Words are funny things.

Over the last couple of years, I have been thinking a lot about how words work. When I read my Bible, something more is happening then information being conveyed to me from the author. The same is true when I listen to a rousing political speech, hear a heartfelt plea, or experience someone telling a good joke. The author or speaker has done more than just told me something; they have impacted me in some way.

As I write this blog, I have grander aims than just to pass on some content. I want to challenge, to provoke, to help, and to inspire. If I am able to find the right words, then it is possible that I may do all of these things.

In the 1950s, the linguistics professor J.L. Austin wrote ‘How to Do Things With Words’, which became the foundation of speech-act theory. He contended that “We don’t just speak to state matters of fact; by speaking we also do things.” In particular, he identified three different ways in which words act: what they say (he calls this locution), what they do (illocution) and the impact they have (perlocution). In other words, as the speaker says words they are not only communicating content but also accomplishing a purpose, and they may or may not provoke a response in the hearer.

I found Austin’s idea chimes well with how Scripture describes God’s words to work. Isaiah compares God’s word with rain and snow that water the earth and cause it to bud. In a similar way, God says that his word “will not return to (him) but will accomplish what (he desires) and achieve the purpose for which (he) sent it” (Isa 55:11). The author of Hebrews describes God’s word as “alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword” (Heb 4:12). Both Old and New Testament conceive of God’s word in a way that is not just saying something but doing something, and that it is potent in accomplishing its purposes.

Understanding God’s word in such a way has a profound impact on the way we approach hermeneutics. Our question is not only ‘what is this passage saying’ but ‘what is the author doing in saying this’. As we ask this question of both the human authors and the divine author of Scripture, our understanding of the Word comes into sharper focus, and the trajectory towards application in our own day becomes clearer.

In coming posts, I will explore what this looks like in a bit more depth, and think about how this approach to hermeneutics will deepen our engagement with God, transform our preaching, and enrich our ability to think Christianly about our world.