The doctrine of the "Wisdom of God" is undoubtedly set forth in the same sense in the book of Proverbs (see a particularly remarkable passage in Proverbs 8:22-30). After this, it is strange to assert, as some do, that St. John borrowed his teaching about the Logos from the philosophy of Plato and his followers, in particular Philo. St. John wrote about what he knew from the sacred books of the Old Testament and what he the beloved disciple, learned from his Divine Teacher Himself and what was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit.

"In the beginning was the Word" means that the Word is co-eternal with God, and St. John goes on to explain that the Word is not separated from God in relation to His being, and that, consequently, He is of one essence with God, and, finally, he directly calls the Word God: "And the Word was God." Here the word "God" is used in Greek without a co-articulation, and this gave rise to the Arians and Origen to assert that the Word is not the same God as God the Father. However, this is just a misunderstanding. In fact, here is hidden the deepest thought about the non-merging of the persons of the Most Holy Trinity. The absence of a joint indicates that it is about the same subject that was discussed before; therefore, if the Evangelist had used the co-term "O Theos" (in Greek) in the phrase "The Word was God", then the wrong idea would have been obtained that the "Word" is the same God the Father of Whom we have spoken above. Therefore, speaking of the Word, the Evangelist calls Him simply "Theos", thereby indicating His Divine dignity, but also emphasizing at the same time that the Word has an independent hypostatic existence, and is not identical with the hypostasis of God the Father.

As Bl. St. Theophylact, St. John, revealing to us the teaching about the Son of God, calls Him the Word, and not the Son, "so that when we hear about the Son, we do not think about a passionate and carnal birth. For this reason I called Him the Word, so that you might know that just as the Word is born of the mind without passion, so He is born of the Father without passion."

The words "all things were made through Him" do not mean that the Word was only an instrument in the creation of the world, but that the world came from the First Cause and First Source of all existence (including the Word Himself) – God the Father through the Son, Who in Himself is already the source for everything that was made (was), but not for Himself and not for the other persons of the Godhead.

"In Him was life" does not mean life in the ordinary sense of the word, but spiritual life, which impels rational beings to strive to the Author of their existence, to God. This spiritual life is given only through communion and union with the hypostatic Word of God. The Word, therefore, is the source of genuine spiritual life for every rational creature.

"And life was a light unto men" means that this spiritual life, which proceeds from the Word of God, enlightens man with full, perfect knowledge.

"And the light shines in the darkness..." The Word, which gives people the light of true knowledge, does not cease to guide them even in the midst of sinful darkness, but this light is not received by darkness; People who persist in sin chose to remain in the darkness of spiritual blindness. But "darkness did not envelop him [the light]" — did not limit his action and spread.

Then the Word took extraordinary measures to unite people in sinful darkness to His divine light: John the Baptist was sent, and finally the Word itself became flesh.

"There was a man sent from God; his name is John" — "was" in Greek it is said "egeneto" ("became"), and not "in", as it is said about the Word; that is, John "came into being," was born in time, and did not exist eternally as the Word. "He was not a light, but was sent to bear witness to the Light." That is, the Prophet John the Baptist was not an original light, but shone only with the reflected light of that one True Light, which by Itself "enlightens every man who comes into the world."

The world did not know the Word, although it owes its existence to Him. "He came to his own," that is, to his chosen people Israel, "and his own did not receive him"—not all, of course.

"And to those who received Him" by faith and love, He "gave them the power to become children of God," that is, He gave them the beginning of a new spiritual life, which, like the carnal, also begins through birth, but not from carnal lust, but from God, by power from above.

"And the Word was made flesh." The flesh here does not mean one human body, but the whole, complete man, in the sense in which the word "flesh" is often used in Scripture (e.g., Matt. 24:22). That is, the Word became a complete and perfect man, but without ceasing to be God. "And it dwelt among us, full of grace and truth." By grace we must understand both the goodness of God and the gifts of God's goodness, which open people access to a new spiritual life, i.e. the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Word, dwelling among us, was also filled with Truth, the perfect knowledge of everything that concerns the spiritual world and spiritual life.

"And we saw His glory, the glory as the only begotten of the Father." The Apostles did indeed see His glory in His transfiguration, resurrection, and ascension into heaven; glory in His teachings, miracles, works of love and voluntary self-abasement. He is "the only-begotten of the Father," for He alone is the Son of God in essence, in His divine nature. These words indicate His immeasurable superiority over the sons and children of God by grace, believing people, of which it was said above. (Note by Protopresbyter Michael Pomazansky).

The attention of every Christian who is familiar with the Bible is attracted by the parallel between the beginning of the Old Testament book of Genesis and the beginning of the Gospel of John from their very first word. We will also focus on this parallel.