Wednesday, May 1, 2019

David Yarn on the Gospel of John and the "High Christology" in LDS Discourse


In a fascinating essay entitled, “Some Metaphysical Reflections on the Gospel of John,” David Yarn, then-professor of philosophy at BYU, wrote the following, showing the “high Christology” among Latter-day Saints, one that has been part-and-parcel of LDS discourse and theology all throughout our history, not just a development to seem more “mainstream”:

Being

First, let us consider perhaps the most basic of all philosophic concepts, being. This word is the noun form of the verb “to be.” “To be” ordinarily means “to exist.” For something to exist or to be means that it is. In case the “it” happens to refer to a person one would more properly say he is. The comparable form in the first person singular is I am. This is the name Jesus used in an encounter with the Jews who claimed to identify themselves with Abraham. In maintaining his priority to Abraham, Jesus said, “Before Abraham was, I am.” (John 8:58.) Here Jesus referred to himself in the same language used in the revelation to Moses at the burning bush: “I AM THAT I AM . . .Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” (Exodus 3:14.) Of course, this statement has the force of saying, I am he who is.

Jesus used the phrase “I am” in many statements to his disciples, in John’s book, We all use the phrase “I am” extensively; however, the “I am” statements of Jesus are of great ontological significance; for example, he says to the Samaritan woman regarding the Messiah, “I that speak unto thee am he.” (John 4:26.) To others he said, “I am the bread of life” (Ibid., 6:35), “I am the living bread” (Ibid., 6:51), “I am the light of the world” (Ibid, 8:12), “I am the door of the sheep” (Ibid., 10:7), “I am the resurrection, and the life” (Ibid., 11:25), “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am” (Ibid., 13:13), “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (Ibid., 14:6), and “I am the vine, ye are the branches.” (Ibid., 15:5.)

Implicit in all of these statements is the idea that Jesus has a secure ontological status. He, in his own, being, is living bread, light, the door, the resurrection, the life, the way, the truth, the vine, the Lord, the Master, the Messiah.

Of course, the preface to John’s Gospel, already alluded to, relates importantly to what I am saying. It identifies Jesus as the Word, who was made flesh, and dwelled among men (Ibid., 1:14), and as he who made all things. (Ibid., 1:3.) Also the preface says, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.” (Ibid., 1:4.)

These statements are consistent with the others just cited which come from various parts of John’s Gospel on the point that being is in some way inherent in Jesus. Of Jesus, to say he is, is not enough for “isness” in Jesus implies so many things beyond mere existence. Jesus not merely is, he is God. To be is one thing, to be God is quite another. As stated earlier, we all say, “I am;” Jesus said, “I am he.”

The priority of Jesus is asserted by John in the opening sentences of his book. He said: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God.” (Ibid., 1:1-2.)  Therefore, from the outset John identifies Jesus as the Word, says that he was with God in the beginning, and that he was God. And then, as it were, to be sure that although Jesus is God, he would not be confused with the Father, he repeated, “The same was in the beginning with God.” (Ibid., 1:2.) (David H. Yarn, Jr., The Gospel: God, Man, and Truth [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Company, 1965], 182-83)