What is the word of god in the bible

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God (Col. 3:16).

Notice that God’s communication with us, which is normally referred to as the Word of God, is described here as the Word of Christ. That phrase is only used here and in one other place in the New Testament, but it reminds us of a very important truth.

The whole Bible is one story and it is all about Jesus Christ. Jesus said to the Pharisees, “The Scriptures…  bear witness about me” (Jn. 5:39). On the road to Emmaus, Jesus took two confused disciples through the Old Testament scriptures, showing them “in all the Scriptures, the things concerning Himself” (Luke 24:27).

Jesus Christ is the central figure in the whole Bible, in both the Old and the New Testaments. In the Old Testament, He is hidden and anticipated. In the New Testament, He is revealed and enjoyed.

The whole point of the Bible is that we should come to know and enjoy and love and serve and believe in and live for Jesus Christ the Son of God, who is the Savior, the Lord of all.

This is the great theme of Colossians: In Him, all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell (1:19). In Him, God has triumphed over all the dark powers (2:15). In Him, believers are rooted and built up and established in the faith (2:7).

The word of Christ, the Bible, is God speaking to us about His Son, or God speaking to us through His Son.

New Thinking about the Bible

The Christian church has been in agreement for nearly 2,000 years that the Bible is the Word of God, one that speaks primarily about his Son, Jesus Christ. I say nearly 2,000 years, because about a hundred years ago some people introduced a new and very different view of the Bible.

Charles Darwin grasped the minds and hearts of many people with his theory of evolution, suggesting that the world could be explained entirely by natural causes and processes. It’s fascinating to follow the story of how in the years that followed, some leaders in the church began to recast their view of the Bible in the light of evolutionary theory.

The church had always held the conviction that the Bible was God’s Word to us. The church believed that God exists, that God has made Himself known, and that the Bible tells us what God has said and what He has done. The Bible is essentially a story about God: God’s world and God’s Word to mankind.

But the new thinking turned all of that on its head. You can imagine how some began to say, “We’ve been told that the story is all about God. What if the story is really about us?”

If this were true, then the Bible would be the evolving story of human thinking about what God might be like. And the Bible would not be God’s words to us, but the record of our words about God. If you believe this, then it is reasonable to conclude that it began very crude, and over time, our view of God has become more sophisticated.

These are two very different views of the Bible. In the one, the Bible is God’s Word to us. In the other, the Bible is our word about God.

What you believe about the Bible will shape how you use it and respond to it.

If you believe that the Bible is a human word about God, you may want to read it for inspiration, but when it does not fit well with your view of life or of the world, you will feel free to disagree and choose your own path.

If the Bible is merely a collection of human words about God, it will be natural for you to say, “That was then, but this is now.”

Why the Word Matters: Three Biblical Convictions

Why is this important? What difference does it make? Why should anyone care whether the Bible is our speaking about God or God speaking to us? It makes all the difference in the world:  Here’s why:

1. If God has not spoken, His promises are replaced by our wishes.

Think about some of the great promises of Scripture:

I will never leave you nor forsake you (Heb. 13:5).

Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31).

My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory (Phil. 4:19).

Who said these things? If these words came from the mouth of God, if God said them, if they are indeed the Word of God to us, then they are promises on which we can depend. You can take them to the bank. You can build on them in every circumstance of your life.

But if these are human words about God, then they are not promises on which we can depend but merely wishes arising from the heart of Paul or from Isaiah, that we might also cherish.

If you believe that the Bible is our word about God rather than God’s word to us, you undermine the foundation of hope and replace God’s promises to us with our wishes about God.

2. If God has not spoken, His truth is replaced by our opinion.

The Bible says that God is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in love. These words are repeated no less than seven times in the Old Testament (Ex. 34:6, Neh. 9:7, Psa. 86:15, Psa. 103:8, Psa. 145:8, Joel 2:13, Jonah 4:2).

But whose words are these? If God spoke these words to Moses and the prophets, we can be sure that he is indeed gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in love, because He is the one who said it. He has disclosed this Himself.

But if these words arose from the thoughts of Moses, David, Nehemiah, or Jonah, then we do not have truth that we can count on for our lives today. All we have is opinion that arose from the experience of these particular men, and it may or may not prove true for us today.

