An Introduction to Logopneumatika

The operation of a Triune God who is Spirit in a world which is material can be a profound mystery. The way in which this ontic divide is crossed requires much of our mental faculties. The two major operative principles in Scripture are God's word and his Spirit or breath. In Greek, these ideas are represented by the words o` lo,goj (ho logos) and to. pneu/ma (to pneuma) respectively. A study of these operations, which composes the substance of the theological task, can rightly be called logopneuma.tika or logopneumatika.

One example of a logopneumatic principle in Scripture can be found in Isaiah 59:21 where the LORD says, "As for me, this is my covenant with them: my spirit which is upon you, and my words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your children, or out of the mouth of your children's children from this time forth and for evermore." The substance of this covenant is one of the operation of Yahweh through his Spirit and his word in the midst of his people and for all time. The Spirit is the impetus for the will and the word for the mind. One is fire and the other is fuel, yet both must be present if this covenantal combustion is to occur.

Throughout Scripture, we receive an unfolding picture of the world of logopneumatika. In the beginning, God is present as Creator, calling forth creation by his word and overseeing this creation by his brooding Spirit. John recasts this image in a christocentric light making Christ himself the Word (o` lo,goj, ho logos) which was spoken by God in the beginning. This Word became flesh (sa.rx, sarx) and dwelt on earth. He was empowered for ministry at his baptism by the coming of the Spirit (to. pneu/ma, to pneuma). In the person of the God-man, we see the purest form of the ontological operation of God. Here is logopnematika. What follows will be pontifications and derivations of this principle at work in a world made and redeemed by God's Word and Spirit.