Episode 3 - Not one thing that has been made was made apart from him

John 1:3 - All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. (ESV)

In verses 1-2 we see that the focus is upon “the Word.” There is an indication that this Word is more than just something that communicates a message. There appears to be personality or “being” associated with this Word when John says “the Word was with God.” 

The Greek text of verse two speaks of the Word in the 3rd person, masculine singular “He.” That association continues in verse three and after. “All things were made through him . . “ (the Word). 

Having established that the Word is a being which contains the divine qualities of God, John tells us something here that continues a theme begun in the first three words of this book; a Creation theme. 

I encouraged you to read the first chapter of Genesis. Did you do that? What’s it about? It’s about a God that created the universe, right? The first verse of Genesis establishes that a god is already existing in the beginning of time as we know it. The first verse of John is making a similar statement about the Word. Some scholars have suggested that what is happening in the Creation account of Genesis is that the author is writing an apologetic argument against other creation stories such as that of Egypt’s. (Research Egyptian god “Atum” for comparison) The idea here is that the author of Genesis (the Bible and tradition hold that the author is the Biblical prophet Moses) is saying that the God for which he is giving an account did not create himself as did the Egyptian god Atum. God already existed. Now . . .how does carry that idea forward with the Word? He writes “All things were made through him . . .” All things? Yes, John clarifies, “without him was not anything made that was made.” 

Literally, the Greek text makes a strong emphasis “not one thing” that was made was made without him. This is an important emphasis when considering teaching that arose in the 3rd-4th centuries A.D. and continues to be manifest in the present day. More on that later.

So, what is being repeated or emphasized in this one verse? In the English translation above its the word “made” (or created). The root Greek verb transliterated is “ginomai.” This word will be used many times within the Prologue ( first eighteen verses). I’ll point them out as we go along. The point is that there is an emphasis here which makes a thematic connection of “Creation” from Genesis 1. 

I might also point out that another repetition in the first two verses was the “to be” verb translated “was”. Perhaps I’m reaching too far in my thematic associations here between John and Moses. But, in Exodus 3:14, also attributed to Moses, we read of the account of God speaking to Moses from a burning bush and giving Moses a charge to deliver the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. Moses requests to know the name of this god speaking to HIm. The reply identifies himself as “I am”. Could it be that John, by the use of repetition of the “to be” verb is wanting his reader to make the connection of the Word with the God who created the universe AND revealed Himself to Moses in the burning bush?