The power of the Word of God is not in information: continuing with St John

This continues a short series on the power of the Word of God. 

As a short recap of the prior post: When we look at words we are accustomed to looking for their meaning, and with good reason: words are typically meant to carry meaning. But in the previous post we reviewed St Peter's claims about the Word of God, where his argument did not depend on the content of God's Word but on the character of God's Word: God's word is imperishable and God's word is holy, so as it takes root in us we are reborn -- not as creatures of more information, but as creatures of different character, with holiness and the hope of an incorruptible new nature. To be sure, gaining knowledge -- or better yet, wisdom -- is worthwhile. So there is a temptation to define our spiritual growth in terms of gaining information, while St Peter's argument suggests that our growth is in gaining holiness or godliness. Peter also frames his argument that our growth is in a new life received from God's Word, where that new life is not received as information but as a seed. 

St Peter is not the only New Testament writer who speaks of the Word of God in unexpected terms. St John begins his gospel with an extended passage building up to how "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us ... full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). So John also speaks of the Word of God in ways that challenge our assumptions about the Word of God. This passage in John's gospel has long been key to the Christian understanding of Christ having an existence long before the Word became flesh and lived among us. 

Again in John's writing the Word of God is portrayed less as information and more as creative force and source of life. Here we find some dispute over the translation ("him" or "it" to refer to the Word). Let me offer a translation that could be read without red-flagging by either side of that particular dispute: 

All things were made by the same (Word), and without the same there was not made anything that was made. In the same was life, and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4)

Land where you will on the best pronoun to use for the Word, it's not up for dispute that the passage describes the Word as a creative force bringing life and light. 

Again in John's writing, the key property of the Word of God is not the information carried, but the generation of new life. 

More to come, but in reasonable-sized steps.