Listening to the Multilingual God: John's PrologueSample

 "He was with God in the beginning"

—John 1:2

The concept of the Trinity—one God in three persons—is difficult to grasp, though it is a central pillar of our worldwide faith. Even after endless theological attempts to explain this mysterious part of God's nature, it remains a mystery. It's one of those concepts where the limits of our own realm of experience box us in. We've simply never encountered one person in three, or three persons in one.

Still, the Yakan and Western Bukidnon Manobo languages—both spoken in the Philippines but linguistically unrelated to each other—might very well have some breadcrumbs for us in our quest to comprehend the incomprehensible nature of the Trinity.

Virtually all English translations of John 1:2 agree in how they translate the first phrase of this verse: "He was with God." While this is a good reflection of the Greek text (Houtos ēn pros ton Theon), some languages need to express the Greek text in a less abstract and more tangible sense. Yakan and Western Bukidnon Manobo translate this little phrase as "(He) was the companion of God."

Now, it's important to understand that the "companion" translations were not translation choices based on an effort to make the text more understandable, or to fit a specific translation philosophy (like the difference between, say, The Message and the English Standard Version translations). They were rooted in the requirements of the languages themselves, in how these languages could tangibly and accurately express the concept of "was with God." 

What added significance can you glean from seeing Jesus as the "companion" of God from the beginning of time? How does this change your understanding of the relationships within the Trinity? What does companionship in the very nature of God mean for our fellowship with him?