One of the major understandings that we derive from the New Testament (NT) is that “the Church of Christ is NOT an institution” but, rather, “it is a new life with Christ and in Christ, guided by the Holy Spirit.” Within the life and experience of the Church, the Word is confirmed and actualized by the ritualized sign-act of the Sacrament. For just as with the healings performed by Jesus during His earthly ministry, the sacraments, particularly Baptism and Eucharist, communicate to the believer forgiveness of sins and participation in the new life of the Kingdom.

To truly perceive the essentially sacramental character of the Word, we first have to pass beyond a strictly verbal notion of the Word and rediscover its dynamic quality, its revelatory and saving power as an instrument of the divine will.

The Eastern Church believes that the NT is the Word of God and should not be analyzed or looked at in a fundamental way since to do this robs it of its great power. The NT is meant to inspire us to be follower of Jesus and to give us not only the desire to actual-ize the potential within us to be like Him but also the power to begin and focus on the process of personal trans-formation.

It is interesting to note that before the Church actually identified the seven Mysteries (sacraments), the Gospel was considered a sacrament. When we read it to be inspired, Christ is present to us.

The NT bears witness to the process of reflection that is grounded in Christ’s self-revelation, and also the inspirational-interpretive activity of the Spirit, that unites the teaching of Jesus and the Christology of the Church into a single “Gospel of God.” Beginning with the words of Jesus transmitted by oral tradition, the apostles soon developed a message about Jesus, formulating in various but similar ways the redemptive meaning of His words and actions: the ultimate sign-acts of His crucifixion, resurrection and glorification. This proclamation of the kerygma, or salvation message based upon Christ’s saving activity, led John to identify Jesus as the Word, the Logos of God.

In considering the power of the NT, it is important that we consider three things: (1) the Word OF Jesus, (2) the Word ABOUT Jesus, and finally (3) Jesus AS THE WORD. In the next issue I shall begin sharing thoughts about each of these three things. Pick up the NT and read to be inspired, not to look for historical accuracy