LIFE THROUGH HIS NAME

B Rev. 19:13.

Coming in flesh (1 John 4:3; 2 John 7).

The Lamb.

Outside the writings of John there is no specific reference to the

Logos (unless Heb. 4:12,13 be one), but if the word itself is not used

by Paul, the doctrine underlying it is most gloriously present in his

epistles. He speaks of the `Image of the invisible God' (Col. 1:15, see

also 2 Cor. 4:4), which to all intents and purposes corresponds to the

Logos of John 1:1-5. He speaks also of `the express Image of His

Person' (Heb. 1:3), which is even closer to the meaning of the Logos.

These passages will come up for more careful examination later. For

the moment, we must continue our quest for the doctrine of the Logos,

as underlying 1:1-5. First of all, we must refer to the passage in

Proverbs 8:22-31, which anticipates the fuller revelation of John 1:1-5

:

`The LORD possessed me in the beginning of His way, before His

works of old. I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or

ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought

forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before

the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:

while as yet He had not made the earth nor the fields, nor the

highest part of the dust of the world. When He prepared the

heavens, I was there; when He set a compass upon the face of the

depth: when He established the clouds above: when He

strengthened the fountains of the deep: when He gave to the sea

His decree, that the waters should not pass His commandment:

when He appointed the foundations of the earth: then I was by

Him, as one brought up with Him: and I was daily His delight,

rejoicing always before Him; rejoicing in the habitable part of His

earth; and my delights were with the sons of men' (Prov. 8:22-31).

The apocryphal writings must also be considered, for, while they

are not canonical scriptures and are not looked upon as inspired and

authoritative, the thoughts they express and the words they employ

hold an important place in the history of doctrine.

In Ecclesiasticus 24 Wisdom follows the same line of thought as

that given in Proverbs 8. Wisdom is represented as seeking rest, and

the Creator causes Wisdom's tabernacle to rest in Jacob. When one

reads in John 1:14 that the Word was made flesh and `tabernacled'

among us, one feels that there is at least a passing glance at this ancient