The Word
Part of Speech
Noun
Pronunciation
[thə / wərd]
Description
The Bible. Shortened form of "The Word of God" which is derived from the Gospel of John in the New Testament, Chapter One: "1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."[2]
From this, Jesus is "The Word" - because according to Christian tradition, God promised Him from the beginning. Throughout all of Scripture, it points to a man named Jesus Christ of Nazareth as the Messiah. Today, Colloquially, "The Word" refers to the Bible (and Jesus in the Bible).
Usage
This slang is predominantly used among Christian groups, although a member outside of the Christian community might be able to use "The Word" in reference to this organization without seeming odd or out of place. Within Christian organizations, all but two people (out of 96) have heard his word, indicating that the notion of "The Word" is very well known to the Christian community. [3]
Example Sentence
I can't wait to dive into The Word this morning.
References
- ↑ http://thoughtsonbookss.blogspot.com/2012/12/c-is-for-christmas-part-4-word.html
- ↑ The Bible, English Standard Version (Translated 2005).
- ↑ Data taken from an informal survey conducted among 96 members of various Christian groups on Northwestern's campus.
