Video Debate among Biblical Unitarians on John’s Prologue

Video Debate among Biblical Unitarians on John’s Prologue

Recently I wrote a blog post about the divide among Biblical Unitarians concerning the meaning of John’s prologue. It appears that the new interpretation being offered reflects the difficulties that many in the movement are facing as they attempt to engage Trinitarians on this passage. I recently came across the below video debate among Biblical Unitarians on this issue. (If the embedded video does not play on your device, it can be viewed on YouTube here: Discussion on John 1 with Bill Schlegel, Dr. Andrew Perry)

The debate has Anthony Buzzard and Carlos Xavier vs. Bill Schlegel and Andrew Perry. All are Biblical Unitarians. The topic of discussion concerns two main points:

1. Whether the Word (Logos) in John’s prologue is a Person (Schlegel/Perry) or God’s divine Plan (Buzzard/Xavier).

2. Whether the clause “In the beginning” refers to the Genesis creation (Buzzard/Xavier) or the beginning of the restored (new) creation (Schlegel/Perry).

In my opinion, Bill Schlegel and Andrew Perry are right that Logos must be a Person in John 1, the Son of God. Anthony Buzzard and Carlos Xavier are right that “In the beginning” must refer to the Genesis creation. But they are in a stalemate, as each side shows that the other is wrong on opposite points. If Biblical Unitarians would be willing to even consider slaughtering their own sacred cow (the denial of a pre- human origin for the Son of God), all of the exegetical problems completely disappear.

3 thoughts on “Video Debate among Biblical Unitarians on John’s Prologue”

  1. Your post here reminded me of something that I have been looking into. You may find it worth exploring. Two resources I have stumbled upon:

    1) Evidence of a possible literary source of the gospels that points to an original Hebrew source (including John).
    https://www.hebrewgospels.com/john

    In the beginning the Son was Eloah. The Son of El was both with El, and the Son of El was Eloah. This one was in the beginning with El. All things were made by him; and without him nothing was made, which was made. For he is life – this life is the lamp of men. And the lamp does shine in gloom; but gloom and darkness do not have power over it. El sent a certain man – his name was Yochanan. This one came for a witness, in order to give witness from afar.

    2) I haven’t purchased this book yet… but I want to. https://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Targums-Johns-Logos-Theology/dp/0801047595/

    Sidenote – the deeper I dig in my studies, the more I see an early seed of corruption that is placed into the church by hellenistic thought, reaching an early peak in gnosticism – but still plagues the church today. https://www.liquisearch.com/logos/neoplatonism

    1. Yes, there certainly was early corruption from Greek philosophical sources. That is evident as early as 1 Cor. 15 where some Christians even began to deny the resurrection of the body, no doubt because of Platonism. But there was also corruption from both Jewish mysticism and legalism. Paul had to fight against all of these.

      I am aware of the Jewish Targums’ as showing a common Jewish source for the Logos theology. https://www.4windsfellowships.net/articles/God/Logos_Judaism.pdf

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