John 1:1 — "The Word Was God"

Presbyterian Church in America affirms the traditional reading of John 1:1 as definitively establishing that the Word (Logos) who became incarnate in Jesus is eternally and fully God. The verse is foundational to Reformed Christology and Trinitarian theology. 'And the Word was God' is read as a clear assertion of the Son's full deity, coequal and coeternal with the Father.

The PCA's Westminster Standards ground the church's theology in classical Reformed orthodoxy. John 1:1 is cited as scriptural support for the doctrine of the Trinity and the deity of Christ. The incarnation is understood as the eternal God assuming human nature — not a creature elevated to deity, but God becoming human.

For the PCA, this verse stands as one of the pillars of Christian doctrine. The deity of Christ is non-negotiable in PCA theology and is affirmed clearly in the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, and the Canons of Dordt, all influential in Reformed tradition.