The Man Who Knew Christ as «the Word of God» but Did Not Know Its Meaning
He was a Muslim man who knew that Christ is called «the Word of God,» for he had heard the expression from his childhood, but he understood it in a particular way: that the Word was a creative command which God spoke, that is, that God said «Be» and Christ came to be, as He said «Be» and Adam came to be. So he supposed that to call Christ «the Word of God» did not make Him divine, but made Him a creature brought into being by a command, like everything else God created by His word. But one day he opened the Gospel to read for himself how it speaks of «the Word,» and found the opening declaring what he had not expected: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). And he stopped, astonished: the Word was «in the beginning,» and was «with God,» and «was God» — so this is not a command spoken and then passed away, but an eternal person who is God Himself.
The Bible's answer to the meaning of «the Word of God» is a single sentence, and once it is grasped it raises the expression to its true place: Christ is not a spoken word that passes away, nor a thing created by a command, but the eternal Word who was in the beginning, who was with God and was God, by whom all things were made, so that He cannot Himself be a created thing, and who then became flesh and dwelt among us. As for the supposition that «the Word of God» means a thing created by God's command, as Adam was created, it is overturned by the fact that Adam himself is among the things made by the Word; the Word is the Maker, not the made. So the expression the Muslim supposed to be proof that Christ is created is in truth the highest declaration of His deity.
How the Muslim Understands «the Word of God» and How the Gospel Proclaims It
Let the understanding be stated fairly. Many Muslims understand that to call Christ «the Word of God» means that He was created by a word from God, that is, by a creative command: God said «Be» and He was, as others were created. From this it is understood that the Word here is the instrument of creation, and that Christ is among the things created by it, so that the expression does not point to His deity but, on the contrary, makes Him a creature like Adam and others. The Word, in this understanding, is a command spoken which brought a thing into being, and then passed away.
And we acknowledge that the Muslim honours the expression «the Word of God» and uses it sincerely, and this in itself is a nearness to the truth, for he confesses that Christ has a special relation to the word of God. But the problem lies in the limited meaning given to the expression. So the matter is not whether Christ is called «the Word of God» — that is agreed — but what this expression means. Is it a spoken command by which a thing was created, or is it the eternal Word who is God? And the Gospel proclaims the higher meaning plainly: that the Word was not created, but was in the beginning, and was God, and by Him all things were made. So when the expression is understood as the Gospel proclaims it, it turns from a proof that Christ is created into the highest proof that He is God.
The Word Was in the Beginning, and Was God
The first thing that settles the meaning is the opening of John's Gospel, which closes the door of «created by a command» from the very first verse. It declares three things about the Word: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). The first: «in the beginning was the Word» — so He exists in the beginning, not created after it. The second: «the Word was with God» — so He is a person distinct, with God, not merely a command issuing from Him. The third: «and the Word was God» — so He is God Himself in His essence.
And consider: a spoken command is not «with» the one who speaks it as a distinct companion, nor is the command itself God. Were «the Word» merely a creative command like His saying «Be,» it could not rightly be said that it «was with God» as a person, nor that it «was God.» So the opening declares that the Word is an eternal person, distinct from the Father, and is in His essence God. Then it declares that this Word became flesh: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). So the Word is not a command spoken that brought Christ into being, but is the eternal Word who Himself became man. So the meaning the Gospel proclaims is far higher than «created by a command.»
By Him All Things Were Made, So He Cannot Himself Be Made
And the strongest proof that the Word is not created is that all created things were made by Him. The Gospel declares: "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made" (John 1:3). Consider the logic: if everything that was made was made by Him, then He cannot Himself be among the things made, for nothing makes itself. Were the Word created, He would need to have been made by Himself — and this is impossible. So the Word is the Maker, not the made.
And this is the decisive answer to the comparison with Adam. Adam was created, yes, but he is among the things made by the Word; the Word is the One by whom Adam was made, not the Word a creature like Adam. And the apostle Paul confirms this, declaring that all things were created by Him and for Him, and that He is before all things: "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth... all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things" (Colossians 1:16-17). «Before all things» and «all things were created by him» — how then can the One by whom all things were made be created, when He is before all things? Adam was made by the Word, and the Word is the Maker. And the Word is not Maker only, but also the One who preserves and upholds the creation, for by Him all things hold together: "and by him all things consist" (Colossians 1:17). Were the Word created, He would Himself need one to uphold and preserve Him; but He is the One by whom all things hold together. So the One by whom things were made, and by whom they are preserved, cannot be among them, but is their Maker and Preserver. So the comparison with Adam, followed honestly, points to the opposite of what was intended by it: Adam is made by the Word, and the Word is the Maker.
