The Word of God

What is ‘the Word of God’? What does it mean to have Word time? We know that the Bible is God’s Word, but are Christian writings also the Word of God? Are Family publications God’s Word? Is the entire Bible the Word of God? Or are there some parts that were put in as the author’s personal opinion, and therefore may be ignored?

There is a great emphasis on reading ‘the Word’ in the Family, but in fact the Family definition of ‘the Word of God’ contrasts sharply with that of mainstream Christianity. In general, although they maintain that the Bible is the Word of God, they also hold that there are parts that cannot be properly understood without the benefit of Family writings. A case in point are the passages in the New Testament where Paul condemns sexual relations between the unmarried. The Family claims that their own writings covering this topic are the ‘Word of God’ as much as the Bible is and therefore place their own publications on the same level as the Bible. In general, reading Family material is termed as ‘having Word time’. Is it? Is the Family correct in claiming that they also have been given God’s Word?

The answers to these questions are vital for more than mere academic reasons.

John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. NKJV

It is God’s word alone that is truth. Therefore it is critical that we partake of that which actually is the Word of God, otherwise we are deceiving ourselves with that which is untruth. It is the truth that sanctifies us. The Greek word ‘sanctify’ means “to set apart for sacred use or make holy” (NIV footnote). It is the truth that consecrates us, that sets us apart for His use. If we read untruth, we cannot be sanctified, we cannot be set apart, we cannot be used by Him. .

John 15:2-3

2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

NKJV

It is Christ’s words that ‘cleans’ us. Here, the word ‘prunes’ in verse two literally means ‘cleans’ or ‘trims’, and relates to the word ‘cleans’ in verse three, which can be taken to mean “pruned like a branch” (NASU footnote). If we are not listening to God’s Word, if we are reading something else apart from what God Himself has spoken, even if we are convinced in our own minds that we are reading the Word of God, we will not be ‘pruned’, and therefore we will not be able to “bear more fruit.”

The apostle John had a deep understanding of the Word.

1 John 1:1-2

1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life — 2 and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us

NASU

John emphatically proclaims that he has heard the word of Life, he has seen it with his eyes and touched it with his hands. This word of life was from the beginning, and then that life was manifested into human form in the person of Jesus Christ the Son of God. The word of eternal life was manifested in the physical life of Jesus Himself.

These verses parallel the familiar passage in John chapter one.

John 1:1-5, 9-14

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

NASU

God is the Word, the Word is God. The Word became flesh (Jesus) and dwelt among us. Jesus is the true light of the world, in Him is no darkness at all.

Jesus’ name is called the Word of God.

Rev 19:13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. NKJV

Nelson’s definitions

THE WORD

A theological phrase which expresses the absolute, eternal, and ultimate being of Jesus Christ <John 1:1-14; 1 John 1:1; Rev. 19:13>. The Old Testament spoke of the word of God as the divine agent in the creation of the universe: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made” <Ps. 33:6>. In the New Testament, the Gospel of John declared, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” <John 1:14>. Through the incarnation of Christ, God has come to dwell in our midst. Through the life and ministry of Jesus, a unique and final revelation of God has been given-- one superior to the revelation given through the law and the prophets. In Christ, the word of God, God’s plan and purpose for mankind is clearly revealed <2 Cor. 4:4; Heb. 1:1-3>.

(Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

WORD OF GOD

The means by which God makes Himself known, declares His will, and brings about His purposes. The phrases such as word of God, and word of the Lord are applied to the commanding word of God that brought creation into existence <Genesis 1; 2 Pet. 3:5> and also destroyed that same world through the waters of the Flood <2 Pet. 3:6>; to God’s announcement of an impending or future act of judgment <Ex. 9:20-21; 1 Kin. 2:27>; to the word that declares God’s commitment and promises His blessing <Gen. 15:1,4>; and to a particular instruction from God <Josh. 8:27>.

The term word of God is also used of the Ten Commandments given from Mount Sinai <Deut. 5:5>; of the whole Mosaic Law <Is. 2:3>; of specific parts of the Old Testament <Rom. 9:6; 1 Tim. 4:5>; of a more personal communication from God <1 Sam. 3:21; 15:10>; of the directive of God that set in motion John the Baptist’s ministry <Luke 3:2>; of Jesus’ message of the kingdom of God <Luke 8:11>; of the gospel as preached in the early church <Acts 4:31>; and finally of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself <Rev. 19:13>.

