THE BIBLE AND GOD'S WORD

By Thomas E. Durst

Oftentimes we've seen people hold up a Bible and say "This is God's Word."" I'm very uncomfortable with this for two reasons: (1) It gives the impression that totally everything within the covers of the Bible is the Word of God; and (2) It gives the impression that the Bible is the only place where one can find the Word of God. Neither of these two postulates has any basis in truth whatsoever.

Having said this, I want to clarify that the Bible writers in both testaments saw themselves as bearers of God's Word. I recently did an electronic search in the KJV on http://biblegateway.com/keyword/ and found how many times the phrases below were used:

"Thus saith the Lord" 413 times

Word of the Lord 255 times

Word of God 48 times

So the tradition of giving authority to the Bible for doctrine, teaching, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16-17) is not without a proper foundation. However, I think a more accurate way of stating it would be to say "the Word of God as found in the Bible" rather than saying "the Bible is the Word of God." There is a big difference between the two concepts.

Is absolutely everything in the Bible the Word of God? I don't think even the most rigid fundamentalists would want to say that if they would stop to think about it. Analytic thinking is rare among fundamentalists. Do we not have a lot of "filler" in the Bible to make up the narratives, the chronologies, the way things are worded, etc. that are not the Word of God per se, although we may truly find God's Word in the midst of all these things? A good example of this would be the story in 2 Chronicles 32:1-22 where the story is told of how Sennacherib threatened Jerusalem and tried to intimidate the people of God into submission. In the midst of the details of the narrative we find a powerful Word of encouragement from God as given by King Hezekiah:

⁶ He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: ⁷ "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. ⁸ With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said. 2 Chronicles 32: 6-8 (NIV)

Do we not find in this story courage to face the most formidable obstacles of life, knowing that our God is always with us and that His power is greater than anything that could ever come against us? Is not God's Word speaking to us in this narrative?

Most people probably find large portions of the first five books of the Bible to be rather difficult to read, somewhat perplexing at times, and perhaps boring. However, even in the midst of these books are many wonderful words of encouragement, challenge, instruction and spiritual uplift. For a few examples read: Leviticus 10:10; 18:3-5, 19:1, 2; 26:11-13; Numbers 13:26-33. Deuteronomy is just filled with sublime eternal principles of truth about God's power and might. The Holy Spirit helps us to find "the Word of God" in all parts of the Bible if we are open to be taught.

My heart has often been filled with overflowing joy as I've discovered God's precious Word in the Old Testament stories, the Psalms, Proverbs, and Prophets. That "Word of God" is what makes the Bible the most sought after book in the history of human existence. Nothing has equaled the hunger that people have for this book. Truly we find the Word of God throughout the Bible and I'm thankful for that. Everyday my soul is fed with rich morsels from the Lord's table when I prayerfully meditate upon portions of scripture.

Since God created all things and is everywhere present, I think we can find the Word of God in many places besides the Bible. I've received communications and enlightenment from everyday conversations with folks who professed little or no religion. I've heard from God in works of literature, uplifting music, the beauties of nature, providential events, and many other ways. The early Quakers emphasized that there "is a little bit of God" in everyone and I totally agree with that since we are all created in God's image (Genesis 1:27). The entrance of sin obscured but didn't eradicate the "God presence" in all people. We must never forget that the most essential truth about every person is that he/she is created in God's image and that this is the most important thing to know. Anything in the outward appearance that seems to contradict God's image is actually an illusion and not the truth. So things that people in turn create such as works of art, literature, architecture, etc., are ways that God can speak to our hearts if we are open to listen. None of the ways that God reveals Himself to human beings, including the Bible itself, is without the element of human imperfection because they are all mediated through imperfect human beings.

I would like to add that I believe that the plan of restoration for human beings is revealed specifically in the Bible in a way which can't be found anywhere else in that same way. That is truly the uniqueness of scripture above all other ways that God reveals Himself. Notice these words from John that could apply equally to all scripture:

³¹But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. John 20:31 (NIV)

I believe that the primary purpose of the Bible is to reveal Jesus Christ as our Way Shower and Savior and that everything else is secondary to that. Many of the "wisdom sayings" found in the Bible, if not all of them in principle at least, can be found in other writings, both ancient and modern. But Messiah Jesus and His mission to this earth, foretold in the Old Testament, and unfolded in the New Testament, is the central focus of scripture. All of the history of the Old Testament is tied to the coming Savior in some way. Those who fail to make the transition from "literal Israel" in the OT to the "spiritual Israel" in the NT do untold harm to the very Book they uphold as "the Word of God". When we start to deviate from the focus on Jesus Christ and His gospel and "major on minors and minor on majors" we get into trouble very quickly, set people against other people, and fair-minded people who watch the goings ons can make no sense of such "Christian" faith and reject it totally. God has other ways of revealing Himself to those who have open hearts so we need to leave that in His hands. (Read Matthew 5:9; 25:31-46; Acts 10:35; 1 John 2:29. The articles on http://www.biblicaluniversalism.com/ are very helpful also).

All of those who sincerely are seeking for God, want to experience His power in their lives and who study the scriptures with an open heart, will find wonderful fulfillment.

A book that I highly recommend is: Spiritual Interpretation of Scripture by Joel Goldsmith. All of his books help to open up the deep spiritual meaning of the scriptures. (For more information on Joel Goldsmith go to: http://www.spiritsite.com/writing/joegol/ )

[This was written by Tom Durst on May 3, 2005 and is part of an ongoing series. I will be saying more about the Bible and its power in subsequent articles. I welcome responses from readers. If you wish to be added to my email list let me know.