What Does “Logos” Mean in the Bible?
Quick Summary
In the Bible, “logos” is a Greek word meaning “word,” “message,” or “reason.” In John’s Gospel, it carries a deeper theological meaning: the Logos is the eternal Word of God who becomes flesh in Jesus Christ. The term blends biblical revelation with the philosophical language of the ancient world, revealing Jesus as God’s self-expression—creating, sustaining, illuminating, and redeeming.
Introduction
Some words in Scripture rise off the page and capture our attention. “Logos” is one of them. It appears throughout the New Testament, but its most famous use is in John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
John reaches for this word because it sits at the intersection of two worlds. For Jewish readers, “the Word” recalled God’s creative, life-giving speech. For Greek readers, logos carried philosophical depth, pointing to order, meaning, and the rational structure of the universe.
John takes that entire landscape and says: the Logos is a person. The Logos becomes flesh. The Logos is Jesus.
Read More: The Logos and Creation: Understanding John 1:1-5
The Meaning of “Logos” in its Biblical Context
Logos as Speech and Revelation
In everyday Greek, logos meant:
a spoken word
a message
an explanation
an account or reason
In the Old Testament, God’s “word” (dabar in Hebrew) was active. When God spoke, creation began. When God spoke through prophets, light broke into darkness. John uses logos to draw a straight line from God’s creative speech to the One who now walks among us.
Logos as Creative Power
John begins his Gospel with deliberate echoes of Genesis:
“In the beginning…”
Just as God spoke light into existence, John declares that all things were made through the Logos. Creation responds to the Word because creation came from the Word.
Logos as the Light That Reveals
John describes the Logos as the true light that shines in the darkness. This echoes the prophets, who proclaimed the Word as a lamp, a guide, and a source of life. In Christ, revelation is not just received—it is embodied.
Logos and Ancient Philosophy
John’s use of logos also engages the thought-world of his time. Greek philosophers used logos to describe:
the rational principle ordering the universe
the divine logic behind nature
the inner coherence of reality
John does not reject these ideas; he redirects them. The ordering principle behind all things is not abstract. It has a name, a face, and a voice.
Where philosophy spoke of meaning, John spoke of a Messiah.
See Also: Craig R. Koester’s The Word of Life: A Theology of John’s Gospel gives a clear treatment of why John uses logos and how it is connected to God’s creative word.
The Logos Becomes Flesh
John’s most startling claim is that the Logos “became flesh and lived among us.” This is the heart of Christian faith—God does not remain distant. God speaks in a way we can touch.
The infinite becomes finite. The eternal steps into time. The Word that called galaxies into being cries in a manger, walks dusty roads, and offers himself in love.
This is not a metaphor. It is the incarnation.
Logos in the Rest of the New Testament
Although John uses logos in a uniquely Christ-centered way, the term appears across the New Testament with additional shades of meaning.
The preached gospel is called the “word” (logos) of truth.
The message of the cross is the logos of God’s power.
Apostolic teaching is described as the logos of Christ.
Believers are called to hold fast to the logos of life.
Even when not referring specifically to Jesus, logos always carries a sense of revelation—God speaking, God revealing, God drawing near.
The Old Testament Background: Dabar
Behind John’s Greek word stands the Hebrew dabar, which means:
word
command
promise
event
In Hebrew thought, God’s word does not merely inform—it performs. This background helps shape John’s claim: the Word does not simply describe God’s work; the Word is God’s work.
What “Logos” Reveals About Jesus
The term logos shows us several truths about who Jesus is:
1. Jesus is eternal
He is not created. He is present with God from the beginning.
2. Jesus is divine
“The Word was God.” John leaves no ambiguity.
3. Jesus is the agent of creation
All things come into being through him.
4. Jesus is the source of life
“In him was life, and the life was the light of all people.”
5. Jesus reveals God
To see Jesus is to see the Father’s heart.
6. Jesus bridges heaven and earth
The divine Word becomes human so humanity may know God.
These truths sit inside the single word logos.
Theological Significance of “Logos” Today
The richness of this word continues to shape Christian faith.
It grounds the belief that God is not silent.
It affirms Jesus as the center of God’s communication.
It unites creation, revelation, and redemption in one person.
It comforts believers with the truth that God speaks hope into chaos.
It calls the church to live as people shaped by the Word.
When we read Scripture, pray, preach, or gather for worship, we encounter the same Word who spoke creation into being.
FAQ
What does “logos” literally mean?
It means “word,” “message,” “reason,” or “account,” depending on context.
Why did John call Jesus the Word?
Because Jesus is God’s self-expression—revealing, creating, and redeeming.
Is “logos” a philosophical term?
Yes, but John reshapes it to reveal the personal, relational nature of God in Christ.
How does “logos” relate to the Old Testament?
It echoes the Hebrew idea of God’s powerful, active, creative Word.
Is “logos” only used for Jesus?
Mostly in John’s Gospel, but elsewhere it can refer to the gospel message or divine teaching.
