​Many churches influenced by Oneness theology describe themselves as “rooted in the Word”, "committed to the Word", "living according to the Word" or "upholding the Word of God". In practice, this language is commonly used to mean that a church is rooted primarily in the Bible as a text.

 

While Scripture is both authoritative and essential, the way this phrase is used often obscures a more foundational theological truth: the Word of God is first and foremost a person, Jesus Christ, and Scripture is a written witness to that person. This distinction is not mere semantics. It affects how authority, revelation, and spiritual obedience are understood and practiced.

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Nothing on this page argues against the authority, inspiration, or necessity of Scripture in the life of the church and every believer. The concern addressed here is not whether the Bible is authoritative, but how appeals to “the Word” are sometimes used to consolidate power and suppress discernment.

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What Scripture Means by “the Word”

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The New Testament does not primarily define “the Word of God” as a written text. It defines the Word as a person.

 

The Gospel of John opens with an unambiguous identification:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” - Gospel of John 1:1, 14

 

The Word:

• Exists eternally

• Is distinct in relationship (“with God”)

• Is fully divine

• Becomes incarnate in Jesus Christ

 

This passage does not speak of Scripture; it speaks of a being who is God, not a collection of writings. Scripture itself emphasizes that the Word became flesh, not that the Word became a book. Scripture itself points forward to Christ as the definitive revelation of God, not as an endpoint in itself (Hebrews 1:1–2).​​

 

 

How the Bible Describes Itself

 

It is also true that Scripture describes itself as “the word of God” in certain contexts. For example:

• Paul speaks of what he preached as the word of God being received by his hearers (e.g., 1 Thessalonians 2:13),

• The prophets repeatedly describe divine revelation as the word of the Lord coming to them,

• Acts describes preaching as the word of God going forth.

 

In biblical usage the phrase “word of God” can refer to what God speaks, whether to individuals, prophets, apostles, or through Scripture. ​However, this breadth of usage does not eliminate the primary reference in John 1. There is only one place in Scripture where “the Word” (Logos) is explicitly identified as a person who is God and who became flesh - and that passage refers to Jesus Christ.
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Jesus is the Living Word; Scripture is the Witness​

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The Bible consistently presents itself as a witness to Christ, not a substitute for Him.

 

Jesus Himself rebuked those who treated Scripture as an end in itself:

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.” - John 5:39

 

Scripture is inspired, authoritative, and necessary for teaching, correction, and formation. Yet Scripture does not stand alone; its meaning, coherence, and purpose are found in the One to whom it testifies.

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The New Testament affirms this order repeatedly:

• God speaks finally through the Son (Hebrews 1:1–2)

• Christ reveals the Father (John 1:18)

• Christ upholds all things (Hebrews 1:3)

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Jesus Christ is the Word of God - the living, personal revelation of God. Scripture is the written witness to that Word - the dependable record by which believers encounter the Word through the Holy Spirit. The word of God in Scripture bears witness to the Word of God revealed in Christ.

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Why This Matters in Practice

 

When the phrase “the Word of God” is functionally used to mean the Bible as interpreted and enforced by an institution, rather than Christ as the living Word to whom Scripture bears witness, certain patterns often emerge:

• Authority consolidates in those who claim exclusive ability to “rightly divide” Scripture

• Questioning doctrine or interpretation is treated as questioning God Himself

• Spiritual loyalty subtly shifts from Christ to institutional interpretation and leadership

 

In high-control religious environments, this pattern frequently precedes increased doctrinal rigidity, suppression of conscience, and compliance motivated more by fear than by conviction.

 

A Christ-Centered Understanding of “the Word”

 

The goal of this page is not to belittle Scripture, but to restore the proper order of revelation:

1. God speaks in Christ - the Word incarnate.

2. Scripture witnesses to that Word.

3. The church is rooted under the authority of the Word, not a textual construct alone.

 

When “the Word of God” becomes shorthand for a book divorced from personal revelation, the message that Scripture itself claims to bear is weakened. Restoring the centrality of Jesus as the Word protects both the authority of Scripture and the lived obedience that Scripture intends to produce.

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The Bible is inspired Scripture. Jesus Christ is the Word of God.

 

The church is rooted in Him, not in a text detached from the living Christ to whom it testifies. Scripture is rightly honored only when it is read as it presents itself: as a faithful witness to the living Word who became flesh, revealed the Father, and remains Lord over His church.​

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For Those Who Have Lived Under This Teaching

 

If you spent time in a church shaped by this understanding of “the Word,” you may recognize that the issue was not simply what was taught, but how authority was exercised through Scripture.

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Many former members of churches like Wellspring Church describe similar experiences:

• Questioning doctrine felt spiritually dangerous

• Disagreement was framed as rebellion against “the Word”

• Personal conscience was treated as unreliable or deceptive

• Leaders positioned themselves as the final arbiters of biblical truth

 

These experiences are not evidence of spiritual weakness. They are a predictable outcome of a system where Scripture is treated as an unchallengeable instrument of control rather than a witness to Christ.

 

Christ is not threatened by honest questions. He does not confuse loyalty to Himself with submission to human interpretation.

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You Are Not Betraying "the Word" by Leaving Control

 

One of the most persistent messages in high-control religious environments is the belief that leaving a church means leaving God or His kingdom. This belief depends on the same confusion addressed on this page: functionally equating Christ or His kingdom with an institution, a doctrine, or a particular interpretation of Scripture.

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Jesus Christ and His kingdom are not confined to a church or a leadership structure. Scripture bears witness to Christ; it does not grant institutions ownership of Him.

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Leaving coercive or high-control religious environments is not leaving Christ. If you have been told that stepping away means rejecting “the Word,” it is important to say this clearly: Christ is the living Word to whom Scripture bears witness, and neither Christ nor the Bible requires fear-based obedience or coerced loyalty in order to remain faithful.

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Taking distance, asking questions, or refusing spiritual coercion is not betrayal. For many, it is the first step toward spiritual honesty, restored conscience, and genuine healing.

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