An anonymous person asserted that the Rhema word is different from the Logos and that Rhema is more powerful. A large portion of the church adopted the narrative. For this reason, you will hear many seeking a rhema word. Rhema is viewed as the word of the season or the moment. It has also been defined as the word that comes directly from God’s mouth through his servant. Conversely, Logos has been described as the written Word of God. In this article, we shall delve into Rhema and Logos.
Usage of Logos and Rhema in the New Testament
We will begin by seeing how Rhema and Logos are defined in the scriptures. In this section, we shall focus on how the two words are viewed in the New Testament.
In the New Testament, Rhema and Logos both refer to the scriptures. We must remember that the scriptures as we have them are actually the word of God in written form (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 2:21). Therefore, the written word will always be alive and powerful, hence why we call it the living word of God (Hebrews 4:12).
The Rhema word has been used extensively in Scripture to refer to the spoken Word of God (Matthew 4:4, 12:36, 18:16, and 26:75; Mark 9:32, 14:72; Luke 1:38, 2:19; John 10:21; Acts 2:14, etc.). In Acts 10:44, the Logos is equated with the Rhema that Peter ministered to them. Another nuance of the Rhema word is in Romans 10:17. Here, Rhema has nothing to do with the spoken word or the written word, but is the gospel of Christ being preached. Hebrews 11:3 and 2 Peter 3:15 have equated the Logos and the Rhema to mean the word of God that created the universe.
Logos has mainly been used in the New Testament to mean the spoken word. Examples of New Testament scriptures with logos include Matthew 8:8, 5:37, 7:24; Mark 10:24, 8:38; Luke 1:20, 4:36, and 9:28. In John 2:22, John refers to the written Scriptures and Logos as that which Jesus had spoken. Logos is rarely used to refer to the written word. Hence, its previous label as solely the written word of God loses weight because of how it is used in the New Testament.
The Implication of the Contemporary Usage of the Words
- Handling God’s word, Logos, casually compared to Rhema: Most people seek Rhema today, ignoring that Logos has the same weight as Rhema. The Bible does not put more emphasis on Rhema at the expense of Logos or vice versa. Jesus Christ, himself, is referred to as Logos (John 1:1-3).
- Always seeking a Rhema Word rather than trusting God’s written word: Many Christians have fallen into the trap of “deep revelation,” which goes outside the scriptures. Many think that the Rhema word is more profound than what is written in the scriptures. As Christians, we must always have the written word of God as our point of reference to correct, rebuke, train, encourage, and bring hope to the hopeless according to God’s will (2 Timothy 3:16).
- Overdependence on the Minister of the Word: Many Christians are too dependent on the man of God for Scriptural interpretation. Because of this, they lack personal devotion in the word of God, and whatever the man of God says goes unchecked against the true word of God. Many Christians have put the Bible aside to listen to the man of God. There is a need for more Bereans, especially within the Pentecostal circle. Bereans cared more about the authenticity of the word of God than what any preacher, including Paul, could say. For this reason, they were described as noble (Acts 17:11).
- Empowering the false prophets: If we continue to emphasize Rhema above the written scriptures, as many do today, we open doors to more false prophets who don’t even reference the Bible. Aren’t there numerous preachers who never even open the Bible when they pretend to preach on Sundays?
- Misrepresentation of God and His Word: God has not emphasized Rhema over Logos, and the Bible does not do that. Therefore, we must uphold the scriptures as they are written. The Bible is God’s word from his mouth and is adequate and sufficient for us (Isaiah 55:11). God is watching to see to it that his word is fulfilled as written (Jeremiah 1:12).
Characteristics of the Word of God
God’s word has clear characteristics that have been laid out in the scriptures. For an easier understanding, we shall use Psalm 19:7-9 to identify and explain some of these characteristics. The scriptures say that the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
- Perfect – effectively converts the soul. The Hebrew Word for “converting” can also be translated as “reviving” or “bringing new life to the soul”.
- Sure—God’s word is reliable. God’s word is his testimony. Those who study and trust God’s sure word become wise in godliness. The word of God has been tested and proven trustworthy. It never fails, and it always fulfils its mandate.
- Right – God’s word is morally, practically, and universally applicable. Those in a relationship with God rejoice because God’s Word shows us all that is right in living. Our hearts are, therefore, full of joy.
- Pure – God’s word is pure because God is pure and holy. We can trust God’s word to lead us in purity as it enlightens our eyes in this dark, sinful world.
- Endure forever. The word of God will never fade or diminish because of impurity, as it is without blemish. The word is error-free, and it hence perfects us. The fear of the Lord comes as we read and study God’s word, gaining a deeper understanding of God’s greatness and majesty. Those who live by God’s word will indeed abide in him forever (1 John 2:15-17)
- True – There is nothing false in the word of God.
- Righteous – There is nothing unrighteous about the word of God.
In conclusion, according to the Bible, Logos and Rhema have the same meaning. Because of this fact, we are called to uphold God’s written word since it is God’s very word. There is, therefore, no need to distinguish the two terms. To be found obedient, we must make time to commune with God in his word instead of taking the man of God’s word for it. May we, like the Bereans, hold the ministers of God’s word to account, ensuring that they handle the scriptures as they should.
