As we begin the New Year of 2012, I would like to keep this year’s resolution in the same line of thought as last year’s resolution. Last year’s resolution was quite profound, and had to do with our correct usage of a very important term. (Click here to read last year’s life altering resolution)
For this year’s resolution, I’d like to draw our attention to another word. The word that I’d like to talk about here is also a commonly misunderstood word within the evangelical world. This word is used incorrectly the vast majority of time, and each time this word is used in this incorrect way, it keeps perpetuating a devastating and distracting lie.
Let me caution you, however. If you don’t carefully read this article trying to understand what is being communicated here, you will be tempted to jump to conclusions and mischaracterize what I am saying entirely out of fear. You will even be tempted to demonize my motivations. Please don’t do that. Read this article very carefully and prayerfully. There is a point that needs to be made in this article and, in my humble opinion, it is a noble one of great importance.
So, what commonly misused word am I talking about?
I am talking about the word ‘Word‘!
There is no more commonly misunderstood word in all of the scriptures than the word ‘Word’. Like the word ‘church‘, the word ‘Word’ has been under assault because of the reality these terms were meant to communicate. Since language is the medium we communicate with, our enemy has cleverly deceived us away from the truth (Christ) by subtly changing the meaning of certain key terms that were meant to communicate and reveal Him.
In the same way that today’s understanding of the term ‘Church‘ has come to mean something quite different than what was intended, the term ‘Word‘ has come to mean something quite different than what was intended as well. The re-definition of the term ‘Word’ is so widespread that most of us use it and have no idea that we are using it in a way that is perpetuating a great unbiblical lie that keeps inoculating us from the truth. This brings me to a point that I would like to make:
The scriptures clearly reveal to us that the ‘Word’ of God is none other than Jesus Christ, who is a living active person! Although there is much more that I could say about this, let me point to a couple of scriptures that clearly identify Jesus Christ as the living active Word of God.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1,14)
This is a very profound declaration about what & who the Word of God actually is. The Word is God! This ‘Word’ also became flesh and dwelt among us in the person of Jesus Christ. Christ is the living Word of God! Consider this description of Christ as well:
He (Christ) is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. (Rev. 19:13)
He is the center of everything and all things are being summed up in Him. The Word of God (Christ) is the very fullness of God expressed.
Now that we have established this reality of what & who the ‘Word’ of God is, I need to tell you something. There is a conspiracy underway to confuse and distract you from truly seeing and knowing this ‘Word’. The enemy is clever and he knows just how to redirect people away from the true ‘Word’ of God. I am firmly convinced that satan’s most effective tool is religion. A careful study of the history of Christendom will show us this.
Without getting too much into the history of this, toward the end of the first century, the church began to lose her focus on Christ. It was for this reason that John wrote his gospel; to call the church back to a knowledge and revelation of Him. Within a couple hundred years, however, the church began to drift into institutionalism. The supernatural revelation of Jesus Christ that the apostles had laid down in the first century had been replaced by relics and external sacramental representations.
Relics and external representations of Christ are not Him, however. In an attempt to correct this, the Protestant reformers eventually arose to call the church back to its New Testament roots. Unfortunately, the majority of them failed. They simply made cosmetic changes to a system that was built on a false foundation. Instead of replacing the relics with a New Testament revelation of Jesus Christ, they simply substituted one set of relics with another one.
I know this is where I may lose many of you, but please bear with me. Jesus Christ (Word of God) is not a statue, He is not a literal piece of bread, and He is NOT a book (bible)!
Jesus Christ is a living breathing PERSON! I am not saying anything new, I am simply just stating what the scriptures already teach about the Word of God (Christ). Like I mentioned earlier, however, if we don’t have a supernatural revelation of the person of Christ, we will attempt to replace Christ with external religious actions or items, including the scriptures. This very thing happened in Jesus’ day as well.
The scriptures were written for one specific purpose, to reveal the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus said this Himself. He explicitly stated that all the scriptures were written about Him. Nevertheless, the majority of the educated theologians in Jesus’ day were completely blind to the very point of the scriptures which was Him! Jesus pointed this distinction out to the religious leaders when He made this statement to them:
You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life. (John 5:39-40)
Wow, what a statement! They were dillegently studying the scriptures thinking that was the point, when it was not. The point of a cookbook is not to simply read it. Your hunger will never be satisfied by simply reading a cookbook. The point of a cook book is to lead you to a meal! Jesus Christ is the meal. He is the heavenly bread of life that we live by.
