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

us how
this one true and eternal God exists as three coequal and coeternal persons.

     



I wonder how long it took. Surely it wasn't something that was
written carelessly, without planning, without thought. He must have
spent a good deal of time and energy on it. I refer to the prologue of
John, the first eighteen verses of the Gospel that bears his name. Some
people are a little uncomfortable with the idea of one of the writers of
Scripture working hard on a particular passage, a special section. There
are others that think the writers of the Bible must have gone into some
kind of "trance" while being led by the Holy Spirit to speak God's
truth. But such is not a truly biblical idea. These holy men indeed
spoke from God, but that does not exclude at all the use of their highest
efforts to present God's truth (2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
    The prologue of John is a literary masterpiece. Its balance is almost
unparalleled. It is a carefully crafted work of art, a revelation that has
inspired believers for almost two thousand years. The brightest minds have been fascinated by it and have always marveled at its beauty. It is
an inexhaustible treasure.

    Few passages of Scripture are more important to our study of the
Trinity, and in particular, of the person of the Son, than the prologue
of John. You see, John clearly intended this passage to function as a
lens, a window of sorts, through which we are to read the rest of his
Gospel. If we stumble here, we are in danger of missing so much of
the richness that is to be found in the rest of the book. But if we work
hard to grasp John's meaning here, many other passages will open up
for us of their own accord, yielding tremendous insights into the heart
of God's revelation of himself in Jesus Christ.
    I live in Arizona, and we have a number of old abandoned mines
out in the desert, including the famous, though not yet located, "Lost
Dutchman Mine." Most of these mines required a tremendous amount
of work to open and run. But the hoped-for reward, the precious commodity of gold, was worth the effort on the part of the miners. In the
same way, the prologue of John calls us to do some work, to stretch
ourselves beyond what might be our "comfort zone," but the reward
is more than worth it.
    As you scan through the next few pages you will see some Greek
terms. Don't let them stop you. I will explain what each one means,
and for the person who is intent upon reaching the goal and truly entering into the treasure John has placed in these verses for us, they are
necessary. No one studies Shakespeare solely in German or Frenchthe subtleties of Shakespeare's language, his turning of a phrase, his
use of synonyms or double meanings, can be lost in translation. So it
is with John. John didn't write the prologue in English, and the person
who wishes to delve deeply into his meaning will seek to hear him
speaking as he once spoke in the beautiful Greek language.
    'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God. '-He was in the beginning with God. 3A11
things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing
came into being that has come into being. (John 1:1-3)
    Here is the translation with the important Greek terms provided. The Greek term follows the English term that translates it.

    (John 1:1-3) In the beginning [iv apxrl] was [rlv] the Word
[o XoyoS], and the Word was with God [epos Tov OEOv], and the
Word was God [6EOS Tv o ?,oyos]. 'He was in the beginning with
God. 3All things came into being through Him [navTa 61 a'rro
EyEv ,ro], and apart from Him nothing came into being that has
come into being.
    Each of the terms provided above is very important, and as we work
through the prologue, you will see how each word reinforces the truth
of the Christian belief in the inspiration of the Scriptures as well as in
the deity of Jesus Christ.
    IN THE BEGINNING
    "In the beginning" should sound somewhat