The Gospel of Life

KEY VERSE: “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, … full of grace and truth.” —John 1:14

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: John 1:1-18

IN THE Old Testament the Creator is frequently referred to as the Lord (in capital letters), which is a translation of the Hebrew word Jehovah, which Professor James Strong defines as ‘the self-Existent, or Eternal’. The psalmist confirms the thought that Jehovah is, indeed, the Eternal One. He says, “From everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” (Ps. 106:48) The Apostle Paul tells us that “God [is] supreme above all,” and that he is “immortal [death-less], invisible, the only God.” (Rom. 9:5, NEB, RSV; I Tim. 1:17) Of himself Jehovah stated, “There is no God else beside me; I am God, and there is none like me.” Again, “To whom then will you liken me, whom set up as my equal?”—Isa. 45:21; 46:9; 40:21-41:5, NEB: Eph. 3:9, RSV, NEB, Diaglott

The Scriptures tell us that Jesus is the Son of Jehovah, and “the beginning of the creation of God.” (Rev. 3:14) “The Lord [Jehovah] hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.” Surely, the one begetting exists before and is greater than the begotten. And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son.” (Heb. 1:5) Jesus from his creation was always subject to his Creator, as a son is subject to his father. In the beginning he was a mighty spirit being of a very high order. But he was not immortal, for Paul in his own day describes God as “the blessed and only Sovereign, … who alone has immortality.” (I Tim. 6:15, RSV) Jehovah chose his Son to be his agent in the great task of executing his designs in the creation of all things. Thus we read that it was “God [who] created all things,” and also that “God … hath … spoken unto us by his Son, … by whom he [God] made the worlds.”—Eph. 3:9, RSV, NEB, et al; Heb. 1:1,2; I Cor. 8:6

Thus, the Bible testimony is clear that there is but one Jehovah God, supreme and without equal, who is immortal and from everlasting to everlasting, and who is the great Creator of the universe. And there is one Lord Jesus Christ, his dearly beloved and only begotten Son, who was created by Jehovah as a spirit being on a very high plane of existence, though not immortal, and who was chosen by Jehovah to be his honored agent in the creation of the entire universe, including the progenitors of the human race.

As the fallen race wallowed helplessly in sin and death, their wretched condition was sympathetically witnessed by that one who had shared so large a part in their actual creation. Aware of Jehovah God’s divine plan for man’s escape from death through a redeemer, this mighty spirit being “took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: … and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Phil. 2:5-8) Thus “the man Christ Jesus … gave himself a ransom [corresponding price] for all.” (I Tim. 2:5, 6) Man’s redemption required the death of a perfect human being as a ransom, or corresponding price, for Adam. As a perfect man, our Lord Jesus met that requirement. Had he been an immortal being he could not have died, and therefore the redemption price could not have been paid to Justice.

Since his resurrection Jesus is immortal. Paul says, “God bath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.” And “this mortal must put on immortality” in order to inherit the kingdom of God. (Phil. 2:9; I Cor. 15:50,53) But even this immortal Jesus is to be forever subject to his Creator.—I Cor. 15:27,28

We now come to the beautiful Gospel according to John. Unfortunately, the opening verses, as we find them in most Bibles, do not lend themselves to rationality, are out of harmony with Scripture, and in their poorly translated condition are cited as supporting the erroneous teaching of the trinity. A correct translation that is in harmony with the great body of Scripture and with reason, is this: “In a beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word was with the God [Jehovah], and a god [a mighty one] was the Word [Jesus]. This was in a beginning with the God [Jehovah]. All through it [Jesus, as the agent of Jehovah] was done; and without it was done not even one, that has been done.” —Emphatic Diaglott, Professor Wilson, interlinear

For a fuller discussion of this subject we invite you to read the booklet, “Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

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