Rhema and Logos in Biblical Hermeneutics Compared
In biblical hermeneutics, the Greek terms logos (λόγος) and rhema (ῥῆμα) are often distinguished, particularly in discussions about the nature of God's word. While both can be translated as "word," they carry different nuances that have led to distinct theological interpretations.
The term logos is prominently featured in the opening of John's Gospel: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1) [4, 5]. This "Word" is identified as the pre-existent Christ, the manifestation or expression of God to humanity [4, 5]. John Gill, a Baptist commentator, clarifies that this refers not to the written word, but to the "essential word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ," attributing creation and life to him [5]. The logos is understood as the eternal, divine reason and communication of God, through whom all things were made [4, 5]. John Chrysostom, an Eastern Orthodox father, emphasizes the foundational nature of this concept, noting its importance for understanding Christ's divinity [7]. The logos is also described as the source of "life" and "light of men," encompassing knowledge, integrity, and wisdom [6]. The idea that this divine logos "became flesh" (John 1:14) was a profound and challenging concept for both Greek and Jewish thought, establishing Christ as fully divine and fully human [8]. This understanding of logos as the incarnate Christ is a cornerstone of Christian theology [8]. The apostle John also refers to Christ as "the Word of life" in his first epistle, further emphasizing the life-giving nature of the logos [6, 9].
In contrast, rhema generally refers to a spoken word, an utterance, or a specific command [1, 2, 3]. While logos can denote the overarching divine plan or the person of Christ, rhema often points to a particular, dynamic expression of God's will or a specific message. For instance, in Luke 1:13, the angel tells Zechariah, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John." The word "word" here is rhema (G4487 in some contexts, but G2564 in Luke 1:13, referring to a specific utterance) [2]. Similarly, in Luke 9:13, when Jesus tells his disciples to feed the crowd, the instruction is a rhema (G4487, referring to a specific command) [3]. In Luke 13:15, Jesus's response to the ruler of the synagogue is also described using rhema (G4487, a specific statement) [1]. These examples illustrate rhema as a concrete, immediate, and often situation-specific word from God or a divine agent.
The distinction between logos and rhema is not always rigidly maintained in biblical Greek, as both terms can sometimes be used interchangeably or with overlapping meanings depending on the context. However, theological traditions have often highlighted their distinct nuances. The logos is often understood as the objective, eternal, and foundational Word of God, encompassing His entire revelation, including the written Scriptures and the person of Christ [4, 5]. It represents the comprehensive truth of God. The rhema, on the other hand, is frequently interpreted as the subjective, immediate, and personally applicable word of God, a specific utterance that speaks to an individual or a particular situation [1, 2, 3]. This distinction is sometimes used to explain how the unchanging truth of God (the logos) can be dynamically applied and experienced by believers (as rhema).
Some theological perspectives emphasize that while the logos is the complete and revealed Word, the rhema is the logos made alive and active in a believer's life through the Holy Spirit. This view suggests that while all Scripture is logos, not every passage becomes a rhema to an individual at all times. Instead, a specific verse or passage might "leap out" and become a direct, personal word from God in a particular moment of need or guidance. This interpretation highlights the dynamic and personal aspect of divine communication.
However, it is crucial to note that this distinction, while popular in some circles, is not universally accepted or emphasized across all theological traditions. Many scholars and traditions do not draw a sharp theological line between logos and rhema, viewing them more as synonyms or as different facets of the same concept of "word" in Greek. For instance, Charles Hodge, one theologian, discusses how words can be substituted for one another to express the same idea, suggesting that sometimes apparent differences in meaning are merely disputes about words rather than substantive theological disagreements [10]. The Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) also uses both terms to translate the Hebrew davar (דָּבָר), which itself can mean both a general word or a specific utterance.
