Hi Pensteel: This might help to see how the early Church saw it. As you might know the NWT translate John 1:1c as the word was a g-d.

Was this view the same for the early Church before the Council of Nicaea at the Fourth Century?


Theophilus of Antioch who was bishop of Antioch at the second century said:

so that if he (the man) should incline to the things of immortality, keeping the commandment of God (TOU QEOU), he should receive as reward from Him immortality, and should become a god (QEOS); but if, on the other hand, he should turn to the things of death, disobeying God (TOU QEOU), he should himself be the cause of death to himself. (Ad AUTOLYCUS BOOK II, 27)

Note that Theophilus was carefuly in the use of the article to denote God and omits it when it refers to what the man will be.

Irenaeus bishop of Lyon at the second century said:

Since, therefore, this is sure and stedfast, that no other God or Lord was announced by the Spirit, except Him who, as God, rules over all, together with His Word, and those who receive the Spirit of adoption, that is, those who believe in the one and true God, and in Jesus Christ the Son of God; and likewise that the apostles did Of themselves term no one else as God, or name as Lord; and, what is much more important, that our Lord , who did also command us to confess no one as Father, except Him who is in the heavens, who is the one God and the one Father (Against Haeresies Book IV)

Origen at the third century said about John 1:1c :

we have to say that God on the one hand is Very God (Autotheos, God of Himself); and so the Saviour says in His prayer to the Father, "That they may know Thee the only true God; "but that all beyond the Very God is made God by participation in His divinity, and is not to be called simply "THE God" (with the article), but "a god" (without article) (OUX hO QEOS ALLA QEOS ).
(Commentary on John Book II,chapter II)

Hippolytus of Rome (third century)


The Creator did not wish to make him a god, and failed in His aim; nor an angel,be not deceived,but a man. For if He had willed to make thee a god, He could have done so. Thou hast the example of the Logos (EI GAR QEON SE HQELHSE POISAI ...EXEIS TOU LOGOU TO PARADEIGMA). His will, however, was, that you should be a man, and He has made thee a man. But if thou art desirous of also becoming a god (KAI QEOS GENESQAI), obey Him that has created thee, and resist not now, in order that, being found faithful in that which is small, you may be enabled to have entrusted to you also that which is great.

Note that Hippolytus regarded the Word (the Logos) as a g-d made by G-d.

It proves how the early Church regarded the Logos as theos and how the noun theos was understood to be applied to other being with G-d.

They would not reject the New World Translation in John 1:1c.

Regards
Malachi