For the Word to become flesh is for the Word to become solid and tangible.

[jidong xiao]

第一世纪末叶，智慧派（Gnosticism）的哲学观念开始侵入召会。智慧派有一种观念，认为物质是邪恶的。持有这种观念的人，不相信基督真的是在肉体里来。对他们来说，基督是抽象的，犹如幻象。这种对基督的观点乃是异端。使徒约翰在他的福音书和书信里，有负担为抵挡这异端而争战。为这缘故，他在约翰一章十四节特意用“肉体”一辞。他在约翰一章一节说，话与神同在，话就是神。这是抽象且相当奥秘的。但约翰接着说这话成了肉体。话成了肉体，就是成了具体且摸得着的。然后在他的第一封书信里，约翰指出使徒们听见过生命的话，然后看见过、注视过、也摸过这话。使徒约翰甚至曾靠着主的胸膛。约翰所用关于听见、看见、注视并摸过这话的辞句，乃是抗毒剂，使信徒豫防关于基督身位的异端教训。

就一面说，神圣的生命是抽象且看不见的。但就另一面说，神圣的生命是具体且看得见的，因为生命的话已经成了肉体。成了肉体的话能彀被人听见、看见、注视并触摸。

Toward the end of the first century the philosophical concepts of Gnosticism began to invade the church. One Gnostic concept was that matter was evil. Those who held this concept did not believe that Christ actually came in the flesh. To them, Christ was abstract, something like a phantom. This view of Christ is heretical. The Apostle John was burdened in his Gospel and Epistles to fight against this heresy. For this reason, in John 1:14 he purposely used the word "flesh." In John 1:1 he says that the Word was with God and was God. This is abstract and rather mysterious. But then John goes on to say that this Word became flesh. For the Word to become flesh is for the Word to become solid and tangible. Then in his first Epistle John points out that the apostles heard the Word of life and then saw, beheld, and handled this Word. The Apostle John even leaned upon the Lord's bosom. The expressions John uses concerning hearing, seeing, beholding, and handling the Word were an antidote to inoculate the believers against heretical teachings regarding the Person of Christ. 

In one sense, the divine life is abstract and invisible. But in another sense the divine life is solid and visible, for the Word of life has been incarnated. The incarnated Word could be heard, seen, beheld, and touched.