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The name of this study could be “What is the Word of God?”, but I’ve already done a study by that name, though this is exploring the topic from a different angle. I believe there’s a need for this study because the term “the word of God” is used so often, and I don’t think people really appreciate (in general) what that term actually means. I want to know what God means when He says “the word of God,” not what man means. We call the Bible the word of God, but you know what word is never found in the Bible? Bible.
First of all, today we’ll be taking a look at the logos of God, not the rhema of God. Both Greek words are translated “word” in the Bible. In short, logos indicates that which is expressed or communicated, rhema indicates that which is heard or received. All our efforts in this study will be to better understand what is and what is not the expression or communication of God.
In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by it (the word of God); and without it was not anything made that was made. In it was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:1-4)
In light of “the word was with God and the word was God” it might be beneficial to take a look at the “of” in the expression “the word of God.” “Of” is in the genitive case, of which there are several types. E.W. Bullinger, in Appendix 17 of his Companion Bible, lists 9 different senses, or types of the genitive. I won’t spend too much time on them here, but to explain some of the differences, I’ll use the terms a cup of coffee, a cup of Steve’s, a cup of porcelain, a cup of the Lattimer Company and a cup of morning contentment. You see, I’m talking about the exact same cup of coffee! There is the genitive of contents, of possession, of material, of origin and of character.
In the term, “the word of God,” since we know that the word was God, this “of” is the genitive of contents; that is, the word is made up of God. Also, in that the word was with God, it is also the genitive of origin; that is, the word which came out from God. But, it is also the genitive of possession; that is, God owns it. All are true. It won’t be easy, but try to keep all these aspects of the genitive in mind as you read “the word of God.” The word which came out from God, which God owns, which is also made up of God. You might also understand it this way: The word of God is God’s expression of Himself in and to His creation.
Since it was “in the beginning,” the word of God being spoken of in John 1 was not written or spoken. God doesn’t have vocal chords; besides, in the beginning there was no one to hear. John 1:1 thus tells us that the word of God exists outside of writing or speaking. This is new information! We already know that the word of God can be contained or embodied within writing or speaking, but now we know that it originates outside of writing or speaking! The word of God carries with it the life of God, which is the light of men. It also has the power to create, which means to express the spiritual into the physical world.
For the word of God is quick (alive, living) and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword…. (Hebrews 4:12a)
The word of God carries or embodies more than the life and creative power of God.
So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)
(At least) two great truths are here revealed regarding the word of God: One – the word of God carries with it God’s intent, His will; and Two – God’s word carries with it the power to accomplish His intent, bring it to fruition.
Four great truths regarding the word of God we’ve seen so far:
1) It is not necessarily written or spoken.
2) It carries, or embodies the life of God.
3) It carries, or embodies the intent (will) of God.
4) It carries, or embodies the power to accomplish the will of God.
Once God expresses His word to an individual (received by what we call revelation), it is then possible that that individual may either speak it and/or write it down, but not necessarily, and then only by the will of God. Even before it is ever spoken or written, (if it ever is), it is still the word of God living and giving life in the mind and heart of that individual.
But I guarantee you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught, but by revelation of Jesus Christ. (Galatians 1:11, 12)
Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is (made up) of any private (idios – one’s own) interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (II Peter 1:20, 21)
But now (the mystery) is made manifest, and by the writings of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith; (Romans 16:26)
So neither the contents of the word of God are made up by a person; nor the motivation to speak it or to write it down. This is God’s doing, His will. The intent of this communication of God is integral to the message itself, and in fact is more important than the factual existence of the message, since it is extraneous to it. Tell me, is the fact that there are words on a page more important than what is meant to be conveyed by them?
Sometimes what God says to you is for you alone, and sometimes it is meant for someone else, or to accomplish something else, or a combination. That is up to God, not you. So if God tells you to say something to bless someone, but you say it to hurt them, is it still the word of God? No! Because even though it might be the same words, it carries your intent and not God’s.
