Reading the Holy Bible might be tedious depending on the version you are reading and the order of the chapters that you are following. I started reading the Holy Bible from the book of Genesis like most beginners, and I have now read the Bible in its entirety after one full year. However, this Bible study plan is quite different. We are going to study the Bible based on the approximate timeline of the events that took place. And this post is a bible study on John 1:1-5 which explains how things were before the beginning of time.
If you are interested, I invite you to embark on this Chronological Bible Study with me. As we move chronologically through the chapters, we will be referencing the history and geographical locations of actual events and their timeline, too. I also highly encourage you to have your Bible at hand while doing this study, and most importantly, kindly invite the Holy Spirit to give you revelation as we read through the Bible. Because without Him, there is no point in studying the Bible.
We, as humans, function in our day-to-day lives based on time. Everything that we do is within a time frame, including our very days and years and months. However, God exists before the time came into existence. Looking at the chronological order of events that took place, this particular chapter that we are about to see explains how things were even before the wheels of time were set in motion. Shall we begin our bible study on John 1:1-5? I am using the New International Version (NIV) for this Scripture. Any good version that you have should be okay.
John 1 : 1-5
(For those of you who are new to reading the Bible, John 1: 1-5 implies the Book of John Chapter 1: Verses 1-5)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Verse 1
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
As we see from John Chapter 1: Verse 1, it clearly states that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. “In the beginning” means that even before time existed. We learn that even before time existed, “The Word” existed. Now, “The Word” was with God and “The Word” was God.
Verse 2
“He was with God in the beginning. “
Verse two says that He – The Word was with God in the beginning. Usually, we, as humans, refer to the words we speak as “it”. For example – “It is what she said, or These were her very words”. We never use the pronoun “He or She” for the word as such. We never say, “He is a good word”. Notice how in verse two it says “He”. The He here is referring to the Word. So it clearly states here that “The Word” is a person who is a male.
Verse 3
“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
This verse states that all things were made or created through Him – The Word. The emphasis here is on “all things”. So, this means that every created thing/being has a “Creator”.
This verse further says that there is nothing – not a single thing that we see or touch that was made without “The Word”. In short, God has not created anything without “The Word”.
Verse 4
“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. “
In verse 4, it states that in Him – The Word was life itself, and this life was the light of all mankind. The very life that we see all around us (everything moving, crawling, and living, including plants and animals) including ours was in Him – The Word, first. It also means that “The Spoken Word” of God, who is a person and a male, produces only life. Because God is the life-giver. Hence, every spoken word that comes from God produces life. The Him in verse 4 refers to “The Word”. Does this remind you of something that you have already read in the Bible? We are getting there. Hang on! Let me put up some cross-references.
Proverbs 18:21
The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its fruit.
In Proverbs Chapter 18 Verse 21, we see that the tongue (the words we speak) has the power of life and death. In short, the very words we speak shape our life. However, the spoken word of God has only “life”. He – The Word is Life because life exists in Him!!
Moving on to the second part of verse 4 – and that life was the light of all mankind.
It means that there was light in the life that existed within the Word. And, that light, was and is the light of all of mankind – the light of all humanity. Now, does this stir up some scriptures inside of you as a cross-reference?
John 8:12
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Now, this is an aha-moment! What does Jesus say? He plainly states that He is the light of the world! And verse 4 of John 1 says the same thing. It says that the life in the Word was the light of all mankind. It is up to our choice, to follow Him or not.
Verse 5
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
Verse 5 of John 1 clearly states that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. This light, as we have seen in verse 4, exists within life. And life, in turn, exists within “He- The Word”. Have you ever noticed something in the natural world? You can never create darkness in the literal sense. You could create light using fire, matchsticks, electricity, etc., However, you cannot create darkness because it is simply the absence of “Light”. When we walk into a dark room, we switch on the light. But there is not a switch in the world to switch on darkness. Yes, you could switch off the light to create darkness, but you could not switch it on with a simple switch.
To Summarize
Hence, based on this bible study on John 1:1-5 and the cross-reference and reasoning we learn a few things. First of all, “The Word” is not just a mere simple word, but a person and this person is a male. Hence, The Word is called a “He”. And most importantly, even before the beginning of time, He the Word existed, and He was with God, and He was God. All creation – every created thing that has ever been made, was made with and through Him – the Word. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be any creation. The very life that we see around us and in us existed in Him – the Word (also meaning that God’s spoken Word is always “life”) and He The Word is Life.
In short, He The Word is the Life-Giver proceeding out of God’s mouth and the light of all mankind existed in this very life of the Word. With simple math and putting 2 and 2 together, we can infer that He -The Word we are speaking about is none other than Jesus Christ Himself. This particular chapter introduces us to 2 of the 3 God-heads – God The Father and His Life-giving spoken Word – Jesus Christ. We also infer that both God and The Word existed from the beginning – even before the concept of time came into existence.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this first chronological bible study on John 1:1-5 which explains how things were before the beginning of time. I invite you to think about this scripture throughout the day or when you please. Ask God to reveal more of Himself to you. Also, let me know if you have any comments or questions. I will try my best to answer.
Until Next Time, See You!