When we turn to the Fourth Gospel, we find this teaching expressed with a fulness and clear- ness of statement which ought not to appear ex- traordinary. There must surely have been an inner side to such a life as we find portrayed from the outside in the Synoptics. If the external accounts give so many indications of a unique relation to God, the revelation of the inner life of the wonderful Personality must display that re- lation with s])ecial clearness. AVliat is truly ex- traordinary is that tiie inner history, as we have it in St. John's Gospel, does not reveal any essen- tial element wliich cannot be found, expressed or implied, in tiie external histories (see above). And tills is tlie more remarkn.lile when Ave consider that tlie mctliod ;ind style of tiie Fourtli Gospel con- trast so strongly witli those of the others.
From St. John we learn Ihen to tliink of our Lord : (1) As One who came from God, with whom He was before, on a mission of mercv to mankind, Jn yii-i-*- iS- n. 31(1'. 524.30.43 (i2i). 32. 33fl'. 62 716.'28 etc. s--<- -12 etc. i628ff,. (2) As One whose re- lation to the Father is essential and uniquo, 313. 18. 34 517. 18. 23. 26 657 816 1015- ^s 147. 11. (y) Ag the onl3-begotten Son of God, 3I6. 18^ and see li-*- is (in v.i« the stronger iu.eK>yivv.i lieo; seems the better reading). (4) As with the Father from all eternity. This may be gathered from h-'is ' Before Abraham was, I am,' and 175- 24 'the glory which I had with thee before the world was,' 'Thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.' These passages justify the e.\traordinaiy language of the I'ro- logue (11--'), 'the Word was with God,' 'tlie same was in the beginning with God ' (^pk tov Hiot). The iyu tlu., of S'""** certainly implies more than mere pre-existence. (5) As one with the Father: 'I and the Father are one ' (lO^O) ; 'All things what- soever the Father hath are mine' (IGi-"') ; 'All things that are mine are thine, and thine are mine ' (IT'O), etc. The V» (one) in 1030 is very remarkable. It signifies essence, as distinguished from person, which would be ii;. The force of it is greatly strengthened by its relation to the conte.xt. Our Lord is declaring His jsower to keep His people. He appeals to the Almighty power of God (v. 29), identifying His own power with it and adding the explanation, ' I and the Father are one." See also 517 1245 147-10 etc.
This classification of passages enables us to pass along an ascending plane of thought to that great doctrine which is so comprehensively and yet so briefly expressed in the Prologue to the Gospel. We learn that the Evangelist intended us to gather that the conception of the Logos which is there pre- sented is the true and necessary implication of our Lord's consciousness of Himself and His work in relation to God and the world.
IL The revelation of God in the Gospels. —
(i.) The Father.— \Ye must never forget that Christianity Avas built upon the foundation of Jewish monotheism. A long providential discip- line had secured to the JeAA'ish people their splendid heritage of faith in the One and Only God. ' Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah : and thou shalt love Jehovah thy God Avith all thine heart, and Avitli all thy soul, and Avith all thy might' (Dt 6^^-)- This Avas the corner-stone of the religion of Israel. These Avere perhaps the most familiar of all sacred Avords to the ears of the pious JeAv. They Avere recited continually. Our Lord Himself liad them frequently in His mind (Mt 2237, ]vik 1229-30, Lk 102'). that He thought of God always as the Supreme One is unquestionable. Indeed the very idea of Fatherhood, Avhich, Avith our Lord, is the characteristic conception, and Avhich is capable of being presented in a Avay Avhich might Aveaken or injure a true monotheism, becomes in His teaching absolutely monotheistic because absolutely universal (see Mt 5'*'- ""^ 7" 8" 1029, Lk 6^5 1329- 30 15). To the Jewish mind, the sovereignty of God Avas the natural and character- istic thought. In our Lord's teaching the Divine Fatherhood overshadoAvs and also transforms the Divine sovereignty, but never threatens to dissolve the pure and splendid monotheism of the original doctrine.
There are three degrees of the Divine Father- hood presented in the teaching of our Lord : God is the universal Father (see retf. given above) ; He is, in a very intimate and special Avay, the Father of the disciples of Jesus (Mt 5^8 G^- ^- 9^- 7", Lk 12=*2 etc. ) ; He is, in the highest, and unique, sense, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (see above).
It is evident that our Lord makes a very clear distinction between His own Sonship and the relationship in which others, even the most faithful of disciples, stand towards God. Yet, in thus setting Himself apart as the Son of God, He was in truth providing that very element which was required to form a connecting link between the Divine and the human. The great danger of monotheism is its tendency towards a transcendence which removes man to an infinite distance : God and man seem to stand apart from one another in hopeless opposition. Such was the tendency of the Jewish conception in the time of our Lord. (See art." ' God (in NT)' by Dr. Sanday in Hastings' DB).