What is logos in the Bible?

The term “Logos” holds profound significance in Christian theology, particularly in its role in understanding the identity and mission of Jesus Christ. Derived from the Greek word “λόγος,” the term Logos translates to “word,” “reason,” or “principle.” It is most prominently used in the opening verses of the Gospel of John, which introduces Jesus as the Word of God incarnate. John writes:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:1-3, NKJV).

In this context, “Logos” represents Jesus Christ, who is the eternal and divine Word through whom God created everything. However, this concept carries deeper philosophical and theological meanings that stretch beyond a simple translation of “word.” It encompasses the divine reason and creative force that both expresses and sustains life.

Logos as the Divine Word

The most direct understanding of the term Logos is as the “Word” of God. In the Bible, God’s word is often depicted as powerful and active. From the very beginning, Scripture illustrates the power of God’s spoken word in creation:

“Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light” (Genesis 1:3, NKJV).

This shows that God’s word is not only an expression but also a creative force. God’s word brings things into existence, and it has the power to shape reality. When John refers to Jesus as the Logos, he is connecting Christ with this creative power of God’s word. John emphasizes that Jesus was not only with God in the beginning but was God Himself, and through Him, all things were created.

John 1:14 adds an even more profound dimension to this understanding:

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, NKJV).

In this verse, the Logos is no longer just the abstract, divine expression of God; it is personified and manifested in Jesus Christ. The Logos becoming flesh refers to the incarnation of Jesus, where the eternal, divine Word took on human form and lived among humanity. This underscores that Jesus is both fully divine and fully human—He is the ultimate communication of God’s nature to humankind.

Logos in Greek Philosophy and Jewish Thought

The term “Logos” was not unique to Christian theology. It was a well-known concept in both Greek philosophy and Jewish religious thought, and John’s use of the term would have resonated deeply with both audiences.

In Greek philosophy, particularly in the works of Heraclitus and later Stoic philosophers, the Logos was understood as the rational principle that governed the universe. Heraclitus viewed the Logos as the source of order and knowledge, the logic that structured the cosmos. The Stoics expanded on this idea, seeing the Logos as the divine, impersonal reason pervading everything. In their view, the Logos was the unifying principle that made the universe orderly and intelligible.

For Greek thinkers, the Logos was essential to their understanding of the world, but it was impersonal—a force rather than a person. When John uses the term Logos to describe Jesus, he revolutionizes the concept by presenting the Logos as personal and relational. Jesus, as the Logos, is not a distant force but a loving, incarnate Savior who interacts with humanity.

In Jewish thought, the concept of God’s word (or Logos) was closely associated with His creative and redemptive actions. The Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) describe God’s word as a dynamic and powerful force. Psalm 33:6 says:

“By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth” (Psalm 33:6, NKJV).

The Jewish understanding of God’s word also encompassed His revelation to His people. The prophets frequently spoke of receiving “the word of the Lord,” which conveyed divine wisdom, commandments, and promises. Isaiah 55:11 emphasizes the power and effectiveness of God’s word:

“So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11, NKJV).

For Jewish readers, the Logos in John’s Gospel would resonate with the understanding of God’s word as active, authoritative, and creative. However, John’s assertion that the Logos became flesh would have been a radical and profound claim, as it identified the long-awaited Messiah as the divine Word of God incarnate.

Jesus as the Logos: The Revelation of God

In identifying Jesus as the Logos, John is declaring that Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God. This ties into a key theme in the New Testament: that Jesus came to reveal the Father. In John 14:9, Jesus says:

“He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9, NKJV).

Through Jesus, humanity can know the nature and character of God in a way that was never fully revealed before. Jesus is the visible manifestation of the invisible God. As the Logos, Jesus expresses the fullness of God’s nature, embodying His love, holiness, wisdom, and truth.

This idea is further expanded in Hebrews 1:1-3:

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:1-3, NKJV).

Here, the writer of Hebrews emphasizes that Jesus is the ultimate expression of God’s will and nature. In times past, God revealed Himself through prophets, but now He has spoken to humanity through His Son, who is the “express image” of God’s person. Jesus is not merely a reflection of God; He is the exact representation of God’s being.

The Logos and Creation

As mentioned earlier, John 1:1-3 highlights that “all things were made through Him [the Logos], and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3, NKJV). This points to the role of Jesus as the agent of creation. The Logos was not only present at creation but was the active force through which God created everything.

This aligns with other New Testament passages that attribute creation to Jesus. For instance, Colossians 1:16-17 states:

“For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17, NKJV).

These verses emphasize the preeminence of Christ in creation. Jesus, as the Logos, is the divine agent through whom the universe was created, and He is also the one who sustains it. Everything in creation finds its purpose and existence in Him.

Paul’s description of Jesus in Colossians echoes the philosophical concept of the Logos as the unifying principle of the universe. However, instead of being an impersonal force, Jesus is a personal and loving Creator, deeply involved in His creation.

The Logos and Salvation

The Logos is not only the agent of creation but also the agent of redemption. The incarnation of the Logos, as described in John 1:14, was for the purpose of bringing salvation to humanity. Jesus, the divine Logos, took on human flesh to fulfill God’s plan of redemption. This plan was set in motion from the beginning, as Jesus is described as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8, NKJV).

The mission of the Logos was to reconcile humanity to God. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:19:

“That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:19, NKJV).

Through the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the Logos accomplished the work of reconciliation, restoring the broken relationship between God and humanity caused by sin. The Logos, who was present at creation, became the Redeemer who made it possible for fallen humanity to be saved.

Logos as Wisdom

Another important dimension of the Logos is its connection to divine wisdom. In both Jewish and Christian thought, wisdom is often personified as a characteristic of God. Proverbs 8:22-31 presents wisdom as present with God at the creation of the world:

“The Lord possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I have been established from everlasting, from the beginning, before there was ever an earth” (Proverbs 8:22-23, NKJV).

In Christian theology, Jesus is often identified with this divine wisdom. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:24:

“But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:24, NKJV).

As the Logos, Jesus embodies the wisdom of God. He is the ultimate revelation of God’s wisdom, not only in creation but also in salvation. Through Jesus, the Logos, God’s wisdom is made known to humanity.

Conclusion

The concept of Logos carries rich and multifaceted meaning within Christian theology. It refers to Jesus Christ as the eternal Word of God, the divine agent of creation, and the one who reveals God to humanity. Through the Logos, the world was created and humanity is redeemed. Jesus embodies both the wisdom and the power of God, making Him central to all of God’s actions and purposes.

The Gospel of John’s use of Logos presents Jesus as the ultimate revelation of God’s nature and character. John connects Jesus to the creative and redemptive actions of God, offering a profound understanding of who Christ is and what He accomplished. This term, the eternal Word, became flesh, and through Him, we can know and experience God in a personal and transformative way. As the apostle John declares:

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, NKJV).