Isaiah 44:24 "alone" and "by myself"

Daniel 10:5-8

New International Version (NIV)

5 I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist.6 His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude.
7 I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. 8 So I was left alone,gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless.

When Daniel said he alone saw the vision, he didn't mean that God didn't see the vision. The narrative was between Daniel and men, God wasn't included in the narrative. Similarly, in Isaiah we find God contrasting himself to the false gods. The narrative didn't include agency. It was a comparison between the false gods and the true God. I found that in the Old Testament the Psalmist said that God alone does wondrous things, but in the New testament I also found God made wonders through the hands of men. God used those men, and those men were not Part of God. (Psalms 72:18; 136:4; cf. Job 9:8; Acts 19:11).

How did God create all things through Jesus?


The only example that I can give is when God divided the sea through the hand of Moses. The power was not from the hand of Moses, because it was from God. Both there hands were involved but it was God's hand that divided the sea. (Read Exodus Chapter 14) So similarly, when God created all things through Jesus, I can say the Father created it by himself and his hands were also involved in the creation. (Psalms 8:3-5; 102:25; cf. Hebrews 1:10; Isaiah 64:8; 66:2) 

See: Does God "alone" forgive sins ?

Revelation 3:14 "The Codex Sinaiticus"

CODEX SINAITICUS (circa. Middle 4^th Century C.E.): “...A handful of singular readings in Sinaiticus make a Christological contribution to the reading of the text. These readings improve the image of Jesus in a substantial way and appear to be consonant with fourth century concerns over the nature of the Son. Such readings include Revelation 3:14, where the scribes alter the universally attested title for Jesus as the “beginning of the creation of God” Gk., ( ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς κτίσεως τοῦ θεοῦ ) to the “beginning of the church of God” Gk., ( ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ θεοῦ ) – a move that eradicates any notion that Jesus might be on par with the created order{33}...” - (Page 348, Scripture and Traditions: Essays on Early Judaism and Christianity "In Honor of Carl R. Holladay” ; SUPPLEMENTS TO NOVUM TESTAMENTUM 129, By Carl R. Holladay, Patrick Gray, Gail R. O'Day 2008.)

See Revelation 3:14: http://www.codexsinaiticus.org/en/

Colossians 1:15 "firstborn" - examples of firstborn that mostly followed by the genitive (of)

 There are many examples of the firstborn[PROTOTOKOS] as a separate,  subordinate, and most of the time the actual first born member of a family. Let us look for examples where it is used mostly followed by the genitive like "of": 