God’s word is the primary means by which He is present and working in the world. He is not Himself part of this world, but He acts in it by means of His word. He becomes personally known through His word <1 Sam. 3:21>. His word is powerfully creative <Ezek. 37:4> and its purposes are irresistible <Is. 55:11; Jer. 23:29>. God’s word is totally dependable; it represents His permanent commitment <Is. 40:8>. When heard and responded to, His word meets deep needs in the human heart and provides joy, satisfaction, and confident direction which can be achieved in no other manner <Deut. 8:3; Ps. 119:162; Jer. 15:16>. God’s word has the power to penetrate all pretense and discern “the thoughts and intents of the heart” <Heb. 4:12>.

God’s speaking of His word reaches a culmination in the sending of His Son <John 1:1,14; Heb. 1:1-2>. All that is true of God's earlier word is supremely true of Jesus. The gospel of Jesus Christ is, in a special way, the word of God as it makes known and brings into operation the reconciliation with God which is His purpose for mankind <2 Cor. 5:18-19>. So central is the gospel to the purpose of God in this world that the successful spread of the gospel is the growth of the word of God <Acts 12:24>.

Not only Jesus’ message, but also all that He is communicates God to us. He Himself is described as the word of God <John 1:1; Rev. 19:13>. Jesus brings the presence of God to a new level-- the personal presence of God in the world in a human life.

(Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

BIBLE, THE

Authority of the Bible. The authority of the Bible is implied by its title, “the Word of God.” It is the written record of the Word of God which came to prophets, apostles, and other spokesmen, and which “became flesh” in Jesus Christ. Christians believe Jesus Christ was the Word of God in a unique sense. Through Jesus, God communicated the perfect revelation of Himself to mankind. For Christians the authority of the Bible is related to the authority of Christ. The Old Testament was the Bible that Jesus used-- the authority to which He made constant appeal and whose teachings He accepted and followed. When Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and led away to His execution, He submitted with the words, “The Scriptures must be fulfilled” <Mark 14:49>. He saw His mission in the world as a fulfillment of the predictions of the Old Testament.

In the New Testament writings, revelation and response came together in the person of Jesus Christ. On the one hand, Jesus was God’s perfect revelation of Himself-- He was the divine Word in human form. His works of mercy and power portrayed God in action, especially His supreme act of sacrifice to bring about “the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” <Rom. 3:24>. His teaching expressed the mind of God.

(Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

The term ‘the Word’ is not one to be lightly thrown about or loosely applied to anything one may write about the Lord. The Word is something so deep and spiritual that it had its manifestation in the person of Jesus Christ; it has power for creating, cleansing, redeeming and even destroying.

The Bible is the revelation of the Word of God that God allowed to put into the form of a book. It is presumption in the extreme to put any other writing on the same level. We may study the Bible and record our findings, we may expound on the Bible, apply it to our life, paraphrase it for the purpose of simplification or clarity in a certain point, we may write volumes of spiritual teachings but not one word we write can ever be on the same level as the Bible. This is because the Bible is the revelation of God Himself, and no human author should ever be so egotistical as to dare to exalt himself to such a lofty position.

For more on prophecy and new revelations, click here.

The Bible is unchangeable and eternal.

Luke 16:17 But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail. NASU

God’s word in the Bible has ultimate authority. The Scriptures would remain even if the world was destroyed. In fact the world will be destroyed, but the word of God will still remain.

Matt 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. NKJV

These two verses cover both the Old and New Testament: the Bible will not fail, it remains the word of God.

Ps 119:89-91

89 Your word, O LORD, is eternal;

it stands firm in the heavens.

90 Your faithfulness continues through all generations;

you established the earth, and it endures.

91 Your laws endure to this day,

for all things serve you.

NIV

God’s word stands firm forever in Heaven. Why? Because it is truth, and truth is always truth. Truth does not and cannot change according to circumstances. Truth cannot be altered by modern plans and programs.

Note also that it is the Word of God as manifested in the Bible that forever stands firm; it is the Bible that will by no means pass away, it is the Bible that will not fail. These verses do not refer to any writings that might come later.