In the same way that the religious leaders in Jesus’ day focused intellectually on the scriptures and missed Him, the majority of the reformers also fell into this trap. Unfortunately, it continues to this very day. There is nothing new under the sun. Like in Jesus’ day, we still have a plethora of well educated bible scholars who focus on the scriptures while they remain blind to the very Person the scriptures reveal. Most teachings and sermons that I hear simply contain principles for better living or a list of duties and rules (law) that we should be ‘obedient’ to. That is a gross misuse of scripture.
The scriptures have one purpose…to reveal the Word of God (Christ). Christ is the solution to all of our problems, and He is the source of life. We are only transformed by beholding Him. (2 Cor. 3:18)
So, do you have a proper understanding of the ‘Word’ of God? That’s a great question. The terminology that we use almost always reveals deeply held beliefs. I have a question that I would like to ask you:
When you refer to the ‘Word’ of God with a capital ‘W’, are you talking about the person of Jesus Christ, or are you talking about the bible?
If I had a dime for every time I have heard a person refer to the bible as the ‘Word’ of God, I’d be rich! I find it fascinating that many capitalize the letter ‘W’ when using the term ‘Word’ to refer to the scriptures. It is revealing of a much deeper problem. We should only capitalize the first letter of a person’s name. When we are referring to God, we capitalize the first letter as well.
It is profoundly unscriptural to deify and make an idol out of the scriptures by referring to themselves in a way that the scriptures do NOT refer to themselves! The scriptures refer to Christ as the ‘Word’ with a capital ‘W’. The scripture is also clear that the ‘Word’ of God is NOT a book!
If that is the case, why do so many people speak about the ‘Word’ of God as if the ‘Word’ is a book?
If the ‘Word’ of God were simply a book, then how were the first century churches able to ‘preach’ the Word & proclaim the ‘Word’ of God to one another as they were instructed to do since they were mostly illiterate and did not have access to the scriptures? In addition to being illiterate, Most of the Gentile churches had no access to the Old Testament scriptures, and the New Testament had yet to be completed.
Could it be that their sole ability to ‘preach the Word’ was due to the fact that they had an internal ‘Word’ dwelling within them? Are you aware that much of the third world is still illiterate and does not have access to the scriptures, yet many of them operate in a much more biblical fashion than the majority of religious institutions in the West who have the scriptures? I have seen it with my own eyes!
The Reason I’m Addressing This Problem
The reason I am drawing attention to this monumental problem in the evangelical world is because I want to promote a high and accurate view of the scriptures by illuminating the aim of the scriptures.
The scriptures themselves do not advocate the ‘bible worship’ that goes on in much of the evangelical world. If we truly have a high view of the scriptures, we will honor and focus on the aim of the scriptures. The aim of the scriptures is to illuminate and reveal the person of Jesus Christ as the true ‘Word’ of God.
Someone recently asked me if I believe the bible is the ‘Word’ of God. I answered him this way:
“I believe what scripture says about itself. Scripture says that all scripture is God-breathed and are the words of God that reveal the ‘Word of God’ (Christ)”.
This is more than an exercise in semantics. Many who use the term ‘Word’ of God to refer to a book and not the person of Jesus Christ are still affected by institutional religious thinking that is blind to a New Testament vision of Christ. In light of this, I’d like to challenge you to a very profound New Year resolution for 2012:
2012 New Year Resolution
This year, when refering to the phrase ‘Word of God’, only capitalize the letter ‘W’ if and when you are referring to the person of Jesus Christ. If you are speaking of the scriptures, make the ‘w’ lowercase and add the letter ‘s’ at the end:)
The scriptures are the words of God, but there is only one ‘Word’ of God…Jesus Christ!
As you read the scriptures, may the Lord continue to give you a greater revelation of Him who is the ‘Word’ of God this New Year!
“The point of a cookbook is not to simply read it. Your hunger will never be satisfied by simply reading a cookbook. The point of a cook book is to lead you to a meal! Jesus Christ is the meal.”
I love this analogy! Great post Jamal! I couldn’t agree with you more.
