Thus, in accepting the PhUonie idea. St. John does not commit himself to the i>recise interjneta- tion that Philo placed on it ; on the contrary, whether consciously or not, he departs from the characteristic lines of Philo's thinking. The differ- ences, however, do not alter the main fact that he rested his accoimt of the Christian revelation on a hyix)thesis which was metaphysical rather than religious. The Jesus who had appeared in history was identified ^^■ith the Logos of philosophy, and this identification involved an entirely new reading of His Person and life. St. John does not. indeetl, press to its full extent his theory that the Logos became manifest in Christ. Behind hi> speculation there is always the remembrance of the actual life, which had arrested him as it had done the first disciples, and been to him the time revelation of God. His worship is directed in the last resort not to the Logos whom he discovers in Jesus, but to Jesus Himself. Nevertheless the acceptance of the Logos idea inifvoses on him a mode of thought which is often alien to his deeper religious instinct. On the one hand, he conceives of Jesus as reveal- ing God to men and lifting them to a higher life by His ethical personality. On the other hand, he is compelled to interpret the work of Je^us in terms of metaphysic. God was manifest in Him because He was Himself the Logos, and the life He imparled was the Divine life, ditierent in essence from that of man. The Gospel wavers throughout between these two parallel interpreta- tions of the life of Christ, — that suggested by the history and that required by the Logos hypothesis. Superficially the two conceptions are drawn to- gether, but they are disparate by their very nature and will not admit of a true reconciliation.
St. John does not concern himself with the questions that arose in later theology regarding the nature of the union between the Logos and the human Jesus. He assumes the union as a fact incapable of further definition. • The Word became flesh," appeared in Jesus as a hiunan per- .sonality. How and when this Incarnation was etlected, to what extent the Divine nature in Christ could be distinguished from the human. — these are questions which he does not try to answer, and which he probably never asked him- self. His silence is mainly to be explained by the practical intention with which he ^Tote his Gospel. It was not his purpose to discuss the Di^^nity of Christ as a theological idea, but to impress it on liis readers as a fact, by the knowledge of which 'they might have life' (20*M. At the >ame tune, the problems which came to light in the course of later controversy are all legitimately suggested by the simple thesis 'the Word became flesh.' From St. Johns silence in regard to them we are com- jjelled to infer that he did not reason out his doctrine with any fulness or clearness. He had set himself to combine ideas which in themselves were radically incompatible, and succeeded in doing so only by a certain confusion of thought.
3. The Evangelist, tlien. sets out from the fact that the historical Jesus was also the Di\"ine Logos. In the Iwdy of the Gospel this hypothesis is never directly alluded to. but it is assiuned throughout and modifies profoundly the wliole picture of the earthly life of Jesus. (1) Peculiar
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LOGOS
LONELI^Tj^SS
stress is laid on His miracles as the ' signs ' by which He 'manifested forth his glory." The motive of compassion, to M'hich the miracles are for the most part ascribed by tlie Sj'noptic writers, falls into tlie background. They are regarded as sheer exhibitions of power, intended by Jesus to inspire belief in His Divine claims. The marvel- lous element is uniformly heightened, in such a manner as to preclude all natural explanations.
(2) Apart from direct works of miracle, certain attributes are assigned to Jesus which witness to His possession of tlie Logos nature. He partakes even on earth of the Divine omniscience (1'*^ 2-° 4" II"). He ajjpears where He will, with something of a Divine omnipresence (6^* 8''' 9*'). Tliere is a majesty about His Person which quells and over- awes (7*' 12-1 jg6^ ^jj impression is borne home on us in every episode of the history that, while He dwelt with men. He was a heavenly being, who could exercise at will the prerogatives of God.
(3) The aloofness of Jesus, as of one who belonged to a ditierent world, is everywhere brought into strong relief. In the Synoptic narratives, what separates Him from other men is His matchless wisdom and moral purity. St. John ascribes to Him a radical difference of nature. He does not parti- cipate in human weaknesses and distresses (even His sorrow over Lazarus is that of a Divine being who stands ajmrt and contemplates the tragedy of our mortal lot). In His intercourse with the dis- ciples He is conscious all the time that He has come from God and returns to God (13^ ■*). (4) A still more striking emphasis is laid on the absolute freedom, the self-determination of Jesus. While submitting for a time to eartlily limitations, He vindicates His higher nature by acting in every- thing on His own sovereign will, without com- p>ilsion from without (2^ 6'- •* 7® 11^). From the beginning He has fixed His 'hour,' and Himself ordains all the conditions that Avill lead up to it. His enemies are impotent until the hour willed by Himself has come (7*^ 8-"), and meanwhile He goes about His work in perfect security (IP). In this well-marked strain of Johannine thought we have little difficulty in discerning the influence of the Logos idea, penetrating tlie actual reminiscence of tiie life of Christ. (5) The Logos character of Jesus, which is thus illustrated on various sides by His actions, comes to clear expression in His spoken words. These are concerned almost wliolly with the assertion, under many different types and forms, of the Divine significance of the Speaker Himself. Hence the jjeculiar value which is ascribed to them (6"^- ^ 15^). They convey more clearly and emphatically than actions could do the inner secret of our Lord's personality. Being Himself the Logos, one in essence with God, He had power to impart the higher life (.see Word).