          LXX Genesis 4:4 And Abel also brought of the first born of his sheep
          and of his fatlings, and God looked upon Abel and his gifts,
          LXX Genesis 25:13 And these are the names of the sons of Ismael, according
          to the names of their generations. The firstborn of Ismael, Nabaioth,
          and Kedar, and Nabdeel, and Massam,
          LXX Genesis 27:19 And Jacob said to his father, I, Esau thy
          first-born, have done as thou toldest me; rise, sit, and eat of my
          venison, that they soul may bless me.
          LXX Genesis 35:23 The sons of Lea, the first-born of Jacob; Ruben,
          Symeon, Levi, Judas, Issachar, Zabulon.
          LXX Genesis 36:15 These are the chiefs of the son of Esau, even the sons of
          Eliphas, the first-born of Esau; chief Thaeman, chief Omar, chief
          Sophar, chief Kenez,
          LXX Genesis 38:6 And Judas took a wife for Er his first-born, whose
          name was Thamar.
          LXX Genesis 38:7 And Er, the first-born of Judas, was wicked before
          the Lord; and God killed him.
          LXX Genesis 46:8 And these are the names of the sons of Israel that went
          into Egypt with their father Jacob-- Jacob and his sons. The first-born
          of Jacob, Ruben.
          LXX Genesis 49:3 Ruben, thou art my first-born, thou my strength, and
          the first of my children, hard to be endured, hard and self-willed.
          LXX Exodus 4:22 And thou shalt say to Pharao, These things saith the Lord,
          Israel is my first-born.
          LXX Exodus 6:14 And these are the heads of the houses of their families: the
          sons of Ruben the first-born of Israel; Enoch and Phallus, Asron, and
          Charmi, this is the kindred of Ruben.
          LXX Exodus 11:5 And every first-born in the land of Egypt shall die, from
          the first-born of Pharao that sits on the throne, even to the
          first-born of the woman-servant that is by the mill, and to the
          first-born of all cattle.
          LXX Exodus 12:29 And it came to pass at midnight that the Lord smote all the
          first-born in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharao that
          sat on the throne, to the first-born of the captive-maid in the
          dungeon, and the first-born of all cattle.
          LXX Exodus 13:13 Every offspring opening the womb of the ass thou shalt
          change for a sheep; and if thou wilt not change it, thou shalt redeem it:
          every first-born of man of thy sons shalt thou redeem.
          LXX Exodus 13:15 And when Pharao hardened his heart so as not to send us
          away, he slew every first-born in the land of Egypt, both the first-born
          of man and the first-born of beast; therefore do I sacrifice
          every offspring that opens the womb, the males to the Lord, and every
          first-born of my sons I will redeem.
          LXX Exodus 22:29 Thou shalt not keep back the first-fruits of thy threshing
          floor and press. The first-born of thy sons thou shalt give to me.
          LXX Exodus 34:19 The males are mine, everything that opens the womb; every
          first-born of oxen, and every first-born of sheep.
          LXX Exodus 34:20 And the first-born of an ass thou shalt redeem with
          a sheep, and if thou wilt not redeem it thou shalt pay a price: every
          first-born of thy sons shalt thou redeem: thou shalt not appear
          before me empty.
          LXX Numbers 1:20 And the sons of Ruben the first-born of Israel
          according to their kindreds, according to their divisions, according to the
          houses of their families, according to the number of their names, according
          to their heads, were-- all males from twenty years old and upward, every one
          that went out with the host--
          LXX Numbers 3:40 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Count every
          first-born male of the children of Israel from a month old and upwards,
          and take the number by name.
          LXX Numbers 3:41 And thou shalt take the Levites for me-- I am the Lord--
          instead of all the first-born of the sons of Israel, and the cattle
          of the Levites instead of all the first-born among the cattle of the
          children of Israel.
          LXX Numbers 3:45 Take the Levites instead of all the first-born of the
          sons of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle,
          and the Levites shall be mine; I am the Lord.
          LXX Numbers 3:46 And for the ransoms of the two hundred and seventy-three
          which exceed the Levites in number of the first-born of the sons of
          Israel;
          LXX Numbers 3:50 He took the silver from the first-born of the sons of
          Israel, a thousand three hundred and sixty-five shekels, according to
          the holy shekel.
          LXX Numbers 8:16 For these are given to me for a present out of the midst of
          the children of Israel: I have taken them to myself instead of all the
          first-born of the sons of Israel that open every womb.
          LXX Numbers 8:17 For every first-born among the children of Israel is
          mine, whether of man or beast: in the day in which I smote every
          first-born in the land of Egypt, I sanctified them to myself.
          LXX Numbers 18:15 And every thing that opens the womb of all flesh,
          whatsoever they bring to the Lord, whether man or beast, shall be thine:
          only the first-born of men shall be surely redeemed, and thou shalt
          redeem the first-born of unclean cattle.
          LXX Numbers 18:17 But thou shalt not redeem the first-born of calves
          and the first-born of sheep and the first-born of goats;
          they are holy: and thou shalt pour their blood upon the altar, and thou
          shalt offer the fat as a burnt-offering for a smell of sweet savour to the
          Lord.
          LXX Numbers 26:5 Ruben was the first-born of Israel: and the sons of
          ruben, Enoch, and the family of Enoch; to Phallu belongs the family of the
          Phalluites.
          LXX Deuteronomy 12:6 And ye shall carry thither your whole-burnt-offerings,
          and your sacrifices, and your first-fruits, and your vowed-offerings, and
          your freewill-offerings, and your offerings of thanksgiving, the
          first-born of your herds, and of your flocks.
          LXX Deuteronomy 12:17 Thou shalt not be able to eat in thy cities the tithe
          of thy corn, and of thy wine, and of thine oil, the first-born of thine
