Affirms
The Word is fully divine; John 1:1 affirms Christ's eternal deity
Southern Baptist theology affirms the traditional Christian reading of John 1:1 as proclaiming the full divinity of the Logos. Christ is confessed as the eternal Word of God, coequal with the Father. The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 (BFM2000) affirms that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, fully divine and fully human.
Baptist biblical interpretation treats John 1:1 as foundational to Christology and as clear evidence against Arian, Unitarian, and other non-Trinitarian readings. The passage is central to evangelical Baptist faith and preaching.
Key Distinctions
- Logos divinity:
- fully divine; coequal with the Father
- Incarnation:
- Creation role:
Scripture References
Sources
- Baptist Faith and Message 2000, Article II.B
- Charles Spurgeon, John 1:1 (1891)