Both And
From בית מלך, Yochanan (The Good News According to John) Introduction & Chapter 1:
The author explains to us that the Jewish Targums, written down in the 1st through 7th centuries CE, translated the Hebrew scriptures for the Aramaic-speaking populace. In these translations, "God" is often delineated as "the Word of God" and the like. Because to the Jewish mind, God is BOTH the Ineffable AND the Word:
"In stating that 'the Word was with the God, and God was that Word' Yochanan is expressing the Hebrew understanding of 'both and' rather than the limited Greco-Roman thinking of 'either or'. In this respect Yochanan’s Gospel establishes itself in Biblical Hebrew thought from the outset. Therefore, failing to understand Yochanan’s words from a Hebraic mindset will lead to misinterpretation and limited understanding on the part of the student of this Gospel."
God is the whole party--His stuff AND our stuff. From invisible power to experience-facilitating particles, from non-existence to existence, from breath (Spirit) to manifestation of action, GOD IS ALL LEVELS AND ALL FORMS OF EVERYTHING. There isn't anything else. And He gets things done by speaking HIS word, which is also Him. Which, not having any mouth, is a pretty good trick. God's SPEAKING is His essential connotation manifesting, the Milta (Miltha), the "Word." He is BOTH THE SPEAKER AND THE SPOKEN, BOTH THE CAUSE AND THE EFFECT. The Ineffable wears all the hats he wants to, John, for He is all the Jehovahs in the picture.
More from the article linked above:
"if the word of the Lord will be my help, and will keep me, the word of the Lord shall be my God:” -Paraphrase Genesis 28:20 Onkelos (35-120 CE/AD)
The second century Targums of Yonatan and Yerushalayim paraphrase certain texts as referring to the Memra (Word):
"I will cause the glory of my Shekinah to dwell among you, and my word shall be your God, the Redeemer;” -Targum Yonatan Leviticus 26:12
"out of thee, before me, shall come forth the Messiah, that he may exercise dominion over Israel; whose name is said from eternity, from the days of old.” -Targum Yonatan Micah 5:2
"ye have made the word of the Lord king over you this day, that he may be your God:” -Targum Yerushalayim Deuteronomy 26:17
“He (Yeshua) is wrapped in a garment immersed in blood, and He is called by the name Ho-Logos[G] (Ha-Davar[H]) the Word, Ho-Theos[G] (Ha-Elohim[H]) the God.” -Revelation 19:13 (Author’s translation) (and my strike-throughs).
"and the word of the Lord created man in his likeness.” -Targum Yerushalayim Genesis 1:27
"and the word of the Lord God said, behold the man whom I have created, is the only one in the world.” -Targum Yerushalayim Genesis 3:22
"the eternal God is an habitation, by whose word the world was made.” -Onkelos (NB the Eternal God is a habitation--a consciousness?)
"yea, by my word I have founded the earth:” -Targum Yonatan Isaiah 48:13
“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.” -Hebrews 11:3 KJV
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Interesting article, no? By the JEWISH interpretation, God is "both" the Ineffable, the Breath, "and" the Word of God. This "essential connotation" of the Ineffable is ALWAYS THE SAME--YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOR EVER, AND is saying, "Come unto Me" (Matthew 11:28).
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