Some people insist the Bible is the word of God. Still others insist, no Jesus is the Word of God. Where does the truth lie?
In this episode of the GoodLion Podcast, Aaron Salvato sits down with pastor Evan Wickham to discuss this important theological topic.
Aaron writes:
“Years ago I heard one of my mentors, Evan Wickham, use a phrase I found compelling. He said: “Jesus is what God has to say.” It was powerful and it stuck with me. Over the years I’ve been mulling over this phrase and thinking about how it intersects with one of the debates that’s being had within Christianity about the concept of “the word of God.”
In this episode, that’s the topic we are going to dive into. I’m joined by that same mentor I learned the phrase “Jesus Is what God has to say” from: my former youth pastor and good friend, Evan Wickham.
We get deep. We get Biblical. I know that I learned a lot, and I hope you do too.”
More Helpful Insights of this topic from GotQuestions.org:
The phrase “word of God” appears often in the Bible and can have a slightly different meaning depending on context and the Hebrew or Greek word used. John 1:1-2 says, “In the beginning was the Word. And the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” Here, Word is a title of the Lord Jesus. The term translated “Word” is logos, which basically means “the expression of a thought.” Logos can be thought of as the total message of God to man (Acts 11:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:13). Jesus embodied that total message, and that is why He is called the “Logos,” or “Word,” of God (Colossians 1:19; 2:9).
Logos is also used many times when referring to the written message of God (John 17:17; 1 Timothy 4:5; Revelation 1:2; Colossians 1:25). Hebrews 4:12 says, “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.” Jesus showed a link between the written Word of God and Himself, in that He is the subject of the written Word: “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me” (John 5:39).
Another Greek word used for “word” is rhema. Rhema refers to the actual spoken/written words of God (Hebrews 6:5). When Jesus was being tempted by Satan, He answered, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word [rhema] that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). We are told in Ephesians 6:17 to “take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word [rhema] of God.” Jesus demonstrated we need the actual recorded words of God to overcome Satan’s attacks.
The phrase “word of God” means more than the printed words on a page. God is a communicator and has been speaking into the human realm since the beginning. He speaks through His creation (Psalm 19:1), through ancient prophets (Hosea 12:10; Hebrews 1:1), through the Holy Spirit (John 16:13; Acts 16:6), through Scripture (Hebrews 4:12), and through the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ (John 14:9). We can learn to know God better by seeking to hear Him in every way that He speaks.
