 - eimi](/codex/g1510-eimi/), *eimi* (be), Christ's pre-existence verb ## Quoted in **Arguments and defeaters:** - [100 Questions for Evolutionists](/codex/100-questions-for-evolutionists/), via [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Anointing Implies Subordination Objection Defeater](/codex/anointing-implies-subordination-objection-defeater/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Anyone Who Affirms Universals Must Affirm God](/codex/anyone-who-affirms-universals-must-affirm-god/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Argument from Cosmology (Guillen)](/codex/argument-from-cosmology-guillen/) - [Argument from Intelligibility](/codex/argument-from-intelligibility/) - [Argument from Mathematical Truth](/codex/argument-from-mathematical-truth/) - [Argument from Mathematics (Guillen)](/codex/argument-from-mathematics-guillen/) - [Argument from Neuroscience (Guillen)](/codex/argument-from-neuroscience-guillen/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Argument from Origin of Life](/codex/argument-from-origin-of-life/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Argument from Physics (Guillen)](/codex/argument-from-physics-guillen/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Argument from the Apophatic Limit of Formal Systems](/codex/argument-from-the-apophatic-limit-of-formal-systems/) - [Argument from the Confession-Catharsis Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-confession-catharsis-convergence/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Argument from the Continuance of Being](/codex/argument-from-the-continuance-of-being/) - [Argument from the Costly-Signal Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-costly-signal-convergence/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Argument from the Genetic Code](/codex/argument-from-the-genetic-code/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Argument from the Impossibility of an Actual Infinite Past](/codex/argument-from-the-impossibility-of-an-actual-infinite-past/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Argument from the Observer-Demand Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-observer-demand-convergence/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Argument from the Pre-Given Logos](/codex/argument-from-the-pre-given-logos/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/), [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Argument from the Reality of Mathematical Infinity](/codex/argument-from-the-reality-of-mathematical-infinity/) - [Argument from the Trans-Instinctual Agency Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-trans-instinctual-agency-convergence/) - [Argument from the Universal Imagination Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-universal-imagination-convergence/), via [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Argument from the Universal Storytelling Convergence](/codex/argument-from-the-universal-storytelling-convergence/), via [John 1.1-14](/codex/john-1-1-14/) - [Argument from Thermodynamics](/codex/argument-from-thermodynamics/), via [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Biogenesis Argument](/codex/biogenesis-argument/), via [John 1.3-4](/codex/john-1-3-4/) - [Build the Cosmological Argument](/codex/build-the-cosmological-argument/), via [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Cambrian Explosion Argument](/codex/cambrian-explosion-argument/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Common Design vs Common Descent Argument](/codex/common-design-vs-common-descent-argument/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Convergent Evolution as Design Signal Argument](/codex/convergent-evolution-as-design-signal-argument/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Cumulative Case for the Deity of Christ](/codex/cumulative-case-for-the-deity-of-christ/) - [Evil as Privation of Good](/codex/evil-as-privation-of-good/), via [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Hand of God Argument](/codex/hand-of-god-argument/) - [Information Argument](/codex/information-argument/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Interdependency Argument](/codex/interdependency-argument/), via [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Jesus Has a God Therefore Not God Objection Defeater](/codex/jesus-has-a-god-therefore-not-god-objection-defeater/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Jesus Never Claimed to Be God Objection Defeater](/codex/jesus-never-claimed-to-be-god-objection-defeater/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Kalam Cosmological Argument](/codex/kalam-cosmological-argument/) - [Manuscript Variants Bible Corruption Objection Defeater](/codex/manuscript-variants-bible-corruption-objection-defeater/) - [Miller-Urey Reframe Argument](/codex/miller-urey-reframe-argument/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Molecular Machines Argument](/codex/molecular-machines-argument/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Nag Hammadi Suppressed Gospels Objection Defeater](/codex/nag-hammadi-suppressed-gospels-objection-defeater/) - [Necessary Being is an Intelligent Mind](/codex/necessary-being-is-an-intelligent-mind/) - [Necessity of the Incarnation](/codex/necessity-of-the-incarnation/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Orphan Genes Argument](/codex/orphan-genes-argument/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Performative Self-Refutation of Atheist Denial](/codex/performative-self-refutation-of-atheist-denial/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Protein Sequence Space Argument](/codex/protein-sequence-space-argument/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Quinean Rejection of Modal Logic Objection Defeater](/codex/quinean-rejection-of-modal-logic-objection-defeater/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Quran Confirms Jesus is God Argument](/codex/quran-confirms-jesus-is-god-argument/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Quran Confirms the Trinity Argument](/codex/quran-confirms-the-trinity-argument/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [RNA World Failure Argument](/codex/rna-world-failure-argument/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Signature in the Cell Argument](/codex/signature-in-the-cell-argument/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Six Day Creation Falsified Objection Defeater](/codex/six-day-creation-falsified-objection-defeater/) - [Stealing from God Argument](/codex/stealing-from-god-argument/) - [Transcendental Argument for God](/codex/transcendental-argument-for-god/) - [Trinity Coherence Defense (Latin-Thomist)](/codex/trinity-coherence-defense-latin-thomist/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Trinity Invented at Nicaea Objection Defeater](/codex/trinity-invented-at-nicaea-objection-defeater/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.1-2](/codex/john-1-1-2/) - [Unitarian Oneness Binitarian Objection Defeater](/codex/unitarian-oneness-binitarian-objection-defeater/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Universal Probability Bound](/codex/universal-probability-bound/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Why Didnt Jesus Write Anything Himself Objection Defeater](/codex/why-didnt-jesus-write-anything-himself-objection-defeater/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.1-14](/codex/john-1-1-14/) **Concepts:** - [Abiogenesis](/codex/abiogenesis/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Abiogenesis