The Sword of the Spirit part 2 - Logos as the Word of God

Since almost everyone these days refers to the Bible as the Word of God, you'd think the apostles and New Testament writers would have done the same thing. I mean, surely they must have used logos when they spoke of the scriptures. Makes sense, doesn't it? Well, the truth of the matter, however, is none of them, not one, used logos to refer to the Bible, or for that matter, any other written form of the scriptures. Not even once. Now at this point, you may be asking, what in the world this has to do with the sword of the spirit? After all, everyone knows the Bible is the word of God, right? Well, great question. And as we'll see, this has everything to do with the sword of the spirit, because we also run into these exact same issues every time we see the phrase the word of God in the Bible. Welcome to Call to Glory, the cutting edge weekly podcast dedicated to helping you know Christ, the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings. If this is your first time tuning in, please be sure to like, share, comment, and subscribe. In this series, we're looking at what the Apostle Paul described in the sixth chapter of Ephesians as the sword of the Spirit, specifically what it is and what it is not. You see, almost everyone assumes that when Paul said the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, he meant the Bible. And as we saw in our last episode, there are a number of major problems with this view, not the least of which is the fact that it is a gross oversimplification of what he said and meant. Fortunately, God has not left us without clear guidance on this, and that's exactly what we're going to be looking at here. Using the original biblical text, I will show beyond any reasonable doubt that Paul was in fact not referring to the Bible, at least not directly, when he exhorted the saints to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. And by the time we're done, I believe you'll be quite blown away. Not just at the shallowness of the modern understanding of the sword of the Spirit, but also at the richness, power, and importance of what Paul actually said and meant. If you haven't seen our last episode, I highly encourage you to do so for the biblical background and foundation we're building this study on. Now, as you might expect, the sword of the Spirit usually comes up in the context of the armor of God Paul described in Ephesians chapter six. Let's look at this most remarkable and important passage. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand, therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace, above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints. At the outset, let me freely acknowledge that I'm neither a Hebrew nor a Greek scholar. I had neither the academic training nor the expertise to discuss the nuances, intricacies, and implications of magnificent Hebrew words such as Davar and equally profound Greek words such as Logos and Rhema. Such in-depth studies are well beyond the scope of this podcast, and I'm more than happy to leave them to others more qualified than me. Thankfully, graduate level expertise in Hebrew and Greek is not necessary to critically examine or understand what I'm presenting here. What is required is an honest heart together with a genuine spirit of humility and a sincere love for the truth. Now please, don't misunderstand me. I am not saying the only way we can understand the Bible is by reading the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Not at all. Neither am I discounting the relevance and authority of faithful English translations such as the King James ESV and New American Standard, or for that matter, other excellent translations such as the Elderfelder Bible in German and Osterwald's French Bible. That would be absurd. The fact is, much of the Bible can easily be understood with a good translation, an honest heart, and most importantly, the guidance of the Holy Spirit. However, even the very best translations sometimes miss the mark, all of them. And that is precisely why in some cases we simply have to know and understand what the original biblical texts actually say and mean. Now not just Bible teachers, theologians, and commentators, all of us, and that includes you and me. Now there are a number of very good reasons for this. First of all, words and phrases in the original languages do not always have an equivalent meaning when translated into other languages or dialects. Not only in the Hebrew scriptures, but also as originally spoken by Christ and the apostles in Aramaic and Hebrew, and then recorded in Greek by the New Testament writers, or even originally written in Greek by the Jewish apostles or their scribes. While readily familiar to many Jewish readers and Bible scholars, some of these idioms are likely to leave those unfamiliar with Hebraic culture, language, and thought scratching their heads. For example, the ESV translates Amos 4 6 in part as Also I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities and lack of bread in all your places. Other translations, such as the King James, New American Standard and Revised Standard, are similar, and to be sure, the phrase cleanness of teeth is indeed an accurate translation of the Hebrew phrase Dikwon Sinaim. However, does that mean, as these translations would seem to suggest, that God was talking about dental care? Not at all. You see, this Hebraic idiom actually means severe famine. It is a very vivid image of a time when there is so little food that people's teeth figuratively become clean from lack of anything to eat. Now for this very reason, other versions of the Bible take a different approach. The NIV, for example, translates this passage as I gave you empty stomachs in every city and lack of bread in every town. Now while not an accurate