168) Dwelt in Us, or Dwelt Among Us?

In this podcast I focus on a few additional interpretive issues of specific words in John 1:14 that mainstream Christians interpret as evidence that God became man.The verb σκηνόω (dwell, tabernacle) is not used of God elsewhere in the Septuagint, while its New Testament occurrences do not naturally support the idea of God incarnating himself in a human body. The traditional translation "dwelt among us" is possible, but it is not the only way to interpret and translate John 1:14. The Greek preposition ἐν ordinarily means "in," and John's Gospel repeatedly uses “in” to describe relationship rather than spatial proximity. John's own usage of "in us," "in me," and "in you" consistently points toward personal relationship, not spatial proximity. John 1:14 can be understood as the Word dwelt “in us”, describing the human person Jesus, the Word, becoming life giving provision and sustenance for others. Such an interpretation fits naturally within John's broader theology of indwelling as a relationship with the Messiah that brings about life.The evidence from John's Gospel, the Septuagint, and the wider New Testament suggests that "the Word dwelt in us" deserves serious consideration as an alternative to the traditional rendering "the Word dwelt among us."An essential doctrinal teaching, something like the incarnation of God into man, should not hang on the interpretation of a single preposition in one verse. Big doctrinal claims require big, consistent, repeated, clear textual evidence. John simply does not say that God, or one person who is God, became man. Resources:

Full Text: https://landandbible.blogspot.com/2026/06/dwelt-in-us-or-dwelt-among-us-john-114.html

The Word BECAME Flesh? Why John 1:14 does NOT say "God became man"https://youtu.be/z4HepHkyujkThe Word Became Flesh (Sustenance): A Metaphorical Interpretation of “Flesh”https://youtu.be/A87VcXKCWBM"The Word became flesh and dwelt IN us"? Dialog with Sam Tideman on John 1:14https://youtu.be/P4b9xZ0gX6g#gospelofjohn #biblicalunitarian