(Note: Slightly longer than usual, but the conclusion is quite astounding. Well worth the read.)
Christians believe the Bible is “the Word of God” because they perceive the mind of God speaking to them in the words of the Bible. People have long trusted that the scriptures are from God and somehow capture God's message to humans. In the 1500s, some Christians – notably Calvinists – began to refer to the Bible as “The Word of God” with a new meaning: the one-and-only, literal, and infallible “Word of God.” It was an authority equal to the Pope. But is this accurate?
Some say that Jesus refers to the Bible as the Word of God in Mark 7:13: “Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.” But the Bible didn’t exist at the time he uttered those words, and in fact, the New Testament wasn’t canonized* until the 4th Century, and finalized in the 7th Century. Most Bible scholars realize that “the word of God” existed before any scriptures were written and before the Bible was compiled and canonized. (* Canon: 1. a general law, rule, principle, or criterion by which something is judged. 2. a collection or list of sacred books accepted as genuine.)
So, let’s use three questions to explore this term – word of God.
1. What did Jesus mean by “the word of God”?
2. Can we better understand its meaning by how it was used in the Old Testament?
3. Can we understand the meaning better in modern times?
1. What did Jesus mean by ‘the word of God’?
If we study it out, we find that Jesus referred to the authorized scriptures of his time as “The Law and the Prophets.” After the Babylonian Captivity (538 BCE), Ezra and Judas Maccabeus collected whatever remaining Hebrew scrolls they could find, and a subset of these scrolls were canonized by Hebrew religious leaders between 200 BC and 200 AD. So, during and after the time of Jesus, these ancient scrolls – not yet the Old Testament – were still being written and edited, and what would later be called the Old Testament wasn’t canonized by the Christian bishops until the 4th through 7th Centuries. Modern scholars say that The Law and the Prophets and other Jewish scriptures were fluid, with different groups seeing authority in different books. The diversity of ideas and beliefs led to confusion and conflict, and this was the problem the Christian bishops were trying to address with the canonization of the Bible.
So, Jesus referred to the contents of “The Law and the Prophets” and perhaps some other Jewish scriptures – but never the Bible – as “the word of God” in Mark 7:13 (above). They didn’t use capital letters in those days, so there is no evidence he intended “the word of God” to be a formal title or have any more special meaning than the scrolls which recorded the words the prophets reported from God. To Jesus, those words were the authorized “word of God.”
While Jesus didn’t call the Bible the word of God, he referred to at least some of the contents of The Law and the Prophets as the word of God. Jesus teaches that superficially following the teachings of the scriptures – as the Pharisees and teachers of the law did – was despicable. And he taught us to have an honest and pure heart while striving to meet those high standards of the Law.
We might even say that, because Jesus believed The Law and The Prophets were the word of God, by implication, The Bible – the authorized scriptures of the last 1600 years – is also the word of God. But that is speculation: We don’t know that.
So, Jesus did refer to something in the authorized Law and the Prophets as the word of God. But he did not refer to the Bible or any ancient scriptures as the one and only, literal, infallible “Word of God.” Some individuals find it helpful to hold it as a personal belief. But Jesus never taught this concept. To teach others that he did, introduces a fallacy to church doctrine.
2. Can we better understand the meaning of the term “the word of God” by how it was used in the Old Testament?
The term “the word of God” was first used in the Bible in 1 Samuel 9:27.
“And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, bid the lad (servant) pass on before us, but you stand here for the day, and I shall announce to you the word of Elohim.”
Then, Samuel proceeds to tell Saul three things that will happen to Saul as he travels on. Saul experiences all three of those “words of God” that same day. So, what the prophet Samuel said to Saul was the word of God, just as Samuel had been inspired to say.
Was there a Bible in that era? No. Was there The Law and the Prophets? No. Were there any canonized books? No. Only Hebrew scrolls, many of which were lost during the Babylon Captivity.
Looking closely, we see that the word of God was the insight and inspiration given to Samuel. It was later written down as a printed record in the book of Samuel.
So, the book is print on a paper; and the word of God is the insight and inspiration given by God. It would be worthwhile to compare this with the concept of inspiration by the Holy Spirit.
It can be communicated from one person to another, but that does not make the printing on paper into the one-and-only, literal, and infallible “Word of God.” The Bible is an insightful and inspirational book recording the word of God, but it is no substitute for the actual “word of God.”
There is more to understand: Just what is the word of God?
3. Can we better understand the meaning of the term “the word of God” in modern times?
Sure, we can. The Bible itself helps us clarify that term. And science reinforces our understanding of what the word of God is.
Starting with the ancient Greek in the Gospel of John Chapter 1, and then looking at Hebrews Chapter 4, a modern understanding can be quite astounding.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:1-5 NIV
Okay, so that is the translation – with religious interpretation – of that scripture written in Greek. So, first, let’s do a literal translation from the Greek. Initially we don’t translate the Greek word logos which is translated to English as “word”, but it gets special attention in a moment. Logos means so much more than just “word.” Here is a more literal translation of that passage directly from the Greek.
