“IN THE BEGINNING (arche: the origin) was the WORD.” (John 1:1) Those words “in the beginning” in Greek are identical to the first three words of the Bible: “IN THE BEGINNING, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). The beginning of the Old and New testaments and their EXTREME IMPORTANCE to us, were proceeded by Jesus Christ our Lord! Before the world was created The Godhead, God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit were present, “For there are THREE that bear record in heaven, the FATHER, the WORD, and the HOLY GHOST: and these THREE ARE ONE.” (1 John 5:7) Note: This scripture was found in the “Textus Receptus” KJV, which came under attack by Arians and other DENIERS OF CHRIST’S DEITY. Due to this early and unrelenting violence against God’s revealed word in this verse, it is missing from the majority of Greek manuscripts (though not all).
Remember what Peter said, “…scoffers (empaiktēs: mockers false teachers) will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “WHERE IS THE PROMISE of His coming?” (2 Peter 3:3-4) And Timothy teaches us, “Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will FALL AWAY from the true faith; they will follow deceitful spirits and teachings that come from demons.” (1 Tim. 4:1)
So, what do we do to overcome these lies? God instructed Moses to give this to us so we could be overcomers! “And these words which I command you today shall be IN YOUR HEART. You shall TEACH THEM DILIGENTLY to your children, and shall TALK OF THEM when you SIT in your house, when you WALK by the way, when you LIE DOWN, and when you RISE UP. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Deut. 6:6-9) David said, “I have HIDDEN YOUR WORD IN MY HEART that I might not sin against you.” (Psa. 119:11) We put God’s Word in our heart because, “…the word of God is LIVING and POWERFUL, and SHARPER than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a DISCERNER (kritikos: discover, become aware) of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Heb. 4:12) But, even more importantly, “ALL Scripture is GOD–BREATHED and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17 NIV)
-Bill Stockham