There’s much of our Lord and His great plan of the ages that’s been hidden through the institution’s misinterpretations and idolatries. The word “hell” is another good and fun one to tackle one day.
Trevor,
Thanks for reading and for your encouragement bro. I’m looking forward to this journey that we’re all on together in 2012:)
It is profoundly unscriptural to deify and make an idol out of the scriptures by referring to themselves in a way that the scriptures do NOT refer to themselves! The scriptures refer to Christ as the ‘Word’ with a capital ‘W’. The scripture is also clear that the ‘Word’ of God is NOT a book!
When I first was introduced to this, I thought it diminished the view of the scriptures. When I accepted this truth, it was because I received greater revelation of Christ. When He is in first place in all things, the scriptures grow brighter every day!
Amen Jamal!
Amen Andy, preach it brother!
Jamal,
Thanks so much for this post!
I have made an interesting observation over the years:
Every Christian that I know who makes the bible the center is (at least to some degree) a legalist! I have never seen an exception to this.
Why is this? Simple. The people who make the scriptures (bible) the center of everything tend to think that they can wield it like a sword! They are “crusaders” of the “Word of God” who find a verse for everything wrong that believers are doing. In other words, they have taken the scriptures and made law out of them! Of course, you can find a verse for anything and the bible can be a very dangerous tool in the hands of someone who isn’t living under the New Covenant.
In the New Covenant there is now only One Law.
The law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus! (Romans 8:2)
All of the “commands” in the New Testament are to be lived out by this all pervasive law of the indwelling life of Christ. I do realize that the scriptures are there to give us guidelines and to confirm the life within us. However, if we make them The Law (dead letter) then we will do much damage in the Body of Christ.
Milt,
Wow, very insightful comment brother! Thanks for reading and sharing this. I attribute this article to your influence in my life:)
This article was very well stated. I couldn’t agree more. There isn’t anything I could add, just wanted to say amen and thanks for writing it.
Thank you for the encouragement Michael:)
Excellent post. The first time I heard some one say this I wasn’t quite sure how I felt but it made complete sense. I love the post you made one time ‘the word was made flesh not paper and ink.’ It gives Christ his proper place.
Amen Otto, thx for reading the article. I’m encouraged to know that you found this to be helpful. Blessings to you:)
Your tendency towards reductionism is truly breathtaking. The scriptures are the God breathed revelation of who Christ is and what He has done. Of course Christ is to be central and if one is studying and presenting scripture properly then He will be central. I see this post as your continuing agenda of reducing the importance of the church.
Michael,
Thanks for reading the article and sharing your comment.
Michael…your input is valuable because it represents a ‘cookie cutter’ response rampant in institutionalism. You didn’t seem to grasp what Jamal was explaining so therefore I understand your ‘use’ of the word ‘church’….may you continue to grow ever closer to the Lord as He works in your life…Shalom
Amen Shay! Great to hear from you sister:)
I hope God doesn’t hold my grammer against me and forgive me for being confused by this post. I take anything and everything to the Bible to see if it lines up. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to teach us and guide us as well. There is a balance for everything but putting down the Bible or getting caught up in grammar lessons?
Leana,
Thank you for reading and commenting here. I have to be honest with you, however. Based on your comment, it is clear to me that you misunderstood the point of the entire article. This has absolutely nothing to do with grammar at all.
Very well stated, Jamal… I have a few friends who would be quite offended by what you said, but like someone commented, when we “see this” amazing Christ for ourselves, He is lifted up.. it’s not that the scriptures are diminished. Most folks I know who’ve made this discovery find the scriptures even more ‘rich’ than they ever were now that they’re seeing Christ in them.
This enemy you refer to… (Since language is the medium we communicate with, our enemy has cleverly deceived us away from the truth (Christ) by subtly changing the meaning of certain key terms that were meant to communicate and reveal Him.)… is more often our minds than it is some external pressure. Most of our problems are from within.. It’s our carnal minds that oppose the Spirit of God and is our greatest adversary. We need the mind of Christ.. and to bring down every thing that exalts itself against the knowledge (experience) of Christ.. taking EVERY thought captive.. good and bad.. to the obedience of Jesus Christ. We have so many mind filters and mind sets that click in when we hear different “words” that we’ve learned from “men”, so much so that we miss the Word of God Himself. Thank God that He has redeemed us from the traditions we’ve received from our fathers (through the blood of Jesus Christ).
