I don’t think you can actually show me what the difference in meaning is between:
“When all things began, the Word already was. The Word dwelt with God, and what God was, the Word was.” (REB John 1:1)
And Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
God is = God
What God was + The Word was = God
By the way, the REB is not a direct translation. It is a “dynamic” translation:
“Because dynamic equivalence eschews strict adherence to the grammatical structure of the original text in favor of a more natural rendering in the target language, it is sometimes used when the readability of the translation is more important than the preservation of the original grammatical structure.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynamic_and_formal_equivalence
Here’s a literal translation:
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; (Young’s Literal Translation)
Another literal translation, same exact wording
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (LITV)
The Vulgate agrees, same exact wording:
Joh 1:1 in principio erat Verbum et Verbum erat apud Deum et Deus erat Verbum
Webster, with no difference:
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The ESV, no difference:
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Same with MKJV, Murdock, Revised Version, Weymouth 1912 translation.
The International Standard version:
Joh 1:1 In the beginning, the Word existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The Jubilee Bible uses the same exact wording as all the former. As does the ASV,
The BBE reads:
Joh 1:1 From the first he was the Word, and the Word was in relation with God and was God.
The CEV:
Joh 1:1 In the beginning was the one who is called the Word. The Word was with God and was truly God.
The Darby uses the KJV’s reading, as do most of the others. The DRB agrees. The English Majority Text concurs.
The ERV:
Joh 1:1 Before the world began, the Word was there. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Finally, the KJV with strong’s numbers:
Joh 1:1 InG1722 the beginningG746 wasG2258 theG3588 Word,G3056 andG2532 theG3588 WordG3056 wasG2258 withG4314 God,G2316 andG2532 theG3588 WordG3056 wasG2258 God.G2316
The latter words: ho (the) logos (Word) ane (was) Theos (God).
In case you don’t know, but the verb to be is a linking verb here, with Theos (God) being the predicate nominative. Word = God, in other words.
Sure I can. One says the Word was God.
The other does not say the Word was God.