When you buy into evolutionary theory, conversations in small groups around the Word of God go something like this… Moses believed that God is gracious and merciful, but others have a different experience.  What about you? What do you think God is like? How do you see him?

When the Word of God to us is viewed as our word about God, His truth gets replaced by our opinion—and that undermines the foundations of our faith.

3. If God has not spoken, His welcome is replaced by our journey.

The Bible is full of invitations:

Incline your ear and come to me. Hear that your soul may live; I will make with you an everlasting covenant (Isa. 55:3).

Draw near to God and he will draw near to you (Jas. 4:8).

Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow (Isa. 1:18).

Who said these things? If God said them (to and through the prophet Isaiah and the apostle James), then you can be certain that God is reaching out to us in love. That means we can come to Him with confidence. We can enjoy a true and authentic relationship with God because He has invited us to come to Him.

If these words were simply reflections of the thoughts or experience of James and Isaiah, they are only pointers on a journey. They tell us what others have found, but they offer no assurance that we will find the same.

If the Bible is viewed as our words about God rather than God’s word to us, you may have people reaching out and seeking after God, but very, very little finding. Why? Because what is lost is God reaching out in love through his Son, and what you have left is people seeking.

What’s at stake? If the Bible is our word about God rather than God’s word to us, then God’s welcome is replaced by our journey, and we lose the assurance of His love.

Do you see how much this matters? The basis of faith, hope, and love all rest on God having spoken—giving us promises, telling us who He is, inviting us into a relationship with Himself, and telling is how that is possible through His Son Jesus Christ.

When I think about all this, it makes me step back and breathe a big sigh of relief. Thank God for the Word of Christ!

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Photo: Unsplash

This article is an adaptation of Pastor Colin’s sermon, “The Word of God”, from his series, Soul Care: Part 2—Four Friends for Your Soul.

Introduction

“The Scriptures: We believe the Bible to be the verbally inspired Word of God without error in the original writings, and the supreme and final authority in doctrine and practice.”

Parade magazine had an article by Carl Sagan about his experience with cancer. He said he didn’t believe in an afterlife. He said Christians, Moslems, Jews and Hindus had told him they prayed for him. “While I do not think that, if there is a god, his plan for me will be altered by prayer, I’m more grateful than I can say.” Carl Sagan has studied astronomy. He was the current authority on the cosmos. Yet his study has led him to deny a Creator rather than worship Him. Isn’t that what Romans 1:18-20 says?

Read Romans 1:18-20

We learn from creation that there is a God and He has great power. But God has revealed Himself even more extensively.

Read Hebrews 1:1-2

He spoke His Word through the prophets. But his final and most complete revelation of Himself is in His Son. Jesus reveals what God is like. How he thinks, feels, acts. And God has preserved the record for us in the Bible. The Bible is the source for what we believe about God, Christ, humanity, salvation, heaven? Does it matter what our authority is? Why should we trust the Bible? What evidence is there for us to let it be the authoritative book that informs and controls our lives?

Bible from Gr. biblos, book; biblia, books. The word not used in the Bible.

The Bible Is The Unique Word Of God

The Bible is uniquely the Word of God.

There are two lines of evidence: external and internal.

External Evidence

1. The continuity of the Bible

It was written by more than 40 authors over about 1600 years, it is still one book, not a collection of books. The authors were kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, physician, tax collector, statesmen, scholars, poets and farmers.

It was written from various countries, from Italy, Greece, Babylon, Persia and Israel. The human authors lived in different cultures and had different experiences. They were different in character and personality.

They wrote in 3 languages; Old Testament: Hebrew; Aramaic; New Testament: Greek.

But the Bible is not an anthology of books by different authors. It has an amazing continuity and unity from Genesis to Revelation.

The Paradise Lost of Genesis becomes the Paradise Regained of Revelation. Whereas the gate to the tree of life is closed in Genesis, it is opened forevermore in Revelation. (Geisler & Nix. Evidence that Demands a Verdict, p. 19)

Doctrine is progressively unfolded throughout. Salvation is hinted at in Genesis 3, developed by promises and pictures in the OT, accomplished in the Gospels, explained in the epistles and brought to glorious completion in Revelation.

2. The extent of biblical revelation

All the books of Bible were written in the early days of human knowledge when authors were not aware of modern discoveries. But what they wrote has never been contradicted by later discovery.

