Value of the Written Word

24 January 2022

By Rev Kenneth Mtata 

Today's readings:

Psalm 119:89-96;

Jeremiah 36:1-10;

1 Corinthians 14:1-12

Verse of the day:

"So you go to the house of the Lord on a day of fasting and read to the people from the scroll the words of the Lord 

that you wrote as I dictated. Read them to all the people of Judah who come in from their towns" (Jeremiah 36.6).

One of the greatest gifts given to God's people is literacy (the ability to read and write), because God has chosen to communicate with God's people using the written scriptures. Others have correctly called Christianity,  religion of the book, because in the written pages of the old and new testaments, the mind of God has been disclosed. It is important to note however that in the last 20 years or so, there has been a growing disregard for the written word in preference to "prophesies", "revelations", and other such preferences of hearing God. In other churches,  the bible is totally rejected because it is viewed as containing "old communication from God." In search of newer communication,  some people have devised other ways they claim to be means of God's communication. Such views should be rejected because when God chose to communicate with God's people,  God commanded that the words be written down and be read and studied to hear God afresh in different situations.

"So you go to the house of the Lord on a day of fasting and read to the people from the scroll the words of the Lord 

that you wrote as I dictated. Read them to all the people of Judah who come in from their towns" (Jeremiah 36.6).

There are many advantages of having the written in place of the oral words. Let's look at four of these.

First, the written word has standardised the content of our faith. Whether someone is in Africa, Europe, Asia, or America, they have the same authoritative source of their faith in the written word. Yes, there may be different interpretations on some issues, but what constitutes the norm or standard is known. 

Secondly,  the written word helps the church to test whether what is being preached, taught or practiced is close to the original or normative Christian faith. Written word set limits the latitude within which people can innovate. A very good example in the bible are the Christians at Bearea who "were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true" (Acts 17:11). 

Third, written word helps us because we forget. If the scriptures were not written,  with time, we could have forgotten. That they were written down,  we can constantly refer to the written pages. This doesn't mean we should stop memorising.

Fourth,  written word separates the  writers who were inspired and mightily used by God from contemporary readers who also still need the illumination from the Spirit of God to understand, believe and put the word into action. If contemporary Christians relied on oral communication,  they would have found some of the writers not very attractive and convincing in their appearance. We know this about Paul. Some from his audience in  Corinth said, "His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible" (2 Corinthians 10:10). If many contemporary Christians listened to the apostles,  they may have not taken them seriously, because they were not always attractive in human standards. But the word that was transmitted through them has kept its authority in spite of the authors.

We thank God for the miracle of the written word. In our gratitude,  we must be diligent in studying it daily and applying it to the conversion and edification of God's people. 

Prayer

God we thank you for the written word. Help us to love it. Let your Spirit illuminate it for our conversion and edification. In Jesus' name we pray. AMEN.