There are a lot of people today who are speaking words which come out of the Bible, but who are not speaking the word of God, because what they are speaking (how they are speaking, when they are speaking, to whom they are speaking, etc.) is not the will of God. As such, the words they are speaking carry no Godly life, power, or intent.
This is the danger in simply looking at the Bible and saying, “That is the word of God.” Because man often takes what is written and applies it in ways not intended by God, or he extrapolates erroneously. “Well, God says this, therefore, that must also be true;” or, “And this is how we think you should interpret that.” Well intentioned but often wrong!
And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. (Luke 6:7)
God had commanded to keep holy the Sabbath day (Saturday), and man had decided how he thought that ought to be done, and then decided his extrapolations were the word of God. Healing (done by a doctor) was something man had decided should not be done on the sabbath., as a part of keeping holy the Sabbath. But was that the word of God? No.
Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?
(Luke 6:9)
Man points to the Bible and says, “There is the word of God.” But that is an extraordinary oversimplification. Yes, there is the word God which He gave to a man at one time, who then, by God’s will, wrote it down, which has since been copied and recopied, printed and reprinted. But who was it written down for? For what purpose? Unless and until we read what is written and grasp God’s intent, we don’t yet have His word. We have His word when we open the Bible and grasp His truth and intent, and that can only happen by the spirit of God.
For whatsoever things were written aforetime (before the present age of grace in which Paul was living, and in which we live today) were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. (Romans 15:4)
I never read the Old Testament looking for God’s instruction to me today (unless God points me there – but that is a unique situation), else I would be ignoring the above truth. It’s for my learning, not my instruction on how to live today. It’s simply not addressed to me today. In it I see (for example) the patience and comfort of God which sustained a people looking for the coming Messiah. This helps me understand God better, and also the times leading up to this age of grace wherein we live today. God often talks to me as I read the Old Testament. I just never read it as if it were the New Testament.
A person who wants to test for his driver’s license in Wisconsin doesn’t get a driver’s ed instructional booklet from England to prepare. There may be similarities, things that are true in England which are also true in Wisconsin, but unless and until I comprehend Wisconsin’s rules and regs, I won’t know which English rules are similar and which aren’t! So people say to me, “Hey it’s all the rules of the road!” (Hey, it’s all God’s word!). That’s true, but it’s not all for me today!
Today, we who want what God has to give us don’t go to the Old Testament to discover what that is. I can’t take what were His instructions to people 3,000 years ago and say, “This is God’s will for me today.” Again, God often teaches me through the words He intended for another people, but it’s important I’m aware that what He had written then was intended for those other people.
Perhaps God singles out a verse and tells me, “There, that is meant for you today!” That then becomes the word of God to me! (even though it was written in the Old Testament to another people in another age). But I’ve had the same thing happen watching a television commercial. So it’s not the writing in the Bible that has some mystical, magical power – it’s the presence and power of God embodied in that writing which does. That is what we look for when we read the Bible, nothing less!
There are many timeless truths in the Old Testament that have not changed since Jesus Christ came, which is one reason reading the Old Testament can be very beneficial, but without God’s help, how can we know which is which? As we learn in Genesis, we were never meant to understand the true intent of the word of God by our own abilities. Oh, there is an understanding of God’s word which is carnal, but that is not His will, it’s just our carnal understanding of His will. Without the help of God, true understanding remains quite elusive. In the second part of this study, we’ll learn how God accomplished the feat of giving us the ability to truly grasp His word.
And they said to him (Joseph), We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me them, I pray you. (Genesis 40:8)
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Related Studies
If you enjoyed how this study challenged your thinking and opened up your understanding of Christ, click on one of the related studies below:
What is the Word of God
God’s Point of View
The Role of Bible Research
How Christ is Building His Church
How Do We Get Faith? ….. God GIVES It To Us
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