Sunday, March 19, 2006

Philo's Logos, the Second God

"No mortal thing could have been formed on the similitude of the supreme Father of the universe, but only after the pattern of the Second Deity, who is the Word of the Supreme Being..."
--Philo, Questions and Answers on Genesis 2:62
Philo's Greek is clear: The Logos (The Word) is a second god (Deuteros Theos), not the same being as God the Father, although both are identified as Yahweh. One (the Word) is inferior to the other (the Father):
"But he who is superior to the Word holds his rank..."
--Philo, Questions and Answers on Genesis 2:62
In context, Philo says these two things concerning the beginning of creation.
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
--John 1:1, ASV
Our 1st Century Hellenistic-Jewish friend, Philo, would agree. He would say Yahweh is numerically two gods, the second god (the Word) was with God in the beginning, and both are God.

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