Jesus and the written Bible both carry the designation “Word of God,” yet they represent distinct—though deeply connected—expressions of divine communication.
Jesus as the Word
In the beginning, the Word existed with God and was God (John 1:1–14), and the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, revealing the glory of God’s one and only Son (John 1:1–14). Jesus holds the title “Word” (logos), which means “the expression of a thought”[1]. Jesus embodied God’s total message, which is why he is called the “Logos” or “Word” of God[1]. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word (Heb 1:1–3).
The Bible as the Word
Logos is also used many times when referring to the written message of God[1]. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16–17). Prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet 1:20–21).
The Connection Between Them
Rather than competing claims, these represent complementary revelations. Jesus demonstrated the link between the written Word and himself: “You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me”[1]. Everything written about Jesus in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled (Luke 24:44–45). What is disclosed in Jesus Christ is not just a word or proclamation of God’s will, but the eternal Word and will of God itself[2].
The written Word points to and testifies about the incarnate Word, while Jesus himself validated Scripture as God’s authoritative communication to humanity.
[2] Wilfried Härle, Outline of Christian Doctrine: An Evangelical Dogmatics, ed. Nicholas Sagovsky, trans. Ruth Yule and Nicholas Sagovsky (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2015), 300.
No comments:
Post a Comment