People potentially confuse the word as an abstract overall rationale from God, with another sense of the word, namely the concrete teachings of God. The abstraction of God’s word is His overall struggle to reason with human beings, especially His people. This is what resulted in the need to send a human, the Christ, Jesus, beginning small as flesh in the maiden’s womb and growing ultimately to be the Lord over all. This is not literal. It is abstraction. Then there is the concrete individual sayings of God which He gave to, taught to, His Son Jesus.
Here is how ChatGPT explains the potential for confusion. “Abstract Overall Rationale of God's Word:
This refers to the broader, overarching plan or purpose of God, often understood as His reasoned engagement and relationship with humanity.
This abstraction can be seen as God's struggle to reason with and guide human beings, culminating in the sending of Jesus Christ to bridge the gap between God and humanity.
In this sense, "the word of God" embodies the divine logos (reason or plan), which John 1:1-14 refers to, where Jesus is described as the Word made flesh.
Concrete Teachings of God's Word:
This refers to the specific messages, commandments, parables, and teachings that God has communicated, often seen as contained within the scriptures.
These teachings were conveyed by Jesus during His ministry and are recorded in the Gospels, as well as other parts of the Bible.
The confusion arises because both senses are essential to understanding the Christian faith, but they operate at different levels:
The abstract sense emphasizes the divine, eternal rationale and plan of God, focusing on the grand narrative of salvation history, where Jesus is central as the incarnate Word.
The concrete sense emphasizes the specific, tangible instructions and revelations given by God, including those delivered by Jesus and documented in scripture.
To reconcile these, it helps to view the abstract as the overarching framework within which the concrete teachings fit. The abstract rationale explains the "why" behind God's actions, including the need for Jesus, while the concrete teachings provide the "what" and "how" of living according to God's will.”
