Why Is Jesus Called the _Logos_?
Each gospel writer begins his description of the life of Christ from a different point in time. Mark begins with a brief synopsis of John the Baptizer's ministry, Luke with John's birth, Matthew with Jesus' royal genealogy; but the Apostle John chooses to begin with Jesus, even before His birth and incarnation.
As John begins, he refers to Jesus as the logos, or in English, "the Word." John describes this Word as existing before creation, being with God, being God, and being the conduit for the creation of all things (John 1:1-3). While most Christians are familiar with Jesus and His trinitarian relationship as part of the Godhead, some may struggle to wonder why John calls him the logos (the Word).
To understand why John chose such a term, we must ask ourselves what this term meant in his day. The Apostle John lived in a world with various kinds of philosophies and religious ideas, and it may not initially be clear as to what ideas he is pulling from to help us understand who Jesus is. Is it from Greek philosophy? Old Testament Theology? Second Temple Theology? Or all the above?
The Greeks used logos to refer to the "controlling reason of the universe, the all-pervasive Mind which ruled and gave meaning to all things" (Tenney 62). It was also believed that this logos gave the universe its order and form (Duigan). So, one can see why John would associate this term to express his understanding of Jesus, especially with its connection to Creation. But is there more behind this word?
In the Old Testament, God is the One Who created the heavens and the earth through His word—His verbal commands (Genesis 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 14-15, 20, 24), as Moses declared. This point is also emphasized in Psalm 33:6: "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, And by the breath of His mouth all their host" (NAS). But the world was not created just through His verbal command, per se, but through His wisdom as well. As Solomon writes, "The LORD by wisdom founded the earth, by understanding He established the heavens. By His knowledge the deeps were broken up and the skies drip with dew" (Pro. 3:19-20). God's wisdom also becomes linked with the logos in Second Temple Judaism (when the Jews returned from captivity).
During this time period (516 B.C. onward), God's Word and Wisdom, while linked with God, are often personified and treated as distinct (Kohler). For example, God's Word is described as a mighty warrior (Wisdom of Solomon 18:15-16) (the apocryphal books were composed during this era). Wisdom is also described as the apaugasma (radiance) of God's light and the eikon (image/icon) of God's goodness (Wisdom of Solomon 7:26).
At other times, God's Word and Wisdom are linked together, such as in Wisdom of Solomon 9:1-2a: "O God of my fathers and Lord of mercy, who hast made all things by thy word, and by thy wisdom hast formed man, to have dominion over the creatures thou hast made." In light of such ideas, it seems fitting that men like Philo, a contemporary of Jesus, had already identified God's Wisdom as the logos, which he described as a Divine mediator in creation, revelation, and in all of God's dealings with mankind, though Philo himself did not go so far to say the logos was fully personal (White).
We also see in the Targum (an ancient Aramaic paraphrase or interpretation of the Hebrew Bible) what is called the Memra (Aramaic for word). It is used "constantly as the manifestation of the Divine power, or as God's messenger in place of God Himself" (Kohler). Memra is even thought to sit on God's throne and intercede to receive prayers on behalf of Israel. Consider this comment from the Targum as it relates to Deuteronomy 4:7: "…but the Word of the Lord sitteth upon His throne high and lifted up, and heareth our prayer what time we pray before Him and make our petitions" (Etheridge).
So, we see that the logos, from the Greek perspective, was thought of as a central agent in creation. And we also see (in Jewish thought) God's Word and Wisdom were personified as distinct from God and were seen as agents of God's creation. His Word specifically was seen as an intermediary that cared for His people. And finally, in light of the fact the idea of the logos was identified with God's Word and Wisdom, it was a fitting way to describe the pre-incarnate Jesus.
So, when the Apostle John wants his audience to really wrap their mind on the nature and the origin of this Jesus, to understand that He is Divine, that He is intrinsically linked to God, that He always was with God, that He is the source of all creation, John uses logos to describe Him.
In fact, this is not a one-time usage—but a mark of John's writings (1 John 1:1; Rev. 19:13). Although John normally uses such language, it does not appear to be entirely unique to him; in fact, he may not even have been the first New Testament writer to describe Jesus in such ways. The writer of Hebrews seems to also be using such with terminology and ideas:
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do (Heb. 4:12-13).
One may conclude that the reference to the "word of God" has to deal with God's revelation or Scripture. But, notice the qualities of the logos: (1) It can destroy flesh and spirit; (2) It judges the thoughts and hearts of men; and (3) it (or He) sees all things.
In light of such descriptions and the writer's subject matter—as well as the way the Memra was used in Jewish circles—it is easy to conclude that he understood Jesus to be the logos. This theory is compounded by how the writer opens his letter—by describing Jesus as the conduit of creation (1:2) and the apaugasma (radiance) of God's glory (1:3), a term that is only used in two places in the entire LXX (Septuagint) and New Testament—here and in the Wisdom of Solomon 7:26 to describe personified Wisdom, which, as noted earlier, is also described as the agent of creation (Wisdom 9:1-2). So, one may argue that the use of the logos to refer to Jesus was not original with John but with the writer of Hebrews. Or perhaps it was already used widely in the Christian community.
Now let us return to the original question: "Why is Jesus called the logos? The New Testament writers, in the Spirit, saw a unique category present in their day—a Divine category that was intimately linked with God, His Mind, and His creative activity. They seized upon this category to give early Christians a framework for how to think about this Jesus, concerning His nature and origin. This would have helped many Christians, regardless of their background, whether it was Greek or Jewish to conceptualize the Deity of Jesus, His place in the universe, and in the Godhead.
So, what should we as modern Christians think about this title of our Lord? Admittedly, we are so far removed from such Greek philosophical ideas and Second Temple theology that it can be difficult for us to appreciate the significance of such terminology used by the New Testament writers. However, when we reflect on its rich meaning and how it connects to the ancients' understanding of God, we too can have a deeper and more profound understanding of our Lord Jesus as the logos, the one who was with God, and is God, and that by Him all things have come into being.
Sources Cited
Duigan, Brian. "logos." www.britannica.com/topic/logos. Accessed 25 February 2022.
Etheridge, John Wesley. https://www.sefaria.org/Targum_Jonathan_on_Deuteronomy.4.7. Accessed 25 February 2022.
Kohler, Kaufmann. "Memra." https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10618-memra
Tenney, Merrill C. John the Gospel of Belief: An Analytic Study of the Text. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1976.
White, R.E.O. "Word." Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible 1988.