Isaiah 40:22-He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth. That was written 2800 years ago.

Job 26:7-He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; He suspends the earth over nothing. That was written 4000 years ago.

Archeology consistently produces evidence that supports biblical statements. (Hittites, Sargon)

3. Influence and publication of Bible

No other book has been published in as many languages. It still is a best-seller. The French atheist Voltaire said that it would be obsolete within a hundred years from his time and Christianity would be swept from existence and passed into history. But Voltaire has passed into history and the Bible continues to be circulated increasingly throughout the world. In fact, ironically, only 50 years after Voltaire’s death, the Geneva Bible Society used his press and house to produce stacks of Bibles. (Evidence, p. 23)

4. Manuscript evidence

Compared to the few manuscripts of ancient writings that are existent, there are 13,000 manuscript copies of portions of the NT, some dating from as early as the second century.

Sir Frederic Kenyon, director and principal librarian of the British Museum said: No other ancient book has anything like such early and plentiful testimony to its text, and no unbiased scholar would deny that the text that has come down to us is substantially sound”

5. Unprejudiced authority of Bible

Human authorship has not resulted in prejudice in favor of man. The Bible records the sins and weakness of best of men (Abraham, Moses, David, Peter). It records lies and misconceptions of Satan and men (Job). It is a devastatingly honest record that is consistent with our instinctive knowledge of human beings today.

6. The supreme character of the Bible

The Bible is a supernatural book revealing the person and glory of God as manifested in His Son. A person like Jesus Christ could never have been the invention of mortal man. Nor would we have invented him if we could. Contrast Greek mythology where their gods were magnified images of themselves.

Internal Evidence

Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17.Theopneustos=God-breathed. Only here NT.

Scripture is God-breathed

Scripture was breathed out by God. Inspiration refers not so much to authors but to the Word of God. While the authors were fallible and subject to error, God breathed out into their minds His infallible Word, so that what they wrote was the inerrant Word of God.

How did God tell the human authors what to write?

Not by mechanical dictation.

Read 2 Peter 1:20-21

The human authors were moved or borne along, carried to the destination intended by God much as a boat will carry its passengers to its ultimate destination.

God used various ways to communicate His Word.

Exodus 34:27. Write down these words.

The Word of the Lord came to the prophets: Jeremiah 1:2; Hosea 1:1;

Visions and dreams, Daniel 2:1; 7:1

Therefore, the Scriptures are the very expression of God and must be as absolutelyauthoritative and absolutely perfect as He is or.

He is in error and fallible.

Extent of Inspiration—ALL Scripture

God directed so that all the words that were used were equally inspired by God. Verbal means words, plenary means full.

It doesn’t just contain the word of God, or is only the word when it speaks to you.

1 Timothy 5:18-Paul places Luke 10:7 on the same authoritative level as Deuteronomy 25:4, calling them both Scripture. (Graphe)

2 Peter 3:15-16—Peter refers to Paul’s writings as equal to the rest of Scripture.

VERBAL PLENARY INSPIRATION

Definition: The supernatural ministry of the Holy Spirit in which He superintended the human authors of canonical Scripture, so that their individual personalities composed and recorded without error God’s revelation to humanity in the words of the original autographs.

The Spirit of God guided in the choice of the words used by the human authors in the original writings. Various books reflect the writers’ personal characteristics in style and vocabulary, and their personalities are often expressed in their thoughts, opinions, confusion, prayers, or fears.

Luke was a physician and used medical terms.

Paul, a scholar of Greek literature, quoted from the Greek poets. (Acts 17)

God employed human writers and these men did not always understand all that they were writing (Daniel 12:8-9).

Nevertheless, under the guiding hand of God they produced the 66 books, in which there is amazing unity and constant evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in directing what was written.

Consistent Internal Testimony

The Bible consistently claims to be God’s Word throughout the Old and New Testaments.

Exodus 20:1ff; Deuteronomy 6:6-9, 17; 2 Samuel 22:31; 23:2; Psalm 19:7-11; 119:9,11,18,89-91, 97-100, 104-5, 130; Proverbs 30:5-6; Isaiah 55:10-11; 22:29; Mark 13:31; John 2:22; 5:24; 10:35; Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Peter 1:23-25; Revelation 1:1-3; 22:18.