Since it’s the continual hearing of the Word of God that brings Life, may He give us all ears to hear this New Year. All the best in 2012 to you and your family, Jamal!!!
Ron,
Thank you very much for your comment brother. Great insight! You are absolutely right, those who stop ‘idolizing’ the scriptures actually end up appreciating and valuing the scriptures more in the long run.
Happy New Year to you as well:)
It one thing to be shocking and correct, it’s entirely another to be controversial and shocking but incorrect. A few points and I will follow up with greater detail shortly.
First, what source can you cite to prove that “Word,” is the most misunderstood word in all of scripture? Or was that just conjecture for controversy sake?
Secondly the scripture has more than the one purpose to express Christ. 1 Timothy 3:15 clearly shows the multi-purpose application of scripture.
Lastly, logos and rhema can, and often are interchangeable.
Miguel,
Thank you for reading and offering your perspective here. I think you meant to refer to 2 Tim. 3:16. I think this article is a great example of 2 Tim. 3:16. Jesus Christ is not one of many themes in scripture, rather He is the central theme of all of scripture. Because we have lost sight of that, I have brought out scripture to ‘correct’ and ‘reprove’ our unbiblical ideas about the scriptures that have distracted and taken our focus off of the central theme of scripture, which is Jesus Christ (the Word of God).
Jamal,
You are correct, I was referring to 2Tim 3:16. The hazards of commenting on mobile devices while on the run. Yes, Christ IS the central “theme”in all of scripture. But that’s not what you said in your post. You said, “The scriptures have one purpose…to reveal the Word of God (Christ).” The scriptures are multi-purposeful as you yourself just agreed to by citing 2 Timothy 3:16.
Believe me, I do understand your heart in this, and my first comment was a bit reactionary, but it’s very western of you to say “it’s this way, and this way only.” To create an overarching dichotomy where the scriptures do not.
If Logos in John 1:1 is to be capitalized, then there is no good reason why logos in john 15:3 – “Already you are clean because of the word [LOGOS] that I have SPOKEN to you”
and logos in john 4:50 – “the man believed the word [LOGOS] that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way” Shouldn’t be capitalized as well.
In this case, it is semantics.
Blessings to you
Miguel,
I will say it again, the scriptures have only ONE purpose…that is to reveal the Word of God who is Jesus Christ. I completely disagree with your assessment that there is another purpose of the scriptures. Jesus Himself said they were written concerning Him. Christ is the solution to all problems. ALL problems are a result of getting away from this one purpose of scripture. 2 Tim. 3:16 is a perfect example of how scripture should be used to bring our attention back to a focus on the person of Jesus Christ. That is the purpose of reproof, correction, and training.
I would also say that your belief that there are purposes for scripture other than Christ Himself is actually part of the problem, and why this article had to be written.
I humbly disagree that the scriptures only have ONE purpose. But, I will give it more thought and see if within the deep waters we can reach a consensus of sorts.
Those ‘deep waters’ that you speak of, is Christ:)
Thank you for this post. You raise a valid and crucial point. Thank you for highlighting what scripture clearly teaches. Our words matter. Therefore, when referring to scriptures it makes sense to use words of God. When referring to Jesus we should simply say Jesus rather than Word of God, to avoid confusion.
Thanks for reading and commenting Elizabeth. I’m glad this makes sense:) Happy New Year to you.
Thank you for writing this! I have been thinking the last couple of weeks about this and you couldn’t have put it better.
The Bible is scripture, and as scripture it tells us that Jesus Christ is the Word of God.
David, Thanks for your comments. Right on the money!
I do wish we all saw the Word this way.
Andy,
Great to hear from you brother. Thanks for reading and commenting. I too wish everyone saw the Word for who He is. He is big!
The Word has changed my heart and mind and life. Literally. I cannot lust as easily as I used to be able to lust. Jesus met me through His Word and started renewing my mind. In other words, Jesus met me with Himself. It is so awesome! Sometimes I can’t get enough. I need Him so desperately, like I assume a crack addict needs a drug fix, but in a really good way. I can’t wait to see what God is going to do in 2012. I have a feeling in my gut that miracles are going to happen as God’s people – those who are truly His – stand on the Word of God and stay there despite pressure to back down. Let us stand together! And let’s see what God might do?
