I believe the Bible is the Word of God. And in fact, I understand the words in the Bible to be God. I believe the Bible has been placed on this earth through the loving inspired hearts and minds of the prophets and the apostles. I am convinced that it is perfect, whole, and complete. The reason: I have been saved. No other book, and I have read many, can give us the knowledge and the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. If we believe, the words of Jesus enter into our very soul and change our lives. In turn, the life that is in us, is born from us as manifest light to the world. We are born again; the world is unctioned to the light of eternal life.

I read the Bible from start to finish. I believe that is was put in our hands to be read in that manner. I hear it said that we should start in the middle, or, with the Gospel of John, or some such thing; but, I am convinced that it should be read from the beginning. When I speak to those who have not read the Bible as I think it is intended to be read, I hear another story than from those who read the work straight through. Those who have read from Genesis on, seem to know the path toward heaven. Those who have read piece meal, weather they have read it all or not, seem to know there is a heaven, but are not clear according to the Bible, how to get there. When we start from the middle we are constantly looking back toward the beginning. By starting in the beginning, we are looking (from every direction) toward the coming Messiah; when we meet Jesus, we believe his words, and he directs our eyes and our hearts toward the eternal heavens.

If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true. Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth. But I receive not testimony from man: but these things I say, that ye might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not. Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words? (John 5:31:47)

If I speak the truth, and you can rejoice for a while in the light of what I say, that's OK. But, Jesus doesn't want the testimony of men. To receive the light of Life, believe and understand the Old Testament writings, they speak of Jesus. You do that by reading them. Moreover, if you are aware of those who do not have the ability to read, you yourself, or, find someone that will read this incredible description of Jesus to them. If you refuse, they will not have HIS word abiding in them. Remember, we cannot believe the writings of Moses if we do not read them. Without the prophets we are not able to completely understand or believe the words of Jesus.

In this chapter it will be our endeavor to find the significance of the English term, Word. We will start at the beginning of the Bible- Literally. At the beginning is the word in. The meaning of the word seems elusive. When I question as to what in means, invariably I am asked, "In what?". "No", I will say, "What does the word in mean without regard to anything else?". "Well, I don't know, it could mean inside or within." "Yes", I will say, "Now, what does In the beginning mean?" "Well, I suppose it means In the beginning. You know, way back in time-at the beginning." This is typical of the many conversations I have had concerning the term in.

The secular use of the word is that of a preposition; combined with a noun in makes up a phrase; such as, in the garden (a physical place), in support (situational), in the spirit (manner). When we scrutinize the word, it always means within, inside, or in the midst of something. In a hurry, means that I am inside, within, in the midst of a hurry.

The theological use of the word in must include the Greek term en. En

Albert Einstein, had a deep conviction that a higher power of thought was manifest by the inscrutable universe. Purportedly, his God was the God of Spinoza. In 1699 J.G. Wachter's Der Spinozimus im Judenthumb, endeavored to show that the seed of the pantheistic system of Spinoza came from the Kabbalah. However, the theological formulas of pantheism, "God is everything" and "Everything is God" were also found in Muslim and Christian mysticism. At that time, and even today, pantheistic thought processes are embedded in the mathematical theories that pervade our sociological, psychological, and economical worldly view. The pantheistic doctrine that God "is everything" etc., taken to it's logical end reduces God to that which is manifest, and is directly opposed to the teachings of the apostles John and Paul, who respectively say, God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. ( Joh 4:24); And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. (1Co 15:28) According to the prophets and apostles of the Bible, God the creator of the cosmological system in all ways waxes greater than his creation, as would be the nature of the potter's ascendancy over the pot. Even the Son is subject to the Father: Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. (Joh 14:10) Everything is in God, and God is in everything.

In is the word of distinction. In is the first word in the Bible. It begins the biblical discourse requiring a choice. The selection we make concerning the meaning of the first word determines the outcome of our very existence-we act in faith. I believe that etymology, philology, and by course historical context, are the keys to understanding text from antiquity. Even so, what is essential and ultimately true, when it comes down to the nitty-gritty of things, is: the Spirit, the words themselves, will make the increase.

Generally it is thought that the word in in the phrase "In the beginning" in Genesis 1:1, refers to a first moment in time. Because of the said historical sense in the first few verses of the creation story, the connotation of in is an act or process, beginning and on this side of time-this formulation requires in to mean, at the beginning. At the beginning, an historical term, is opposed to the word in in the phrase "In the beginning" in John 1:1, which is reported to mean, prior to the beginning-existence before time. Here we have a word that means one thing in one place, and another meaning in another place, same phrase-In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth; and, In the beginning was the word ... .

The apostle John in the beginning of his first letter, wrote: That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;). In these verses we see the phrase, from (apo=meaning out of) the beginning; the life was manifested to John and his fellows in Christ. Manifest inherently means that which is already there; as well, readily perceived, not concealed, open to the senses. The Word of life is the light of men. The Word is the logos (logos) of life, the very God of Creation.

Beginning

In the New Testament, the word arch is most always rendered beginning; such as, 1 John 1:1. However, considering the historical context it is said to mean a first point in time. Beginning (arch) means from or out (apo) of the beginning and assumes the inclusion of the Greek term logos which is from before time; and which, refers to the Christ. Again, in 1Jo 2:24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

I believe this is a pivotal point, it is here that we will be able to either accept or reject all I am going to say or have said. The following concerns the bottom line of this thesis. It is not provable in history, philology, etymology, or anywhere outside of the biblical words presented. I believe it can only be proven by the Holy Spirit. Jesus says, the words that I give you are spirit and they are life. I am sure that the words given will prove a foundation for all to believe-for the words that manifest are God.

The word beginning is a most miraculous word. Beginning is the embodiment of Christ the Word of Life, who is God, as are other words in the Bible; such as, ending, light, life, word, spirit, etc. Jesus said he is the beginning and the ending. It is true that each of the above words can be used in a worldly sense, e.g., the spirit of a team, the light from a bulb, the ending of a pier, the life of a ball bearing; but, in the word of God, these words with biblical meanings are the all powerful eternal existence of man, the saving grace of God. When Jesus says he is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the ending, he is aware of the content of any previous words given. Remember, it is through Jesus, the light of the world (kosmos) that everything was made. Jesus is the beginning and everything came from the beginning and resides within the beginning. The word in, in the phrase, In the beginning in Genesis 1:1, therefore, is required to mean within, inside in the midst of that which is the beginning.