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DoubtLess Faith is beginning our new seasonal workshop series this fall on popular arguments against Christianity. Each workshop will be held in two locations, one in Jacksonville and one in Orlando. Our first workshop will be on the question "Does God Exist?" where we will show how to discuss the existence of the Biblical God with someone who doesn't believe the Bible is reliable. The first set will be in September and we have a limited number of spaces at each location. Details can be found on the website at: http://workshops.doubtlessfaith.com/ The cost is $15 per workshop to pay for materials. Register early to reserve your spot! We look forward to seeing you there!
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DIGGING DEEPER
I’ve typically skimmed or skipped the first part of John chapter 1. It isn’t a story and so it has not easily kept my attention. Yet my focus recently has impacted my reading of this chapter. I’ve spent the last 5 months digging into arguments for the existence and attributes of God as part of an outreach to non-Christians that has proven to be immensely fruitful in both my apologetic work as well as my reading of Scripture. We don’t have enough time to go into it here but if you’d like to know more about that experience check out my blog here.
When we read John 1 sometimes we are daunted by the language: “in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . .” This seems redundant, why so much seeming repetition? But actually if we look closely John 1:1-18 tells us a LOT about God. It informs us about many of God’s attributes. Let’s take a peek!
John 1:1 - “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” Jesus is referred to as the Word, because he is the embodiment of the message of God (Col 1:19, 2:9). So from this passage we learn that Jesus existed in the beginning, his existence does not begin at Christmas in the 1st century AD. We learn that Jesus is distinct from God the Father because this verse says “the Word was with God,” so a reference to the Trinity is seen in this passage. “The Word was God” speaks to the deity of Jesus. Jesus wasn’t just a man; He is also God. – In this one verse we have answers to the questions of whether the Bible teaches the doctrine of the Trinity and whether Jesus is really God, which are both often brought up by skeptics.
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John 1:2 – “All things were made though him and without him was not any thing made that was made.” This is talking about God’s necessity and eternality (or lack of beginning). Things that are made are things that at some point didn’t exist. They are contingent; their existence is contingent upon something or someone giving them existence. They cannot make themselves because they did not exist in or to do the making. So if all things that were made (or in other words, all things that have a beginning) were made by God, then that means that God cannot be the kind of being that has a beginning. Why? Because all made things (all things with beginnings) were made by God, so if God was a thing that was made (or had a beginning) then he would have made himself, which is impossible because you cannot exist before you exist to bring yourself into existence.
John 1:12 – “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” From this were learn about God’s grace and love. Acknowledgement of God as God and receiving Him as our Lord allows us to not only be saved from our sin but adopted as a child of God. We also learn that God sees those who acknowledge Him as Lord as his children. He looks at us a father looks on His beloved children.
John 1:14 tells us about the incarnation. God did not just remain separate from us but bridged the gap of sin by humbling himself in the person of Christ to save us from ourselves.
There is so much that can be gleaned from the first chapter of John if we slow down and digest the implication of each phrase. The divinely inspired Word of God is precise; the language is intentional; the nuances are purposeful. So take some time this week to dig a little deeper into John 1:1-18 while asking the question, what does this tell me about God and Gods interaction with mankind? I pray it will be as fruitful for you as it has been for me. Until next week!
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