John 1:2
The same was in the beginning with God.
Original Language Analysis
οὗτος
The same
G3778
οὗτος
The same
Strong's:
G3778
Word #:
1 of 7
the he (she or it), i.e., this or that (often with article repeated)
ἀρχῇ
the beginning
G746
ἀρχῇ
the beginning
Strong's:
G746
Word #:
4 of 7
(properly abstract) a commencement, or (concretely) chief (in various applications of order, time, place, or rank)
πρὸς
with
G4314
πρὸς
with
Strong's:
G4314
Word #:
5 of 7
a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e., toward (with the genitive case, the side of, i.e., pertaining to; with the dative case, by the side of,
Historical Context
John writes to audiences familiar with both Jewish Wisdom literature (where Wisdom exists with God from eternity—Proverbs 8:22-31) and Greek philosophical concepts of the Logos as divine reason. By asserting the Logos was 'with God' in the beginning, John claims more than philosophical principle—this is personal, relational being. The repetition from verse 1 employs Hebrew parallelism, reinforcing truth through restatement. Early church councils at Nicaea (325 AD) and Constantinople (381 AD) would cite such texts establishing Christ's eternal deity against Arian denials.
Questions for Reflection
- What does the eternal fellowship between Father and Son reveal about God's essential nature as relational?
- How does the Logos being 'with God' while also being God inform our understanding of the Trinity?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
This verse reinforces the eternal pre-existence of the Logos with emphatic repetition. The Greek phrase 'houtos en en arche pros ton theon' (οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν θεόν) literally reads 'This one was in the beginning with God.' The demonstrative pronoun 'houtos' (this one) points back to the Logos, emphasizing personal identity rather than abstract concept. The imperfect tense 'en' (was) again indicates continuous past existence without beginning point. The preposition 'pros' (with, toward) describes face-to-face fellowship—eternal communion between distinct persons sharing divine nature. This verse guards against two errors: that Christ had a beginning (Arianism) or that Father and Son are identical (Modalism). The Logos is eternally distinct yet eternally with God.