          herd and of thy flock, and all your vows as many as ye shall have
          vowed, and your thank-offerings, and the first-fruits of thine hands.
          LXX Deuteronomy 14:23 And thou shalt eat it in the place which the Lord thy
          God shall choose to have his name called there; ye shall bring the tithe of
          thy corn and of thy wine, and of thine oil, the first-born of thy herd
          and of thy flock, that thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God
          always.
          LXX Deuteronomy 15:19 Every first-born that shall be born among thy kine and
          thy sheep, thou shalt sanctify the males to the Lord thy God; thou shalt not
          work with thy first-born calf, and thou shalt not shear the first-born of
          thy sheep.
          LXX Deuteronomy 33:17 His beauty is as the firstling of his bull, his
          horns are the horns of a unicorn; with them he shall thrust the nations at
          once, even from the end of the earth: these are the ten thousands of
          Ephraim, and these are the thousands of Manasse.
          LXX Joshua 6:26 And Joshua adjured them on that day before the Lord, saying,
          Cursed be the man who shall build that city: he shall lay the foundation of
          it in his first-born, and he shall set up the gates of it in his
          youngest son. And so did Hozan of Baethel; he laid the foundation in Abiron
          his first-born, and set up the gates of it in his youngest surviving son.
          LXX Joshua 17:1 And the borders of the tribe of the children of Manasse,
          (for he was the first-born of Joseph) assigned to Machir the
          firstborn of Manasse the father of Galaad, for he was a warrior, were
          in the land of Galaad and of Basan.
          LXX 2 Samuel 3:2 And sons were born to David in Chebron: and his
          first-born was Ammon the son of Achinoom the Jezraelitess.
          LXX 2 Samuel 13:21 And king David heard of all these things, and was very
          angry; but he did not grieve the spirit of his son Amnon, because be loved
          him, for he was his first-born.
          LXX 1 Kings 16:34 And in his days Achiel the Baethelite built Jericho; he
          laid the foundation of it in Abiron his first-born, and he set up the
          doors of it in Segub his younger son, according to the word of the Lord
          which he spoke by Joshua the son of Naue.
          LXX 1 Chronicles 1:29 And these are their generations: the first-born of
          Ismael, Nabaeoth, and Kedar, Nabdeel, Massam,
          LXX 1 Chronicles 2:3 The sons of Juda; Er, Aunan, Selom. These three were
          born to him of the daughter of Sava the Chananitish woman: and Er, the
          first-born of Juda, was wicked before the Lord, and he slew him.
          LXX 1 Chronicles 2:13 And Jessae begot his first-born Eliab, Aminadab
          was the second, Samaa the third,
          LXX 1 Chronicles 2:25 And the sons of Jerameel the first-born of Esron
          were, the first-born Ram, and Banaa, and Aram, and Asan his brother.
          LXX 1 Chronicles 2:27 And the sons of Ram the first-born of Jerameel
          were Maas, and Jamin, and Acor.
          LXX 1 Chronicles 2:42 And the sons of Chaleb the brother of Jerameel were,
          Marisa his first-born, he is the father of Ziph:-- and the sons of
          Marisa the father of Chebron.
          LXX 1 Chronicles 2:50 These were the sons of Chaleb: the sons of Or the
          first-born of Ephratha; Sobal the father of Cariathiarim,
          LXX 1 Chronicles 3:15 And the sons of Josia; the first-born Joanan,
          the second Joakim, the third Sedekias, the fourth Salum.
          LXX 1 Chronicles 4:4 And Phanuel the father of Gedor, and Jazer the father
          of Osan: these are the sons of Or, the first-born of Ephratha, the
          father of Baethalaen.
          LXX 1 Chronicles 5:1 And the sons of Ruben the first-born of Israel
          (for he was the first-born; but because of his going up to his father's
          couch, his father gave his blessing to his son Joseph, even the son Israel;
          and he was not reckoned as first-born;
          LXX 1 Chronicles 5:3 The sons of Ruben the first-born of Israel;
          Enoch, and Phallus, Asrom, and Charmi.
          LXX 1 Chronicles 6:28 The sons of Samuel; the first-born Sani, and
          Abia.
          LXX 1 Chronicles 8:1 Now Benjamin begot Bale his first-born, and
          Asbel his second son, Aara the third, Noa the fourth,
          LXX 1 Chronicles 8:30 And her first-born son was Abdon, and Sur, and
          Kis, and Baal, and Nadab, and Ner,
          LXX 1 Chronicles 8:38 And Esel had six sons, and these were their name;
          Ezricam his first-born, and Ismael, and Saraia, and Abdia, and Anan,
          and Asa: all these were the sons of Esel.
          LXX 1 Chronicles 8:39 And the sons of Asel his brother; AElam his
          first-born, and Jas the second, and Eliphalet the third.
          LXX 1 Chronicles 9:5 And of the Selonites; Asaia his first-born, and
          his sons.
          LXX 1 Chronicles 9:36 And his first-born son was Abdon, and he had
          Sur, and Kis, and Baal, and Ner, and Nadab,
          LXX 1 Chronicles 9:44 And Esel had six sons, and these were their names;
          Esricam his first-born, and Ismael, and Saraia, and Abdia, and Anan,
          and Asa: these were the sons of Esel.
          LXX 1 Chronicles 26:6 And to Samaias his son were born the sons of his
          first-born, chiefs over the house of their father, for they were mighty.
          LXX Nehemiah 10:36 the first-born of our sons, and of our
          cattle, as it is written in the law, and the first-born of our herds
          and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, for the
          priests that minister in the house of our God.
          LXX Psalm 135:8 Who smote the first-born of Egypt, both man and
          beast.
          LXX Psalm 136:10 To him who smote Egypt with their first-born; for
          his mercy endures for ever.
          LXX Jeremiah 31:9 (38:9) They went forth with weeping, and I will bring them
          back with consolation, causing them to lodge by the channels of waters in a
          straight way, and they shall not err in it: for I am become a father to
          Israel, and Ephraim is my first-born.
          LXX Micah 6:7 Will the Lord accept thousands of rams, or ten thousands of
          fat goats? should I give my first-born for ungodliness, the fruit of
          my body for the sin of my soul?