Sources
- STEPBible ESV Translation Tags “[ESV Tags] Luk 13:15: word 01 -> G1161; word 03 -> G2962; word 04 -> G0611; word 05 -> G0846; word 07 -> G5273; word 09 -> G3756; word 10 -> G1538; word 12 -> G5216; word 15 -> G4521; word 16 -> G3089; word 17 -> G0846; word 18 -> G1016; word 19 -> G2228; word 21 -> G3688; word 22 -> G0575; word 24 -> G5336; word 25 -> G2532; word 28 -> G0520; word 30 -> G4222”
- STEPBible ESV Translation Tags “[ESV Tags] Luk 1:13: word 01 -> G1161; word 03 -> G0032; word 04 -> G2036; word 05 -> G4314; word 06 -> G0846; word 08 -> G3361; word 10 -> G5399; word 11 -> G2197; word 12 -> G1360; word 13 -> G4675; word 14 -> G1162; word 17 -> G1522; word 18 -> G2532; word 19 -> G4675; word 20 -> G1135; word 21 -> G1665; word 23 -> G1080; word 24 -> G4671; word 26 -> G5207; word 27 -> G2532; word 30 -> G2564; word 31 -> G0846; word 32 -> G3686; word 33 -> G2491”
- STEPBible ESV Translation Tags “[ESV Tags] Luk 9:13: word 01 -> G1161; word 03 -> G2036; word 04 -> G4314; word 05 -> G0846; word 06 -> G5210; word 07 -> G1325; word 08 -> G0846; word 11 -> G5315; word 13 -> G2036; word 14 -> G2254; word 16 -> G3756; word 17 -> G4183; word 18 -> G2228; word 19 -> G4002; word 20 -> G0740; word 21 -> G2532; word 22 -> G1417; word 23 -> G2486; word 25 -> G2249; word 28 -> G4198; word 30 -> G0059; word 31 -> G1033; word 32 -> G1519; word 33 -> G3956; word 34 -> G3778; word 35 -> G2992”
- John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on John 1 (introduction): THE WORD MADE FLESH. (Joh 1:1-14) In the beginning--of all time and created existence, for this Word gave it being (Joh 1:3, Joh 1:10); therefore, "before the world was" (Joh 17:5, Joh 17:24); or, from all eternity. was the Word--He who is to God what man's word is to himself, the manifestation or expression of himself to those without him. (See on Joh 1:18). On the origin of this most lofty and now for ever consecrated title of Christ, this is not the place to speak. It occurs only in the writings of this seraphic apostle. was with God-”
- John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 1 (introduction): John 1:1 joh 1:1 joh 1:1 joh 1:1In the beginning was the word,.... That this is said not of the written word, but of the essential word of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, is clear, from all that is said from hence, to Joh 1:14 as that this word was in the beginning, was with God, and is God; from the creation of all things being ascribed to him, and his being said to be the life and light of men; from his coming into the world, and usage in it; from his bestowing the privilege of adoption on believers; and from his incarnation; and also there is a particular ap”
- John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on John 1:4: In Him was life--essentially and originally, as the previous verses show to be the meaning. Thus He is the Living Word, or, as He is called in Jo1 1:1-2, "the Word of Life." the life . . . the light of men--All that in men which is true light--knowledge, integrity, intelligent, willing subjection to God, love to Him and to their fellow creatures, wisdom, purity, holy joy, rational happiness--all this "light of men" has its fountain in the essential original "life" of "the Word" (Jo1 1:5-7; Psa 36:9).”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on John & Hebrews: Homily IV. John i. 1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.” [1.] When children are just brought to their learning, their teachers do not give them many tasks in succession, nor do they set them once for all, but they often repeat to them the same short ones, so that what is said may be easily implanted in their minds, and they may not be vexed at the first onset with the quantity, and with finding it hard to remember, and become less active in picking up what is given them, a kind of sluggishness arising from the difficulty. And”
- John (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on John 1:14: 1:14 The idea that the Word became human (literally became flesh) stunned both Greeks and Jews. Greeks separated the sphere of God from the mundane world of humanity, which they called flesh (Greek sarx). John wrote that God himself became flesh in Christ (cp. 1:1). Jesus’ humanity and divinity were complete, not partial. The two ideas—Jesus as 100-percent divine and 100-percent human—form the bedrock of a Christian understanding of Christ. • the Word . . . made his home (Greek skēnoō, “pitched his tent”) among us: This Greek word is related to the word used for the”
- 1 John (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 1 John 1:2: the life--Jesus, "the Word of life." was manifested--who had previously been "with the Father." show--Translate as in Jo1 1:3, "declare" (compare Jo1 1:5). Declare is the general term; write is the particular (Jo1 1:4). that eternal life--Greek, "the life which is eternal." As the Epistle begins, so it ends with "eternal life," which we shall ever enjoy with, and in, Him who is "the life eternal." which--Greek, "the which." the before-mentioned (Jo1 1:1) life which was with the Father "from the beginning" (compare Joh 1:1). This proves the disti”
- CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 71: is the mere copula between the subject and predicate, and never has, or can have the meaning assigned to it by the Reformed; and in this they are right. Yet it seems to be a dispute about words. There is no real difference between the parties. When the Reformed say that “is” means or may mean “signifies,” all they intend is that the one word, in the case in question, may be properly substituted for the other. The idea intended to be expressed by the words, “The seven ears are seven years,” may be expressed by saying, ‘The seven ears signi”