Two Important Greek Words in the Bible: Logos and Rhema

Did you know that in Greek, the original language of the New Testament, two different words are used to refer to God’s speaking? They are logos and rhema. Understanding the meaning of these words can help us know and experience God in a deeper way.

Today we’ll read verses and notes from the New Testament Recovery Version to see the importance of both logos and rhema in our Christian lives.

The Greek word logos

In Greek, logos is used to refer to the constant, objective word. It generally refers to the word of God recorded in the Bible. It’s truly amazing that God’s speaking was written down and preserved, and because of this, we can read it today.

God’s Word reveals who God is to us. It reveals His acts, His ways, what He desires, what He loves, and what He hates. By reading the Bible, we can learn about God’s way of salvation and His plan for mankind.

Without the logos, mankind would be in utter darkness, unable to know what God wants and what the meaning of human life is. So if we want to know God, we must read the Bible, the logos.

The Greek word rhema

Rhema is the other Greek word used in the New Testament to refer to the word of God. Rhema refers to the instant, direct speaking of God to us. God’s personal speaking to us is precious. It’s by this speaking that we can know Him, not just objectively, but subjectively.

We all want God to speak to us personally. But how does that happen? Does God speak only to a particular class of Christians? No! God wants to have a personal relationship with every one of us, and a great part of that relationship depends on His speaking to us.

Now let’s take a closer look at how we can experience the word of God as rhema.

We need logos to experience rhema

So how does God personally speak to us? How can we be sure we have God’s genuine speaking? It would be easy for anyone to say, “Oh, God told me to do this or that.” But did He really?

We don’t want to be misled. It’s vitally important for us to realize that God uses the logos to speak rhema to us. God’s instant word always corresponds with and never contradicts His written Word. 

For example, God’s Word clearly says that lying and stealing are sins. So any genuine speaking from God would never tell us to lie to someone or steal from them. 

So if we want God’s instant speaking, we need to read the written Word. The more we read the written Word, even storing it up within us by praying with it, musing over it, and memorizing it, the more God can speak His rhema word to us in our daily life. 

The rhema, the instant speaking of God, does many things in us. Let’s look at three of these—it guides us, imparts life to us, and washes us inwardly.

Rhema guides us in specific situations

Now that we’ve seen how we can have God’s instant speaking, let’s look at an illustration of how that speaking can guide us in a particular situation. Let’s say you’re at work or school and something happens that makes you very upset. The more you think about it, the more bothered you are. As your thoughts about it swirl in your mind, you begin to feel spiritually deadened.

Then Romans 8:6, a verse you had previously read, comes to you: “The mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the spirit is life and peace.” Immediately you realize why you feel so dead and have no peace: you’ve been setting your mind on the flesh.

So you turn to the Lord and pray, “Lord Jesus, I don’t want to set my mind on the flesh. I set my mind on the spirit right now. Thank You, Lord, when my mind is set on my spirit, I have life and peace!”

As you set your mind on the spirit, you’re saved from being consumed by your negative thoughts, and you’re ushered into enjoying life and peace from God. The Lord used the constant word (logos) that you had previously read in Romans 8 to speak an instant, personal word to you (rhema) in your particular situation. The Lord’s instant speaking strengthened you to turn to Him, and you experienced life and peace.

Rhema imparts life to us 

In addition to guiding us in particular situations, the rhema word of God also imparts life into us. In John 6:63, the Lord Jesus says:

“It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words which I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.”

Note 3 on this verse in the New Testament Recovery Version explains:

“The Greek word for words, here and in v. 68, is rhema, which denotes the instant and present spoken word. It differs from logos (used for Word in 1:1), which denotes the constant word. Here the words follows the Spirit. The Spirit is living and real, yet He is very mysterious, intangible, and difficult for people to apprehend; the words, however, are substantial. First, the Lord indicated that for giving life He would become the Spirit. Then He said that the words He speaks are spirit and life. This shows that His spoken words are the embodiment of the Spirit of life. He is now the life-giving Spirit in resurrection, and the Spirit is embodied in His words. When we receive His words by exercising our spirit, we get the Spirit, who is life.”

The Lord said in this verse that the very rhema words He had spoken are spirit and life. So how can we experience this? We need to exercise our spirit, our deepest part, when we read the Word of God.

Apparently, the written words in the Bible are just letters on a page. But actually, when we receive them by exercising, or using, our spirit, we contact and get the Spirit, who is life.

The best way to exercise our spirit is by prayer. By praying with the Word, the words on the page become rhema, imparting spirit and life to us. 

Rhema washes us inwardly

The Greek word rhema is also mentioned in Ephesians 5:26, which says: 

“That He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word.”

This verse doesn’t speak of the washing away of sin by the blood of Jesus. It says, “the washing of the water in the word,” and here, “word” is rhema. Note 4 on word in the Recovery Version explains:

“The Greek word denotes an instant word. The indwelling Christ as the life-giving Spirit is always speaking an instant, present, living word to metabolically cleanse away the old and replace it with the new, causing an inward transformation. The cleansing by the washing of the water of life is in the word of Christ. This indicates that in the word of Christ there is the water of life.”

The instant, present, living rhema washes us, cleansing away the old things of our natural life and replacing it with the new. This cleansing is carried out by the water in the rhema, which is the water of life. As we receive the word of Christ and experience this cleansing, we’re inwardly changed, or transformed. 

We need to receive the Word of God daily 

Spending time to read the Word of God is essential in our Christian life. We can know God and His purpose by reading His Word. And by praying and reading His written Word, we give the Lord a way to speak directly and instantly to us in our daily lives. His rhema can then guide us, impart life into us, and wash us so His marvelous purpose and plan for us can be fulfilled. Let’s make time each day to read God’s precious written Word.

If you live in the US, you can order a free copy of the New Testament Recovery Version here and discover more about logos and rhema.