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To comprehend God’s use of logos in certain key passages in John’s writings is to grasp something that has generally been misunderstood for centuries. Believers need not be misled by faulty translations that use capitalization to promote theological errors. Despite all, the truth is so plain for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. God purposed the sending of the Messiah in His heart “in the beginning”, and when the time was right, He brought what He had foreknown into existence.

Many statements throughout the Scriptures (especially in the gospel of John) are clear in light of understanding the logos correctly, without resorting to unbiblical theologies that deny that Jesus truly came as a human being (i.e. “in the flesh.”) For example, Jesus could be “before” John the Baptist, another man “sent by God”, due to the priority of the Messiah’s importance in God’s plans since the beginning. Abraham could rejoice to see Jesus’ day because of God having revealed something of His plan about the Messiah to Abraham. Thus Jesus was in God’s focused purposes before the time of Abraham. Jesus could speak of himself as descending out of heaven as the true bread, given by God, to give life to the world. Jesus had always been central in the Heavenly Father’s life-giving plan; then he was generated, begotten by God’s creative act in Mary “when the fullness of time came.”

According to Jesus’ prayer in John 17, Jesus had glory with the Father before the world was, and he was loved by the Father before the foundation of the world. Interestingly, Jesus prayed, saying that the glory given to him by the Father was something he (Jesus) had given to faithful believers, so that “they may be one” in the same way that Jesus and the Father are one. It was to be made known to the world that God sent Jesus and loved “them” (faithful believers) in the same way as He had loved Jesus. God’s foreknowledge and choosing of faithful believers in love is parallel to His having lovingly planned the existence of the Messiah beforehand. I Peter 1: 2 and Ephesians 1: 4 corroborate this reality that encourages obedient believers to have great confidence in God’s loving intentions toward them since before the foundation of the world. True believers in Christ pre-existed in the same way as Jesus did, in God’s foreknowledge.

I John 1: 1- 5 from The Concordant Literal New Testament
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, at which we gaze and our hands handle, is concerned with the word of life. And the life was manifested, and we have seen and are testifying and reporting to you the life eonian which was toward the Father and was manifested to us. That which we have seen and heard we are reporting to you also, that you too may be having fellowship with us, and yet this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. And these things we are writing, that our joy may be full.

Knowing the consistently clear reality of God’s truth regarding the logos leads to joy and a basis for genuine fellowship; twisted, erroneous doctrines lead to confusion. The logos is the expression of God’s intention to provide life in the age (or eon) to come. Jesus spoke of this in the prayer in John 17: 3 (The Concordant Literal New Testament):

Now it is eonian life that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Him Whom Thou dost commission, Jesus Christ.

Jesus honored his Father as being the only real God; so should those who truly believe the Scriptures. Jesus, as sent by God, made God known (John 1: 18.) Jesus was the only begotten Son “who is in the bosom of the Father”; he is the embodiment of God’s original intention to give believers the knowledgeable basis for true fellowship. Such experiential knowledge regarding the Father, His perfect plan (foreknown and later wrought in Christ), and the faithful response of believers comprise the promise of real life, life in the coming age which will not end. There is a continuously magnificent motive to experience fullness of joy as believers await the future appearance of the logos as manifested “in the flesh,” the king of kings and lord of lords.

Revelation 19: 11- 13
(from Tyndale’s New Testament - a modern-spelling edition)
And I saw heaven open, and behold a white horse: and he that sat upon him was faithful and true, and in righteousness did judge and make battle. His eyes were a flame of fire: and on his head were many crowns: and he had a name written that no man knew but himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and his name is called the word of God.