Our questions include, how did we arrive at our doctrines? Does the Bible really teach what we think it teaches? Why do churches do what they do? What is the biblical basis of church leadership structure? Why do certain traditions get entrenched?
It's easy to be spoon fed the conventional wisdom, but it's an entirely separate thing to search these things out for one's self. In the past we have read the Bible with these unexamined understandings and interpreted what we read through those lenses. We were lazy about our Bible study, assuming that pastors and theologians were telling us the truth, but we rarely checked it out for ourselves.
Therefore, these Rethinks are our attempt to remedy the situation.
We should note that we are not Bible scholars, but we believe that one doesn't need to be in order to understand the Word of God.
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Introduction
We have always been taught that Jesus is the Word, and the Bible is the Word of God. The delineation between these elements has been somewhat hazy, however, because Jesus, the Word, and the Bible are not interchangeable terms. The Son exists independently from His titles. His Word exists independently from what has been written down. And what has been written down does not address the totality of what Jesus has said.
It's common in many churches to hear someone refer to the Word and then quote the Bible. In other churches, a Word means there is a prophecy to be spoken. In still others, a Word is a spiritual message, perhaps a sermon.
As mentioned, we think there is confusion regarding these concepts, which is the purpose of our post today.
Laleó, Rhéma, and Logos
There are a variety of words used in the NT regarding speaking, like chatter, babbling, heresy, exhorting, and rebuking. Some of these words are found in the Greek only once. For our purposes, we will examine three common Greek words.
Laleó
Laleó appears 297 times in the NT. It means to utter or form words with the mouth, to speak. Some verses that use this word:
1Co. 12:3 Therefore I tell you that no-one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no-one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
2Co. 13:3 since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me.
Laleó seems more about the mechanical act of uttering words, generic words that everyone speaks. Notice these two verses refer to speaking, but then go on to address the nature of what is being spoken. The act of speaking is contextualized as to content.
Rhéma is a spoken word, made "by the living voice". It is used 70 times in the NT. It is sometimes translated "things," statements," or "sayings." Some verses that use rhéma:
Jn. 3:34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.
Jn. 6:68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.Notice that rhéma is contemporary speaking, not words spoken an hour ago, last week, or a hundred years ago, but rather words spoken by the living voice, an alive person speaking right at the moment.
Logos is mostly translated as "Word," although it is also translated "statement," "sayings," and "accounting." It means
a word, being the expression of a thought; a saying. 3056 /lógos ("word") is preeminently used of Christ (Jn 1:1), expressing the thoughts of the Father through the Spirit.
[3056 (lógos) is a common term (used 330 times in the NT) with regards to a person sharing a message (discourse, "communication-speech"). 3056 (lógos) is a broad term meaning "reasoning expressed by words."]
Here are some verses that use the word logos:
Lk. 3:4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the desert, `Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.
Jn. 2:22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
Ac. 6:2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.
1Co. 15:54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” [Isaiah 25:8]
2Ti. 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
It seems that logos is descriptive of more significant things than just general speech. Especially since John tells us the Logos was made flesh (Jn. 1:1, 14). We would tend to lean towards the idea that logos is most often the articulated words of God, represented by Jesus, the Word of God.
As the reader can see, there is some overlap in the terms. All can refer to general talk, or they can refer to the words spoken by the Lord. All can refer to a divine message. All terms can be applied in the context of the Holy Word being expressed.
The Crucial Premise
Having briefly examined some concepts, we are now prepared to make our assertions.
None of these terms refer to Scripture itself.
This is an important observation. The Word of the Lord never refers to Scripture. They are two distinct, though related, things:
Jn. 2:22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
"The word" can be used to refer to the words contained in Scripture:
Lk. 3:4 As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the desert, `Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him....'"
But, the word (the things Jesus says) that has been written down (Scripture), represents only a small portion of the logos. What is written down is not all that Jesus has said.
The word is not only spoken, but heard:
Lk. 5:1 One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding round him and listening to the word of God...
