In the beginning

Welcome to, what I hope to be, an engaging, exhilarating, and eye-opening experience with the written word of God. When I began this journey two years ago, that is exactly what I encountered.

This journey began with a deep desire to be able to read and study the Bible without, honestly, getting bored and losing focus, or reading the same verse over and over without really understanding what it meant. I knew there had to be more.

As I prayed for more understanding and communion with Jesus through the Bible, I listened for Holy Spirit to lead. Not long after, I saw a photo or video come across my daily internet scrolling that inspired me to try verse mapping, or scripture mapping.

After just a few days of discovering deeper, richer meanings of the same scriptures that had confounded me for years, I was hooked. Now, two years later, I am excited to make time to study the scriptures. The new understanding and revelations I have gained have grown my faith, changed my relationship and communication with Jesus, and grown my intimacy with God.

My desire here is to not tell you how you “should” study scripture, it is to share with you one way, my favorite way, in hopes it will inspire you to listen to Holy Spirit and find your best favorite way to map your own discovery of the rich, dynamic, life-giving word of God.

Where to start

When I started, I grabbed some blank printer paper and began in the book of James Chapter one, verse one (this is where Jesus had me start. Ask Him where he wants you to start).

 After a few days I had filled so many pieces of that paper that I had to punch holes in them and put them in a 3-ring binder. As I am a lover of new journals and pretty pens, once I knew I would stick with this style of study, I created my scripture mapping journal, grabbed all my pretty pens and colored pencils and began making a big, beautiful mess of the greatest message every told.

You can download the scripture mapping journal here.

The first resource I used that contained the original Hebrew and Greek texts was The Interlinear Bible. I am a lover of books I can hold, turn the pages, feel the covers so I love this very large bible with very small print. I also bought a hard back copy of the Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible.

Those two books together are quite the arm load and as I like to study in various places around my home usually on my comfy bed or on my deck as weather permits, I opted to begin using the fabulous website www.biblehub.com.

Wow! The endless resources that are available through that website are incredible and have taken my learning and understanding to another level.

How does it work?

This is the fun part! Digging into the word and following where it goes.

Let’s begin with why, “The Way of The Word”?

This title came to me as I was studying, and I immediately knew it was right.

There’s so much meaning wrapped up in those five words, so let’s find it!

In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (NASB ’95)

The New Testament is translated from Greek to English, the word “way” in this verse is the Greek word “hodos”. “Hodos” means a way, road, path, or journey. According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, “hodos” can also mean “progress” and, figuratively it can mean “mode” or “means” as in “mode of transportation”.

Do you see how the more detailed meaning of the word “way”, which before may have been limited to your western understanding of the word (I related to the word “way” with the idea of function or process), opens up an entirely new perspective of who Jesus is?

Jesus is the way, the only path of progress in this world. He is the only “means” in which we come to the Father.

The disciple John wrote, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (NASB ’95)

In this passage, the Greek word "logos" is fascinating. Essentially, "logos" means "word," but it's more profound than just a simple spoken or written word. It represents the idea of divine reason or the principle of order and knowledge. When you hear "logos" in the context of the New Testament, especially in the Gospel of John, it's talking about Jesus Christ as the divine "Word" of God.

When I read that John called Jesus “the Word” of God. I get the picture of God opening His mouth to speak and Jesus walks out. (It’s a fun visual!)

Do you see? The Way (Jesus) of The Word (Jesus).

As John wrote, Jesus was the Word from the beginning and as we look at the Hebrew for “word” we find that there is more than one word that means “word” in the Hebrew language. You will find this is the case many times which makes discovering the original meaning of scripture even more exciting and interesting. It’s as if you are on a treasure hunt searching for clues to uncover the mysteries that are hidden beneath the surface of the particular translation of your Bible.

Genesis 1:1 states, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (NKJ) and in verse 3 we see the first time the word “amar”, the Hebrew word for say, or utter, is used in scripture. There is Jesus!

Hebrew words that can be translated more specifically as “word” are “emer” which simply means “speech” or “word” and “millah” and “milleh” which mean “a word, speech, or utterance”. Strong’s adds that “millah” and “milleh” can also mean to answer, speak, or talk.

Another Hebrew word, “dabar” also means “speech or word” in the sense of advice, business, or a matter spoken of (Strong’s Concordance).

Closely related to the word “emer” is the word “omer” in Hebrew which means “speech, thing, word” but also means “promise”. I love the thought that every “omer” from the mouth of God is a promise. Jesus was and is the one and only “omer” of God. He is The Word and The Promise of God!

In Isaiah 35:8, the prophet wrote, "A highway shall be there, and a road, And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness". In this verse, the word translated as “road” is the Hebrew word “derek”; other meanings for “derek” are way, distance, journey and manner. “Derek” also may refer to a “course of life” or “mode of action”.

When the prophet wrote of a highway, or “way” of holiness, I believe he was prophesying about Jesus! The Hebrew word “orach” means “way” or “path”

Now you can see this. The Way (Jesus) of The Word (Promise).

Each time you read the title “The Way of The Word” you will know we are always searching for the living Word that comes from the mouth of God and makes “The Way” for us back to where we belong, to the Kingdom of God with the Father, and that is a “promise”

How many other verses can you find that contain the words “way” or “word”?

Are there other words related to the scriptures we mentioned today you would like to study?