A critical study of the translations of logos in John 1:1 and 14

Jonathan E. T. Kuwornu-Adjaottor

Department of Religious Studies Faculty of Social Sciences Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana

E-mail: jettete@yahoo.com; jkadjaottor@gmail.com; Tel.: +233 (0) 244 564 079; +233 (0) 208 093 350

Accepted 07 January, 2013

Abstract

This paper is the study of the translations of logos in John 1:1 and 14. Traditionally, the logos have been translated as the “Word” to conform to Hellenistic and Jewish thoughts. A critical study of the Greek text and some Ghanaian mother-tongue translations of the Prologue of the Gospel of John reveal that, the logos can also be translated as Jesus. The context of John 1 and the entire Johannine Gospel confirm this translation. The study even though is limited in that it does not look at the other Johannine texts in which the logos appears -1John1:1; Revelation 19:13 - it is of value because translating the logos as Jesus fits into the contexts of Ghanaian mother-tongue Bible reading communities who must answer the question Jesus poses to his followers: “Who do you say I (Jesus) am?” (Matthew 16:15). Further, such a translation of the logos fulfils the evangelistic aim of the Gospel of John – believing in Jesus for who he is, what he has done and still does.

Keywords: Logos, Christ, Jesus, Word, God, mother-tongue Biblical interpretation, Bible translation philosophies.