It should be noted too, that Jesus, unlike Ephraim, Jacob and Israel, was never GIVEN the title of "firstborn". He was simply spoken of as firstborn in the temporal sense in passages like the ones at Col. 1:15, 18, Heb. 1:6, Rev. 1:5 and Romans 8:29. 
When this changes, "the firstborn of" is used as part of a group. If it is "the firstborn of" Israel(Ex. 6:14), it is one of the sons of Israel, if it is "the firstborn of" Pharoah(Ex. 11:5) it is a member of the house of Pharoah, if it is "the firstborn of" beasts(Ex. 13:15) then it is an animal also. Why then should this rule be changed as it applies to "the firstborn of" creation? Obviously Jesus is a created being, as he was historically always thought to be the Wisdom of Proverbs. 

Verses used are from the English Translation of The Septuagint Version of the Old Testament by Sir Lancelot C. L. Brenton, 1844, 1851.

See: http://www.ellopos.net/elpenor/greek-texts/septuagint/default.asp

Proverbs 8:22 TRANSLATION COMPARISON

"Jehovah created me in the beginning of his way...When there were no depths I was brought forth..." (NWT)

If you accept that, then it is clear that the Messiah was created (at least there was a time when he was brought into existence by the Father, Jehovah) before the rest of creation. Note the following trinitarian translations of Prov. 8:22 -


"The LORD [Jehovah] created me at the beginning of his work" - RSV, and NRSV. (Footnote in NRSV says "Or [created] me as the beginning [of his work].").


"The LORD made me..." - MLB).


"The Lord formed me..." - Living Bible.

"I was made in the very beginning." - Good News Bible.


"Yahweh [Jehovah] created me..." - Jerusalem Bible and NJB.


"The LORD created me..." - New English Bible and REB.


"Jehovah framed me first" - Byington.


"The LORD created me..." - The Reader's Digest Bible, 1982.


"I was the first thing made, long ago in the beginning." - Holy Bible:Easy-to-Read Version, World Bible Translation Center, 1992.


"The Eternal [Jehovah] formed me first of his creation" - Moffatt.


"The Lord made me the beginning [arkhe] of his ways for his works" -The Septuagint, Zondervan, 1976.


"The LORD created me as the first of his creations" - Holy Bible From the Ancient Eastern Text (George M. Lamsa's translation from the Aramaic of the Peshitta), Harper and Row Publ. (Be sure to examine Prov. 8:23-25, 30 in all translations also.)

The Jewish Bibles also translate it similarly:




"The LORD made me as the beginning of His way, the first of His works of old." - JPS, Margolis, ed., 1917.


"The LORD created me at the beginning of His course as the first of His works of old." - Tanakh, JPS, 1985.


NIV


"The LORD [brought me forth] as the first of his works...When there were no oceans, I was [given birth]..."