translation of the original Hebrew, this actually does a good job of putting the thought behind this Hebraic idiom into modern English. So which approach is better? Well, all things being equal, neither. Now let me explain. To the extent that they're true and faithful to the language and meaning of the original texts, both are perfectly legitimate. That said, however, the fact remains that they are both still translations. They must be read and understood in that light. Now things get even more complicated when a word or phrase in the original text has more than one meaning, all the more so when, for example, the same English word is used interchangeably for different words in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek, and often with very different meanings. One example of this is Romans 10 4. Now the generally excellent ESV renders this passage for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Many other versions such as the King James, the New King James, Revised Standard, and New American Standard are virtually identical. Now for our purposes here, I'm focusing on the phrase Christ is the end of the law. In direct contradiction to passages such as Matthew 5 17 through 18, Christian teachers, theologians, and commentators have long interpreted this to mean that Christ has done away with the law of Moses. And if all you have is an English translation of Romans 10 4, well that might pass for real biblical scholarship. You might even get fooled into believing that's what Paul actually meant. The fact of the matter, however, is it's neither genuine biblical scholarship nor what Paul meant, not by a country mile. And this is yet another example of why we cannot rely exclusively on translations of the Bible. There are just some passages where we have to know and understand to a reasonable certainty what the original biblical texts actually say they mean. So let's look at this a little closer. The Greek word here translated end is telos, which can mean either end, purpose, goal, completion, or fulfillment. So which one is the correct meaning for this passage? Well it's not easy to say from the context alone, so exactly how do we interpret this with any reasonable degree of certainty? Well let's compare this with how telos is used in Mark three, twenty six. Now many versions again translate telos as end. The New King James, for example, reads And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. Now in this case, there's really no need to check the original Greek. It's reasonably clear that telos is here correctly translated as end, and in this context indeed means wipes out, game over, finished. Are you beginning to see what we're dealing with? Now this of course is well beyond the scope of this podcast, but I do want you to get some sense of what we're dealing with and what's at stake here. You see, it's not just the Greek word telos that has multiple meanings. The English word end does as well. Since end is indeed a valid translation of telos in Romans ten four, the question then becomes what exactly does that mean in English? Now Webster's dictionary gives a number of possible meanings for this, and of these, only two make any real sense in this context. Let's look. One is the cessation of a course of action, pursuit, or activity, as in lights out, games over, finished. The other is an outcome worked toward, as in the goal or fulfillment of an endeavor. And in this case, I think the correct answer is clear. Since the overwhelming weight of scriptural testimony declares that the law has not been abolished, but rather points to and is fulfilled in Christ, and in this context should therefore be read and understood as meaning the goal or fulfillment. Now this, together with the fact that the Greek word telos can also mean purpose, goal, completion, or fulfillment, will lead us to the correct understanding of what Paul said, specifically that Christ is the goal and fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Now at this point, you may be asking, what in the world this has to do with the sword of the Spirit? After all, everyone knows the Bible is the Word of God, right? Well, great question. And as we'll see, this has everything to do with the sword of the Spirit because we also run into these exact same issues every time we see the phrase the Word of God in the Bible. Every single time. And just in case you were wondering, this is not just limited to English translations. The exact same issue arises whenever we see equivalent phrases for the Word of God in other languages. The French expression la parole de Dieu is one of many examples. It's just nowhere near as simple and clear cut as you may have been led to believe. So that said, let's put translations and paraphrases of the Bible aside and turn to the original Greek text of the New Testament. A good Greek interlinear New Testament, together with the good concordance such as strong's, will do just fine for our purposes. Let me explain. There are two Greek words used on the New Testament that are almost always translated in English as word logos and remain. Logos is derived from the Greek verb lego, which means to say, to speak, or to tell. Much like its Hebrew counterpart debar, logos is an incredibly rich, magnificent, and complex word that defies easy, quick, and superficial treatment. Now let's take a look, and I think you'll see what I mean. Now very broadly speaking, logos conveys the sense and meaning of something spoken, expressed, manifested, communicated, proclaimed, declared, or otherwise made known. That alone should give you some idea of its incredible richness and complexity, but let's look further. Logos can also refer to the thought behind what is expressed or communicated. A topic or subject of discourse, reasoning or motive, an account, accounting or reckoning, hasn't to give an account of