Matt 5:17-18

17 Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

NASU

Jesus Himself, who came in fulfilment of the law, who came to redeem us from the curse of the law said that the law cannot and will not change. In verse 17, the word ‘fulfill’ does not mean ‘destroyed’ or ‘superseded’, but rather “completely obeyed” or “come to pass.”

NT:4137

Universally and absolutely, to fulfil, i.e. to cause God’s will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God’s promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfillment

(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)

The entire Old Testament points towards the coming of the Christ, and until the fullness of God’s kingdom on earth has come, the Law will stand as testimony to God’s truth. Every line, every word has to be fulfilled. The entire Bible is the Word of God, and we meddle with it at our peril! Note that Jesus delivered us from the curse of the Law, not the Law itself. He bought with His death on the cross our redemption, our salvation, which the Law could not do. Did He destroy the Law? No, and we must not read that into His words, because He made it abundantly clear that the word of God does not change.

Isa 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. NKJV

For more on ‘Sin,’ click here.

The Word of God in the whole Bible, from the very first ‘In the beginning’ to the very last ‘Amen’ is eternal and invincible and unchangeable.

We just can’t change the Bible. We can’t change any principle in the Bible. We can’t say that although God forbad a certain practice in the Bible He allows it today, because what He said He meant.

Num 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? NKJV

We cannot change a Bible principle or prohibition through extra-Biblical writings because God reveals Himself in the Bible and we cannot change Him.

1 Sam 15:29 He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind. NIV

Ps 33:11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. NKJV

Prov 19:21 Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. NIV

Eccl 3:14 I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him. NASU

Mal 3:6 For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob. NKJV

James 1:17 All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change. NET

The Bible does not change because God is the source of the Bible and He does not change. There isn’t even the slightest hint of His changing. What He said will stand forever. People can write and write, but it is the Lord’s counsel in the Bible that will stand. The Bible will stand when every last page of man’s writings has been forgotten. The Bible will remain long after the last remaining record of a Family publication has decayed into dust. The Bible is eternal, not just because it was inspired by God, but because it is the ‘Word’, it is the written revelation of God Himself, just as Jesus is the manifestation of God in human form.

Family publications can never be on that level. Not even the most ‘inspired’, the most ‘spiritual’, or the most prophetic,. Not one word of any Family publication ever written can ever be on the same level as the Bible.

The Bible is Truth.

Ps 119:160 The entirety of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever. NKJV

The entire Bible is Truth. All of it! The Word is Truth.

John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. NASU

We are to worship the Lord in truth.

John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth. NKJV

Conclusion

The Bible is truth in its entirety because it is the written revelation of the Word of God, just as Jesus came to earth as the human manifestation of the Word of God. As the Bible makes such extraordinary claims about itself, we must either accept the Bible as the one and only authority on God, the one and only authority on man, on God’s will, on the future, on the past, on everything, or we must discard it as a work of fiction. The Bible itself gives no room for any compromise on this point. Believe it all, or disbelieve it all. We must accept that the Bible is the divine plan of God, that it is wholly true, perfect and complete, or we must reject it as a fable. There is no possibility of regarding it as mere teachings about God written by godly men.

Accept and believe the Bible and we immediately place it in a separate world from any other writing that any man or organisation has ever produced. This specifically includes all Family publications. If we attempt to place any other writing in the same category as the Bible, we instantly destroy our own faith in the Bible as the very Word of God.

Whether we understand the Bible or not, whether or not we find it easy to accept its corrections of our behaviour, whether or not we think that there are portions that don’t apply to this modern age, it remains the Word of God.

Please note that this does not imply that we should legalistically apply every last jot and tittle of every rule throughout the Bible to our lives in a slavish desire for acceptance with God. Anyone following that path does not understand God’s grace in salvation..

The Bible is Truth, and the purpose of any other Christian writings is to exalt the Bible. These writings may expound on the Bible, explain it, clarify it, apply it, analyse it, but they may not replace it. Any writing that makes the claim to be on the same level as the Bible is attempting to replace the Bible as the ultimate and highest authority by which all truth and error is measured. No matter how ‘inspired’ any such writing appears to be, it is not, cannot be, and will never be on the same level as the Bible.