The Prologue Of John's Gospel Synthesizes The Faith Of The Apostolic Church

The Prologue of John (Jn 1,1-18) is a unique synthesis that expresses the faith of the apostolic Church. It is in a certain sense the most complete testimony about Christ as the Son of God, the Son who is "consubstantial" with the Father.

The Holy Spirit, who had been promised by Jesus to the Apostles, and who was to "teach them everything" (cf. Jn 14,26), truly permits the Evangelist "to search. the depths of God" (cf. 1 Cor 2,10) and to express them in the inspired text of the Prologue.

It is certainly the key text that gives full expression to the truth about the divine sonship of Christ. He who "became flesh", i.e. man, in time, is the Word himself from all eternity, i.e. the only-begotten Son, God "who is in the bosom of the Father".

It is the same truth that we find in other books of the New Testament: "in these days has spoken to us through the Son, whom he has constituted heir of all things, and through whom also he made the world. This Son, who is the reflection of his glory and the imprint of his substance, and upholds everything with the power of his word, after having accomplished the purification of sins, has taken his place at the right hand of the Majesty in the highest heavens" (Heb 1,2-3).

They expresses the accomplishment in Christ of everything that was said in the Old Covenant, beginning with the Book of Genesis, through the Law of Moses (cf. Jn 1,17) and the Prophets, up to the Sapiential Books.

The expression "the Word" (which "was with God in the beginning") corresponds to the Hebrew word dabar (Logos in Greek) primarily of Old Testament source. Two dimensions are borrowed from the Old Testament at one and the same time, that of hochma, i.e. "wisdom", understood as God's plan for creation and that of dabar (Logos), understood as the realization of this plan.

"The word that goes forth from my mouth shall not return to me empty, without having done what I desire and without having carried out that for which I sent it" (Is 55,11) It is clear from this text that the biblical dabar ("word") is not merely a "word" but is also an "realization" (act).

One can say that there appears already in the books of the Old Covenant a certain personification of the "Word" (dabar, logos), and likewise of "Wisdom" (sophia).

We are very close to the first words of the Prologue of John. The following words of the Book of Wisdom are even closer, "While a deep silence enveloped all things, and night was half-way through its course, your almighty word leaped down from your royal throne... into the midst of this land doomed to destruction, bearing your inexorable command like a naked sword" (Wis 18,14-15).

"The Word" in John not only exists "in the beginning", but is revealed as turned wholly towards God (pros ton Theon.) and as being himself God! "The Word was God." He is the "only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father"-i.e., God the Son. He is in Person the pure Expression of God, the "reflection of his glory" (cf. Heb 1,3), "consubstantial" with the Father.