2 Peter 3:7a — The Power of Words

By the same word …

Summary: The power of words is something we tend to take for granted. Yet looking at the effect of human words, we can see there is a correlation between God’s Word and our own experience. 

Wrapping a present means covering it with colored paper. The wrapping covers the present completely. It hides the present from view, but it also contains the present.

When we use the expression “wrap our head around it,” we are speaking of the work of understanding something. To “wrap my head” around anything means that I have achieved a basic understanding of what is going on.

Peter begins verse seven with the phrase, “By the same word…” This word in Greek is “logos.” In the Gospel of John, it is written:

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” (John 1: 14)

John uses the word “Word” as a metaphor for Jesus Christ.

Why?

Why is the word “Word” an excellent metaphor for Jesus? Why does Peter write, “… by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.” (2 Peter 3:5)

Words are unique in the human experience.

Words have no mass or volume. Words take up no space; we cannot hold them in our hands. It is true that we can touch “words on paper,” but they are simply ink marks. They represent the word, but they are not the word.

A word itself contains meaning. If the person using the word understands the meaning, they can use the word in a meaningful way. If they do not, if, for example, a child misuses a word, there is a disconnect between meaning and intent.

Words are spiritual in nature. They represent concepts and ideas that do not exist in the physical reality. If I express my feelings to you in words, I am describing something that you can never see or touch with your hands.

When God speaks, his words also convey something we cannot touch with our hands. But there is something else about God’s words. They contain a power that human words cannot.

I do not mean that human words have no power. James 3: 3-6 describes the power of the human tongue to “corrupt[s] the whole body, set[s] the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” (James 3:6)

The difference is that God’s word has the power to create and destroy what he has created.

Think about that for a moment. Human words have the power to convey ideas and feelings. God’s words convey reality.

Peter is about to tell us what God’s word can do. He has already reminded us that heaven and earth came into being by God’s word. Later, God brought judgment on the earth by a flood. The means of creating the flood was the same power that created the heavens and the earth. This is the same word that created God’s Word, the Bible. This word, uttered by the Creator of All Things, will be spoken again. When he speaks, he will bring justice and judgment to his creation.

Wrapping our heads around the idea that God can create things with words is hard. Yet, when we look at the power of words in our human experience, it is easier to understand. Words are the basis of society, government, hate, and love. Human words have power to create and destroy. Fortunately for us, our words, like ourselves, are only in the image of God. 

Application: Consider how you use words. They have power for both good and evil. 

Food for Thought: How does God want us to use our words?