Why, even that popular trinitarian study Bible, The NIV Study Bible, translates Prov. 8:22 as "the LORD brought me forth as the first of his works" and explains in a footnote for Prov. 8:22:


"brought ... forth. The Hebrew for this verb is also used in Ge 4:1; 14:19, 22 (`Creator')." - Zondervan, 1985.


And the trinitarian The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology tells us:



"Created prior to all the [other] works of creation (Prov. 8:22-31), [Wisdom] discloses to men the original order inherent in creation." - p. 1029, Vol. 3, Zondervan, 1984.

The trinitarian A Dictionary of the Bible, Hastings (ed.) tells us about Wisdom in Prov. 8:

"Wisdom is spoken of in such a way as to make it impossible to believe that only the Divine attribute of wisdom is meant .... It is something outside of, yet standing alongside of, God, created by Him.... Wisdom is further represented as `playing' like a child before Jehovah in His habitable earth, in all the glow of conscious power and as taking special delight in the sons of men." - p. 281, Supplement, 1988 printing.


The KJV states: “The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old.” But, does the K.J. translate the Hebrew word “qa-nah” correctly as “possessed”? No, it does not. It should be translated as “created” or “produced”. The following translations are given as proof.

1. Rotherham 1897 ............................................................... “constituted” & “created”

2. Jerusalem Bible 1966 (Catholic) ..................................... “created”

3. Berkeley Version 1963 (Baptist) ..................................... “made”

4. Revised Standard Version 1952 .......................................“created’

5. New English Bible 1970 ................................................. “created”

6. Living Bible 1971 ........................................................... “formed”

7. Thomson’s Septuagint 1808 ............................................ “created”

8. Brenton’s Septuagint 1879 ...............................................“created”

9. Confraternity of Christian Doctrine 1955 (Catholic) .......“created”

10. Jewish Publ. Society 1955 .............................................“made”

11. Leeser, I. (Jewish) .........................................................“created”

12. Today’s English Version (A.B.S.) 1972 ....................... “created”

13. Basic Bible 1950 .......................................................... “made”

14. Lamsa, G.M. 1957 ........................................................ “created”

15. Restoration of the Original Sacred Name Bible 1970 .. “constitute”

16. Byington, S.T. 1972 ..................................................... “framed” & “constitute”

17. Fenton. F. 1903 ............................................................ “framed”& “constitute”

18. Knox, R. 1956 (Catholic) ............................................. “made”

19. Confraternity Version (Catholic) 1963 ..........................“begot”

20. Moffatt, J. 1950 ............................................................ “formed”

21. Amplified Bible 1965 .................................................. “formed”

22. American Standard Version 1901 ................................. footnote - “formed”

23. Revised Version 1898 .................................................. footnote - “formed”

24 Moulton, R.G. 1914 ...................................................... “formed”

25. Kent, C.F. (Shorter Bible) 1922 .................................. “formed”

26. New World Translation 1963 ......................................“produced”

27. Goodspeed 1963 ........................................................ “formed” & “fashioned”

28. Common Bible ........................................................... “created” & “set-up”

29. New American Bible 1970 (Catholic) ....................... “begot” & “Firstborn”

30. BECK, W. F. ...............................................................“Became my Father “ (PREFACES with the sub-heading - “God’s Son”)




In Addition:
The Greek word for "Created" is EKTISEN (#2936). It is used at Mark 13:19; 1Tim 4:3 and Revelation 10:6. The Septuagint uses this word only once in Proverbs, and that is at chapter 8 verse 22.

PDF - God and Christ: Examining the Evidence for a Biblical Doctrine (Book)

David Barron has been involved in apologetics for the past 9 years, focusing on bringing people to faith, the historical existence of Jesus Christ, the existence of God and the reliability of Scripture. He is the founder and editor of www.Scripturaltruths.com and has published the book, "God and Christ: Examining the Evidence for a Biblical Doctrine", the Second Edition is currently being written.

See: http://scripturaltruths.com/book/gc.pdf

John 10:30-34 Calvin's Commentary on the Bible (Note)

Did Jesus claim he has the same essence with the Father ?

