Scripture and Faith

I write rather often about certain topics that are of great significance to the faith of God's people. I put up a post on "Bible Idolatry" sometime around a couple of weeks ago, and I have some more on that topic today. Calling the Bible the word of God, and thinking that the Bible is the word of God, is at least ONE OF the biggest idols in the body of Christ today, and I would like to give more confirmation of that reality here today. I often preach and write about the biblical fact that the word of God is NOT something that can be written, and it is NOT something that can be read. It is something that must be HEARD and RECEIVED, and that from God. There is absolutely nowhere in the Bible where the Bible claims that the scriptures are the word of God. It just isn't there. What IS in the Bible is that the word of God is "alive and powerful," and that it is something that must COME TO a person, or be REVEALED to someone by the holy Ghost (Heb. 4:12; Jer. 42:7; Rev. 2:7; I Jn. 2:27). To call the Bible the word of God is idolatry because it confuses the truth about the true word of God, and causes God's people to be inclined to call their own interpretation, or someone else's interpretation of the scriptures, the word of God; when in fact the BIBLE shows that "that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation" (II Pet. 1:20). So in other words this mindset occasions God's people to "walk after the imagination of their own heart," and not after the real word of God (Jer. 9:14). Thinking that the Bible is the word of God is the exact reason that God's people are trapped in bondage to the erroneous religious creeds of the varying Christian sects and affiliations that they are part of. Someone who is supposedly someone decides that the scriptures mean this or that, and lo and behold, folks come along who believe it, and we have a denomination. And just on that note momentarily, it really amazes me how so many fine folks in the body of Christ claim that their affiliation is not a denomination, when in fact EVERYTHING in Christianity is a denomination, whether great or small. And how do I know that? Well, I love a good question, because a good question deserves not only a GOOD answer, but also THE RIGHT ANSWER! And the right answer to that question is that I have been undeservedly blessed to have God's word revealed to me from heaven for thirty years now. That is how I know that everything in Christianity is completely off the foundation of the gospel of Christ, and the whole thing has been built faultily on that wrong foundation. The truth of the matter is that Jesus has made a way for ALL of God's people to "know the truth" and be "made free" from everything that is NOT the truth; and that way is to continue in HIS WORD (Jn. 8:31,32). And that doesn't mean to just continue reading the scriptures, but rather to continue hearing and following the voice of the "Spirit of truth" that he has sent back for us (Jn. 16:13; Rev. 3:6). This way to know God was not available to everyone in the old testament, but rather it was only available to specially anointed people who taught it to the remainder of Israel. But yet this new testament spiritual reality was foretold by the prophets in the old testament (Jer. 31:33,34; Isa. 54:13).

These things bring me to the point that I want to confirm about the scriptures not being the word of God, but rather God's word is something that has to COME TO a person. Every time that the phrase "the word of God" or "the word of the Lord" is used in the old testament, the word "word" always comes from one of two Hebrew words. The first and most often used Hebrew word is "dabar," which is defined as "speech, a saying, or an utterance." The second word, and less used, is the word "peh," which is defined as "a mouth, an organ of speech." On the other hand, whenever the old testament scriptures refer to something that is WRITTEN in the old testament writings, the two Hebrew words used for "written" are "kathab" and "miktab." Kathab is used more often, but both words are defined as "something that is written on something by handwriting." When the book of the law is referenced, the Hebrew word used for "book" is "cepher," which simply means "a writing written in a book or document." In the new testament scriptures, whenever the word of God is mentioned, the two Greek words used for "word" are "logos," and the lesser used "rhema." Now both of these words are defined as "an utterance by a living voice." But whenever the new testament scriptures say, "It is WRITTEN," which is a reference to the scriptures, the Greek word used for "written" is "grapho," which is defined as, "to write in the form of letters on a tablet, parchment, paper, or other material." So there it is my friend. The original languages that both the old testament and new testament scriptures were written in, both declare very soundly that the Bible, or the scriptures, are NOT the word of God. Not only so, but both languages also boldly set forth that the word of God is something that is uttered by the mouth of God, which fact the scriptures confirm to us: "HEAR; for I will SPEAK of excellent things; and the opening of my LIPS shall be right things. For my MOUTH shall SPEAK truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. All the words of my MOUTH are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge" (Prov. 8:6-9). If God's people would turn away from the erroneous traditions and doctrines of Christianity, and seek his face diligently, it would be found that God is speaking the same things to everyone; and his people would come together in one mind and one accord and "turn the world upside down" (Acts 2:1; Acts 17:6; I Cor. 1:10; Rom. 5:6). But as long as we are content to be discontent under the falsehoods that prevail, we will remain ignorant, divided, sick, oppressed, and without the power to cure any of these ills. We CANNOT and DO NOT open the Bible and read the word of God. If we could do so, the glorious works of the true faith of Christ would be the dominant force in the earth, and the body of Christ would be fully unified. Surely you realize that these things are not the case. So then, what IS the way to attain unto the word of God? The same as it has always been: "Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord giveth wisdom: OUT OF HIS MOUTH cometh knowledge and understanding" (Prov. 2:3-6). Amen is all I have left to say.

*Many thanks to my son Elisha for his study and research on this topic, and for calling it to my attention.