The Word Is God's Self-Expression
And why was the Son called «the Word» in the first place? Because the word, in its deepest sense, is the expression of the mind to itself. For a man's word proceeds from his mind and expresses what is in it, without being separate from him. And so it is with the Son: He is the perfect expression of God to Himself, proceeding from Him eternally, of His essence, declaring Him fully. For as a man's thoughts are not known except by his word, so God is not known in a complete revelation except in His Son the Word.
This is why the Bible declares that God spoke to men finally in His Son, for He is the fullest revelation: "Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son" (Hebrews 1:2). And the Son is «the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person» (Hebrews 1:3) — that is, the exact image of the essence of God. So the prophets carried words from God, but the Son is the Word Himself, the expression of God to Himself. The difference between a prophet carrying a word from God and the Son being the Word is essential: the first is a messenger who delivers, and the second is the living message, the perfect expression of God to Himself, who became flesh to declare Him to us.
The Objection: «the Word of God Means a Thing Created by a Command, Like Adam»
Here the trained Muslim raises his strongest objection: does not «the Word of God» mean that which was created by God's command? For as God said «Be» and Adam was, so Christ is a word from God, that is, created by His command. And the answer accepts the premise and then overturns the conclusion. Yes, God creates by His command, and Adam was created by the word of God. But this very thing proves that the Word cannot be a creature, because the created things — Adam among them — are the products of the Word, not the Word among them.
Let us distinguish two things: the command which is spoken in order to create a thing, and the eternal Word by whom the command is spoken. When Adam was created by the word of God, Adam was the created thing, and the Word was the One by whom he was made. So the correct comparison is not between Christ and Adam as creatures, but between the Word by whom Adam was made, and Adam who was made by Him. Christ is not «the thing created by the Word,» but is «the Word» Himself, by whom Adam and all things were made. So the objection, when examined closely, turns into a proof: for if Adam was created by the word of God, then the Word precedes Adam and is his Maker, not a creature like him. So what the Muslim supposed to be an equating of Christ with Adam is in truth the difference between the Maker and the made.
The Word Became Flesh to Declare God
And since the Word was the eternal God, by whom all things were made, the Gospel proclaims the greatest wonder: that this Word became flesh. The Word did not remain distant and unseen, but took flesh and dwelt among us: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory" (John 1:14). So the Word who was with God and was God became man to declare God to mankind in a revelation that can be seen and touched.
And this is the heart of the Gospel: that God was not content to send words by the mouths of the prophets, but sent the Word Himself, His perfect expression of Himself, made flesh. So whoever would know God, let him look to the incarnate Word, for He is His complete revelation: "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9). The Word did not become flesh to be merely another teacher, but to declare God and to redeem mankind. The One by whom all things were made became one of us, to die for our sins and bring us back to God. So calling Christ «the Word» is not a diminishing of Him to a thing created by a command, but a declaration that He is God who became flesh to save us.
How the Word Can Be a Person: the Word From the Mind
A question may remain in the mind: how can «the Word» be a person, and not merely an abstract meaning? The Bible uses this image because it brings near the mystery of the relation between the Son and the Father. Consider a man's word and his mind: a man's word proceeds from his mind, and expresses what is in it, without being separate from him or younger than him in existence. As long as a man has a mind, he has a word by which he expresses himself; a mind without thought or the power of expression cannot be conceived. And so it is with God: He was never without His Word, for His Word proceeds from Him eternally, expressing His essence, without being separate from Him or coming to be after Him.
So the Word is not a command which God spoke in a moment and then passed away, as a man speaks a passing word; but it is God's perpetual expression of Himself, subsisting in Him eternally. This is why it can rightly be said that the Word «was with God» — that is, distinct as a companion — and «was God» — that is, of His very essence. For as a man's word is from him and in him and with him at once, so the Word is from God and in Him and with Him, and is God. And this image, though it falls short of grasping the unlimited being of God, suffices to show that «the Word» is not a thing created by a command, but God's eternal expression of Himself, who became flesh to declare Him to us. The Word is not less than the One who speaks it, but is the One who speaks declaring Himself.
The Prophets Carried the Word, and the Son Is the Word
And there is an essential difference between the prophets and the Son that clarifies the meaning of «the Word.» The prophets carried a word from God, and they always said, «Thus saith the LORD,» pointing beyond themselves, to a word they had received that was not their own. The prophet is a messenger who delivers a word that is not from him, but was given to him. But the Son was not merely a carrier of a word from God; He is the Word itself. This is why He spoke with an authority no prophet spoke with, saying, «But I say unto you,» not «Thus saith the LORD.»
