The Bible is God’s Word

God’s Written Word Equals His Spoken Word

Whether written or spoken, whether ancient or today’s, whether rhema or logos, all of God’s words carry the same level of divinity. One doesn’t contradict the other and one isn’t more God’s or more alive than the other. Essentially, all of God’s words, in context, are equally alive, divine and authoritative.

When it comes to the Bible’s authority, it is clear that “All Scripture is God-breathed” (2Ti 3:16). While this text certainly covers the Old Testament, we also see in 2Peter 3:16 that Paul’s writing is considered by Peter as Scripture too. So, clearly, God intentionally gave a portion of His communication to us as a written revelation both before and after Jesus came.

Consider for a moment how our own written words are equivalent to our spoken words. What we write with our pen or type with our keyboard is what we would have said had we been present with those we are communicating with. Or, even if present with them, it is a way of leaving them with something secure.

So, when we write something, we effectively put our words on paper to speak for us. And, writing it doesn’t make it lose its validity or strength. In fact, writing it makes it more secure for those receiving it, especially seeing that people are prone to forgetfulness or are easily swayed.

God’s Written Word is His Living Word

In this vein, the Scriptures are like posts that a blogger wrote that we might only read days, months or years after they were written. And yet, despite our delay in reading them, we experience the blogger communicating to us as though he or she had just written them.

Think about it. When does a man’s blog post die? One day after posted? One week? A year later? No, as long as it is still relevant and true it remains as dynamic as when he first wrote it. How much more isn’t God’s word, the Bible, forever true and relevant, and living and active?

So, when I read the Bible I am not only hearing what God has said, but also what He is still saying. And, although written, the Bible is a living message that exists alongside God’s other forms of communication to us. And, better still, He is personally present to help us understand it and receive it.

Our Safeguard

Being written, The Word is a safeguard for our faith against subjective or external interferences. With all our differences of opinion on various issues even with the Bible (and often over the Bible), God knows how much worse off we would have been without the Bible.

In Acts 17:11, we have an example of how this worked: “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” Examining the Scriptures was a way of testing things people said against what was considered the secure written revelation from God.

Just a thought: Perhaps Eve would have done better had Adam written down what God had said :).

God is Attached to His Every Word

If someone could remove one word from what God has ever said, then God wouldn’t be God anymore! God does not live apart from His words. He is eternally attached to every one of them. And, we would do well to live “from every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

Rob