The Word of the Lord nearly always refers to a contemporary message of God, rather than something that is recorded in the Bible.
Jn. 17:8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.
Hebrews 1:1-4:
In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
3 The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. 4 So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.We first note the obvious: These verses are not referring to Scripture, but rather to Jesus. The writer of Hebrews is not discussing the Bible. The actual topic is the superiority of the Son over the prophets and the angels. In fact, the entire opening chapter of Hebrews is written to establish the high position of the Son. His speaking is higher than others who previously spoke. It is so high that this Speaker now sits at the right hand of the Majesty.
Certain men "spoke to our forefathers." That is, they were the OT prophets who spoke to Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, and David, Jeremiah, among others. The writer of Hebrews is making a clear point. God has changed His avenue of speaking. This passage is not about the culmination of the communication of God, but rather, the apex of God's revelation to man.
...but in these last days... "But..." The writer of Hebrews is creating a contrast. Contrary to what He did in the past, in these last days God speaks (laleó, present tense) directly in (en) His Son, without the intermediation of a prophet. When did Jesus get proclaimed as the ultimate of God's revelation? ...in these last days... Jesus dispensed with intermediation of the OT prophets at the commencement of the last days and now speaks directly.
To whom does His Son speak? He has spoken to us via His Son. First, the Son spoke to the prophets our forefathers. Then He spoke in person to the disciples while He was on earth. After He died and rose from the dead, He spoke to the NT prophets and the apostles. But He didn't stop there. He poured out the Holy Spirit on all people:
Ac. 2:17 In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams...Now the Holy Spirit is poured out on all flesh. Notice that Peter quoted the prophet Joel, who said, in the last days... The same phrase used by the writer of Hebrews. Are we no longer in "these last days?" When Peter quoted Joel, was he talking about some other last days? We are currently in the Last Days, (present tense) so Jesus still speaks (present tense). "These last days." So in these last days He speaks to us. In these last days He pours out His Spirit. In these last days we prophesy, dream dreams, and see visions. Because we are in these last days.
He. 1:1-2 does not refer to the Bible. It does not tell us about Scripture. Instead, using very particular language, the writer of Hebrews is making the same claim that both Joel and Peter claimed: What was formerly spoken to a very rare group of people is now directly spoken to all flesh via the Son.
The writer of Hebrews confirms this. He wrote in the very next verse, He. 1:3:
The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.Now we see a separate reference to "the Son" and "His powerful word." He speaks right now to sustain creation. The word "sustains" is pheró, to bear up, i. e. uphold (keep from falling). He continues to speak, or the universe would fall apart.
Hebrews 4:12
He. 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
This certainly sounds like the writer of Hebrews is referring to the Scriptures, doesn't it? But here is the literal translation of the verse:
Living, for the word of God [is], and active, and sharper than any sword two edged; even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of joints and also marrow, and able to judge thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Does the reader notice a particular word missing from the literal Greek? The word "it." This word does not appear in the original text, it is an editorial insertion made by the translators. The Greek word order is friendly enough to us that we can see pretty clearly that the verse is not referring to the Bible, it is referring to a person. Jesus is active, sharply penetrating in His ability to judge thoughts and intentions. The Bible doesn't have such a capability.
Ep. 6:17
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word (rhēma) of God.
The word (spoken in the living voice) is the sword of the Spirit. We don't think Paul is referring to your Bible here.
Re. 1:16 In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword.
We are pretty sure that there wasn't a Bible coming out of His mouth, but rather the word.
Mt. 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word (rhēma) that comes from the mouth of God.’“ [Deut. 8:3]
Interesting that Jesus appealed to what is written to describe what is currently said (rhēma).
Conclusion
It seems pretty clear that there is a contemporary spoken word of God going forth today. We have the Scriptures, which we study with delight, but they tell us a story we have not understood before. They tell us that the Voice that sustains the universe has never stopped speaking. This means that we should be listening to this speech.
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