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God, without the article "the", and we have but to adopt the translation "A god" to
manifest its inaccuracy when used of John 1: 1:--
"The Word was A god" (verse 1).
"There was a man sent from A god" (verse 6).
"Power to become children of A god" (verse 12).
"Which were born of A god" (verse 13).
"No man hath seen A god at any time" (verse 18).
It is also well to remember that some MSS, namely, Lm., Tr., WH., Rom., with the
Syriac, read "God, only begotten" in John 1: 18: this is found, moreover, in the
confession of the church of Antioch. While therefore much more should be considered
were we purposing an exposition of John's Gospel, or of the doctrine of the deity of
Christ, sufficient for our present purpose has been brought forward to establish the link
and yet to manifest the difference between John's ministry and the prison ministry of the
apostle Paul. Other phases of truth we must leave for future studies.
#4.
Three relationships in which believers who are
not members of the One Body stand to-day.
pp. 139 - 142
Let us look at some of the figures that are used in John's Gospel to indicate the
relationship that exists between the believer and His Lord. We know that in the
dispensation of the mystery, the believer forms part of the church which is the Body of
Christ, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all. No such figure of course occurs in John,
but there are in it certain symbols of relationship indicative of the calling of those to
whom it ministers.
Bridal relationships.--It must not be inferred that we deny the occurrence of bridal
relationships in the other Gospels; they are there, and we recognize them, but what we
wish to draw attention to is that bridal relationships are perpetuated now among that great
company of believers outside the Body at the present time:--
"He that hath the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, which
standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This my
joy therefore is fulfilled" (John 3: 29).
Now it is nowhere said, either in the synoptic Gospels, or in John, that those addressed
actually formed part of the bride; neither, therefore, do we. John the Baptist makes it
clear that he formed no part of the bride, his being a special relationship as, "the friend of
the bridegroom". In Matthew, Mark, and Luke the disciples are spoken of as "children of
the bride-chamber", who, of course, are not the bride, and in Matt. 25: virgins go out to
meet the approaching bridegroom, not as brides, but to be present at the marriage feast.