John 1:2-3

He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

John 1:2-3

The second verse kinda puts two parts from the first verse together.  In verse 1 we read "in the beginning was the Word" and "the Word was with God".  Put together is simply verse two: "He was in the beginning with God".  I'm not sure if this is simply a repetition and doesn't really add anything.  I guess sometimes saying things again in a bit of a different way helps round out the truth of what is being said.  This is probably true as we move on to look at verse three.

In verse three we read that all things were made through him.  Him is still referring to Jesus (the Word).  However, it isn't left at that.  It goes on to say that "without him was not anything made that was made".  So, just in case you might think that there was something that was made apart from Jesus, it is made clear here in the text.  Though, "all things" doesn't necessarily leave much wiggle room, perhaps saying it from the opposite side is still valuable.

Some may argue that this is obviously omitting the creation of Jesus himself.  However, I don't think that's the case.  The text doesn't leave much room for that even if you might think it's implied.  If everything was made through him, that would count himself if he was made.  How could he himself be made apart from himself?  This leaves the fact that Jesus is eternal and has always existed.  He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.

The fact that all things were made through him further supports the fact that Jesus is God.  Going back to Genesis 1, we read that "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth".  If all things were made through Jesus and it says that God created the heavens and the earth, doesn't that mean that Jesus is God?  We could even reference Colossians 1 where we read this verse:

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him

Colossians 1:16

It is by him, through him and for him that all things were created, including the heavens and the earth.

I've always wondered if people hold the position that God used Jesus in order to create all these things.  So, instead of claiming that Jesus is God, one might say that God created all things and he created all things through Jesus.  So, all things were created by both God and Jesus and when the bible says that God created the heavens and the earth, that is true just as it is true to say that it was also created by Jesus.  By doing so, one could claim that Jesus is not God on the basis of verses pointing to the fact that Jesus created these things and is the same as God who created these things.  In any case, that still leaves the very clear statement that "the Word was God" in verse 1, so there's still that hurdle.  I guess a common interpretation is to say that "the word was a god", but I don't buy into that.  To say that the word was "a god" has weird implications.  Is Jesus merely "a god"?  Does he deserve our worship and praise which is only supposed to be for God?  Does he forgive sins that only God can do?  Hm... I'm going a little far off course here...

All things were made through him.  He created all things and thus further supports that he is God because we read how God created the heavens and the earth in Genesis 1:1.