In the origin was the logos and the logos was toward God and God was the logos. This is the way it was in the origin toward the God. All (things) through itself came to be and apart from itself not even one thing came to be which has come to be. In itself was life and the life was the light of the humans. And the light appears in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend.
Let’s make note that this more literal translation doesn’t yet make mention of a person fitting this description. There’s a clear reason for that: All things – including persons – came to be through logos. Therefore, logos existed before creation and is the source of everything that was created. It isn’t until Verse 14 that the logos became flesh. This implies an eternal nature of the logos, and though logos pre-existed, it manifested in the flesh.
Now, for brevity, let’s focus on two things. 1. The meaning of the Greek term logos, which is usually translated – accurately – as “word.” But it has much more meaning than is in the modern English “word.” 2. In the cited passage of the initial verses from the Gospel of John, there is no reference to a male human being – “him” – in the Greek. That inference only begins to be made at Verse 14. Where the NIV uses the terms “he” and “him,” the Greek actually refers back to the term logos. In English we say things like, “The dog dug the hole itself.” Itself refers back to the dog. So, a better English translation says, “Through itself all things were made.” Itself refers back to logos, not a he or a him.
I mention this so that you don’t get the idea that I’m changing what the scripture says. Instead, I’m actually helping you have a better understanding of what the Greek says.
Now, let’s get a better understanding of the term logos. It is common practice for translators to use as few words as possible to communicate the intended meaning. If they explained all the nuances of meaning that a certain word has, they would lose the flow of the text. So, to translate logos as “word” is correctly done. But we lose the nuances and deeper meanings of this particular word. And the subtextual meaning turns out to be important.
Logos means a lot of things, and “word” is a good translation. However, in this text it means something more than just the good old English “word.” In the ancient Greek, it can be defined as “a rational form of discourse that relies on reasoning.” It was also used in reference to the structure and content of language. The original root of logos means “to put in order, arrange, and discern.” In ancient Greek, it was used to refer to reasoning or the reason for something. In this sense, logos is causative. The Stoics used logos to refer to “the generative principle of the Universe.”
That is exactly what the author of the Gospel of John is describing in John 1:1-5: this generative principle of the Universe, that is, the force that created the Universe. It is not until Verse 14 that the writer explains that the creative logos is becoming the incarnate logos, “The Word (logos) became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” – John 1:14
This deeper understanding of the term logos now helps us to understand the term “the word of God.” This generative principle of the Universe – God – this force of life and light, is not a book or words on a printed page. When we properly understand the term, “the word of God” is the powerful, creative, organizing principle of all creation. It is impossible for a word or a book to be the source of such an immense creative power.
That is not to say that we should not be awed by the insight and inspiration we can find in the Bible, such that we feel humbled and frequently stunned to read these words of God. But that is a far cry from the true meaning of the term “word of God” which was accessed by Samuel and lived out on Earth as Jesus.
So, I mentioned that science gives us a better understanding of “the word of God,” a term which refers to universal power and order. It is only recently that quantum science has discovered that there is a quantum field which is described as present everywhere and entangled (completely interconnected or one), and of which one cubic centimeter contains enough energy (power) and information (all-knowing) to generate a whole new universe.
I don’t say this to limit God to scientific terminologies. Scientific explorations have reached their limits and found that something more is implied in the creation of the universe: consciousness. What I do say is that science has discovered evidence of a universal field that – when described – sounds very much like ancient descriptions of God. And I wonder, has science reached out and brushed against the hem of “the word of God”?
Hebrews 4:12-13 supports this view of “the word of God.”
For the word of God is alive 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. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. – Heb. 4:12-13 NIV
And more literally from the Greek:
For the logos of God is living and operative and keener above every sword – two-mouthed and penetrating – until parting of soul from spirit, connections from spinal marrow, and judge sentiments and thoughts of the heart. Neither is (anything in) creation unapparent to itself (referring to logos), yet all is naked and bared in the viewers of itself, toward us (to) whom (comes) the logos.
So, the word of God is not words on a printed page in the canonized Bible, nor the authorized The Law and the Prophets. The word of God isn’t on the dead page, but instead, is alive and active. The word of God is discerning to the finest distinction between soul and spirit. Can we even imagine that distinction? The word of God is judge of the sentiments and thoughts of the heart. We are not the judge, nor are we to use the word of God to make judgments. But logos detects a person’s deepest feelings and thoughts, and so everything is apparent in its eyes to us to whom comes the logos. The word of God has extraordinary insight not fathomed by interpreting words in a book. Interestingly, this logos comes toward us with all its insight. That is, the insight and inspiration of the logos is available to those to whom it comes.
The English translations don’t do justice to the meaning of the Greek.
When we properly understand the term, “the word of God” is the powerful, creative, organizing principle of all creation. It makes all knowledge and inspirations available to those who seek it. Seek it through the words of the Bible, but don’t confuse the Bible with the living word of God.
- Christopher P. Aune, April 24, 2024, Batesville, Indiana, USA