All Uses of “Rhema” in the New Testament

Vine’s Expository Dictionary notes

The significance of rhema (as distinct from logos) is exemplified in the injunction to take "the sword of the Spirit, which is the rhema of God," (Eph 6:17); here the reference is not to the whole Bible as such, but to the individual scripture which the Spirit brings to our remembrance for use in time of need, a prerequisite being the regular storing of the mind with Scripture.

My reflections on the verses below

• Rhema NEVER refers to written down words. Thus it is distinct from logos. Logos refers to written and spoken words. Rhema refers to spoken words and supernatural events.
• Note how often the idea of speech is specifically connected with rhema.
• Note how often it mentions words (rhema) being brought back to their remembrance. (i.e. the Holy Spirit is reminding them of the precise word for the situation. This would be considered a word of wisdom or a word of knowledge.
• I have highlighted a dozen key promises and concepts in YELLOW that are connected to rhema.
• One take-away is: If I want faith that is born of the spirit, I need to receive the spoken words of God, birthed in my spirit by the Holy Spirit speaking them to me. This is exemplified by Abraham the father of all who believe. His faith walk began with a spoken word from God (Gen 12).

Here are all uses of rhema in the Greek New Testament according to the NASB

The English translation is bolded and inserted after it is the word (rhema).

1. Matt. 4:4  But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD (rhema) THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'"
2. Matt. 12:36  "But I tell you that every careless word (rhema) that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment.
3. Matt. 18:16  "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT (rhema) MAY BE CONFIRMED.
4. Matt. 26:75  And Peter remembered the word (rhema) which Jesus had said, "Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times." And he went out and wept bitterly.
5. Matt. 27:14  And He did not answer him with regard to even a single charge (rhema), so the governor was quite amazed.
6. Mk. 9:32  But they did not understand this statement (rhema), and they were afraid to ask Him.
7. Mk. 14:72  Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark (rhema) to him, "Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times." And he began to weep.
8. Lk. 1:37,38  "For nothing will be impossible (rhema) with God." And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word (rhema)." And the angel departed from.. her.
9. Lk. 1:65  Fear came on all those living around them; and all these Matters (rhema) were being talked about in all the hill country of Judea.
10. Lk. 2:15  When the angels had gone away from.. them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing (rhema) that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."
11. Lk. 2:17  When they had seen this, they made known the statement (rhema) which had been told them about this Child.
12. Lk. 2:29  "Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word (rhema);
13. Lk. 2:50  But they did not understand the statement (rhema) which He had made to them.
14. Lk. 2:51  And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things (rhema) in her heart.
15. Lk. 3:2  in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word (rhema) of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.
16. Lk. 5:5  Simon answered and said, "Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say (rhema) and let down the nets."
17. Lk. 7:1  When He had completed all His discourse (rhema) in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum.
18. Lk. 9:45  But they did not understand this statement (rhema), and it was concealed from.. them so that they would not perceive it; and they were afraid to ask Him about this statement (rhema).
19. Lk. 18:34  But the disciples understood none of these things, and the meaning of this statement (rhema) was hidden from.. them, and they did not comprehend the things that were said.
20. Lk. 20:26  And they were unable to catch Him in a saying (rhema) in the presence of the people; and being amazed at His answer, they became silent.
21. Lk. 24:8  And they remembered His words (rhema),
22. Lk. 24:11  But these words (rhema) appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them.
23. Jn. 3:34  "For He whom God has sent speaks the words (rhema) of God; for He gives the Spirit without measure.
24. Jn. 5:47  "But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words (rhema)?"
25. Jn. 6:63  "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words (rhema) that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.
26. Jn. 6:68  Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words (rhema) of eternal life.
27. Jn. 8:20  These words (rhema) He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.
28. Jn. 8:20  These words (rhema) He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.
29. Jn. 8:47  "He who is of God hears the words (rhema) of God; for this reason you do not hear them, because you are not of God."
30. Jn. 10:21  Others were saying, "These are not the sayings (rhema) of one demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?"
31. Jn. 12:47  "If anyone hears My sayings (rhema) and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.
