LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
Logos and Rhema
In Greek, the language in which the New Testament was written, there are two words that have been translated as "Word". One is 'logos', and the other one is 'rhema'. Although the general meaning is "Word", in Greek the two mentioned words have different nuances that the English word doesn't reflect.
'Logos' is the Word of God that has been spoken once. 'Rhema' is the Word that has been spoken for the second time. The whole Bible is the Word (logos) of God. It is what God has already spoken in history, it is the word of truth, a complete, exact revelation of the will of God for man.
But the Bible is not the 'rhema' of God, because the 'rhema' is what God speaks to us for the second time, by means of the Holy Spirit, in a specific way to our heart. The ' logos' is the objective Word; on the other hand the 'rhema' is the subjective Word. When Mary received the visit of the angel, he brought her the ' rhema' of God. For that reason Mary could say: "May it be done to me according to your word ('rhema')" (Lk. 1:38). God had spoken to her specifically.
The 'rhema' of God is not independent of the 'logos', because it is based on it. When God speaks to us in a specific way, the Holy Spirit will use the 'logos' to do it, applying it to our present situation. A fragment of the 'logos' will become the ' rhema' for us, and it will meet our necessity. When the Lord answered Satan in the wilderness He said: "Man shall not live on bread alone, but by every word (rhema) that comes forth from the mouth of God" (Mt. 4:4). The Lord had received the 'rhema' of God - that was His food, therefore He didn't need to transform the stones into bread.
They are the 'rhemas' of God that encourage us, exhort us, and edify us. They are the answers of God, coming forth from His Word that fill our heart with certainty, joy and peace. The case of a young woman is told who was very fearful, and that it couldn't bear the darkness. When she was converted, she conquered her fear putting the Bible under her head at night. But one day God spoke to her: "Don't fear", and she discovered that in the Bible that expression appears 365 times. So she thought that it was the answer of God, to conquer her fear every day of the year. From then on, she didn't fear any more: she had received a ' rhema' from God.
How is the church purified today from the impurities of the world? "By the washing of water through the word" ('rhema') (Eph.5:26). How important it is! How much we need those 'rhemas' of God!
Now, how do we obtain these 'rhemas'? Firstly, we need to become very familiarized with the 'logos'. We have to fill our mind and our heart with the Bible; this way, the Holy Spirit will have a lot to take hold of to speak to us in certain situations. The Holy Spirit will take the letter of the Word (the 'logos') and will transform it into spirit, because the Word (the 'rhema') is spirit and life, it is the living Word of God.
If we open up the Word of God (the 'logos'), so that abounds in our heart, the 'rhemas' will also abound in our life, and in this way the Word of God will gradually become incarnate in us. That is to say, we will go on being transformed into the same image of our Lord Jesus Christ.