καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος.
The imperfect or "past" tense ἦν is problematic if one wishes to argue that θεὸς here is a reference to God (as in the Almighty). In Scripture even when a past time frame is in view when it comes to God, he is declared to be God using the present tense. In other words, had the author of John 1:1 believed "the Word" to be the Almighty, he would have written the following instead:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word is God."
Take a look at Psalm 90:2 (LXX 89:2) for instance:
Not "you were (ἦς) God."
The imperfect or "past" tense ἦν is problematic if one wishes to argue that θεὸς here is a reference to God (as in the Almighty). In Scripture even when a past time frame is in view when it comes to God, he is declared to be God using the present tense. In other words, had the author of John 1:1 believed "the Word" to be the Almighty, he would have written the following instead:
Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἐστὶν ὁ λόγος.
Take a look at Psalm 90:2 (LXX 89:2) for instance:
πρὸ τοῦ ὄρη γενηθῆναι καὶ πλασθῆναι τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος σὺ εἶ
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God.
Comment