32. Jn. 12:48  "He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings (rhema), has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day.
33. Jn. 14:10  "Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words (rhema) that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.
34. Jn. 15:7  "If you abide in Me, and My words (rhema) abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
35. Jn. 17:8  for the words (rhema) which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from.. You, and they believed that You sent Me.
36. Acts 2:14  But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: "Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words (rhema).
37. Acts 5:20  "Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message (rhema) of this Life."
38. Acts 5:32  "And we are witnesses of these things (rhema); and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him."
39. Acts 6:11  Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words (rhema) against Moses and against God."
40. Acts 10:22  They said, "Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message (rhema) from.. you."
41. Acts 10:37  you yourselves know the thing (rhema) which took place throughout all Judea, starting from.. Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed.
42. Acts 10:44  While Peter was still speaking these words (rhema), the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.
43. Acts 11:14  and he will speak words (rhema) to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.'
44. Acts 11:16  "And I remembered the word (rhema) of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'
45. Acts 13:42  As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these things (rhema) might be spoken to them the next Sabbath.
46. Acts 16:38  The policemen reported these words (rhema) to the chief magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,
47. Acts 26:25  But Paul *said, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words (rhema) of sober truth.
48. Acts 28:25  And when they did not agree with one another, they began leaving after Paul had spoken one parting word (rhema), "The Holy Spirit rightly spoke through Isaiah the prophet to your fathers,
49. Rom.. 10:8  But what does it say? "THE WORD (rhema) IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"--that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
50. Rom.. 10:17  So faith comes from.. hearing, and hearing by the word (rhema) of Christ.
51. Rom.. 10:18  But I say, surely they have never heard, have they? Indeed they have; "THEIR VOICE HAS GONE OUT INTO ALL THE EARTH, AND THEIR WORDS (rhema) TO THE ENDS OF THE WORLD."
52. 2Co 12:4  was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words (rhema), which a man is not permitted to speak.
53. 2Co 13:1  This is the third time I am coming to you. EVERY FACT (rhema) IS TO BE CONFIRMED BY THE TESTIMONY OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES.
54. Eph 5:26  so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word (rhema),
55. Eph 6:17  And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word (rhema) of God.
56. Heb. 1:3  And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word (rhema) of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
57. Heb. 6:5  and have tasted the good word (rhema) of God and the powers of the age to come,
58. Heb. 11:3  By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word (rhema) of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.
59. Heb. 12:19  and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words (rhema) which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them.
60. 1 Pet. 1:25  BUT THE WORD (rhema) OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER." And this is the word which was preached to you.
61. 2 Pet. 3:2  that you should remember the words (rhema) spoken beforehand by the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken by your apostles.
62. Jude 1:17  But you, beloved, ought to remember the words (rhema) that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Logos and rhema as defined in Kittle's Abridged Theological Dictionary of the New Testament

Please note how Kittle defines logos as the entire communication process, which involves collecting my thoughts, counting them up, reflecting on how I want to present them, writing them down, speaking them forth, someone hearing, comprehending and acting on them. Rhema, on the other hand, is a specific part of this communication process.

Lógos:

a. Like lég, lógos has first the sense of “collection.”

b. A second sense is “counting” with the nuances (i) calculation, (ii) account, (iii) consideration, or evaluation, and (iv) reflection, or, in philosophy, ground or reason.

c. Counting also gives the sense of “list” or “catalogue.”

d. We then find “narrative,” “word,” “speech.” In this sense, supplanting épos and mýthos, lógos acquires the most varied nuances, e.g., legend, proverb, command, promise, tradition, written account, conversation, sentence, prose, even thing.

Rhema: 

The root of rhma has durative significance. What is denoted is something definitely or expressly stated, i.e., “statement.” This may be an announcement or even a treaty. While distinguished as word from deed, rhma as an active word later comes to be used in grammar for the verb, and it lives on only in this sense.

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