John 1:14 — What Is the "Word" and What Is the "Glory"?

John writes:

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."

(John 1:14)

This verse has become one of the most debated passages in the New Testament.

The traditional interpretation is that the "Word" was a separate, pre-existing divine person who became the man Jesus Christ. Consequently, many Christians conclude that Jesus is Almighty God who became flesh.

However, is this what John actually teaches?

I believe the evidence points in another direction.

Did John Say "God Became Flesh"?

Notice carefully what John actually wrote.

He did not say:

"God became flesh."

Instead, John wrote:

"The Word became flesh."

This distinction is significant.

If John wished to teach that Almighty God Himself became a human being, this would have been the clearest place to say so.

Instead, John deliberately speaks of the Word becoming flesh.

Throughout the Old Testament, God's word is His spoken purpose, promise, command and revelation. God's word is something that proceeds from Him and accomplishes His will.

Is the Word a Separate Person?

Many Christians believe the Word in John 1:1 is a separate divine person existing alongside God before creation.

Yet this raises several important questions.

If Jesus is the same one true God as the Father, how can He also be with God?

Would this not place two divine persons side by side while both are called the one true God?

Paul writes:

"Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist."

(1 Corinthians 8:6)

Paul identifies:

• one God—the Father
• one Lord—Jesus Christ

He does not describe two persons who are both the one true God.

Furthermore, if Jesus Himself is the Word in John 1:1 as a separate person, where is the Father in the passage?

And why does John later describe Jesus as being "the only begotten from the Father" if He is already the very same God from whom He was begotten?

The Word Became Flesh

I understand the Word to be God's spoken purpose and self-expression.

That Word became reality when God brought His Son into existence in the womb of Mary through the power of His Holy Spirit.

Luke records:

"The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the Holy One to be born shall be called the Son of God."

(Luke 1:35)

Notice what Luke says.

Jesus is called the Son of God because He is born through the power of the Most High.

Luke never describes a pre-existing heavenly person entering Mary's womb and becoming a baby.

Instead, he describes the miraculous conception of God's Son.

The Word of God Is Spoken and Fulfilled

Throughout Scripture, God's word is something He speaks and then brings to fulfilment.

For example:

"For I am Yahweh. I will speak, and the word that I speak shall be performed."

(Ezekiel 12:25)

The Word is therefore God's spoken purpose becoming reality.

John declares that this finally happened in the birth of Jesus Christ.

The Word became flesh.

What Is the Glory?

John continues:

"And we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father."

What is this glory?

I believe John explains it himself.

The glory was not merely miracles.

Nor simply signs and wonders.

The glory was that Jesus was the Father's only begotten Son.

No one else in history has ever possessed this unique relationship with God.

Jesus alone was conceived by God's Spirit.

Jesus alone was born directly through God's miraculous power.

Jesus alone is God's unique and only begotten Son.

This makes Him absolutely unique within all creation.

The Meaning of "Only Begotten"

The expression "only begotten" is one of John's favourite descriptions of Jesus.

A begotten son receives his existence from his father.

He is not his own father.

Nor is he the same person as his father.

Likewise, John does not say Jesus was begotten from Himself.

He writes:

"Only begotten from the Father."

This naturally distinguishes the Father from His Son.

Jesus is not the Father.

He is the Son whom the Father begot.

Jesus Called Himself the Son of God

Jesus Himself declared:

"I am the Son of God."

(John 10:36)

He never claimed to be the Father.

Instead, He consistently pointed beyond Himself to the One who sent Him.

Likewise, He said:

"I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; again I leave the world and go to the Father."

(John 16:28)

Jesus came from God because God is His Father.

Jesus Is the Visible Representation of His Father

Jesus perfectly revealed His Father.

He therefore said:

"He who has seen Me has seen the Father."

(John 14:9)

This does not require Jesus to be the Father Himself.

Rather, Jesus perfectly represents His Father's character, purpose and nature.

Paul expresses this same truth in Philippians 2:6:

"Who, existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped."

(Berean Literal Bible)

I understand Paul to mean that Jesus existed in the visible form or representation of God, not that He literally was Almighty God.

John's Testimony

John later opens his first letter by writing:

"That which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled concerning the Word of Life..."

(1 John 1:1–4)

John marvels that the eternal purpose of God had now become visible in the man Jesus Christ.

He and the other apostles had heard Him.

Seen Him.

Touched Him.

Walked with Him.

The invisible Word of God had become visible in God's only begotten Son.

My Conclusion

After examining John's Gospel alongside the wider teaching of Scripture, I understand John 1:14 to be teaching that God's spoken Word, purpose and promise became reality in the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ.

The Word did not become Almighty God in human form.

Rather, God's Word became flesh in His uniquely begotten Son.

The glory that John says he witnessed was the glory of the Father's only begotten Son—a glory belonging to no other human being.

Jesus is therefore the perfect visible representation of His Father, revealing God's character, truth, grace and purpose to the world.