Verse 30
30.I and my Father are one. He intended to meet the jeers of the wicked; for they might allege that the power of God did not at all belong to him, so that he could promise to his disciples that it would assuredly protect them. He therefore testifies that his affairs are so closely united to those of the Father, that the Father’s assistance will never be withheld from himself and his sheep The ancients made a wrong use of this passage to prove that Christ is ( ὁμοούσιος) of the same essence with the Father. For Christ does not argue about the unity of substance, but about the agreement which he has with the Father, so that whatever is done by Christ will be confirmed by the power of his Father.

Verse 31
31.Then the Jews again took up stones. As true religion, in maintaining the glory of God, burns with its own zeal which the Spirit of God directs, so unbelief is the mother of rage, and the devil hurries on the wicked in such a manner, that they breathe nothing but slaughter. This result shows with what intention they put the question to Christ; for the open confession, of which they pretended to be desirous, instantly drives them to madness. And yet, though they are hurried along, with such violence, to oppress Christ, there can be no doubt that they assigned some plausible reason for their judgment, as if they were acting according to the injunction of the Law, by which God commands that false prophets shall be stoned, (Deuteronomy 13:5.)

John 1:1 and The 70 Translations

According to BeDuhn:

  Greek has only a definite article, like our the; it does not have an indefinite article, like our a or an. So, generally speaking, a Greek definite noun will have a form of the definite article (ho), which will become "the" in English. A Greek indefinite noun will appear without the definite article, and will be properly rendered in English with "a" or "an." We are not "adding a word" when we translate Greek nouns that do not have the definite article as English nouns with the indefinite article. We are simply obeying the rules of English grammar that tell us that we cannot say "Snoopy is dog," but may say "Snoopy is a dog." For example, in John 1:1c, the clause we are investigating, ho logos is "the word," as all translations accurately have it. If it was written simply logos, without the definite article ho, we would have to translate it as "a word."

  Similarly, when we have a form of ho theos, as we do in John 1:1b and 1:2, we are dealing with a definite noun that we would initially ("lexically") translate as "the god"; but if it is written simply theos, as it is in John 1:1c, it is an indefinite noun that would normally be translated as "a god." To complete our translation into English, we need to take into consideration the fact that English has both a common noun "god" and a proper noun "God." We use the proper noun "God" like a name, without either a definite or indefinite article, even though a name is a definite noun. As a definite noun, "God" corresponds to the Greek ho theos (lexically "the god"), which also is used often as the proper noun "God" in both the New Testament and other Greek literature from the same time. So in John 1:1b and 1:2 it is perfectly accurate to drop the "the" from "god" and say that the Word was "with God" (literally "with the god"). But what about the indefinite theos in John 1:1c? This does not correspond to the English definite proper noun "God," but to the indefinite noun "a god."
  In Greek, if you leave off the article from theos in a sentence like the one in John 1:1c, then your readers will assume you mean "a god."

  . . . Having introduced "God" and "the Word," John would use the definite article to help his readers keep track of the fact that he is still talking about the same God and the same Word. But having mentioned "God" once in 1:1b ("the word was with God"), John does not use the definite article again with theos until 1:2 ("this one was with God"), skipping right over the theos of 1:1c ("the word was a god"). This middle theos, we are left to conclude, is not exactly the same thing as the "God" of 1:1b and 1:2.

  If John had wanted to say "the Word was God," as so many English translation have it, he could have very easily done so by simply adding the definite article "the" (ho) to the word "god" (theos), making it "the god" and therefore "God."(pp. 114-116)

  This brings us back to John 1:1. [John Harner, in his article, "Qualitative Anarthrous Predicate Nouns: Mark 15:39 and John 1:1," 1973, pp. 85 and 87] suggests that John was not interested in definiteness or indefiniteness, but in character and quality.[*] . . . I think that the qualitative force of the predicate is so prominent that the noun cannot be regarded a definite. . . . So if the meaning of "the Word was a god," or "the Word was a divine being" is that the Word belongs to the category of divine beings, then we could translate the phrase as "the Word was divine." The meaning is the same in either case, and is summed up well by Harner as "ho logos...had the nature of theos" (Harner, page 87).(pp. 123-124)

[*] Harner further states "Perhaps the clause could be translated, 'the Word had the same nature as God.' This would be one way of representing John's thought, which is, as understand it, that ho logos no less than ho theos had the nature of theos." (Harner, Qualitative Anarthrous Predicate Nouns:, p. 87)

See: http://simplebibletruths.net/70-John-1-1-Truths.htm