Is John 1:14 Mistranslated?

One of the most famous verses, in the Bible, John 1:14 has been debated over the centuries. On one side, the verse has been translated, from the original languages as:

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

While the other side insists that the verse is translated as:

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

One declares the divinity of the Messiah, while the other states that the Messiah was created.

Which one is correct?

Well, the word, in question, is "ginomai". It means "to come into being". It can be an active or passive verb, in the Greek. However, how is it being used here. If we go to the writer, who is the Apostle John, then we find that he used it consistently as an active verb, ocassionally using it as a passive verb. For example, he used the word "ginomai", in John 1:3, in the active voice, while switching to the passive voice, in verse 6, then back to active, in verses 10, 12 and 14.

Translators agree that John used the active voice, every time he talked about the Word of God, except, for some reason, in John 1:14....an so the debate continues.

However, may I suggest that almost every time he talks about the Word of God, he references Genesis 1. If so, why would he change, in verse 14? If you look at Genesis 1, Bara and Asah are the equivalent Hebrew words to the Greek, "Ginomai". Bara and Asah means to create, either out of nothing or available elements.

As a side note, the Hebrew also has "Yatsar", which means to create out of available already created things.

Bottom line: In the Beginning, Bara, Asah and even Yatsar, are used as active verbs. Therefore, it should be translated as such, even in the Greek.

With all that said, it brings us back to the original question. Which one is correct? Is it passive, as most translators insist or active, as portrayed in the Genesis ?

Well, if we use the available tools God has given us, we can easily perform a basic Word for Word translation and find the truth. John 1:14 is translated as:

Even so, the Word created a living creature, a body of a man, subject to suffering and desires and dwelled among us and we beheld his glory. The glory of the only one born of the Father, thoroughly permeated with merciful kindness and what is true in things appertaining to God and the duties of man, moral and religious truth.

Yes, this created man had and has the fullness of God dwelling within him, but also had the frailties and compacity to sin, if he chose to, which makes what he did of the cross, so amazing and wonderful of full of Agape. That man, the only begotten Son of God, was so committed to the Will of God, that he freely went to the Cross, to die as a Sin Offering for us all. Amen!

In the end, it's your choice to decide, whether ginomai is active or passive, in John 1:14. May I suggest reading it in context and with the whole of scripture in mind? 

Search out the Truth, for Yourself.

Shalom!