The prophets said «Thus saith the LORD,» but Christ said: "But I say unto you" (Matthew 5:22), speaking from His own authority, because He is the Word. This is why the people marvelled at His teaching, for He taught as one having authority, not as the scribes: "for he taught them as one having authority" (Matthew 7:29). The prophet relays a word that is not from him; the Son speaks from Himself, because He is the expression of God to Himself. The difference between carrying a message and being the message is the difference between the made and the Maker. The prophets, like Adam, were created and carried a word; but the Son is the Word by whom they were created, and by whom God has spoken finally and most fully. So whoever would hear the complete word of God, let him look to the Son, for He is the incarnate Word, not a carrier of a word but the Word Himself.
The Word Reveals the Heart of God Toward You
There is a deeper meaning the Muslim ought to ponder: that a word reveals the heart of the one who speaks it. By a man's word we know what is within him; and had he not spoken, what is in his heart would have remained hidden. And so, when God sent His Word, He did not send mere commands from a distance, but revealed His heart toward us. The incarnate Word is God's revelation of Himself, of His love and His purpose for salvation. The One who wished to be known, not merely obeyed from a distance, sent His Word to declare who He is.
And this surpasses what one might imagine who supposes God to be distant and unknowable. For God was not content to send messages, but sent His Word Himself, His perfect expression of Himself, to dwell among us and declare His heart. And in this is the greatest love: that God wished to be known and to draw near, so His Word became flesh to show Him to us: "No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him" (John 1:18). «He hath declared him» — that is, He revealed and made known the God whom no one has seen. So the Word did not come to add commands to us, but to reveal to us the heart of God and bring us back to Him. So if you have supposed God to be distant, known only by His commands, the Gospel brings you the good news that God sent His Word to be known, and that the Word became flesh to reveal to you the heart of God toward you: a heart of love that desires your salvation.
Closing — Know the Word Who Became Flesh for You
If you have known Christ as «the Word of God» and supposed it to mean a creature made by a command, the Gospel calls you to know the higher meaning: that the Word was in the beginning, and was God, and by Him all things were made, and then became flesh for you. You are not called to abandon your honouring of the expression, but to know its true weight: not a thing God made, but His eternal Word who is God. And this incarnate Word died for your sins, was buried, and rose again the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3-4), to declare God to you and to redeem you.
Come, then, and know the Word who became flesh for you. Read the opening of John's Gospel for yourself, and ponder how it declares that the Word was God, and by Him all things were made, and became flesh. And ask God to reveal to you who the Word truly is. For the One by whom you were made became flesh to save you; so receive Him, and you will know the God whom He declared.
A Special Prayer
If you have come to see that Christ is the eternal Word who was God, by whom all things were made, and who became flesh for you, you may come to Him now. What saves you is not the words of a prayer, but faith that the Lord Jesus Christ died for you and rose again. So pray from your heart to the living God who hears:
"O great and holy and loving God, the one true God: I knew Christ as Thy Word, and supposed it a creature made by a command, and I see now that the Word was in the beginning, and was Thee, and by Him all things were made, and He became flesh for me. I confess that I am a sinner, and that I need a Saviour. I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, Thy eternal Word made flesh, died on the cross for my sins, was buried, and rose again the third day. I trust in Him alone as my Saviour. Reveal to me who the Word truly is, forgive me, receive me, and grant me eternal life. I pray in the name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen."
After You Have Prayed
If you prayed this prayer from a sincere and believing heart, then you have come to know the Word who became flesh for you, and you have become a child of God forever. Here are steps to steady you:
First — read the Word of God every day. Know that the King James Version (KJV) is the truest and purest copy of the Word of God in all the world, His true and pure Word, and you will find it on this website (alinjil.com); and in Arabic, read the trustworthy Van Dyck translation. Begin with the Gospel of John, not in haste, but with meditation and prayer, for God speaks to you through His Word.
Second — pray to God directly every day in words from your own heart, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, asking to know the incarnate Word more.
Third — read the opening of John's Gospel with meditation, and ponder how it declares that the Word was God, by whom all things were made, and became flesh.
Fourth — seek a church that honours the Word of God and proclaims the deity of the incarnate Word, join the fellowship of believers, and be baptized in obedience to the Lord.
Fifth — bear witness to others with gentleness and love that Christ is the eternal Word who became flesh, not a creature made by a command, especially to those who knew the expression but not its meaning.
And keep reading the Word of God in the King James Version, the truest and purest Word of God in the world, and in the Van Dyck in Arabic — both found on this website — that you may grow in the knowledge of the Word who saved you.
A Personal Word to You, Dear Reader
Thank you for taking the time to read this message about Christ the Word, and the salvation that God offers through Him. If you have received Christ as your own personal Saviour, you have come to know the Word who was God and became flesh for you, and you have become a child of God forever. "and the Word was God" (John 1:1).