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Personal Note

The interpretation presented in this study represents my own understanding after examining the Greek text and the wider biblical context. I recognise that many Christians interpret John 1:14 differently, and I respectfully offer this study as a contribution to careful biblical examination.

Research by Simon Brown

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CHURCHES SHOULD REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL CHURCH LEADERS START TEACHING THE TRUTH!

As there are COUNTLESS upon COUNTLESS FALSE Bible translations DECEIVING MILLIONS from the truth, there are also COUNTLESS upon COUNTLESS FALSE Bible TEACHINGS also DECEIVING MILLIONS from the TRUTH.

We need preachers teaching the TRUTH, NOT COUNTLESS Pastors, Preachers and Teachers DECEIVING MOST of Christianity with FALSE Bible translations and FALSE teachings about GOD, Jesus and the Bible.

Here are just 5 SHOCKING FALSE teachings out of MANY taught in MOST Churches today DECEIVING MILLIONS from the truth.

1. Trinitarians and the Oneness Pentecostal faiths, ALL wrongly teach the LOST/UNBELIEVERS, who have DIED in their sins are NOT actually DEAD, which would mean they have NOT DIED, but INSTEAD wrongly teach are ALIVE now BURNING in HELLFIRE.

The Truth:
NO ONE is in (HELL THE LAKE OF FIRE) YET, NOT UNTIL JUDGEMENT DAY.

And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. Revelation 20:14
And if anyone was not found having been written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:15 

Revelation 20:5
The rest of the dead DID NOT COME TO LIFE until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.

NOTICE HOW THE DEAD in Revelation 20:5 ARE NOT ALIVE: because the dead DID NOT COME TO LIFE until the thousand years were completed.

There is NO HELL BURNING FIRE YET because the DEAD UNBELIEVERS are asleep:
For the living know they will die; BUT THE DEAD KNOW NOTHING nor have they any longer a reward, for their memory is forgotten. Ecclesiastes 9:5.
There is no remembrance of those who came before, and those to come will not be remembered by those who follow after. Ecclesiastes 1:11

2. Trinitarians and the Oneness Pentecostal faiths, ALL wrongly teach the DEAD Prophets, and Disciples and Saints, who have died in Christ, are now ALIVE in Heaven.

This teaching is contrary to what the Bible actually teaches, that ALL the true BORN AGAIN believers who have DIED in Christ are NOT ALIVE but are ALL SLEEPING, and are NOT in heaven as wrongly taught, but are INSTEAD waiting for Jesus to RETURN and raise the true BORN AGAIN believers from the DEAD, which is WHY we are: awaiting the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, Titus 2:13.

in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and THE DEAD WILL BE RAISED imperishable, and we will be changed. 1 Corinthians 15:52

Notice 1 Corinthians 15:52 how we read the DEAD in Christ are DEAD and WILL BE RAISED, PROVING THEY ARE NOT ALIVE WITH CHRIST AND HAVE NOT ALREADY BEEN RAISED FROM THE DEAD.

For this we declare to you in the word of the Lord, that we the living, remaining unto the coming of the Lord, shall not precede those having FALLEN ASLEEP,  1 Thessalonians 4:15.

Notice how we read in 1 Thessalonians 4:15 the DEAD in Christ  have, and are fallen asleep, NOT ALIVE IN HEAVEN.

Notice how we read King David is ASLEEP WITH HIS FATHERS in Acts 13:36

For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. His body was buried with his fathers and saw decay.

John 3:13:
And NO ONE HAS GONE UP INTO HEAVEN except the One having come down out of heaven, the Son of Man.

WHY wont MOST of Christianity believe what the Bible tells us that: NO ONE HAS GONE UP INTO HEAVEN, except the One having come down out of heaven, the Son of Man.

NOTICE how Acts 24:15 tells us there shall certainly be a resurrection of BOTH the righteous and the wicked, PROVING the DEAD are NOT ALIVE IN HELL OR HEAVEN.

Acts 24:15: having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

The resurrection is where the dead will be raised from the dead, which we see in Acts 24:15 that this prophecy has not yet happened.

Notice how we read the DEAD are asleep and shall awake proving the DEAD are presently DEAD until raised again to life as in Daniel 12:2

Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

3. Trinitarians and the Oneness Pentecostal faiths wrongly teach ALL the LOST who have DIED will BURN in HELLFIRE for EVER, and EVER.

NO UNBELIEVER will BURN for EVER, and EVER, as so wrongly taught by Trinitarians and the Oneness Pentecostal faiths, who wrongly teach our loved one's who did not follow Jesus will BURN and be TORTURED for EVER and EVER in HELLFIRE.

The Truth:
The LOST will instead be DESTROYED both soul and body in (Gehenna HELL) said Jesus in Matthew 10:28 which Jesus also called THE SECOND DEATH.
And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. Revelation 20:14

And you should not be afraid of those killing the body but not being able to kill the soul. Indeed rather you should fear the One being able to DESTROY both soul and body in (HELL Gehenna). Matthew 10:28
Notice the correct teaching how GOD will DESTROY the lost said Jesus.

