The Greatest Theological Statement Ever Written? Nine Observations About John 1:14 - by Mitch Chase

Found here. Our comments in bold.

------------------------

On the whole, this is a good presentation. The author takes a familiar verse and reawakens our wonder at the glory of God expressed through His Son.

There are a couple of problems, however, which we will explore below.

----------------------------

John 1:14 says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

According to Grant Osborne (in his commentary on John’s Gospel), “In my opinion, this is the single greatest sentence ever written in the history of the human language, the deepest theological statement ever written.”

Now you might disagree with that sentiment. But consider that here’s a New Testament scholar who is willing to make that kind of claim about that verse. The claim should at least confirm that John 1:14 is tremendously important.

Here are nine observations about this wonderful verse.

First, the term “Word” appears again. The term refers to the Son of God, and the last time we saw the term “Word” was in John 1:1. Only in 1:1 and 1:14 in John’s Gospel does “Word” refer to the Son. (This is incorrect. The Greek word is logos, and it appears in the NT 331 times. It almost always refers to the articulated word, the Gospel message, the things a person says, but particularly, the things God says. So the word become flesh really means that the things God says are now found in a person, Jesus the Son of God.

This is what is meant by Hebrews 1:1-2:

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.

Previously articulated through prophecy to men, the logos became flesh and is now the pinnacle of God's revelation because He is precise image of God: 

Hebrews 1:3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.

We therefore need to understand that everything that God has to say is the man Jesus Christ, now seated at the right hand of majesty.)

Second, “became” doesn’t refer to the transformation of one thing into another. The Son doesn’t change from deity into flesh. The Word became flesh without ceasing to be what he was. (No documentation for these claims. 

The Greek word for "become" is ginomai, 5. to become, be made, "in passages where it is specified who or what a person or thing is or has been rendered, as respects quality, condition, place, rank, character" (Wahl, Clavis Apocr. V. T., p. 101). In actual fact, we do not know the nature of the incarnation to the degree that would allow the author to claim that Jesus did not transform from one thing to another. 

Jesus' essential deity includes the power to manifest in a manner of His choosing, and He did this by making himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. [Philippians 2:7]. This lowly position was by His choice and power, to effect our salvation. 

How exactly this was done is information we do not have.)

Third, the word “flesh” denotes a body—the physical existence of the Son. The eternal Son took to himself a truly human nature, and the word “flesh” communicates this truth. Jesus didn’t merely appear to be human; he became truly human.

Fourth, “dwelt” is a verb that evokes the Old Testament tabernacle. God dwelt with his old covenant people. By specially manifesting his presence and glory, he dwelt in the tabernacle, and later he dwelt in the Jerusalem temple. The incarnate Word is the tabernacling presence of God.

Fifth, “among us” could refer generally to mankind, since the Word bodily dwelt in a fallen world with fallen creatures. Perhaps John means something narrower, though, since he and his contemporaries literally spoke, traveled, and ate with Christ. They encountered him. The incarnate Word dwelt among them.

Sixth, “We have seen” is a claim of testimony. The writer and others—“We”—have borne witness to something. The motif of witness is a major one in John’s Gospel. The writer is going to share things he has seen and heard.

Seventh, “his glory” refers to Christ’s manifest majesty. In Christ’s teachings and wonders, his glory is evident. In the transfiguration, his glory was on display—and it was an event which John, along with Peter and James, personally witnessed. Christ’s glory was ultimately revealed through the cross. In the Old Testament, God manifested his glory in the tabernacle and later in the temple. According to John 1:14, the glory of God is tabernacling among sinners.

Eighth, the language “the only Son from the Father” has to do with the unique relationship the Son has with the Father. The traditional phrase has been “only-begotten.” That phrase is fitting because the Son eternally proceeds from the Father. The Son is the only-begotten one, the one who is eternally from the Father. (The Bible does not contain the phrase "eternally from the Father." This is a reference to the doctrine of eternal sonship. Certain sectors of Christianity insist on the doctrine, like gotquestions and the Christian Research Institute, but the Scriptural support they cite is pretty thin. 

We remind the reader that the author previously claimed, "the Word became flesh without ceasing to be what he was." So, did the eternal son become flesh, or did the word become flesh? Do we really understand the nature of eternity and how God interacts with points in linear time? How about concepts like the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world? [Revelation  13:8])

In our opinion, the eternal sonship one of those largely useless doctrines that do little more than generate controversy.)

Ninth, “full of grace and truth” is a phrase connecting us to the Old Testament. According to Exodus 34:6, God is “abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” In John 1:14, “grace and truth” is a translation of the Greek equivalent to the Hebrew expression “steadfast love and faithfulness.” What’s true of God is true of the Son. What characterizes God characterizes the Son. The incarnate Son is full of grace and truth—abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.

John 1:14 is a theologically profound statement. Meditating on it will do our souls good.