Testimony of Jesus

Jesus and the OT

Matthew 5:18; John 10:35. The Scripture cannot be broken.

He came in fulfillment of OT. Matthew. 1:22-33, 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 15:7-8; 21:4-5.

Psalm 110:1 and Matthew 22:43-44. Accurate even to very words. Holy Spirit and David.

Luke 24:27—all Scriptures concerning Himself were accurate. John 5:39-40

He quoted from OT in every important section of NT, often from books most disputed by liberals, e.g. Deuteronomy, Jonah, Daniel. Deuteronomy 6:16—Matthew 4:7; Jonah, Matthew 12:40; Daniel 9:27; 12:11-Matthew 24:15. It is impossible to question inspiration of OT without questioning the character and veracity of Jesus Christ. Christ’s trustworthiness is at issue. He said, “I am the truth.”He did not accommodate Himself to the misconceptions of His age, as has been charged by liberal critics.

Jesus and the NT

Jesus predicted the writing of NT. John 14:25-26; 15:26-27; 16:12-13. The Holy Spirit would do for the human writers of the NT what He did for the human writers of the OT.

The testimony of Jesus regarding the Bible is really determinative. If we believe that He is God, and sinless; if we believe that He is the Truth; then we have to accept His evaluation of Scripture as accurate. We may not understand everything perfectly. That’s not essential. I don’t understand anything about atomic energy, but I believe in it and I’ve seen evidence of its power. I’ve also experienced the power of the Scriptures even though I don’t understand everything in it thoroughly.

A proper approach to the Bible involves recognizing that we cannot understand all that the Scriptures reveal, but what we are able to understand is beautifully harmonized and is the only accurate source of knowledge about God and faith in Him. The evidence of fulfilled prophecy as in Daniel, the testimony of Jesus, and the fact that the Holy Spirit uses it so effectively is compelling confirmation that the Scripture is breathed out by the all knowing, all-powerful God who loves us and made us His own through the Lord Jesus Christ, His Son. Therefore we can trust the Bible as our authority for faith and conduct.

Biblical Authority

Definition: the divinely derived power of the written Word of God to communicate the character and will of God with certainty and assurance.

The Scriptures Are Authoritative Because:

1. They are God-breathed.

2. They were written by chosen men who were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

3. They were attested to by the Lord Jesus Christ—the second person of the Godhead.

4. They are the Word employed by the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12. (1 Timothy 4:1) Sword of the Spirit. Living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, etc.

5. Their own claims are fully vindicated.

Reread 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (Phillips)

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching the faith and correcting error, for re-setting the direction of a woman’s life and training her in good living. The Scriptures are the comprehensive equipment of the woman of God, and fit her fully for all branches of His work.

Canonicity

Canon means standard by which the books were measured.

Tests for inclusion in the canon

1. Is it authoritative? (Thus saith the Lord ….)

2. Is it prophetic? (Was it written by a man of God?)

3. Is it authentic? (If in doubt, throw it out.)

4. Is it dynamic? (Did it have the God’s life transforming power?)

5. Was it received, collected, read and used—by the people of God?

Test for New Testament

Apostolic authority or approval was the primary test for canonicity.

Application

If this is true, what must be our response to God’s Word? FAITH! We must believe it because it is inerrant and trustworthy and authoritative. If we believe it, we should desire to obey it. This is the only way to please God. That’s why it’s imperative that we read it, study it, meditate on it, and memorize it. Our minds must be saturated with the Scripture. Then we will recognize error when we hear it. The Scriptures will be a guardian over our minds to protect them. This requires effort on our part. It’s not going to just happen! And you have an enemy who will do anything to keep you from consistency in your time with God’s Word. But you also have the Holy Spirit who inspired the Word and who will make you able to understand it. He is greater and more powerful than our enemy. Depend on Him to help you.

God’s Word should govern our standards of thought and conduct, no matter what the world says. In every circumstance of life, we have the choice to respond according to God’s Word or our own feelings and the advice of others.

Is there an area in your life where you have been taught and corrected by the Scriptures? Have you reset the direction of your life? Is the Scripture equipping and encouraging you to serve the Lord?

Which do you choose to believe when the culture contradicts the Scripture, e.g., abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality?

