The Bible calls Jesus the Word of God. It calls the writings Scripture. Those are not the same title. Greek distinguishes graphē—the written text—from Logos, the divine Word who became flesh, and rhēma, God’s living spoken word. When we make a book flawless, divine, and equal to God’s own voice, we are not honoring Scripture; we are asking it to occupy Jesus’ place. The Bible is a remarkable human testimony to encounters with God, complete with memory, perspective, tension, and contradiction. It is the map. Jesus is the destination. If a passage appears to contradict the character revealed in Jesus, loyalty to the Word requires us to follow Jesus—not worship the map.
Before we walk through it: Name the assumption you brought with you. Then test whether the evidence lets you keep it.
The Argument
- John 1 identifies Jesus (Logos) as the Word, not a book. Greek distinguishes graphé (written text), Logos (divine Word/Jesus), and rhema (living spoken word) — conflating these is theologically dan...
- The Bible contains genuine contradictions (differing accounts of the cross inscription, Judas's death, Passover timing, Jesus' last words, tomb visitors, who incited David's census) — demonstrating...
- Scripture itself testifies that its purpose is to point to Jesus, not replace Him: 'You examine the Scriptures because you think in them you have eternal life.
Key Scriptures
- John 1:1
- John 5:39-40
- Revelation 19:13
- Psalms 119:11
Over to You
Where does Scripture call the Bible itself the Logos—and how should we respond when the written testimony appears to contradict Jesus’ revealed character?
From Dismantling Religion by Chris Drake — Chapter 2: Not God's Word