Many years ago, I was explaining to someone the meaning of a passage of Scripture that I’d read and researched. The person did not agree with my explanation, not because it did not make sense but, as they said, “You’re not a priest, you didn’t go to theological college. If you were a priest, then I’d agree with you.”
That person was right, I did not go to theological college, and
to date I haven’t been but that does not disqualify me or you or anybody else
from being used by God to spread the Word.
Now, if you take it upon yourself to simply memorize and rattle off the Word, without proper study, without thorough research, without context and all without Spirit’s guidance, then there’s a danger in that, as chances are, you’d be misleading others. And, frankly, even some who have been ordained or attended Bible School can sometimes convey inaccuracies.
That’s why we’re warned to not believe all who claim to have the Spirit, but test them to find out if the spirit they have comes from God (ref. 1 John 4:1-3).
We must read the Word for ourselves but not in a vacuum. Ministers, Reverends, Priests and Pastors are there to lead and assist in steering the flock in the right direction, but what happens after Church? What happens to our bibles when we get home? Does your bible go back on a shelf until the next Lord’s Day?
You may be daunted to venture into the Word on your own but
in these modern, digital times, there are tools at our fingertips that can help
us better understand the Word. And of course, our first port of call must be the
Holy Spirit who is always available; He is our Teacher (ref. John 14:26); He is
at the ready to lead you into all the truth (John 16:13).
It is the Holy Spirit who
reveals the truth about God (John
16:13). He reveals the things of God to us and searches
everything, even the depths of God (1 Corinthians 2:10).
The Word is a play on words in the sense that throughout the
Word, words are interwoven with other words like fabric. Looking closely, you
can see the same theme appearing in several books and something in the Old
Testament reflected in the New.
Take a look at Jeremiah 17:13 and John 8:1-11, what do you
see?
The Apostle Paul rests his doctrine of faith, Romans 1:17, on
the word of Habakkuk 2:4.
It’s all connected and every word matters. Deep dives
are necessary because the Bible was not originally written in English so, much
has been lost in translation. In many cases, our English words simply cannot
convey the nuances found in the Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic. Therefore, the deeper
meaning of the verses is not translated.
For everyone who has been
born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the
world—our faith. (1 John 5:4 ESV)
For example, “faith” in this verse is the Greek word “pistis”.
“Pistis” isn’t just a matter of our belief. According to Strong’s Lexicon, it is
“"God's divine persuasion" and therefore distinct from human
belief (confidence) yet involving it. The Lord continuously births faith in the
yielded believer so they can know what He prefers, i.e. the persuasion of His
will”.
“Pistis” is not the only word translated as faith in the
Word, however, in the New Testament it is the most used word, appearing almost
500 times. That’s because “pistis”, a genuine act of faith, was and is required
to believe that Jesus is the Messiah.
It’s not a superficial belief that He is but an absolute
trust that He is.
Beloved, you don’t need to be in possession of a degree in theology,
you don’t need to be fluent in Hebrew and Greek and Aramaic but you do need to
be willing to read and learn and study and become spiritually aware and
sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
And you must be open to receive information that may be new
to you that does not align with what you’ve believed all your life; you must
approach the Word not with arrogance but with reverence, only then would you
truly be able to apprehend a play on words that is the Word.
Amen †
Shelley Johnson “A play on words: the Word” © 2026 October 21, 2026
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