oneself before a judge, or a report, matter, or message. And over and above these is the concept of the divine expression. John's description of Christ as the logos or word of God expresses this in its ultimate and fullest possible sense. In other words, Christ is the true, complete, ultimate, and perfect image, communication, expression, proclamation, declaration, and visible representation of the mind, heart, soul, spirit, righteousness, holiness, character, nature, and will of the one true, invisible God. We also see this concept in John's statement that no one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him. The Apostle Paul succinctly expressed this when he wrote that Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. And it is further affirmed by the writer of Hebrews when he stated that Christ is the brightness of his read God's glory and the express image of his person. In Christ's own words, he who has seen me has seen the Father. Whenever the New Testament writers meant something spoken from a divine origin, whether by God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, or men and women such as the apostle speaking in his name, they used either logos or rhema. And when used with the Greek words for God or Lord, these phrases are in turn consistently translated as the Word of God or the Word of the Lord. Now let's look at a few examples, beginning with the NIV translation of Matthew 15, 3 through 6. Jesus replied, And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, Honor your father and mother, and anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death. But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is devoted to God, they are not to honor their father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. The Greek phrase here translated the Word of God spoken by Christ is Ton Logon to Teo. Pay attention here as we'll be coming back to this passage for a closer look. Now turning to the ESV translation of that same incident as recorded in Mark seven, we read the following. And he said to them, You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition. For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother, and whoever reviles father or mother must surely die. But you say, if a man tells his father or mother, whatever you would have gained from me is corbon, that is, given to God, then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down, and many such things you do. The Greek phrase here translated, the word of God spoken by Christ, is again Tonogon tu Teo. Pay attention to this as well as we'll come back to both of these passages for a closer look. Now turning to the New American Standard Translation of Luke twenty two sixty one, we read the following. And then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had told him, Before a rooster crows today, you will deny me three times. The Greek phrase here translated the word of the Lord that was spoken by Christ is to logu to kiriu. The New Testament writers also use this same language to convey something of divine origin that was spoken or proclaimed by the apostles, for example. The ESV translates Acts 8 25 as follows. Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans. The Greek phrase here translated the word of the Lord spoken by Peter and John is again Tonogon to Kill you. Now let's now look at the NIV translation of Acts 15, 36. Sometime later Paul said to Barnabas, Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they're doing. The Greek phrase here translated the word of the Lord spoken by Paul and Barnabas is once again Tonlogon to Kiryu. Here's how the King James translates Acts 1632. And they spoke unto him the word of the Lord and to all that were in his house. As before, the Greek phrase translated the word of the Lord spoken by Paul and Silas is Tonlogon to Kiryu. So what about the Bible? Great question. Since almost everyone these days refers to the Bible as the Word of God, you'd think the apostles and New Testament writers would have done the same thing. I mean, surely they must have used logos when they spoke of the scriptures. Makes sense, doesn't it? Well the truth of the matter, however, is none of them, not one used logos to refer to the Bible, or for that matter, any other written form of the scriptures. Not even once. Now let me say that again. None of the writers of the New Testament, not one, used logos to refer to the Bible, or for that matter, any other written form of the scriptures. Take a moment and let that sink in. Instead, the New Testament writers used an entirely different Greek word graphi. Not just once or twice, but every single time they were referring to the scriptures. Now let me say that again. The New Testament writers used the Greek word grafi every single time they referred to the scriptures. Every single time. Now at this point, you may be asking, well, what about Rhema? I'm glad you asked. We'll get to that shortly, but first, let's take a closer look at Grafi. The Greek word graphi is used fifty one times in the New Testament. It's usually translated as scripture or scriptures, but some English versions use similar terms such as holy writings or simply writing. Strong defines graphi as scripture or a document, i. e. holy writ or its contents or a specific statement within it. It comes from the root verb grapho, generally meaning to write or to engrave. And more to the point, the New Testament writers unanimously used Gothi every time they referenced the Bible. Every single time. Now let me say that again. As used in the New Testament, the Greek word graphi always refers to the original, inspired, and inerrant writings of the Bible. Every single time. Now let's look at a few examples to get a sense of how Paul and the other New Testament writers use Graphi. And to balance things out somewhat, I'll use some modern