“Who, not What”
When I was a college student, I enrolled in courses each semester and bought the required textbooks (which I didn’t always read). I attended classes (most of the time) and met with professors, hoping they could provide me with a shortcut to deeper insight by explaining and expanding upon the assigned readings I had only skimmed. Often, I’d corner my instructors after class or during office hours for a little extra one-on-one attention whenever I thought I needed it – which was most of the time.
Somewhere in the Bible Paul teaches us that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Naturally, I always assumed that the “word” Paul referred to was the Bible. But then the Lord reminded me that, much like my college experience, many of Paul’s followers and students hadn’t completed all the “required readings” of the Old Testament. And since most of the New Testament books hadn’t yet been written – certainly not compiled into the Bible as we know it today – unlike me, they at least had an excuse.
Given that people at that time had little access to the written Word of God, I began to wonder: what exactly was the “word of God” Paul was referring to? But then the Lord gently shifted my focus, suggesting that perhaps the better question wasn’t what is the Word of God, but who is the Word of God.
Immediately, I was reminded of John’s account of the Word made flesh, who dwelt among us—full of grace and truth. The Word was made flesh, and our faith comes by hearing – hearing by the Word of God.
So then the question becomes: how do I hear the Word?
I remembered how Jesus often said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” And I thought, wait a minute – everyone is born with ears, so what on earth is Jesus talking about? It seemed so broad, especially since not everyone who heard Jesus actually heard what He had to say.
So, I decided to “geek up” and do a little deeper dive into that verse – yes, I even did a few Google searches (I’ll admit it). I won’t bore you with all the linguistic rabbit holes I went down; you can look it up yourself if you’re curious – but what I found was fascinating. The Greek word Paul uses for “hearing” is best translated as “to give ear to a teaching or a teacher.”
And there it was – that’s how my college illustration was born.
Most – and I emphasize most – college students go to school with the desire to gain greater knowledge and understanding in one subject or another. So perhaps when Jesus spoke of those with “ears to hear,” He was referring to people who are sincerely seeking the truth – the ultimate truth. In fact, Jesus even tells us somewhere else in the Bible that “those who seek shall find” (yes, I had to Google that one too). Clearly, Jesus is calling out to the seekers – to those who genuinely want to hear what He is revealing.
Through my exhaustive research (which I selflessly conducted for your benefit), I also discovered that the Greek word for hearing can also mean “to understand” or “to perceive the sense of what is said.” So as we desire to hear, God’s Holy Spirit can help us understand the true meaning of Scripture. In other words, the Word (Jesus), through the Holy Spirit, reveals the meaning behind the words of the Bible.
Now, circling back to my college illustration for just a moment, good professors often break their students into smaller groups so they can learn from one another and apply what they’ve been taught through lab experiments or real-world projects. Similarly, Jesus often grouped His disciples together in smaller teams. Their “laboratory” was the relationship they shared as they walked through the classroom of life.
And now, we’re invited into that same intimate relationship with Jesus – much like the one He had with His disciples – through the classrooms and laboratories of our own lives. We can hear the same truths the apostles were taught, not just from a book (even the Bible), but directly from the mouth of the living Word Himself – Jesus.
Does this mean we abandon the Bible?
Of course not. Do students abandon their textbooks when they take a class? (Even I waited until the last day of classes before selling them back to the college bookstore – just in case.)
Finally, Jesus invites us to bring what we learn into our assemblies – our church gatherings – so we can share and apply what we learn from both the enlivened pages of Scripture and the fresh, Spirit-led revelations He gives us. Then we can live out those truths, walking as Jesus walked, teaching others about the good news of salvation – not just by regurgitating words from a book (even the Bible), but from the specific words God places on our hearts to share in real time to the unique people in our lives.
In case you want to check my work, God pointed me to the following Bible verses to support what He was showing me:
Matthew 13:9 He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” NKJV
John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. NKJV
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. NKJV
Matthew 7-8: 7 Ask , and it shall be given you; seek , and ye shall find ; knock , and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth ; and he that seeketh findeth ; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened .