By Water & Blood

Panarion 51, Chapter 12: John’s Gospel and the eternal Word

But I will come to the matter at hand. For although Luke carried the genealogies up from below to what is above and reached the point of making clear the presence of the God Word from above together with his incarnate economy, so as to turn the deceived away from their error, they did not understand.

Therefore later the Holy Spirit compels John—who declined to evangelize out of reverence and humility—in his old age, after ninety years of his life, after the return from Patmos that took place under Claudius Caesar, and after sufficient years of his dwelling in Asia, to set forth the gospel.

And he had no need to speak in detail about the incarnate presence; for that had already been secured. But as one walking behind certain people and seeing them ahead and having given themselves over to the roughest places, to wandering and thorny ground, he took thought to call them back to a straight road, and securing himself he sent word to them and said: Why do you wander? Where are you turning? Where are you going astray, Cerinthus and Ebion and the others? It is not as you suppose.

Yes, Christ was born according to the flesh—that is clear; for behold, I myself confess that the Word became flesh. But do not suppose that he has existed only from when he became flesh; for he is not from the times of Mary only, as each of us exists from when we are born, and before being born does not exist.

But the holy God Word, the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, is not from the times of Mary only, nor from the times of Joseph only, nor of Heli nor of Levi nor of Zerubbabel nor of Shealtiel nor of Nathan nor of David nor from Jacob nor from Isaac nor from the times of Abraham nor Noah nor Adam nor from the fifth day nor from the fourth day nor from the third nor from when the world was, but “In the beginning

was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things came to be through him, and without him not even one thing came to be that has come to be,” and what follows. “And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us,

and we beheld him.” Then: “There came a man sent from God; his name was John. This one came for a witness, that he might bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but that he might bear witness about the light. There was the true light, which enlightens every human being coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came to be through him, and the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own did not receive him. But as many as received him, to them he gave authority to become children of God; who were born not of blood and flesh, but of God.

And the Word,” he says, “became flesh, and dwelt among us. John bears witness and cries out, saying, ‘This was he of whom I said to you’”; and that “From his fullness we all received.” And he says, “I am not the Christ, but a voice of one crying in the wilderness.”