What choice will you make when tempted to satisfy your sexual longings before marriage or outside of your marriage?

How will God’s Word help you in handling difficult relationships with family or friends?

How will the Scriptures influence the kind of employee you are?

How can God’s Word help you to forgive the sins of another?

How will it help you grow to maturity in Christ?

We are the most blessed of all people. We have a guide for life that has proved trustworthy for 3400 years. There’s not another book in the world like it. God’s Word alone is eternally trustworthy. It will never let us down, because God is faithful and true. But we can only find this to be true in our experience as we believe it and obey it. That is the key to life, joy and spiritual prosperity.

STUDY QUESTIONS

Read Romans 1:18-21

1. What does God reveal about himself to all mankind? Through what means? What is their response? What is God’s verdict?

Read 1 John 5:9-12; John 1:18; Hebrews 1:1-4

2. In what two ways has He further revealed Himself? What is significant about these two ways?

Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17

3. How much of Scripture is “God-breathed”? What is it useful for? Can you think of specific instances when it has done that for you?

Read 2 Peter 1:20-21

4. How did the human authors of the Bible know what to write? What methods did God use (Ex 34:27; Jer 1:2; Hos 1:1 Dan 2:1; 7:1; 8:17)?

Read Matthew 5:17-19; John 10:35; Luke 24:27

5. What was Jesus’ view of Old Testament Scripture? In light of His character, why is it important to know how He regarded it?

Read Matthew 1:22-23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 15:7-8; 21:4-5

6. What does the fulfillment of prophecy prove about the Old Testament? How does this strengthen one’s faith in its accuracy?

Read John 14:25-26; 15:26-27; 16:12-13

7. How did Jesus predict the New Testament would be written? Who would be the Author?

Read Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12

8. How is the Scripture different from other books written hundreds of years ago, e.g. Shakespeare? What claims does it make for itself?

9. If all this is true, what should our attitude be towards the authority of the Bible? Can we trust it to be accurate? How much can we take to be true and authoritative? What should you be doing with it? See Joshua 1:8; 2 Timothy 2:1; Psalm 119:11, 105; James 1:22

All of us, as Christians believe that we must obey the Word of God. But what exactly is the Biblical Definition for the “Word of God”? Is it the whole Bible? Or is it part of the Bible? Can parts of God’s Word, even be done away? What did Christ refer to as the “Word of God”? As followers of Christ, we must have a clear understanding of this definition, and this is exactly what we hope to research in this short study.

In an earlier post (What does it mean to be like a “Berean”?) we learned that Christ, His disciples and all of the writers of the New Testament agreed that “Scripture” in their eyes was what we call, the “Old Testament”. A basic knowledge of History would allow anyone to know that the New Testament writings were compiled almost 3 Centuries after the time of Christ. If this is so, what did Christ and all His disciples refer to as the “Word of God”. Let’s look at the evidence.

1. Christ said that Man lives not by food alone, but by the “Word of God” quoting Deut 8:3

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
Luk 4:4  And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Deu 8:3  And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

We can conclude that every Word that proceeds from the Mouth of God is known as the “Word of God” by comparing Mat 4:4 with Luk 4:4. We can also understand that the “Word of God” referred by Christ in these verses, is the same as what was referred to by Moses in Deut 8:3, as this is the exact verse quoted by Messiah.

2. Christ confirms that God’s Commandments given through Moses is the “Word of God”

Mar 7:9-13  And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

In the above passage, Yeshua(Jesus’ true name) rebukes the Pharisees telling them that they are breaking God’s Commandments by keeping their own traditions (Please read about the Pharisees for a clearer explanation on what they believed). One of the most important things that many glance across in this reading, is that Christ calls the Commandments of God, given through Moses as the “Word of God”.

3. Christ preached the “Word of God”

Luk 5:1  And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,

Christ preached the Word of God as clearly stated in the above passage. If the “Word of God” was (by His own definition), the writings of Moses, then this means that what He preached came from what we now call the Old Testament. (Much of the misunderstandings, such as Christ abolished the Law, comes from a weak knowledge of what He preached. Read an example here)

4. Christ called whoever hears the “Word of God” and does it, “Blessed” and also part of “His own Family”

Luk 11:28  But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
Luk 8:21  And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

5. The “Word of God” stands forever according to Isaiah and Peter

Isa 40:8  The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
1Pe 1:24,25  For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

We see Peter quoting the words written by Isaiah agreeing with him, that “God’s Word” stands forever, which means it cannot fade away or be abolished.