Under the Microscope](/codex/abiogenesis-under-the-microscope/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Arianism](/codex/arianism/) - [Big Bang](/codex/big-bang/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Borde-Guth-Vilenkin Theorem](/codex/borde-guth-vilenkin-theorem/) - [Christ is God](/codex/christ-is-god/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Christ Was Made (Misread Proof-Texts)](/codex/christ-was-made-misread-proof-texts/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Christian Discernment](/codex/christian-discernment/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Christianity](/codex/christianity/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.1-14](/codex/john-1-1-14/), [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/), [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Christology](/codex/christology/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.1-14](/codex/john-1-1-14/), [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/), [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Christs Deity](/codex/christs-deity/) - [DNA](/codex/genetic-code/), via [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Doctrine](/codex/doctrine/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Equivocation](/codex/equivocation/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Father-Son Authority Asymmetry](/codex/father-son-authority-asymmetry/) - [Genesis Hermeneutics](/codex/genesis-hermeneutics/) - [Genetic Code](/codex/genetic-code/), via [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Hypostatic Union](/codex/hypostatic-union/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Idealism](/codex/idealism/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Incarnation](/codex/incarnation/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Information Argument for Design](/codex/information-argument-for-design/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Islamic Dilemma](/codex/islamic-dilemma/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Jehovahs Witnesses](/codex/jehovahs-witnesses/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.1-14](/codex/john-1-1-14/) - [Kalimatullah](/codex/kalimatullah/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Kantian Critique of Natural Theology](/codex/kantian-critique-of-natural-theology/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Laws of the Universe as Witness to Design](/codex/laws-of-the-universe-as-witness-to-design/) - [Lesson 2.4, Christology in One Lesson](/codex/lesson-2-4-christology-in-one-lesson/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Lesson 4.5, Comparative Religion Engagement](/codex/lesson-4-5-comparative-religion-engagement/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Logos Christology](/codex/logos-christology/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/), [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Mathematical Intelligibility of Nature](/codex/mathematical-intelligibility-of-nature/) - [Monotheism](/codex/monotheism/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Mormonism](/codex/mormonism/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Old Testament Christology](/codex/old-testament-witness-to-the-deity-of-christ/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Old Testament Witness to the Deity of Christ](/codex/old-testament-witness-to-the-deity-of-christ/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/), [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Oneness Pentecostalism](/codex/oneness-pentecostalism/) - [Origins and Cosmology](/codex/origins-and-cosmology/), via [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Pantheism](/codex/pantheism/) - [Process Theism](/codex/process-theism/), via [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Rationalism](/codex/rationalism/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Substance Dualism](/codex/substance-dualism/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Tahrif](/codex/tahrif/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [The Muslim Defense](/codex/the-muslim-defense/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Trinity](/codex/trinity/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Trinity Common Objections](/codex/trinity-common-objections/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Trinity OT Stack (Five Texts)](/codex/trinity-ot-stack-five-texts/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Trinity vs Oneness vs Modalism vs Arianism](/codex/trinity-vs-oneness-vs-modalism-vs-arianism/) - [Two Powers in Heaven](/codex/two-powers-in-heaven/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Young's Literal Translation](/codex/ylt/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [Zeitgeist - Constructed Religion Claims](/codex/zeitgeist-constructed-religion-claims/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Zero and the Metaphysics of Nothing](/codex/zero-and-the-metaphysics-of-nothing/) **People:** - [Avery Austin (God Logic)](/codex/avery-austin-god-logic/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Bart Ehrman](/codex/bart-ehrman/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [Church Fathers](/codex/church-fathers/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Jesus](/codex/jesus/), via [John 1.1-14](/codex/john-1-1-14/) - [John the Apostle](/codex/john-the-apostle/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [John Wheeler](/codex/john-wheeler/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Philo of Alexandria](/codex/philo-of-alexandria/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) **Lexicon:** - [G0746 - arche](/codex/g0746-arche/) - [G1096 - ginomai](/codex/g1096-ginomai/) - [G1510 - eimi](/codex/g1510-eimi/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [G2316 - theos](/codex/g2316-theos/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [G2320 - theotes](/codex/g2320-theotes/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [G2936 - ktizo](/codex/g2936-ktizo/), via [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [G2937 - ktisis](/codex/g2937-ktisis/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [G3004 - lego](/codex/g3004-lego/), via [John 1.1-14](/codex/john-1-1-14/) - [G3056 - logos](/codex/g3056-logos/) - [G3956 - pas](/codex/g3956-pas/) - [G4138 - pleroma](/codex/g4138-pleroma/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [G4314 - pros](/codex/g4314-pros/) - [H0001 - ab](/codex/h0001-ab/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) - [H1697 - dabar](/codex/h1697-dabar/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/), [John 1.3](/codex/john-1-3/) - [H7218 - rosh](/codex/h7218-rosh/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [H7225 - reshit](/codex/h7225-reshit/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) **Guides:** - [02 Faith and Worldview](/codex/02-faith-and-worldview/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) - [Ris3n Arguments](/codex/ris3n-arguments/), via [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/) **Passages:** - [1 Corinthians 8.6](/codex/1-corinthians-8-6/) - [Colossians 1.16](/codex/colossians-1-16/) - [Colossians 1.16-17](/codex/colossians-1-16-17/) - [Colossians 1.17](/codex/colossians-1-17/) - [Philippians 2.6-11](/codex/philippians-2-6-11/) **Other pages:** - [Light of Day 1, Christological Reading](/codex/light-of-day-1-christological-reading/), via [John 1.1](/codex/john-1-1/) --- _Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_