Theology of the Word of God

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The Word of God is the basis for Christian theology. Only very modern, liberal theologies may claim that there is some other source of Christianity that would be more important, such as "human religious experience". All great traditions of Christian spirituality attest that the Word of God is the source of theology. However, "the Word of God" may have several different meanings.

In the protestant world, the Word of God is equivalent for "the Holy Bible". This view is correct, yet inadequate. Everything in the Church is based (in one way or another) to the Bible. It is the major litarary source of Christianity, even if not the one and only. Fundamentalist theologians tend to ignore the significance of creeds and ecumenical symbols. There is no direct access to the Bible that could take no notice to the two millennia of Chriatian thinking. Nevertheless, there is no way getting rid of the Bible. For a Christian, the Bible is neither a historical document nor an account of moral edification, but the Word of God - the chosen communication tool of the Creator. The Bible is indeed the place where other meanings of "the Word of God" should be searched.

The first occurrence of the Word of God in the Bible is in the very first page: "And God said: Let there be light." Hence the Word of God is that through which God created the universe. In the New Testament this Word of God was understood to be Christ himself. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Ultimately, the Word means not just an intermediary tool or agent of God, but God himself. In the trinitarian theology the Word is precisely the name belonging to the Son.

Word of God as the guiding principle of a Christian's life does not mean the strict adherence to the Scripture in the sense that one should live according to the social rules and family patterns of the Biblical times. Neither should one expect to find literal advices from the Bible to one's complex ethical situations. Rather, Word of God is the living Word of Christ, the word inspired by the Spirit, the Seinswirklichkeit of God. Reading the Bible with an open heart suggests this understanding. Over and over again, God seems to awake his people from false security, from making a picture of God and worshipping it. Instead of God, the people attached to the idea of being the chosen people (as the great prophets of Israel noticed). Instead of the unity in Christ, there prevailed the mutual competition and sectarianism among Christians (as Paul had to tell the Corinthians). The Holy Bible may become a "Paper Pope", as Luther put it, and cease to be an endless source of love and inspiration. Therefore the Word of God is something more than holy Writ.
(For those who read German I recommend my post "das Wort Gottes als..." above )

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