John 1:1

1. Grammar of John 1:1

• The second use of theos (“the Word was God”) lacks the definite article (it is anarthrous).
• In Greek, this construction is qualitative, meaning “the Word was divine” rather than “the Word was the God (of Israel).”

2. Contemporary Understanding in the 1st Century

• In the late 1st century CE, “divinity” could be participated in without making someone identical to the one true God.
• Saying the Word is theos without the article meant “divine,” not “the very God of Israel.”

3. Philo’s Writings

• Jewish philosopher Philo explicitly said:
• Only God with the article (ho theos) is the true God of Israel.
• Others (like the Logos) can be called theos without the article, meaning they share in divinity but are not the Most High God.
• Philo even calls the Logos a “second god.”