“…the Word was God”…”and his name is the Word of God.”

It has been said that everyone is his own philosopher, with a small ‘p’.  I realize that the word philosopher can evoke many types of reactions.  “Oh, boy,” I can hear someone say, “he’s going to get into all that whacked out crazy stuff!  You’ll lose your mind with that!”  Another might say, “Well, good for him!  It’s good to think deep…at least on occasion.”  I have been, for the most part, one who tries to think things through.  I have looked for the ultimate end of things, and their causation.  I have also been fascinated with words because words are the tools we use to express ideas, emotions and intentions.  So if you are a real, official Philosopher (with a capital ‘P’), please go easy on me!

One of the most profound descriptions of Christ in the whole Bible is Word.  John’s opening salvo in his gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (1:1), looks pretty straightforward and clear.  But when we begin to examine the idea of this, it gets deep very quickly.  What is a word?  Check the dictionary, and you’ll get a unit of verbal or written expression communicating something in a form that cannot be reduced, or something like that.  How’s that for clarity?

But really, a word is a tool, a device to communicate.  And that communication is between persons.  Animals don’t use words.  That tells us something about the nature of God: God is a person, a he, not an it.  Since the Word is both “with God” and “is God,” the Word therefore must be interpersonal and plural, using verbal communication in the godhead and with us. Trinitarian evidence is in both testaments.

Another point: a word is an irreducible form of expression. Even compound words convey one main intent or thought. Think gateway, bookbinder, passerby, or any other example.  Despite their dual origin, they still express a single thought.  Thus it has internal integrity, unity, accuracy and truthfulness.  An opening is either a gateway or it isn’t.  The woman is either a passerby or she isn’t.  There is very little argument about such basic things.  Either the word represents the reality or it doesn’t.  If it doesn’t, a more accurate word is chosen.  However, there is only one representation — one Word — that accurately describes, reflects and communicates God.  That’s exactly what John wrote:  “In the beginning was the Word”, not words, only one.

Moreover, a word must be sent by the sender, and heard and interpreted by the receiver.  This requires an a priori relationship.  In this case, it’s the Creator-creature relationship.  Because of the fall of man, God’s “words” are first figurative.  Notice the communication imagery and terms in Psalm 19: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.  There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.  Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world” (vs. 1-4).  Romans 1 says that if unbelievers misinterpret and reject this “plain” communication about himself and the creation that is “clearly seen” (vs. 19-20), God will “give them over” to “sinful desires…shameful lusts…[and] a depraved mind” (vs. 24, 26, 28).  No more words from God are really necessary.  Obviously no Word for them is required, but God brought him in grace anyway.  The final word comes at the judgment, when Jesus returns “dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God” (Revelation 19:13).

But for believers the Word has not come for judgment, but for “grace and truth [which] came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17).  “From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another” (v. 16).  Because of this, our relationship moves from Creator-creature to Savior-saved, King-subject, Master-servant, Older Brother-brother/sister, Father-children and Friend-friend.  All because the Word that made the heavens (Psalm 33:6), came to the Patriarchs, prophets and kings, came to earth in human form, personified the Father to his people, modeled grace, obtained our salvation and then fittingly saved us by pronouncing us — with a word! — forgiven and justified.  Such is the power of the Word to create and recreate us in his image.

Jesus warned us about being accountable “for every careless word” (Matthew 12:36).  Nothing that he did was careless.  Are you careful how you speak?  Can people hear the Word in your words?