{And the Word became flesh} (kai ho logos sarx egeneto).
See verse 3 for this verb and note its use for the historic
event of the Incarnation rather than (886e) of verse 1 . Note also
the absence of the article with the predicate substantive sarx,
so that it cannot mean "the flesh became the Word." The
Pre-existence of the Logos has already been plainly stated and
argued. John does not here say that the Logos entered into a man
or dwelt in a man or filled a man. One is at liberty to see an
allusion to the birth narratives in Mt 1:16-25 Lu 1:28-38 , if
he wishes, since John clearly had the Synoptics before him and
chiefly supplemented them in his narrative. In fact, one is also
at liberty to ask what intelligent meaning can one give to John's
language here apart from the Virgin Birth? What ordinary mother
or father ever speaks of a child "becoming flesh"? For the
Incarnation see also 2Co 8:9 Ga 4:4 Ro 1:3 8:3 Php 2:7f. 1Ti 3:16 Heb 2:14 . "To explain the exact significance of
egeneto in this sentence is beyond the powers of any
interpreter" (Bernard). Unless, indeed, as seems plain, John is
referring to the Virgin Birth as recorded in Matthew and Luke.
"The Logos of philosophy is, John declares, the Jesus of history"
(Bernard). Thus John asserts the deity and the real humanity of
Christ. He answers the Docetic Gnostics who denied his humanity.
{Dwelt among us} (esk(886e)(9373)en en h(886d)in). First aorist ingressive
aorist active indicative of sk(886e)o(935c), old verb, to pitch one's
tent or tabernacle (sk(886e)os or sk(886e)(885c)), in N.T. only here and
Re 7-15 12:12 13:6 21:3 . In Revelation it is used of God
tabernacling with men and here of the Logos tabernacling, God's
Shekinah glory here among us in the person of his Son. {We beheld
his glory} (etheasametha t(886e) doxan autou). First aorist middle
indicative of heaomai (from hea, spectacle). The personal
experience of John and of others who did recognize Jesus as the
Shekinah glory (doxa) of God as James, the brother of Jesus, so
describes him ( Jas 2:1 ). John employs heaomai again in
1:32 (the Baptist beholding the Spirit coming down as a dove)
and 1:38 of the Baptist gazing in rapture at Jesus. So also
4:35 11:45 1Jo 1:1f. 4:12,14 . By this word John insists that
in the human Jesus he beheld the Shekinah glory of God who was
and is the Logos who existed before with God. By this plural John
speaks for himself and all those who saw in Jesus what he did.
{As of the only begotten from the Father} (h(9373) monogenous para
patros). Strictly, "as of an only born from a father," since
there is no article with monogenous or with patros. In Joh
3:16 1Jo 4:9 we have on monogen(885c) referring to Christ. This
is the first use in the Gospel of pat(8872) of God in relation to
the Logos. Monogen(8873) (only born rather than only begotten) here
refers to the eternal relationship of the Logos (as in 1:18 )
rather than to the Incarnation. It distinguishes thus between the
Logos and the believers as children ( ekna) of God. The word is
used of human relationships as in Lu 7:12 8:42 9:38 . It
occurs also in the LXX and Heb 11:17 , but elsewhere in N.T.
only in John's writings. It is an old word in Greek literature.
It is not clear whether the words para patros (from the Father)
are to be connected with monogenous (cf. 6:46 7:29 , etc.) or
with doxan (cf. 5:41,44 ). John clearly means to say that "the
manifested glory of the Word was as it were the glory of the
Eternal Father shared with His only Son" (Bernard). Cf. 8:54 14:9 17:5 . {Full} (pl(8872)(8873)). Probably indeclinable accusative
adjective agreeing with doxan (or genitive with monogenous)
of which we have papyri examples (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 275).
As nominative pl(8872)(8873) can agree with the subject of esk(886e)(9373)en.
{Of grace and truth} (charitos kai al(8874)heias). Curiously this
great word charis (grace), so common with Paul, does not occur
in John's Gospel save in 1:14,16,17 , though al(8874)heia (truth)
is one of the keywords in the Fourth Gospel and in 1John,
occurring 25 times in the Gospel and 20 in the Johannine
Epistles, 7 times in the Synoptics and not at all in Revelation
(Bernard). In 1:17 these two words picture the Gospel in Christ
in contrast with the law of Moses. See Epistles of Paul for
origin and use of both words.
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