In John 10:27, Jesus says, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” As followers of Jesus, we need to be equipped to hear the voice of God when He speaks to us, as well as to understand the written Word of God, so that we can grow in our relationship with Jesus as the Word of God.
There are three Greek words used to refer to God’s Word in the New Testament. One is logos, as used in John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Logos is a very general term that means the idea, thought, reasoning, motive, or meaning of something. It can refer to a specific saying or, as it is used in this verse, something as grand as Christ Himself.
Graphe is the second Greek word, as used in 2 Timothy 3:16: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” This term is the most specific, as it refers to the written word. The written word of God, the Bible, is our only authoritative source of revelation. All other forms of hearing from God and being led by the Holy Spirit must be submitted to the objective standard of the Bible, rightly understood and properly applied.
Rhema is the third Greek word, as used in Matthew 4:4: “But he answered, ‘It is written, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.''’ It refers to something spoken, an utterance. So someone would read a graphe, but hear a rhema, in order to understand the logos. Keep in mind that these words are sometimes used interchangeably. Understanding how the Bible uses these three Greek words helps us grasp various ways God actively communicates with us.
As Christ-followers, we deeply value all the ways God communicates to us, and we strive to hear, understand, and obey God’s word in every sense that it is conveyed. We are encouraging all New Day participants to read the Bible daily. On our website (https://newdaycommunity.org/bible) you can find a link to a very easy to use Bible reading plan that has a variety of ways to access it, such as a smartphone app, website, printed versions, and other options. Or you can find a vast variety of plans using the YouVersion Bible app. Regardless of the specific reading plan you use, it is vital to daily spend time interacting with the Word of God. I encourage you to pick a plan and stick with it. Let’s all make the next year one in which we grow deeper in our understanding of God’s Word.