6. Christ says that “Scripture” (which is the Old Testament) cannot be broken, and refers to it as the “Word of God”

Joh 10:34,35  Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
Psa 82:6  I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

In the above verse we see Christ quoting Psalms 82:6, and goes on to say that Scripture cannot be broken (done away/abolished). Furthermore, He calls the people who received this Word (which is in Psalms, which is part of the Old Testament) as the ones to whom the “Word of God” came. Thereby making “The Word of God” equal to “The Scriptures” or “Old Testament” as it is known today.

7.Conclusion
Yeshua saw every word that proceeded from God’s Mouth as “The Word of God”, and clearly equaled it to the writings of Moses in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament we see clear phrases such as “The LORD (Yehovah) spoke”(Exo 25:1) or “The Word of the Lord came”(Gen 15:1) that refers to “God’s Word” or the “Word of God”.

Even though much of today’s believers are taught that some parts of the Bible are no longer valid for them, and that the “Word of God” is the New Testament Writings, looking at the evidence, we can conclude that “The Old Testament” was regarded as the “Word of God” by our Messiah. If anyone teaches or believes that the Old Testament is done away, they are inadvertently saying that God’s Words are abolished.

It is time that we ask ourselves important questions such as, can parts of God’s Word be abolished, done away or removed?… When Peter and Isaiah both say that “The Word of God” endures forever. Through Yeshua’s own Words and testimony it is clear that this cannot be, and that He regarded “The Scriptures” which is “the Old Testament” as the authoritative “Word of God”. As a follower of Christ, what do you believe?

What Does the Phrase, “the Word of God” Mean?

Why the Bible Is So Special – Question 10

The phrase, “the Word of God” or “the Word of the Lord” has a number of different meanings in Scripture. It can mean either something that God has decreed, something that God has said when addressing humans, words that God spoke through the prophets, Jesus Christ, or finally, God’s written Word.

This can be illustrated as follows:

1. It Can Be Something That God Has Decreed

God’s decrees are His divine pronouncements. His words cause things to happen. Specifically, the Bible gives a number of examples of this. In Genesis, we read that God commands light to appear:

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. (Genesis 1:1-3 NASB)

Light comes about because of the spoken word of God. He spoke, light appeared.

When God decrees something that will, of necessity, come about, it is known as “the Word of God” or “the Word of the Lord.” The psalmist wrote:

By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their host. (Psalm 33:6 NASB)

The New English Translation puts it this way:

By the LORD’s decree the heavens were made; by a mere word from his mouth all the stars in the sky were created. (Psalm 33:6 NET)

The heavens were created by the divine decrees of God.

These types of decrees were something that God desired to occur ? they were not necessarily spoken to anyone. Yet, they are called “the Word of God” or “the Word of the Lord.” Indeed, the universe is upheld by the Word of God. The writer to the Hebrews said:

The Son reflects God’s own glory, and everything about him represents God exactly. He sustains the universe by the mighty power of his command. After he died to cleanse us from the stain of sin, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God of heaven. (Hebrews 1:3 NLT)

Therefore, God’s divine speech causes certain events to happen, and on some occasions, causes things to come into being. His divine decrees caused the universe to come about and it allows the universe to continue to exist.

2. It May Refer to God Verbally Addressing Humans: Personal Address

When God verbally addressed certain humans in the past, His words were known as the Word of God. Scripture gives a number of illustrations of God addressing humans in human language. For example, God personally spoke to Adam in the Garden of Eden:

And the LORD God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” (Genesis 2:16-17 NRSV)

Thus, the phrase, “the Word of God” or the “Word of the Lord” can refer to the actual words God used in speaking to humans in their own language. This type of personal address from God is found throughout Scripture. When the Ten Commandments were given, God personally spoke them to Moses. The Bible says:

And God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:1-3 RSV)

Therefore, the Word of God may refer to the actual words that God spoke to humans. In these instances, the people were hearing the very voice of the living God. His words were completely understandable; spoken in ordinary human language. The people were expected to obey these words that God had spoken.

