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The Word of God: Written and Incarnate

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In the study of biblical psychology, we explore how the soul and spirit are interrelated yet ontologically distinct. That is, the immaterial side of man is unified, yet has two distinct aspects —soul and spirit. One way to illustrate this sometime subtle, but also important distinction is to present a similar case of an “interrelated, yet distinct” relationship in biblical theology.

Consider the interrelationship of the written Word of God (the Bible) and the incarnate Word of God (The Son of God).

1. These two aspects of “The word of God” have much in common. (This phrase occurs about 200 times in the Holy Bible.)

The scriptural word of God: “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD” (Deut. 8:3; cf 17:17;27:3; 29:29; Isaiah 1:1; 2:1; 55:11).

The incarnate Word of God: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God… And the Word became flesh [Jesus Christ] and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1,14; cf; Rev. 19:13).

    • They are both the revelation of God (Prov. 30:5; Heb. 1:1-4; Col. 1:15)
    • They are both given through the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:21; Matt. 1:18)

    2. These two aspects of the word of God are interrelated.

    The Son of God is the central character of the Holy Bible (Rev. 19:10). The written word has many Old Testament prophecies about the coming of the Son of God. The four Gospels, for example, are devoted to recording His person, words and works. The rest of the New Testament was authorized by Christ and unfolds further revelation of Him and about Him (Isaiah 53; Psalm 22; John 16:13).

    “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Heb. 4:12). (Whereas most commentators interpret the “word of God” in Hebrews 4:12 as referring to the inspired Scripture (as indicated in the context – Hebrews 4:2,5,6,7,8), Greek Orthodox interpreters have applied this verse to the Son of God.) [1]

    Jesus Christ, the Son of God, quotes and confirms the Old Testament as inspired. These examples are also recorded in the written word of God (John 15:39; 10:35; Luke 24:25-27). When the Incarnate Word of God quotes the written word of God they overlap in meaning even further (Luke 4:4; Deut 8:3).

    3. These two aspects of the Word of God cannot be separated, i.e, one aspect does not disregard the other. As noted above, there is no Holy Bible without the incarnate Word of God (the Son), and the Son cannot be rightly regarded apart from this role in, and endorsement of, the written word of God.

    4. However, these two aspects of the word of God are ontological distinct from each other. Here are obvious examples of some differences. (This is to show that distinguishing the written word of God and the incarnate Word of God is more than semantics; it is essential for orthodoxy.)

    To state the obvious, unlike the Word of God incarnate (the Lord Jesus Christ)…
    the written word of God:

    • Is not preexistent
    • Is not a man
    • Is not the Son of God
    • Was not born of the Virgin Mary
    • Was not baptized by the prophet John
    • Did not die on the Cross
    • Was not bodily resurrected
    • Did not bodily ascend to heaven
    • Will not return to earth at the end of the age…
    • (The list goes on.)

    Therefore, it is obvious that the written word of God and the incarnate Word of God are not merely synonyms for the same thing/person.

    Similarly, there is ample biblical evidence from word studies and New Testament exposition to see that the soul and spirit in man are interrelated, yet distinct. That is, although these aspects of the immaterial side of man sometimes overlap, or are used interchangeably, soul and spirit are ontologically distinct.

    [1] Hebrews 4:12 note in Orthodox Study Bible Copyright © 2008 by St. Athanasius Academy of Orthodox Theology.

    JBW