The King and His Word: A Harmony Beyond Division

Christ Is the Eternal Word — But He Speaks Through Scripture.

One common objection is that Reformed Christians place too much emphasis on the Bible, almost as if they worship the book rather than the living Christ. But this is a false dilemma. A king and his decrees are not in conflict, and neither are Christ and His Word. To pit them against each other is to misunderstand their relationship.

The Word and the King Are Inseparable

A king is known by his decrees. To honor his word is to honor his authority. Likewise, Christ reveals Himself through Scripture. To revere the Bible is not to worship paper and ink, but to submit to the voice of the King who speaks through it. While John calls Jesus the Logos, the eternal Word of God, the written Word is the Spirit-inspired testimony that points to Him. They are not the same in nature, but they are inseparably linked in authority.

Christ Himself Points Us to Scripture

Jesus said, “These are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). He treated the Old Testament as authoritative and Spirit-breathed, and the apostles affirmed the same about the writings of the New Testament (I Thess. 2:13). To love Christ while dismissing His Word is to reject His chosen means of self-disclosure.

Scripture Anchors Our Knowledge of Christ

Without the Bible, "Christ" becomes a wax figure we can shape however we please. Scripture protects us from inventing a Christ of our own imagination. The Christ we worship is the Christ revealed in the written Word.

We do not worship the Bible. We worship the living Christ, who has made Himself known through the Scriptures. To set Christ against His Word is like pledging loyalty to a king while rejecting every command he has spoken. True devotion holds both together: the King and His decrees, Christ and His Word.