Jim,
Thanks for reading and commenting.
a great read brother! I agree with what you are saying brother and believe the little “w” for “word” or just “bible” or “scripture” is even better. By the way for this same reason I did my own research of the Greek word “logos” and for every instance where the “singular masculine” part of speech for logos was used it refers to or in a few instances seems to imply, based on context, Christ, the indwelling Word. It is pretty involved and wanted to make sure it was thorough and gave me a glimpse into our indwelling Lord and living by Him. I haven’t done anything as thorough with “rhema,” and it’s parts of speech, since the focus of rhema means spoken or written word(s). Maybe some day,
. For anyone interested here is the link. I did make a couple of shorter blogs to give my conclusions (for those who want a shorter read), but also have the much larger blogs that lists every use of the word. Thanks again brother, 
. http://johnswilson3.wordpress.com/category/2b-word-study-of-logos/.
John,
Thanks for reading and sharing your insights. This is great! Blessings to you brother:)
I often wonders why we in the USA spent so much time debating semantics instead of experiencing the reality of Christ for us? I had a roommate who was acquainted with Christ by his thorough understanding of the scripture and it was deeper than any theologian could ever imagined. He walked humbly depended on the Holy Spirit and the scriptures were his constant mediation. I saw God use him in ways that reminded of the early Christians in the book of Acts. It was amazing to see this in his life and in my life due the reality of the Holy Spirit working in us by Christ. people were shocked to the power of God in our lives. Our world needs desperately to see Christ and this will require us to mediate much on Scripture so the Holy Spirit can reveal the will of God to us and the clarity of God’s plan the Gospel for us in Christ. Otherwise we are at the mercy of false teachers and seducing demons who will come to us as angels of light teaching a different christ than originally taught us from the Apostles by the scriptures. Our head is Christ and his weapon are the scriptures which form the basis for his word by the revelation of the Holy Spirit. The kingdom is not mere talk but power to change lives!
Albert,
Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts here. I too love the scriptures and am thankful that the Word of God (Christ) is revealed through the scriptures. He (Christ) is everything we need for life and righteousness. Blessings to you Albert.
I think this is a post that really needed to be written. There is so much confusion on who (not “what”) the Word is. I’ve even been guilty of changing the meaning. It reminds me of when Jesus was rebuking the Pharisees for swearing by the gold in the temple and he asks them: “Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?” It seems to be the same case with scripture. Which is greater: the written words or the Person who makes those words alive and true?
Jesus is all that matters. Gosh, He’s not just a thing or another idol to worship. He is the Lord and there is no other. He is our peace, our salvation, our good work. We could potentially “do” nothing for him all our life but love Him and He would be glorified in that. His yoke is easy and his burden is light – and that puts the devil to shame because the devil communicates the total opposite message — one that we have to work or read or memorize scripture in order to be worthy of Jesus.
Jesus is so good. Man.. What a Lord we have and with what great, strong love he loves us!
Ashley,
What a beautiful comment sister! Great insight! Thank you for reading and sharing your vital perspective:)
I think you have been misunderstanding me, Jamal. It’s not that I disagree with this or other things you say. The problem is you are one of the few people that are actually serving “meat.” My caution is even though “meat” is good for those that are ready to hear it. For young babes they can choke on a “good piece of meat.” Jesus was also very careful and sensitive to the Holy Spirit about his hearers were at. This is a public forum that unfortunatly has limitations… A modern invention that didnt even exist in Bible days. Much like what we do in the modern day Church. Just because we can, should we? Some may see God’s word as God’s Word simply because it has Jesus’ personal words in it and they are just learning to hear God’s voice. Just a thought. If our child cuts us a rose from OUR prized rose bush because it’s the only thing they have to give are we not going to accept their best offering as good enough too? Different people are at different places in their walk… The WHOLE Bible is a Love Story for Gods children. Not just Act-Rev! Others are just starting out on their walk… Have you forgotten where you were and as you sought God He was patient with you and brought you through…. Margaret
Margaret,
Sister, thanks for reading this article and sharing your thoughts with us. I completely understand where you are coming from. To be completely honest, I am not as much concerned with how others may incorrectly discern what I am trying to say. That is bound to happen with any form of communication. People used to wrongly accuse Paul the apostle of teaching others to sin so that grace would abound. Obviously, he did not teach that. This did not stop him from speaking out strongly against law based religion and thinking that was plaguing the church.
