[Updated September 8, 2019]

Mike,

I wondered if you ever studied the distinction between the Greek words “Logos”^G3056 and “Rhema”^G4487. The latter word ‘rhema’ comes from Rheo^G4482 from which our English word “river” comes, implying something “flowing”.

Joh 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow^G4482 rivers of living water.

Perhaps “Rhema” is used to indicate the working of God’s spirit, but for the most part I cannot always see how God differentiates between these two words.

I have been reading many of your answers on the site and can see that our Lord has given you much appreciated insight from which I have learned much.

Thanks, in Christ,

T____

Hi T____​,

Thank you for bringing this up and for pointing out that the root of the word ‘rhema‘ means “to flow”.

You ask:

“I wondered if you ever studied the distinction between the Greek words “Logos”^G3056 and “Rhema”^G4487.”

You go on to say:

“For the most part I cannot always see how God differentiates between these two words.”

There is a very good reason why you “cannot… see how God differentiates between these two words”, and that reason is that God Himself does not differentiate between the Greek words ‘logos‘ and ‘rhema‘, as the scriptures below demonstrate.

In the gospel of Matthew we have the story of Peter’s denial of the Lord. In Matthew’s account of that story the holy spirit uses the Greek word ‘rhema’:

Mat 26:75  And Peter remembered the word [G4487: rhema] of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly.

I have been told that ‘rhema‘ is used here because Christ spoke these words for the first time, and therefore He is not quoting out of the written scriptures which are called the ‘logos‘. That is what many believe, but it is not a scriptural distinction because the holy spirit uses the Greek word ‘logos‘ in repeating this exact same story in the book of Luke:

Luk 22:61  And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word [G3058:​ logos] of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.
Luk 22:62  And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

So there we have it. In Matthew, Peter remembers the ‘rhema‘ of the Lord, and he goes out and weeps bitterly. In Luke, Peter remembers the ‘logos‘ of the Lord, and he goes out and weeps bitterly. It should be obvious that the holy spirit makes​ no distinction between the ‘rhema‘ or the ‘logos‘ “of the Lord”. They are one and the same. Both are the word of God, as we are told in:

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word [Logos], and the Word [Logos] was with God, and the Word [Logos] was God.

To some people making a distinction between these two Greek words has become an “idol of their heart​” (Eze 14:1-9). In spite of being shown how the holy spirit uses these two words interchangeably, they still argue that the holy spirit would not use two different words if there were not some distinction; but where is the scripture for such a doctrine? The fact is that the exact opposite is the demonstrable truth because we see the principle of “the dream is one” found throughout scripture:

Gen 41:25  And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
Gen 41:26  The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.

‘Seven cows’ and ‘seven ears of corn’ are two different words expressing the same event. Nevertheless, “the dream is one”, and they mean the same thing. Both are speaking of seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. There is one message expressed two different ways. In like manner, there is one message expressed in two different words when we see the words ‘rhema’ and ‘logos’. Those are two Greek words for the same thing. Both simply mean ‘the word’ with absolutely no distinction between whether that word is quoting written scripture or words of edification, exhortation and comfort quoted from scripture. Christ and His Words are both ‘rhema‘ and ‘logos‘, and both words are used to tell us Peter remembered Christ’s words telling him that before the cock would crow twice, he would deny Christ three times, as indeed he had done by the ‘rhema’ and by the ‘logos’ of Christ.

Another example of how different words are used to say the exact same thing in the New Testament will help to show us the mind of the Lord in this matter. In the book of Matthew we see the phrase “the kingdom of heaven” over and over as Christ is preaching “the gospel of the kingdom of heaven”:

Mat 4:17  From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Speaking of the same Jesus preaching about the same kingdom being “at hand”, the holy spirit inspired Mark to use another word:

Mar 1:14  Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
Mar 1:15  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

The same ‘Jesus’ is preaching the same ‘gospel’ about the same ‘kingdom’. In Matthew that ‘kingdom’ is called “the kingdom of heaven”, and in Mark it is called “the kingdom of God”. The words are​ for the exact same gospel.

“The kingdom of heaven” and “the kingdom of God” are both “like a grain of mustard seed”:

Mat 13:31  Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

Luk 13:18  Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?
Luk 13:19  It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.

The kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are both “like leaven”:

Mat 13:33  Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Luk 13:20  And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God?
Luk 13:21  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

Just as “the kingdom of heaven” and “the kingdom of God” are one and the same, so also the ‘rhema‘ and the ‘logos‘ are the same. Whether Christ is quoting the written word of God or speaking the words of “the times of reformation”, which were not yet written, both are the same “word of God”, and there is no distinction to be drawn whatsoever.

It is interesting to note that the Greek word ‘rhema‘ is used to describe what “is written” in the law of Moses in Deu 8:3:

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word [G4487: rhema] that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Also, the Greek word ‘logos‘ is used to describe what is the spoken words of Christ:

Luk 4:22  And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words [G3056: logos] which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?

Some Charismatic and Pentecostal ministers teach that ‘the rhema‘ of God is words which are spoken under the inspiration of the spirit, which are not quoted from the written scriptures but are just as much the word of God as the written words. This false doctrine teaches that the word ‘rhema‘ distinguishes such “inspired utterances” from the written word which they falsely insist is always referred to in scripture as “the logos” of God’s Word.

The verse you reference is the one they use to make that point:

Joh 7:38  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow [G4482: rheo] rivers of living water.

However, we have shown how the word ‘rhema‘ is used of the holy spirit in Matthew relating to the words Christ spoke to Peter informing Peter that he would three times deny Him before the cock crowed twice, and the word ‘logos‘ is used of the holy spirit in John relating to the exact same words spoken to Peter, demonstrating beyond any doubt that the two Greek words ‘rhema‘ and ‘logos‘ are as interchangeable in the Greek language as are the words ‘look’ and ‘see’ in the English language.

Therefore any utterance by any person claiming to speak for God must be tried only by “that which is written”, and we are plainly told in:

1Co 4:6  And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.

I have underlined the words “of men” because they are in italics, indicating they were added by the King James translators and are not in the Greek. A more accurate translation is:

1Co 4:6  Now these things, brothers, I applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us ye might learn not to think above that which is written, so that ye may not be puffed up, one over the one against the other. (ACV)

We are commanded to, “try the spirits because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” As in any trial in any country on the face of this earth, trials are conducted based only upon “that which is written”, and the verdict of every trial must be according to “that which is written”. So also with the ‘rhema‘ and the ‘logos‘ of God. Every word we accept as the Word of God must be tried by the Word of God, and must be “according to that which is written”.

1Jn 4:1  BELOVED, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

False prophets being false doctrines, we cannot try their doctrines against some supposed ‘rhema‘ which contradicts “that which is written”. The ‘rhema‘ and the ‘logos‘ are one and the same Word of God which will always accord with “that which is written”, and if it does not, then we can be sure we are hearing “the voice of a stranger” and not the voice of the True Shepherd of the sheep:

Joh 10:4  And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
Joh 10:5  And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

I hope all these verses have served to demonstrate that there is no difference whatsoever between the two Greek words ‘rhema‘ and ‘logos‘.

Your brother, who always tries the spirits to see whether they are speaking only according to “that which is written”,

Mike