[86] See Strauss, “New Life of Jesus,” section 98.
[87] 1 Cor. xv. 4.
[88] Hos. vi. 2. It may also have been founded on the accepted date of the earliest vision.
[89] Prov. viii. 22–30.
[90] Ps. xxxiii. 6.
[91] There can be little doubt that δ λὁγοςδ in Philo means the word rather than the reason of God. He evidently used the term as a Jew, with the language of Genesis in his mind. This language itself is an interesting product of eastern anthropomorphism, which naturally conceived God as working like a despot by simply issuing his commands.
[92] Quis ... Heres, 42.
[93] “Religion of Israel,” iii. 202 (Eng. trans.).
[94] The gospel being written in order to satisfy a need of the Church, it is obvious that this need would ensure its immediate acceptance. The Church was not likely to question the genuineness of a document which contained exactly what it required. So we may safely assign the composition of the gospel a date immediately preceding that of the first trustworthy evidence of its existence.
[95] John i. 1, 3.