Words for the Word of God

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"It is Christ Himself, not the Bible, who is the true Word of God. The Bible, read in the right spirit and with the guidance of good teachers will bring us to Him."

~ C.S. Lewis (Letter to Mrs. Johnson, 1952)

I recently got a new Bible that I LOVE. And yet, there is something about it that is potentially misleading - printed don the side it says: "THE WORD OF GOD". Why is that a potential problem? Let's talk about that.

You might have noticed that we Christians use the phrase "the word of God" or "God's word" in at least three different ways:

1. To refer to the Bible, the Scriptures inspired by God.

2. To refer to Jesus, the inerrant and authoritative Son given to us by God.

3. To refer to the message of Jesus, including inner voice of the Holy Spirit.

The Greek New Testament has different words that could be used for these versions of "the Word of God". Although these different words have different emphases, they also overlap in their meaning (e.g., John 10:35), so we shouldn't be too categorical. So keep that in mind as we talk about three different Greek words that are behind Christians' use of the phrase "the Word of God":

1. Graphē. This word literally means the "writings" and it is what the Bible most often calls itself, with New Testament authors referring to the Old Testament (and sometimes Paul's writings) as the "scriptures" (Greek, graphē). The Bible is the inspired graphē of God.

   (Matthew 21:42; 22:29; Luke 4:21; Luke 24:45; John 5:39; Acts 17:2, 11;

   1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20; 3:16)

Graphē: The writings/Scriptures

1. Logos. This word literally means the "word", usually the main message we want to convey, the way we might say, "May I have a word with you?" And in Greek philosophy, logos could also mean the fundamental ordering principle of the world. For instance, the whole Star Wars franchise revolves around the idea of "the Force" and how to use the force for good or evil. We could say that the Force is the logos of Star Wars. The Force is very similar to how Greek philosophers thought about the Logos: as the impersonal, everywhere power binding all things together. And that makes the Bible's claim all the more stunning: God's "Word" (logos) has come to us, not as an impersonal force or a meaningful concept or even as a holy text, but a person: Jesus. So in Christian understanding, God's main message to us is fused with God's main messenger. Jesus is the Gospel.

(John 1:1, 14; Acts 6:7; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Timothy 2:15; Hebrews 4:12)

Logos: The central theme, primary principle, main message

In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word (logos) was with God, and the Word (logos) was God. ... The Word (logos) became flesh and made his dwelling among us. ~ The apostle John (John 1:1, 14)

The word became flesh. That line blows my mind. It is one of the most profound lines in the whole Bible. God's message to us became, not print and page but Person. Then God inspires his followers to write the print and page to point to the person and help us meet with the person.

When Martin Luther translated the Bible, he put in the preface of the Old Testament:

"Here you will find the swaddling cloths and the manger in which Christ lies." ~ Martin Luther (Preface to the Old Testament, 1523)

Jesus is God's Word (logos), coming to us through the Scriptures (graphē)

"The human qualities of the raw material show through. Naivety, error, contradiction, even (as in the cursing Psalms) wickedness are not removed. The total result is not 'the Word of God' in the sense that every passage in itself, gives impeccable science or history. It carries the Word of God."

~ C.S. Lewis (Reflections on the Psalms, 1958)

3. Rhēma. This word overlaps with logos and can even be used interchangeably (both words translate the Hebrew word dabar in the Septuagint). But it is more than a synonym for logos. Rhēma puts the emphasis on the spoken word, the logos proclaimed, the logos received, and the logos applied.

(Matthew 4:4; Luke 1:38; Romans 10:17; Ephesians 6:17; 1 Peter 1:23-25)

All three words are interconnected and overlapping, while at the same time pointing toward distinct realities.

Again to be clear, these words overlap (e.g., compare logos in Hebrews 4:12 with rhēma in Ephesians 6:17, or Jesus referring to Old Testament commands as the logos of God in Mark 7:13, or logos and graphē referring to the same message in John 10:35). But they also each carry with them their own distinction, their own emphasis. We might say God's rhēma is the illumination and application of God's logos, which we learn by reading God's graphē with an open heart. We learn to recognize the voice of God (rhēma) when we immerse ourselves in God's main message of Jesus (logos) that we learn by reading, studying, discussing, and meditating on the Bible (graphē).

When Jesus was tempted in the Wilderness by the Devil, he resisted by quoting Scripture. And when he does, Jesus (the logos) tells us what is taught in the Scriptures (graphē): - we can't live without God's spoken and heard Word (rhēma):

It is written (verb form of graphē): One does not live by bread alone, but by every word (rhēma) that comes from the mouth of God. ~ JESUS (Matthew 4:4; quoting Deuteronomy 8:3)

Notice, Jesus doesn't say that our daily bread comes to us from the written text of God, as in simply reading the Bible (God's graphē). He is speaking of something more dynamic. Jesus says we need to hear God's word coming from his mouth. We need to pay attention to what God is saying to us, first and foremost through Scripture, and then through other rhēma channels, like people, circumstances, and the inner witness of the Holy Spirit.

And yet, Jesus is quoting Scripture to make his point that we need more than Scripture to survive spiritually!

Rhēma is life.

Now here is where it gets interesting (well, to me at least). In some forms of Protestant Christianity, a fascinating linguistic habit has evolved: that is, the habit of primarily referring to the Bible as "the Word of God".

In Evangelical spaces we might hear people say things like:

• "We need to follow the Word of God."

