Bulletin Articles
The Word of God and the Words of God
Jesus is identified as the Divine Word, the Logos, with all things made by Him and in whom is life and light (John 1:1-5). As the Word incarnate, Jesus is the ultimate communication of God to humanity. God has spoken through Him in these last days (Heb 1:1-3), and we need to “See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven” (Heb 12:25).
We are not witnesses of Jesus in the flesh right now, so if we are to know the revealed communication from God, we need a written record of what He said and did. The only way we know about Him is through this record. We cannot just make up what we want to be true out of thin air. This is one reason for the gospel accounts. They show us Jesus, and by seeing who He is and what He taught, we may conclude with Peter: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God” (John 6:68-69).
Inspired Scripture provides the “words of eternal life” by telling us what Jesus said and did. The authority of these words rests in the power of the One from whom they originate (2 Pet 1:19-21). The only way for us to know the mind of God is for God to tell us, and this is a primary function of Scripture. The Holy Spirit has revealed God’s mind so that we may have access to God’s mind (1 Cor 2:10-13). While Scripture does not contain every thought of God (which is beyond what we are capable of thinking), it does contain what He wants us to know about Him and our relationship with Him.
Jesus treated Scripture with great respect. He spoke of Scripture as true and necessary (e.g., Matt 26:24, 31, 54). Even while being tempted, His “It is written” responses show how important Scripture is to overcoming temptation (Matt 4:1-11). Scripture, as the word of God, is as the “mouth of God” by which we live. As Jesus said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” (Matt 4:4).
The recorded words of Jesus are invested with His authority. Think of the contrasts Jesus made in the Sermon on the Mount between what they had heard and what “I say to you” (Matt 5-7). Think of Jesus’ bold statement in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” “My words” puts His words on par with the rest of Scripture. “My words” carries the authority of the divine Word.
This is why it is vital to abide in His word. “So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free’” (John 8:31-32). True disciples abide in the word, and this word is the truth that sets us free from the shackles of sin.
Further, His words will be present in judgment. “He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day” (John 12:48). In this context, Jesus pointed out that His words were from the Father. What He said, the Father said. In judgment, His words will be authoritative and decisive.
We cannot separate the Word from His words. Sometimes people speak as though they want what Jesus offers, but they don’t want to be tethered to the words that Jesus spoke. We do not get to interpret Jesus any way we want to apart from what He has said and authorized through His apostles and prophets. Yet we would never know of Jesus were it not for the written records. ConsiderJohn’s expression of His purpose in writing his gospel account. Jesus did many more signs than what were recorded, but “these are written” that we might believe and have life (John 20:30-31).
Think also of Luke’s purpose in writing. He investigated carefully, spoke of eyewitnesses, and wanted Theophilus to know the exact truth about what happened (Luke 1:1-4). The written record is necessary to our faith and understanding of who Jesus is as the Word who was made flesh to dwell among us (John 1:14).
When we think of the Word of God, we must think of Jesus. We must not, however, separate His words from Him as if they are disposable. They are not. As Jesus said, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life” (John 6:63). The power of the Word is the necessary connection to God (Heb 4:12-13). “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