Regarding this recent post, I can assure you that the mindset of bible ‘idolatry’ has been far more destructive to believers in evangelical circles because their form of religion has kept them blind to the true ‘Word’ of God who is Jesus Christ. I wish I would have read this article when I was much younger in my faith. Maybe I would have seen the ‘Word’ much sooner than I did:)
Blessings to you Margaret.
Thanks for this clarification, Jamal. Highlighting this double-standard in my life has brought me cause for repentance. I have been guilty of referencing scripture as “the Word of God”, knowing the passage well which you quoted from John 1. I have always considered Christ as the Word – God in the flesh, but have also deified scripture by referring to it as the Word. Semantics or mindset? The same could be said about “directions” and “destination”. Directions will get you to the destination. Having the destination with no directions is useless. Christ is our destination. Scripture is the directions that point us to Christ. They are not Christ in and of themselves, but are necessary to get us going in the right direction to discover Him more fully. One day you will have to put all of these blogs together into a book. Love you, brother!
Mark,
Thx for your honesty. I know exactly how you feel. It’s a mindset that I have been detoxing from as well. Thx for the encouragement regarding eventually putting these blogs together in a book. If that ever occurs, I will be sure to mention you in the preface bro:)
Love ya!
Good job, Jamal. This is a well-balanced article on an easily misunderstood topic. It takes a convincing revelation and some real practice to break the habit of referring to the Bible (rather than Christ) as the “Word of God.” At least it did for me. Thank for shining some light in this direction.
Josh,
Thanks for reading and your honesty. I greatly appreciate it. Blessings:)
Jamal, I love your emphasis on Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh (John 1, as you say). In fact, Jesus created the entire world, including oceans, birds, animals, and human beings, by speaking Words (Genesis 1). His Words created and gave life because they were divine. The entire Bible is made up of Words spoken by God the Holy Spirit through men–prophesying, teaching, and, revealing Jesus Christ, the ultimate Word, and the Father’s heart, to a lost and dying world perishing apart from Him. Think about it, everything we know about Jesus Christ was communicated by God’s divine Words through the Holy Spirit down through history, to us. Without these powerful divine Words, the collective divine “Word”, we wouldn’t know Jesus…His love, His character, His nature, His sacrifice to give us His Life for all eternity. Have we not all (we who are born again) experienced God’s Words leap off the page and into our heart, proving the Divine Holy Spirit behind them. Brother, I understand your emphasis in this post, but I can’t see that referring to the Scriptures as the Word of God, and capitalizing the “W” is “bible worship.”. Is that what you really mean?
Lisa,
Thank you sister for reading and sharing your thoughts here. Let me say a couple of things in response to your comment and question.
1. Jesus Christ is the Word of God. It is by God’s Word (Christ) that He spoke into existence everything that was created.
2. Creation & human language are finite and limited, yet have the purpose of revealing the person of Jesus Christ.
The God breathed words of scripture are written in human finite language. Although they are inspired of God to reveal Christ, they are not the same as Christ, who is infinite. We do not worship the words of God that are penned in human finite language. I am a firm believer that the creation was created to reveal the wisdom and nature of Jesus Christ. This is what scripture teaches. There have been many times that a fuller revelation of Christ has been communicated to me through nature. This was what finite nature was created to do. This is also what scripture, written in finite human language, was written to do as well. Although the words of scripture are breathed and inspired of God to reveal Christ, they are not Christ. It is also scripture that describes Christ as being the Word of God who is also God. The scriptures do not describe themselves as God. The Word (Christ) is most certainly God, however. (John 1:1). Simply put, the words of God (scriptures) reveal the Word of God (Christ). This is an important distinction to make.
I hope this helps:)
Jamal, the distinction you are making between the Word of God and the words of God is meaningless because both are “life.” Jesus made this clear when He said “the words I have spoken to you are spirit and are life” (Jn. 6:63). Because Jesus is God, the words Jesus speaks are also the words of God. So, if the words of God are life, and if the Bible is the words of God, then the Bible is also life. Thus, your reference to the Bible as the words of God is only causing more confusion because it actually produces less of a distinction between Christ (who is life — Col. 3:4 and others) and the Bible than you claim.
