Logos becoming Rhema

John 1:1; Matt. 4:4; Mark 14:27-31; 66-72; John 2:17, 22; Rev. 2:7; 22:17; SS 8:13-14

Last fall, I attended a Christian conference in London, Ontario, given by our brother, Ricky Acosta from New York City. During the conference, I was touched afresh by the meaning and examples given concerning how the words we read in the Bible can become the speaking of God in our being.

The Meaning of Logos and Rhema

First of all, it is important to know that there are two Greek words used for “the word” in English - logos and rhema. Logos refers to the constant word, the word that is objectively recorded in the Bible, while rhema refers to the instant word, the word that is spoken by the Spirit in the moment on a particular occasion.

In the conference, we were reminded that we can’t have the rhema without the logos, which is why we need to read the Bible. By reading the Bible, studying the Bible and memorizing verses and references from the Bible, we build up a store of logos that the Lord can use to speak the rhema word to us.

An example of when logos is used in the Bible is John 1:1 - “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.” In other words, In the beginning was the logos and the logos was with God and the logos was God. An example of when rhema is used in the Bible is Matthew 4:4 - “But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out through the mouth of God.” In other words, Man shall not live on bread alone but on every rhema that proceeds out through the mouth of God. A footnote on Matthew 4:4 in the Recovery Version says:

“In this temptation all the words quoted by the Lord from Deuteronomy were logos, the constant word in the Scriptures. But when He quoted them, they became rhema, the instant word applied to His situation"[RcV].

Another example of when the word, rhema is used in the Bible is in John 6:63 when Jesus said, “It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh profits nothing; the words which I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.” An excellent footnote on “words” in this verse in the Recovery Version says,:

 “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.”

As referred to in this footnote, rhema is also used in John 6:67-68, when “Jesus therefore said to the twelve, Do you also want to go away? And Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life” If we all had such a realization and experience when we interact with the word, we would all have the same response to this question.

Examples of Logos becoming Rhema

I enjoyed our brother sharing several examples from the Bible of the logos becoming rhema. In Mark 14:17-31, after “Jesus told His disciples that they would all be stumbled, Peter said, if all will be stumbled, yet I will not! And Jesus said to him, Truly I say to you, that today in this night, before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times. But Peter spoke more intensely, Even if I must die with You, I will by no means deny You!” At this point, the word was logos to Peter.

However, later during the Lord’s trial, in Mark 14:66-72, Peter did deny the Lord three times “and immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered the word, how Jesus has said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.’ And thinking upon it, he wept.” At this point, the word that the Lord had spoken to Peter earlier became rhema to Peter. Another way to speak of the rhema word is that it is the Lord speaking logos the second time.

Another example that our brother shared of the logos becoming rhema was in John 2:17. After the Lord cleansed the temple, “His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘The zeal of Your house shall devour Me’.” This was a quote from Psalm 69:9. It was logos in Psalm 69:9 and became rhema to the disciples in John 2:17, when they remembered it. Another way to think of rhema is that it is the reminding of the Spirit.

Another example that he shared is found in John 2:22. When Jesus spoke of the temple of His body in 2:19 by saying, “Destroy this temple and in three days, I will raise it up,” it was a logos word to the disciples. Verse 22 shows that it was after the Lord’s resurrection, that this word became rhema to them when John wrote, “When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this, and they believed the Scriptures and the word which Jesus had spoken.” This is rhema as the reminding Spirit in action, even causing the disciples to believe the Scriptures and the word which Jesus had spoken.

Just this week, I had a further seeing that rhema is the word that the Spirit speaks when I was praying over Revelation 2:7a - “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” I realized that when the Spirit speaks, that is the rhema word. This is also seen in Revelation 22:17a, where “The Spirit and the bride say, Come.” This verse shows that the Spirit and the bride are speaking as one. Therefore the rhema word is not only the Spirit speaking but the Spirit speaking with the bride. Hallelujah, that the Lord can use us as human vessels to speak the rhema word to His people. It is in this way that the church is built up and Christ can come back for His bride.

My companions listen for Your voice.

Furthermore, two verses that our brother emphasized repeatedly in this conference were the last two verses of the Song of Songs:

“You who dwell in the gardens, my companions listen for Your voice; let me hear it. Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young hart, upon the mountains of spices” (SS 8:13-14) [RcV]. 

These verses link the Lord’s speaking to His second coming. Therefore we need to have an intimate, loving relationship with the Lord that we may hear His speaking and thereby hasten His coming.

From these illustrations, we see that the New Testament is rich in its usage of both the logos and the rhema word. And from these examples, we see how the logos becomes the rhema word through the Spirit’s reminding, speaking and re-speaking. What remains is our listening for His voice through cultivating an intimate, loving relationship with the Lord. May we all have an ear to hear what the Spirit is speaking to the churches.