translations such as the NIV and ESV, along with more traditional versions such as the King James and New American Standard. And let's begin with Matthew 21, 42 from the ESV. Jesus said to them, Have you never read in the scriptures, Graphi? The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Now let's look at Matthew twenty-six, fifty one through fifty-four, this time from the New American Standard. And behold, one of those who were with Jesus reached and drew his sword and struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said to him, Put your sword back into its place, for all those who take up the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot appeal to my father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? How then would the scriptures grafi be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way? The next up is Mark 14, 48 through 49, this time from the NIV. Am I leading a rebellion? said Jesus, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the scriptures, Grafi, must be fulfilled. Now let's look at Luke 4:16 through 21, this time from the ESV. And he came to Nazareth. Where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, Today, this scripture, Grafi, has been fulfilled in your hearing. Let's now turn to chapter twenty-four of Luke's Gospel, this time from the New King James. Then he said to them, O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken, ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures Gnaphi, the things concerning himself. Now it came to pass, as he sat at the table with them, that he took bread, blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he vanished from their sight. And they said to one another, Did not our heart burn within us while he talked with us on the road, and while he opened the scriptures, Grafi to us. Now let's turn to John 5 39 through 40, this time from the ESV. You search the scriptures graphi, because you think that in them you have eternal life, and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. And now let's look at John 19, this time from the NIV. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture Gathi would be fulfilled. Not one of his bones will be broken, and as another scripture, Grafi, says, They will look upon the one they have pierced. Now here is Romans 1, 1 through 2, this time from the New King James. Paul, a bond servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated of the gospel of God which he promised before through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures, Graphi. And now let's look at 1 Corinthians 15, verses 3 through 4, this time from the King James. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, Graphi, and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures, again, Graphi. And now finally, Galatians 4, 29 through 30, this time from the ESV. Now you brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise, but just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the spirit, so also it is now. But what does the scripture Grafi say? Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman. Do you see the pattern here? All of the New Testament writers, every one of them, clearly and unmistakably distinguished between what was written in the scriptures and the word of God or of the Lord that was spoken or otherwise directly communicated. Not only by God, Christ, or the Holy Spirit, but also by men and women speaking in his name, such as the Hebrew prophets, John the Baptist, the apostle, and disciples such as Stephen, which in fact highlights the very issue we're addressing here. You see, the Bible makes a clear distinction between the living voice of God, what God Himself describes in those scriptures as the Word of God, and the inerrant inspired written scriptures, what man calls the Word of God. Now let me repeat that. The Bible makes a clear distinction between the living voice of God, what God Himself in those same scriptures describes as the Word of God, and the inerrant inspired written scriptures, what man calls the Word of God. Now this isn't just a matter of semantics. Far from it. This is foundational biblical truth from the very hand of God. Accuracy, precision, and honesty are essential. All the more so because there is an incredible amount of confusion and lack of knowledge among God's people about this vitally important distinction. Now please, don't misunderstand me. It is absolutely correct and proper to refer to the Bible as originally written and or faithfully translated as the inspired word of God. I am not touching that. Moreover, anyone who knows me personally can attest to the fact that I wholeheartedly and without reservation affirm Paul's statement that all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work. Again, I am not moving any ancient landmarks. What I am saying is there is a huge difference between using the Word of God to generically refer to any and all versions of the Bible, regardless of accuracy or faithfulness, and understanding the spiritual reality the biblical writers actually meant when they referred to the Word of God. The living, active and powerful voice of God, not the Bible. The same living voice of God by which the worlds were framed and spoken into existence. The same living voice of God that came and personally spoke to Abraham, Moses, David, the Hebrew prophets, John the Baptist, the apostles, and faithful saints all throughout the ages. And it is the same living voice of God that speaks today to those with an honest heart and with ears to hear. The truth of the matter, however, is the way this is taught in modern Christian ministry and culture has so obscured this all important distinction that many of God's people no longer know the difference, or for that matter, that there even is a difference. For example, I have heard more than a few Bible teachers