Also, your claim that Jesus is the Word of God is nothing new. Christians have always believed that Jesus is the Word of God. But instead of saying that the Bible is not the Word of God (as you are saying), they say that Jesus is the living Word of God and the Bible is the written Word of God. They call the Bible the written Word of God because they understand the Bible to be God’s written revelation of Himself to humanity, just as Jesus is God’s incarnate revelation of Himself to humanity. Their use of the capital “W” for the Bible is not meant to equate the Bible with Jesus, but rather is meant to follow proper English grammar’s use of capitalized words when those words are used as a title or name of a book, as is the case with the word “Bible” and “Scripture” (when “Scripture” applies to the entire Bible) but not “scripture” (which applies to a single verse from the Bible). Also, to make such a big deal out of the use of a capital “W” for Jesus but a lower case “w” for the Bible doesn’t jive with the Greek because the Greek didn’t have upper and lower case letters. So, it seems that you are causing more problems than you are solving with your article. Just my 2 cents!
Tom,
Thanks for reading the article and sharing your thoughts here. I have a couple of points that I would like to make in response to your comment:
1. Christ is the only Word of God (which is also God) that exists. (John 1:1)
2. When I say that the bible is not the Word of God, but are the words of God, I mean to say that the bible is NOT Jesus Christ. We do not worship the bible.
3. Although the scriptures are God breathed, they are written in human finite language. Jesus Christ is the infinite Word of God, however. The human finite words that Christ speaks are only Spirit and life because they reveal Him who is infinite. The human finite words themselves are not Him or else the Pharisees would have received life simply because they studied and read the scriptures. They did not, however. They read and studied the scriptures, yet did not receive life because were blind to the true Word of God which was Christ Himself. Jesus personally made this distinction between Himself and the scriptures in John 5:39. This same problem exists today, and is exactly why this article is needed.
I hope this helps.
The letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Sometimes we need to read between the lines. Loved the post, brother! Thanks for penning it. Love in Christ to you all, brothers and sisters.
Thank you Daniel:)
Great post Jamal! Thanks for your courage and your boldness to write such a needed post. You’re a brave one, my friend
I reread this and it is only about Jesus. I cannot believe my knee jerk response and I think I might’ve even been defensive…hmmm interesting.
Thank you for your honesty Leana. You have a heart of gold:)
Awesome post Jamal! I just shared it three times! Have a truly blessed New Year brother and thank you for your faithfulness in spreading the message of Jesus Christ!
Kim,
So glad to know that you found this post helpful. Thanks so much for sharing it with others. I’m glad that the Lord caused our paths to cross once again, and I’m excited to behold Him in 2012! Blessings to you sister:)
Great post Jamal. I’ve been confused about this for a while, and I used these guidlines in writing something and felt much more comfortable. Thanks for writing!
Also, this is one of the best things I’ve read lately concerning scripture.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/peterenns/2012/01/evolution-evangelicals-and-their-bible-or-dealing-with-how-god-rolls/
I left a brief post over at Jon Zens’ site in response to a post on the Body With One Part?
http://www.searchingtogether.org/blog/?p=155
Keep preaching it brother! This has been a stump speech, pet peeve of mine for many years! Jesus is the real thing, never settle for anything less, no substitutes!
Have you read much Karl Barth? I love what he has to say about holy objects, be they words, works, or things: for the Christian, there are none! At best, they point to the Holy One or are a vacuum in which the message can be presented.
Blessings!
Chris,
It’s a pleasure to have you here on the blog. Thanks for reading, and for your encouraging words. I have not read anything by Barth just yet. I hope to eventually. Blessings to you too, and come back anytime:)
Reading this post a year late, but have to comment a huge Amen! This is a message I’ve been spouting for awhile myself because Bible idolatry has been so rampant. Glad to see you explain this so eloquently and clearly. May Christ gain more and more honor that he is due as the Word.
Lisa,
Thanks for your comment, and welcome to the blog! I am glad that you found this article to be encouraging. I am currently on a blogging break until July. In the meantime, you can subscribe to the blog so you will receive new articles by email when I resume. Also, feel free to have a look around at the older articles posted here. Blessings!