The Word of God (Logos)

Logos is the Greek word for "word," "reason," or "logic" — used in the prologue of John's Gospel to identify Jesus Christ as the eternal Word of God: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). The Logos is the second Person of the Trinity, the eternal expression of the Father's self-knowledge, who became flesh in the Incarnation (CCC 241, 291).

The Philosophical Background

In Greek philosophy, particularly Stoicism, the logos was the rational principle ordering the universe — the divine reason immanent in all things. The Jewish philosopher Philo used logos to describe God's creative Word. John's prologue takes this familiar concept and makes a stunning claim: the Logos is not an abstract principle but a Person — and that Person became human in Jesus of Nazareth (CCC 241).

The Logos in John's Prologue

"In the beginning was the Word" — before creation, the Logos existed eternally with the Father. "The Word was with God" — the Logos is distinct from the Father, a real Person. "The Word was God" — the Logos shares the full divine nature. "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us" — the Incarnation (John 1:1–14; CCC 241).

The Logos and Creation

All things were made through the Logos (John 1:3). Creation is not random — it bears the rational structure of the divine Word who made it. This is why the universe is intelligible to human reason: human reason participates in the divine Logos who is the source and ground of all rationality (CCC 295).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is "the Word of God" the same as the Bible? Both Jesus Christ and Sacred Scripture are called "the Word of God" — but in different senses. Christ is the eternal, personal Word; Scripture is the written Word that bears witness to him. Christ is the content; Scripture is the inspired record. The two are related but not identical (CCC 101–104).