say the Greek word logos in the New Testament means the written, as opposed to the spoken word of God. In other words, the Bible. Well, brother, nothing could be further from the truth, and we see similar confusion when it comes to the sword of the Spirit, and as a result, whenever someone refers to the Bible as the Word of God, most believers simply assume that they also mean the living and active voice of God, or as the case may be, the sword of the Spirit. No distinction is accurately made between what is written and that which is spoken by God. Do some theological camps go even further. In their rejection of the excesses of hyper charismatic and modern Pentecostal Christianity, they swing all the way to the other extreme and teach that the only way God speaks today is through the Bible. Rather than correct error with biblical truth, they themselves err by throwing the proverbial baby out with the bathwater. Once again, no meaningful or accurate distinction is made between what is written and that which is spoken or spiritually communicated by God, and none of this is of the Holy Spirit. As it is written, God is not the author of confusion. The fact is, by expressly or implicitly equating the Bible with the living word of God, something that God never did. Modern Bible teachers have effectively changed what the scripture itself says, if not the actual words themselves, then most certainly what they mean. And as a result, many sincere believers have been misled and in some cases intentionally deceived into believing something God never said or meant. And this is no small matter. Now to illustrate this, let's look at one example of how the New Testament writers clearly distinguish between what was written in the scriptures and what was spoken by Christ. Turn with me, please, to John chapter 2. Now Christ had just driven the money changers out of the temple and was being confronted by the Jewish leaders. Picking up at verse 17, we read the following in the New King James. Then his disciples remembered that it was written, Zeal for your house has eaten me up. So the Jews answered and said to him, What sign do you show to us since you do these things? Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then the Jews said, It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days? But he was speaking of the temple of his body. Therefore, when he had risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this to them, and they believed the scripture graphi and the word logos, which Jesus had said. As we just saw, the Greek word John used in verse 22 to refer to what was written in Psalm 69 9 is again Gothi, while he used logos in that very same verse to refer to what Christ said to the Jewish leaders about his resurrection. Most English versions of this passage translate Gothi as either the scripture or scriptures. Others, such as the New Life Version, say the holy writings, while Jung's literal translation simply says the writing. In every case, it's perfectly clear that John specifically meant what was written in Psalm 69. And as for logos, the context leaves no doubt that it refers to what Christ said to the Jewish leaders in verses 16 through 19. Not the written record of what he said in this passage, the actual words he said to them when this occurred. Now let's look at the ESV. When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture Grathi and the word logos that Jesus had spoken. Now the King James translates the same passage as follows. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them, and they believed the scripture Grathi and the word logos, which Jesus had said. Now from the NIV. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said, then they believed the scripture Grathi and the words logos that Jesus had spoken. And now let's look at the New Life version of this same passage. After Jesus had been raised from the dead, his followers remembered he had said this. They believed the holy writings Grafi and what he had said logos. By now it should be evident that the New Testament writers all used Grafi or some grammatical variation thereof to refer specifically to the written scriptures. Paul, for example, used Gothi to refer to the written scriptures fourteen times in his epistles, seven times in Romans, twice in 1 Corinthians, three times in Galatians, once in 1 Timothy, and once again in 2 Timothy. And did you happen to notice that Ephesians 617 is not on this list? It's not, and for a very good reason. Paul did not use Gothi anywhere in that verse. In fact, you won't find it anywhere in Ephesians. It's just not there. Which brings us right back to the Greek word Rhema. This is the word that Paul used in Ephesians 6.17 when he instructed the saints to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Let me repeat that. The Greek word that Paul used in Ephesians 6.17 for the Word of God is Rhema, not logos. And very significantly for our study here, not Gaffi. Rhema. Now we'll begin our third and final episode of this series with a closer look at this remarkable Greek word. And from there we'll conclude the series by looking at what the Bible actually says about the sword of the Spirit. And I believe you'll be quite blown away. As it is written, thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my bath. If this is your first time tuning in, please be sure to like, share, comment, subscribe, and ring the bell so you can be notified whenever we post new episodes. If you like what you've heard today, please also leave a review wherever you're listening to this podcast. Tell us what you loved about this episode, how it may have helped or encouraged you, or you can simply leave a comment about any other topics you'd love to hear us cover in the future. Finally, remember to always keep your lamps trimmed, lit, and full of oil. Shalom, and see you next time.