ὁ Λόγος

[Unitarian101]

No, it's not meaningless, I pointed you to the meaning.

Well you can keep deceiving yourself -- for no one uses that expression. Pride coupled with ignorance are a bad combination.

The Word and the Life, per Word commentary.

Can't be both. The postcedent can either be "the Word of life" (τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς , if τῆς ζωῆς is taken as an objective genitive) or it must be "the Word" (τοῦ Λόγου), if the expression is taken as an epexegetical genitive.

I (and the New American Commentary) am following the evident meaning in the context.

But you are not addressing the grammar.

But the use of the masculine article shows that John considers "what was from the beginning" to be personal.

No, the use of the masculine article shows that this is an anaphoric reference to τοῦ Λόγου τῆς ζωῆς in verse 1. Your grammatical ignorance is profound. It seems to me that you are not interested in the truth of what the apostle wrote but rather have taken refuge in self-deception in order to hold on to your 4th century doctrine.

[lee_merrill]

Can't be both. The postcedent can either be "the Word of life" (τοῦ λόγου τῆς ζωῆς , if τῆς ζωῆς is taken as an objective genitive) or it must be "the Word" (τοῦ Λόγου), if the expression is taken as an epexegetical genitive.

Or it can be broader than a single word, and include both the Word of life (v. 1) and the Life (v. 2).

But you are not addressing the grammar.

Well then, take it up with the New American Commentary?

Source: New American Commentary

In v. 5 this Johannine idea is completed as the Life/Light-giver continues to shine (notice the present tense) into the darkness.

© Copyright Original Source

No, the use of the masculine article shows that this is an anaphoric reference to τοῦ Λόγου τῆς ζωῆς in verse 1. Your grammatical ignorance is profound. It seems to me that you are not interested in the truth of what the apostle wrote but rather have taken refuge in self-deception in order to hold on to your 4th century doctrine.

But Bruce would say otherwise: "... and if it is maintained that, despite the neuter gender of the relative pronoun, He is the one who is said to have been 'from the beginning', an analogy to this phrase could also be found in chapter 2, where mention is made of God or Christ as 'him who is from the beginning' (verses 13,14)." (The Epistles of John).

Blessings,
Lee

[Unitarian101]

( A)Or it can be broader than a single word, and include both the Word of life (v. 1) and the Life (v. 2).


Well then, take it up with the New American Commentary?

Source: New American Commentary

In v. 5 this Johannine idea is completed as the Life/Light-giver continues to shine (notice the present tense) into the darkness.

© Copyright Original Source

(B)But Bruce would say otherwise: "... and if it is maintained that, despite the neuter gender of the relative pronoun, He is the one who is said to have been 'from the beginning', an analogy to this phrase could also be found in chapter 2, where mention is made of God or Christ as 'him who is from the beginning' (verses 13,14)." (The Epistles of John).

Blessings,
Lee

[lee_merrill]

Well, I disagree. Bruce disagrees, the commentaries disagree--so maybe we'll have to leave it at that.

Blessings,
Lee

[Unitarian101]

Well, I disagree. Bruce disagrees, the commentaries disagree--so maybe we'll have to leave it at that.

Blessings,
Lee

Only Bruce's commentary makes that "argument" (and I use the word lightly), so I don't know what other commentaries you are alluding to on this score.

Bruce is spitefully contradicting the apostle John. He realizesa masculine noun. Notice however that a neuter pronoun is used to refer to τοῦ Λόγου here (multiple times!), thereby displaying by ad sensum construction that τοῦ Λόγου here is a something and not a someone.

ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, παιδία, ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν Πατέρα. ἔγραψα ὑμῖν, πατέρες, ὅτι ἐγνώκατε τὸν.

points to

Ὃὃ ἀκηκόαμεν, ὃ ἑωράκαμεν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῶν, ὃ ἐθεασάμεθα καὶ αἱ χεῖρες ἡμῶν ἐψηλάφησαν, περὶ τοῦ Λόγου

both are masculine substantives, hence the masculine article τὸν. But notice the neuter pronouns (bold above) -- 4 of them in the same verse. Almost seems as though the apostle was desperate to bring this across to his readers.