We encourage you to begin reading the Gospel of John for yourself, to continue in the Word of God in the King James Version — the truest and purest Word of God in the world — and in the Van Dyck in Arabic, both found on this website (alinjil.com), and to share this good news with everyone who knew Christ as «the Word of God» but did not know its meaning. May God richly bless you as you come to know the Word who became flesh for you.
An Invitation to Receive Divine Salvation — Accept The Lord Jesus Christ as Your Personal Saviour
Dear reader — if these words have touched your heart and you have recognised that you are a sinner in need of a Saviour, know that God is calling you to Himself in this very moment. You do not need a priest, or a human mediator, or a holy place, or rituals or works. The Lord Jesus Christ paid the full price on the cross, and the promise of God is certain and clear:
What saves you is not the words of this prayer — but the faith in your heart that the Lord Jesus Christ died for you and rose from the dead. But if you want to express your faith in sincere words, read this prayer with a humble heart as though you are speaking to the living God:
The Prayer of Salvation
"O Great, Holy, and Loving True God,
I come to You now with complete humility, confessing that I am a sinner. I have broken Your commandments many times in my thoughts, in my words, and in my deeds. I know that my sin deserves eternal death and eternal separation from You. I have no good work I can offer that is able to redeem my soul, and no righteousness of my own to cover my nakedness before Your holiness.
But I believe with all my heart in the testimony of Your Word that Your only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, died on the cross for my sins — bearing in my place the punishment I deserved. I believe that He was buried, and that He rose from the dead on the third day, alive and victorious over death and the grave, and that He is alive now unto the ages of ages.
In this blessed moment, I receive the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. I trust in Him alone — not in my works, not in my religion, not in rituals or any person or angel or saint. On the Lord Jesus Christ alone, and on His precious blood shed on the cross, I build the hope of my eternal salvation.
I thank You, my Father, that You have now received me in the Lord Jesus Christ, and have forgiven all my sins, and have given me eternal life as a free gift by Your grace. I thank You that You have sent Your Holy Ghost to dwell in my heart, bearing witness to me that I have become Your child. Give me grace to know You more day by day, and to live the rest of my life for Your glory alone.
I pray all this in the name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Ghost. Amen."
After You Have Prayed — What Now?
If you prayed this prayer from a truly believing heart, the greatest miracle in all your history has happened in this moment: you have passed from death to life, from darkness to light, from the kingdom of sin into the kingdom of the beloved Son of God. You have become a child of the living God, and God's own promise guarantees this to you in His trustworthy Word:
Notice the power of this promise: "gave he power" — a settled right, guaranteed, not a wish or a possibility. And notice "them that believe on his name" — not "those who performed great deeds," not "those who completed rituals," but simply "them that believe." You are now one of them — with absolute certainty.
Here are five simple steps to establish you in your new life with the Lord Jesus Christ:
First — Read the King James Bible every day. Begin with the Gospel of John, then continue through the rest of the New Testament, then the Psalms and Proverbs. God speaks to you through His Word as a father speaks with his son. Do not read quickly — read with meditation and prayer. "The holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation" (2 Timothy 3:15).
Second — Pray every day. Speak to God as a loving Father — not with memorised words, but with words from your heart. Share with Him your joys and sorrows and questions and fears. Prayer is the breathing of the Christian life. "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Third — Join a Bible-believing church. Do not walk this road alone. Faith grows in the fellowship of believers, where the Word is preached faithfully and baptism and the Lord's Supper are practised according to the King James Bible. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" (Hebrews 10:25).
Fourth — Be baptised according to the King James Bible. Baptism is not a condition for salvation, but it is the first step of obedience after faith. It is a public declaration that you died with the Lord Jesus Christ and were buried with Him and rose with Him to a new life. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16) — faith first, then baptism as its natural fruit.
Fifth — Witness to others about the Lord Jesus Christ. What you have experienced of salvation and love cannot remain hidden. Begin with your family and friends. Tell them simply and honestly how the Lord Jesus Christ changed your life. "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you" (1 John 1:3).
And finally, remember always that your salvation is not built on your feelings or on any work you perform — but on the unchanging promise of God:
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life."
— 1 John 5:13
Notice: "that ye may know" — not "that ye may hope," not "that ye may wish," not "that ye may wait in anxious fear." But that ye may know with complete, unshakeable certainty that you have eternal life. This is the difference between all the world's religions and the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ: religions say "work and perhaps you will be saved" — and the Word of God alone says: "believe and know that you are saved."
✉ Share Your Testimony of Salvation
"Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." — Luke 15:10