What does John 1:1 mean ('the Word was God')?

Question

Scripture Analysis Method · Accepted Answer

John 1:1 states "the Word was God" in the apostle John's own words, but what that phrase means requires a step from the Greek grammar. The text states the Word shared the divine nature; it does not state "the Word is identical to God the Father" nor does it say "the Word is a lesser divine being." Assembled across the prologue and the wider Gospel, the phrase points to the Word being fully divine in nature while personally distinct from the Father, but that conclusion is reached through the grammar and context, not from a single self-interpreting statement. The phrase "the Word was God" is John's own direct statement, but its precise meaning turns on a Greek grammatical feature, the absence of the definite article before "God", which requires interpretation. No single verse states the full conclusion in plain terms; it is assembled from the grammar of John 1:1, the context of the prologue, and converging testimony across multiple authors.