The Greek word for destroy: Original Word: ἀπόλλυμι is said to mean in the Strong's Concordance apollumi: to destroy, destroy utterly.

NOWHERE IN THE WHOLE BIBLE DOES DESTROY MEAN TO HAVE (ETERNAL LIFE) BURNING IN THE LAKE OF FIRE FOR EVER AND EVER AS SHOCKINGLY TAUGHT BY MOST.

Being DESTROYED means: (a) I kill, destroy, (b) I lose, mid: I am perishing (the resultant death being viewed as certain).

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
NOTICE how the  wages of SIN is DEATH, NOT ETERNAL LIFE IN THE LAKE OF FIRE AS SO WRONGLY TAUGHT BY MOST.

4. Most CHURCHES teach the saved will live for ever in Heaven.  
This teaching is again contrary to what the Bible actually teaches.  
Jesus said that GOD will come down to live with the saved on this earth, and not that the saved will go to live with GOD in Heaven.  
This is seen in what Jesus said in Matthew 6:10: Your kingdom come. Your will be done as in heaven, so also upon earth.  
Notice how we are to pray: GODS kingdom come  HERE upon earth.

5. The Trinitarian Pastors: 
Preachers and Teachers are DECEIVING MOST of Christianity by wrongly teaching The One True GOD is NOT THE ONE TRUE GOD ALONE, BUT THAT GOD IS A TRIAD GOD MEANING HE IS THREE SEPARATE PERSONS CALLED THE TRINITY, 

WHICH WHEN TRUTHFULLY ADMITTED IS ACTUALLY THREE SEPARATE GODS AND NOT ONE TRUE GOD, CONTRADICTING THE WORD OF GOD AND THE WHOLE BIBLE, WHICH IS A SALVATION ISSUE MARK12:29.  

Deuteronomy 6:4 says: Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God; Yahweh is ONE: (PERSON).  

For who is God, except Yahweh? Who is a rock, besides our God, Psalm 18:31. 

NOTICE how we read in Psalm 18:31 that Yahweh The Only One True GOD IS ONE PERSON AND ONE GOD ALONE NOT THREE CALLED THE CATHOLIC PAGAN TRINITY. Psalm 18:31.  

The Catholic Trinity Diagram.

The Oneness Pentecostal faith: 
Do NOT believe in the TRINITY, but correctly understand the TRINITY is FALSE, but have also been DECEIVED by wrongly believing and teaching GOD the Father is the SON.

Diagram of the Oneness Pentecostal faith.

NO WHERE in the whole Bible did GOD the Father ever say or teach He was the SON, just as NO WHERE in the whole Bible did Jesus ever say or teach He was the same being as His GOD and Father where He was Begotten from.  

GOD the Father clearly and plainly said: "This is My Son, whom I have chosen; listen to Him!" Luke 9:35.  

The Son of GOD, Jesus clearly and plainly said: I am the Son of GOD John 10:36.  

Paul said: yet to us there is one God the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we through Him. 1 Corinthians 8:6.

We see how GOD and the SON and Paul clearly and plainly DEFINE the Father and the SON as TWO SEPARATE BEINGS, and NOT ONE and the SAME BEING.

And yet the Oneness Pentecostal faith CONTRADICT the whole Bible and do NOT believe or listen to what the Father and Jesus said, or what the whole Bible teaches, and INSTEAD WRONGLY teach MILLIONS the Father is the SON.

We have seen and compared just some Biblical FACTS, with just a FEW of the SHOCKING COUNTLESS FALSE TEACHINGS being taught in MOST CHURCHES today DECEIVING MILLIONS from the truth.

Churches should NOT OPEN and CONTINUE DECEIVING MILLIONS until they start teaching the Biblical FACTS.

Berean Literal Bible 2 Peter 2 Deliverance from False Prophets

1 But there were also false prophets among the people, as there will be false teachers among you also, who will stealthily introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master having bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 

2 And many will follow after their sensuality, through whom the way of the truth will be maligned. 

3 And through covetousness they will exploit you with fabricated words, for whom the judgment of long ago is not idle, and their destruction does not slumber.
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This subject has now been completely rewritten and expanded with additional research and evidence.

READ THE NEW UPDATED ARTICLE HERE: QUICK FACTS: IS THE HOLY SPIRIT OF YAHWEH EVER TAUGHT AS A SEPARATE THIRD PERSON?

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A detailed Bible-study infographic examining whether Scripture presents the Holy Spirit of Yahweh as a separate third person. It compares 2 Samuel 23:2, John 4:24, Luke 1:35, Acts 2:33, Acts 10:38 and other passages describing God's own Spirit, presence, power and operation. Research by Simon Brown.

What Is The (Wisdom) In Proverbs 8?

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Figure 1. Infographic examining the Jehovah's Witnesses' interpretation of John 1:1, including the translation "the Word was a god," and comparing it with the biblical context.

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