• "We've got to get back to the Word of God."

• "The Word of God is our sole authority."

• "The Word of God is perfect, inerrant, and infallible - it's trustworthy."

But here's the kicker - When Christians say things like this, they are not usually talking about Jesus or his main message - they are usually talking about the Bible.

• "We need to follow the Bible."

• "We've got to get back to the Bible."

• "The Bible is our sole authority."

• "The Bible is perfect, inerrant, and infallible - it's trustworthy."

Many Protestants unwittingly use rhetoric that blurs the distinction between Jesus and the Bible. It's hard to know where one leaves off and the other begins. We imbue the Bible with qualities that only Jesus possesses - perfection, without error, the leader we follow, our ultimate authority, and the Word of God, that is, God's ultimate revelation of himself.

All authority has been given to me. ~ JESUS (Matthew 28:18)

Persons have authority, not things - not even inspired things.

We talk about the Bible like it's Jesus, but we should think of the Bible less like Jesus and more like John the Baptist pointing to the Word of God and crying out "Behold!" We believe John was inspired by the Holy Spirit to point to Jesus, but we don't have to believe John the Baptist was inerrant in order to trust his inspired encouragement to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. (I think we can say the same thing about the Bible, but that's another article.)

• The Bible is our God-given treasure map, but it is not our God-given treasure.

• The Bible is our God-given menu, but it is not our God-given meal.

• The Bible is less of a God-given painting to be looked at and more of a God-given window to be looked through to see Jesus.

One difference between some of these analogies and following Jesus is worth pointing out: When we find the treasure we have no more use for the treasure map. When we order our dinner, we stop reading the menu. On this point, our relationship with the Bible is different. John's disciples left him to follow Jesus, but we don't leave the Bible behind to follow Jesus - we bring it with us and keep reading, learning, and growing. Jesus still speaks to us through the Bible.

In one stunning passage, Jesus actually says we can read and study and diligently search "the scriptures" (graphé), and still not know the Word (logos) of God. To the Bible-believing, Bible-memorizing, Bible-studying religious leaders of his day (that is, men who knew their scriptures better than you and I ever will), Jesus says:

And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word (logos) dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You diligently study the Scriptures (graphē) because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures (graphē) that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. ~ JESUS (John 5:37-39)

What an important lesson. We religious types can learn the graphē of God and still not know the logos of God. We can know the Bible and not know the Word of God. They are distinct.

In fact, Jesus makes this disctinction in the middle of a conversation with the religious leaders where Jesus is saying that Scripture is a "witness" from God to point to Jesus. Jesus says there are four witnesses that testify to his truth:

1. John the Baptist

2. Jesus' miracles

3. The Father

4. Scripture

Jesus puts the Bible in the same category as John the Baptist, also a witness to Jesus. But Jesus is in his own category - the one to which everything is pointing.

When we mostly call the Bible the "Word of God", we make it harder for us to grasp this important warning of Jesus.

So, we study the graphē to learn the logos so we can hear the rhēma which we discern together while we are gathered around the graphē to learn the logos. Repeat.

We study the graphē to learn the logos so we can hear the rhēma.

The apostle John writes:

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.~ The apostle John (John 1:17)

This is in the same passage about Jesus being God’s Word. And it points out that the Word of God was not just given through Jesus, like with Moses, but it actually "came" to us through Jesus. Every other prophet handed over a message from God to us. Jesus delivered that message in and through his own life and teaching.

It may take some effort, but I think it is valuable for us who are disciples of Jesus to try and buck the system and go against the linguistic trend of our religious subculture. Let's be cautious about overusing "the Word of God" to refer to the Bible. Words matter.

Words make worlds.

And God SAID, "Let there be light."

At the same time, let's not be judgemental legalists. If a Christian sister or brother calls the Bible "the Word of God" let it pass. It's not wrong, it just runs a risk of confusing categories if overused. At least they care about learning from scripture. If some Christian minister says "Let's open up the Word of God" while holding their Bible in the air, let's listen to their heart as they preach the Word (logos) from the text (graphē) so we can learn what the Spirit wants to say to us (rhēma). Even if a preacher's words aren't always perfect, God can still speak loud and clear.

"it says right here in the Word of God..." / "Read the Word of God and see for yourself." / "Let's open up the Word of God..." What's potentially misleading about these sentences?

Apprentices of Jesus study God's graphē to learn his logos so we can recognize his rhēma in every situation of our lives. 

We believe in the inerrant, infallible, inspired, authoritative Word of God - and his name is Jesus.

For a deeper dive into these ideas, see this article here.

A CONCLUDING THOUGHT

I used to read the Bible in a Christocentric way. I still do, but now I try to go beyond that to also reading it in a Christotelic way.

That suffix, telic, is from telos meaning end goal, final destination. I don't just want to read the Bible with Jesus being its central theme. I want to actually let the Bible take me by the hand and lead me to the actual Jesus.

I don't just want study Jesus as the central theme of the Bible, the way we might appreciate the perils of unchecked ambition as the central theme of Shakespeare's Macbeth. I want to meet with Jesus, interact with him and sense his love, his conviction, and his encouragement. Jesus - the actual Jesus and not just the central character in a book - he is my end goal and final destination. My telos.

And just in case you could use the nudge, I'm inviting you to also begin to read the Bible in a Christotelic way.

Jesus is inviting us to come to Scripture to have a supernatural rendezvous with himself. Let's meet with him there.