Prophetic Rhema – BT2:  Rhema words of God versus logos, gramma, and graphe Word of God

 

 

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Rhema words in the original Greek are distinct from a logos messages because the former focuses on the method of delivery and/or receiving information, being 1^st person direct utterance of speech in the present moment, whereas the latter focuses on the content of a message, where the information is often received verbally second-hand or in writing with gramma letters, even collected into graphe scripture.

 

The exceptional case of logos message in the completely-different-in-kind New Covenant is that it primarily refers to Jesus as the personified Logos Message of God, similar to Wisdom & Understanding as the Spirit being personified in the Old Testament (OT) Proverbs.  Jesus is the Logos Message of God who faithfully speaks the logos gospel message of The Truth of God about Himself to us directly, then making it also prophetic rhema.

 

Not only is rhema the prophetic words from the mouth of God that is the “bread” that man can alone live on (a), it is this prophetic rhema that goes out from God’s mouth that will not return to Him empty but shall accomplish all that it was purposed for (b). <Notes> a) Jesus citing Deuteronomy 8:3 in Matthew 4:4 is NOT citing gramma writings of graphe scripture but citing Himself who said this originally to Moses, b) Isaiah 55:11.

 

In the OT Hebrew the word dabar can mean “of the talking of a word or words” and thus naturally corresponds to the Greek word rhema in the OT Septuagint (a).  But when dabar focuses on a “message, saying, sentence or section of discourse, report, counsel, charge, reason, a way or manner, or events explained in words” it is naturally translated logos in the OT Septuagint because it is focusing on message content, especially if it is written (b).  Only by the context can you tell how dabar is used, but you can always look at the different Greek words used because they are more specific!  <Notes> a) Jeremiah 1:1, 13:12, 14:17, 23:38, 31:23; Psalms 17:4, 30:8, 33:6; Isaiah 36:5; 1 Kings 1:7; 2 Kings 18:20; Proverbs 14:23; 1 Samuel 9:10, 9:10; 2 Samuel 3:17, and many other verses, b) Jeremiah 1:2; Exodus 33:4; 1 Kings 6:11, 10:6, 16:1, 13:20, 20:12; 2 Chronicles 9:5; 1 Samuel 15:10; 2 Samuel 7:4, 15:28; Jonah 3:6, and many more verses.

 

Prophetic rhema is distinct from any other word for our English “word.”  Jesus declares “the flesh is no help at all (a); the directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words that I have spoken to you are Spirit and/coupled zoe genuine-life” (b).  Jesus was commenting on ALL of the religious gnosis info-knowledge and activities of man – all its “might and power” – even that of the Jewish religion!  There is no other place but Jesus to hear “the directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words of eternal genuine-life” (c).  The “bread that we can live alone on, is nothing but the directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema from the mouth of God” (d).  This sure isn’t recitation from the bible.  Again, Jesus wasn’t quoting scripture but quoting Himself, the living, active, abiding Logos Message of God!  <Notes> a) is of no advantage or profit, and is useless and worthless, b) John 6:63, c) John 6:68, d) Matthew 4:4, e) Hebrew 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23.

 

Graphe scripture is never referred to as directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema words in the New Testament!  The gospel isn’t about preaching scripture, but “speaking to the people all the prophetic rhema words of this zoe genuine-life” (a).  The apostles preached to people “a directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema word by which you will be saved” (b).  “For absolutely in possibility or in fact no directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema word is impossible WITH/alongside God,” (c) and we know this is about having a close koinonia relationship with God that gives us His Spirit’s enabling-power. “The directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema word of the Lord endures forever, that is what has been preached to you” (d). <Notes> a) Acts 5:20, b) Acts 11:14, c) Luke 1:37, d) 1 Peter 1:25.

 

Furthermore, “trusting-relying-faith comes from akouo hearing-to-understand the directly-spoken prophetic rhema word of Christ” (a) and this “directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema word of trusting-relying-faith which we preach” (b) – not bible verses!  The Church is “sanctified by cleansing her with the washing of the water (c) by the prophetic rhema word of Christ” (d) – not bible verses!  <Notes> a) Romans 10:17, b) Roman 10:8, c) likely a reference to water-baptism, d) Ephesians 5:26,

 

Christians are meant to “taste the good directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema word of God and the miracles of the coming age” (d) – not bible study!  Spiritual warfare is to be fought with “the sword of the Spirit, which is the directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema word of God” (e), not bible verses!  Jesus told us the secret of answered deesis supplication-prayer:  “If you remain in Me and My directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema word remains in you, ask and it will be done for you” (f) – not bible verses! <Notes> d) Hebrews 6:5, e) Ephesians 6:17, f) John 15:7.

 

We can’t be like the Jewish leaders, who “don’t listen and respond to God’s directly-spoken/heard prophetic rhema word, because they don’t belong to God” (a).  Paul didn’t just come to preach a logos gospel message of The Truth with “words of eloquent wisdom” or “plausible words of wisdom” but “in demonstration of the Spirit, that is, of enabling-power . . . lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its enabling-power” (b), but “our gospel message came to you not only by logos message but also by enabling-power, that is, by the Holy Spirit” (c).  See Wikipedia’s “Rhema (doctrine)” for more on all this. <Notes> a) John 8:47, b) 1 Corinthians 1:17-18, 2:4, c) 1 Thessalonians 1:5, cf. Mark 16:16-20.

 

 

Reflection:

 

 

As Christian musicians, isn’t the gospel message about Jesus Christ as the living, active, and abiding Logos Word of God, instead of scriptures?  Isn’t that the point of the New Covenant and that now we “eido mentally ‘see’ to know God” directly per Jeremiah 31:34 so that “you absolutely in fact have no need that any man teach you” per 1 John 2:20-27?  Isn’t “the promise” that now all God’s people should prophecy per Numbers 11:29, Joel 2:28-29, Acts 2:17-19, and 1 Corinthians 14:5?  All the “promises” of enabling-power have to do with prophetic-rhema, never gramma written letters collected into graphe scripture.  Will we be just like the bible students of Christ’s day who were experts at sacred writings but were clueless about prophesy, and thus didn’t actually know God?  Are we going to be Christ’s sheep who do akouo hear-to-understand His Voice in John 10:3-4, 16, 27.

 

 

 

 

 

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