Hi everybody!
Been without a computer for some time and have trying to do what Ray always tells us to do "Look at the words!" been looking up the meaning of some of the greek words in John 1 and have been blown away with the depth of meaning in the Greek. We miss so much in the english. Just wanted to share some with you.
John1:3 " All things came into being by Him (the Word), and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being."
All things, Gr pas every, all, it can mean the individual with the totality and the totality of the individual.. It means not only all things in their totality but also each thing within that totality came into existence through Him.
John 1:4 "In Him was life and the life was the light of men."
LifeGr zoe life referring to the principle of life in the spirit. distinguished from bios, physical life.
Light Gr phos light of the sun or day. Contrasted with pleggos, light of the moon or night luminaries. Phos is never kindled, therefore never quenched (never goes out).
John 1:5 "And the light shinesin the darkness and the darkness does not overpower it."
Shines Gr phaino, phainomal: that which appears, shines, or manifests itself and must have a reality behind it. It cannot be just a figment of imagination. suggests something may shine without anyone seeing it.
Darkness Gr skotia, darkness with the prevailing idea of unhappiness or ruin. As light is not only the emblem of happiness but is itself beneficial, darkness, in like manner works unhappiness. thus, skotia(darkness) is not a figurative term for sin, but the consequences of sin.
John 1:9 "There was the true light which, coming into the world enlightenseveryman."
Enlightens Gr photizo, to enlighten, give light to in a spiritual sense, to make to see, to understand, to bring to light.
John 1`:12 " but as many as received Him, to them He gave the rightto become children of God, even to those who believe in His name."
Right Gr excousia, permission, authority, power to do, denies the presence of a hindrance, combines the ideas of right and might. As far as right, authority or capability is concerned it involves ability, power, strength.
John1:13 "Who were born not of blood, nor of the willof the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of (the will of) God."
Will Gr thelema, will, not to be conceived as demand, but as an expression or inclination of pleasure towards that which is liked, that which pleases and creates joy. (I love that definition!)
John1:14 "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of graceand truth."
GloryGr doxa to recognize for what a person is, glory.
GraceGr charis from chairo, to rejoice, or from chara, joy, favor, acceptance, a kindness granted. A favor done without expectation of return: absolute freeness of the lovingkindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and freeheartedness of the giver: unearned or unmerited favor. Charis stands in direct antithesis to erga(Gr), works, the two being mutually exclusive.
Truth Gr aletheia, truth, as the unveiled reality lying at the basis of and agreeing with an appearance, the manifested, the veritable essence of a matter. The reality clearly lying before our eyes, as opposed to a mere appearance, without reality.
P.S. i don't know if I did the underlining corectly. If not this post will look very strange!
Christian love to you all.
Cindy