{"id":54275,"date":"2023-10-05T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-05T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/blog\/?p=54275"},"modified":"2023-10-03T12:10:41","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T19:10:41","slug":"in-the-beginning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.olivetree.com\/blog\/in-the-beginning\/","title":{"rendered":"In the Beginning"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Did you know that both the book of Genesis and the Gospel of John start with the same three words? They both start with \u201cIn the beginning . . .\u201d I recently started a Bible reading plan<\/a> by reading Genesis and the Gospel of John. This made the parallels between these two accounts really jump off the page! It\u2019s clear that John echoes the creation account in Genesis as he reflects on the eternality of the Word. Not only was the Word \u201cin the beginning,\u201d but he is also the creator and source of life, the light that shines in the darkness. Let\u2019s see what we can learn about these parallels by using Mounce\u2019s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Beginning . . . God Created<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s start by looking at the opening verse of Genesis 1<\/a>. Genesis opens with these words, \u201cIn the beginning\u201d. The Hebrew word translated here as beginning<\/em> is \u05e8\u05b5\u05d0\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d9\u05ea (r\u0113\u02bc\u0161\u00eet<\/em>). You can access the entry for this word in Mounce\u2019s Dictionary<\/a> by long-tapping beginning,<\/em> tapping Lookup, and then tapping the entry for the dictionary. Interestingly, he says this about \u05e8\u05b5\u05d0\u05e9\u05b4\u05c1\u05d9\u05ea in Genesis 1<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rarely is r\u0113\u02bc\u0161\u00eet<\/em> used by itself with no other noun. The two most common passages are Gen. 1:1<\/a>, which simply says \u201cin the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.\u201d The other passage is a description of God in Isa. 46:9-10<\/a>: \u201cI am God, and there is none like me. I make the end known from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come.\u201d The uniqueness of this construction seems to point to the uniqueness of the event: in the beginning;<\/em> God created, but he did so with the end in view. Furthermore, the beginning<\/em> of creation is characterised elsewhere in Scripture as ex nihilo<\/em>; in other words, God created at the beginning<\/em> of time out of nothing, by his sheer power alone (cf. Ps. 33:6, 9<\/a>; Heb. 11:3<\/a>).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Notice, as well, the relationship between \u05e8\u05b5\u05d0\u05b4\u05e9\u05c2\u05d9\u05ea and \u05e8\u05b9\u05d0\u05e9\u05c2. Both words can be used to designate the beginning<\/em> of something, but the primary meaning of \u05e8\u05b9\u05d0\u05e9\u05c2 is head, the literal heads of people or more metaphorically for a leader of the people. We\u2019ll see that the Greek counterpart of \u05e8\u05b5\u05d0\u05b4\u05e9\u05c2\u05d9\u05ea shares this same relationship in common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Beginning . . . was the Word<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you followed the steps above to the article in Mounce\u2019s Dictionary<\/a> on the English word beginning,<\/em> you can scroll down to read the entries for the Greek words associated with this idea in the New Testament. Or you can Lookup beginning<\/em> from John 1:1<\/a> to access the article. Here\u2019s a screenshot from the NT entry with John 1:1<\/a> in the Main Window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Notice how the Greek word for beginning<\/em> (\u1f00\u03c1\u03c7\u03ae, arch\u0113<\/em>) expresses both the concept of beginning<\/em> and ruler. This is how Mounce describes it in the first paragraph:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Similar to the verb arch\u014d<\/em>, arch\u0113<\/em> means both \u201cbeginning\u201d and \u201cruler\u201d. The double meaning of this Gk. word is derived from the idea that something long ago put the world into motion and established the rules by which the world itself is obligated to obey. This philosophy explains why arch\u0113<\/em> is used in the NT to denote both the beginning<\/em> of something (Jn. 1:1<\/a>, \u201cIn the \u201cbeginning\u201d was the Word\u201d; cf. 1:2<\/a>; 1 Jn. 1:1<\/a>; 2:7<\/a>, 13, 14<\/a>, 24<\/a>) and the person or thing that exercises authority over others (\u201cWhen you are brought before synagogues, rulers and the authorities, do not worry,\u201d Lk. 12:11<\/a>; cf. 20:20<\/a>).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

The Word was \u201cIn the Beginning\u201d and is \u201cthe Beginning.\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s clear that John describes the Word as present with God in the beginning<\/em> of the creation account contained in Genesis 1<\/a>. John is clearly pointing back to the beginning.<\/em> But he also seems to be pointing forward. We see this in his description of the Word as the light that shines in the darkness (Jn. 1:5<\/a>) and the true light which was coming into the world (Jn. 1:9<\/a>). He also uses \u1f00\u03c1\u03c7\u03ae later in his Gospel to refer to the beginning <\/em>of Jesus\u2019 miracles and ministry (2:11<\/a>; 6:64<\/a>; 8:25<\/a>; 15:27<\/a>; 16:4<\/a>). If we add in how he uses the same word in his first epistle (1 Jn. 1:1<\/a>; 2:7<\/a>, 13, 14<\/a>, 24<\/a>; 3:8<\/a>, 11<\/a>), then this further reinforces the point. Jesus, the eternal Word, was in the beginning<\/em> with God when he created the heavens and the earth. And he is the beginning<\/em> of a new creation, the founder and ruler of a new world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get Mounce\u2019s Complete Expository Dictionary<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

See what you can learn just by looking at a single word in the Bible? Mounce\u2019s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words<\/a> is a great resource to have for understanding the meaning of words in the Old and New Testaments. Get yourself a copy today!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
MOUNCE’S COMPLETE DICTIONARY OF OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT WORDS<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Did you know that both the book of Genesis and the Gospel of John start with the same three words? They both start with \u201cIn the beginning . . .\u201d I recently started a Bible reading plan by reading Genesis and the Gospel of John. 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