3. It Can Refer to God Speaking Through Human Prophets

The phrase, “Word of God” is also used of something that is said by God’s chosen spokesmen. The Bible says that God spoke to His people through the words of the prophets. These words consisted of ordinary language spoken through human beings.

When the biblical prophets spoke for the Lord, their words were called the “Word of God.” The Lord promised that the prophets would speak His words. He said to Moses:

I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth and he will speak to them whatever I want. I myself will hold responsible anyone who then pays no attention to the words that prophet will speak in my name. But any prophet who presumes to speak anything in my name that I have not authorized him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods?that prophet must die. (Deuteronomy 18:18-20 NET)

While the words of the prophets were the speech of human beings, they carried God’s divine authority. The words spoken by God’s prophets were supposed to be obeyed. However, those who falsely claimed to speak God’s word were to be punished.

In another instance, the Lord promised to tell the prophet Jeremiah what to say to the people. The Bible says:

The LORD said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ But go to whomever I send you and say whatever I tell you.” (Jeremiah 1:7 NET)

The Lord assured Jeremiah that his words to the people would be God’s words. We also read in Jeremiah:

Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I will most assuredly give you the words you are to speak for me.” (Jeremiah 1:9 NET)

Scripture makes no distinction in the authority of the words that God directly spoke and those things that were spoken by His prophets. Everything that was said was considered to be the Word of God because God was their ultimate source. God used ordinary human beings and spoke through them in their own language to communicate the Word of God. Consequently, the words were to be obeyed.

We must note that while God did personally speak to humans, or used humans as His personal spokesmen, these occurrences were rare ? they were not the norm. This was not the way in which He regularly communicated with humanity.

4. Jesus Christ Is the Word of God

God the Son, Jesus Christ, is known as the Word of God. At the beginning of John’s gospel we read the following:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1 KJV)

In the Book of Revelation, John describes the risen Christ as the “Word of God.” He wrote:

He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. (Revelation 19:13 ESV)

The New Living Translation says:

He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. (Revelation 19:13 NLT)

This description, the Word of God, is only used for God the Son; it is not used for God the Father or God the Holy Spirit. God the Son, Jesus Christ, is the one member of the Trinity who personally communicated God to humanity. However, since there are only two references in the New Testament that refer to Jesus Christ as the Word of God, this usage is rare.

5. It Also Refers to God’s Written Word

Finally, the “Word of God” can refer to God’s Word in written formPsalm 19:9-10the Bible. After being proclaimed orally, God’s Word was put into written form. Moses was told to write down God’s words:

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” (Exodus 17:14 NIV)

Elsewhere, we again read about God telling Moses to write something down:

And the LORD said to Moses, “Write these words; in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” (Exodus 34:27 RSV)

In the New Testament, Jesus contrasted the written Word of God with the ungodly tradition of the people. He said:

But you say, ‘If someone tells his father or mother, “Whatever help you would have received from me is given to God,” he certainly does not honor his father.’ You have nullified the word of God on account of your tradition. (Matthew 15:5-6 NET)

According to Jesus, these human-made traditions nullified the Word of God. The written Word of God, the Hebrew Scripture, was the only source of authority for the people until Jesus came. While these were human words, they still carried God’s divine authority.

The New Testament appears to use the terms “Word of God,” “Word of the Lord” and “Word of Christ” interchangeably. All of them refer to God’s authoritative Word.

Therefore, we find that the Scripture uses the phrase “the Word of God” in five distinct ways: God’s divine decrees, God personally speaking to people in their language, the words of God’s divinely inspired prophets, Jesus Christ and the written Word of God. The context must determine how the phrase is to be understood.

Summary – Question 10
What Does the Phrase, “the Word of God” Mean?

The phrase, “the Word of God” is used in a number of different ways. It refers to something that God has decreed to come to pass. It is also used of the actual spoken words of God. Words that God has spoken through the prophets can also be called “the Word of God.” Jesus Christ Himself is called the Word of God. Finally, the phrase can also refer to God’s written Word.

The words that were delivered by God’s designated spokesmen, the prophets, as well as the written Word of God, though not as dramatic, carried the same authority as the actual words spoken by God.

While all five ways that God has spoken to humanity can be called the “Word of God,” the only form available to us to study is the written Scripture. Indeed, we would not know about the other four areas of God’s Word except for the written Word in Scripture.