Logos (Christianity)

In Christianity, the Logos (Greek: Λόγος, lit. 'word, discourse, or reason') is a name or title of Jesus Christ, seen as the pre-existent second person of the Trinity. In the Douay–Rheims, King James, New International, and other versions of the Bible, the first verse of the Gospel of John reads:

In these translations, Word is used for Λόγος, although the term is often used transliterated but untranslated in theological discourse.

According to Irenaeus of Lyon (c.130–202), a student of Polycarp (c. pre-69–156), John the Apostle wrote these words specifically to refute the teachings of Cerinthus, who both resided and taught at Ephesus, the city John settled in following his return from exile on Patmos. While Cerinthus claimed that the world was made by "a certain Power far separated from ... Almighty God", John, according to Irenaeus, by means of , presented Almighty God as the Creator "by His Word." And while Cerinthus made a distinction between the man Jesus and "the Christ from above", who descended on the man Jesus at his baptism, John, according to Irenaeus, presented the pre-existent Word and Jesus Christ as one and the same.

A figure in the Book of Revelation is called "The Word of God", being followed by "the armies which are in heaven" (Rev. 19:13-14).

See also

• Knowledge of Christ
• Last Adam
• Monophysitism
• Perfection of Christ
• Pre-existence of Christ

Notes

• [a] 32:6 τῷ λόγῳ τοῦ κυρίου οἱ οὐρανοὶ ἐστερεώθησαν καὶ τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ πᾶσα ἡ δύναμις αὐτῶν
• [b] His contemporary, Irenaeus of Lyon, citing this same passage, writes, By the word of the Lord were the heavens established, and by his spirit all their power. Since then the Word establishes, that is to say, gives body and grants the reality of being, and the Spirit gives order and form to the diversity of the powers; rightly and fittingly is the Word called the Son, and the Spirit the Wisdom of God. (Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching, 5)

This is in contrast with later Christian writings, where Wisdom came to be more prominently identified as the Son.

• [c] For problems with this translation, see Bruce M. Metzger, "The Jehovah's Witnesses and Jesus Christ: A Biblical and Theological Appraisal", Theology Today 10/1 (April 1953), pp. 65–85.

Further reading

• Robertson, J. A. T. Redating the New Testament. 2nd ed. Philadelphia: Westminster Press. 1985.

External links

• Logos at International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
• Logos at Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
• The Logos at Catholic Encyclopedia
• Logos, The at Jewish Encyclopedia
• Kalām at Encyclopaedia of Islam