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The
Word of God is:
II
Timothy 3:16-17 is a passage of fundamental importance for the
understanding of the identity and usefulness of the Bible. It says
there:
II Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture IS given by inspiration of God,
and IS profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God
may be perfect, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
(NKJV-KJV)
In
this passage I have given special emphasis to the word "is"
that is used there and which, as we all probably know, is used to
identify, characterise or describe something. According therefore to the
above passage, the Bible or Scripture IS given by inspiration of God or,
as the Greek reads, is God-breathed1.
This means that author of the Bible is God who breathed it, produced it,
and therefore the Bible is the Word of God. Apart from this, the above
passage also tells us that the Bible IS useful, counting four reasons
that make it useful. More analytically, it tells us that the Bible is
useful for teaching, reproof, correction, and instruction in
righteousness. Thus, and since the title of this article is: "The
Word of God is", we have already some things that this Word is. The
first of these regards the identification of the God-breathed Word with
the Bible, while the second the usefulness of this Word for doctrine,
reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness "that the man
of God may be perfect, thoroughly equipped for every good work."
However, these are not the only
things that the Word of God is. Below we will consider some additional
things that it is, that will also help us to appreciate its worth and
usefulness better.
1. God's Word:
what God has magnified most
I believe that there
wouldn't be any better way to start this survey than by hearing the
opinion that God has for His Word. To see this opinion we will go to
Psalms 138:2. There we read:
Psalm 138:2
"For you [referring to God] have magnified
your Word above all your name"
According
to this passage, God has magnified His Word even above all His name.
Bearing in mind, that there isn't something higher than God, whom His
name express, we can easily understand that what God wants to tell us
here is that He has magnified His Word above everything else. If we want
therefore a right evaluation of the worth of the Word of God, here is
the evaluation that God Himself has made: for Him there isn't
something worthier than His Word.
2. God's Word:
food for life
Having seen the top
position that God has given to His Word, let's move ahead to see some
other things that this Word is, starting from Matthew 4:4. There Jesus
Christ said:
Matthew 4:4
"It is written, "MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE...."
Many
people think that bread and generally physical food is the only thing
they need to live. Though it is true that physical food is needed to
survive and to satisfy the physical hunger, yet, according to Jesus
Christ , there is something else that is needed to make our lives
something more than a simple survival. What is this? The answer is given
in the same verse:
Matthew 4:4
"It is written, "MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE BUT BY
EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS FROM THE MOUTH OF GOD"
According
to this passage, to make your life a real abundant life and not just a
survival, you need "every word that proceeds from the mouth of
God", i.e. you need the Word of God. As I Peter 2:2 tells us:
I Peter 2:2
"as new-born babes, desire the pure milk of the WORD, that you may
grow thereby"
The
new-born babes cannot live without milk. They get up from their sleep
and cry because they want milk. Similarly, as the new-born babes cannot
do without milk so our lives cannot do without the milk of the Word of
God. We don't have to decide whether we need the milk of the Word or
not. It is a FACT that we need it. As it is a fact that to physically
survive we need to eat something, so it is A FACT, an unaltered reality,
that in order to really live we need the Word of God.
3. God's Word:
the truth
After we saw that the
Word of God is as necessary for our lives as the milk for a new-born
baby, let's move ahead to see what else this Word is. What we are going
to read happened during the investigation of Jesus by Pilate (John
18:33-38). During this investigation Pilate made one question that has
probably been asked by many people since then. Pilate's question was
made in response to Jesus saying that he came to the world to bear
witness to the truth (John 18:37), and can be found in John 18:38:
John 18:38
"Pilate said to him [Jesus] , "What is truth?"
Pilate's
question is not at all uncommon. Many people, and in fact many of us,
may have asked it in some stage of our lives. It is vital therefore to
find the answer to this question. This answer is given in John 17.
There, Jesus Christ, just little before his arrest prayed to God and
said:
John 17:14, 17
"I have given them [the disciples] Your word....Sanctify them in
Your word. YOUR WORD IS TRUTH"
The
answer to the truth-question is very simple and plain: THE WORD OF GOD
IS TRUTH. The Bible, being the Word of the one true God, is the truth
upon which we can base our lives without any fear that we will be ever
let down. It is this Word that speaks about Jesus Christ, "the way,
the truth and the life" (John 14:6) and the wonderful things that
he accomplished for us. It is this Word that says that if you confess
the Lord Jesus and believe that God raised him from the dead you will be
saved (Romans 10:9). This is not just a positive word. It is not another
religious word. It is the TRUTH. If you do it you will certainly be
saved and if you don't do it you will certainly continue to be without
salvation. The truth is truth. You cannot change it. You cannot alter
it. It is UNALTERED. You can either accept it or reject it.
On the contrary, the lie has
thousands of facets. Hundreds of ideas, philosophies and religions are
going around claiming a position in our minds. A lifetime's period may
be enough to count the birth and death of dozens of them. Man needs to
continuously update his philosophies and theories to be "in
accordance" with time. Had they been truth they wouldn't need
updating. The truth is truth today, tomorrow and after a thousand or a
million years. And it is only THE WORD OF GOD, the truth, that has this
eternal duration. As I Peter 1:23 says:
"having been born again, not of
corruptible seed but incorruptible, THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD WHICH LIVES
AND ABIDES FOREVER"
Also: I Peter 1:25
"BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER. Now this is the
word which by the gospel was preached to you."
The
Word of God endures forever. It doesn't need updating. The God that
backed up this Word two thousands years ago, is the same God today as
well. As James 1:17 says:
James 1:17
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes
down from the Father of lights, WITH WHOM THERE IS NO VARIATION OR
SHADOW OF TURNING"
Sometimes
just few minutes are enough for men to change their minds.
"Variations" and "turnings" are so frequent with
men. But with GOD there is no variation and not even the slightest
shadow of turning. God's Word being truth and backed up by a God that
doesn't change is certainly the surest foundation for our lives and the
only thing upon which we can lean without any fear that we will be ever
let down.
4. God's Word:
a pure Word
One of the
characteristics that truth by definition has is purity. The question
therefore is: is the Word of God pure and if yes how much pure is it? To
see the answer to this question we will go to the book of Psalms. There
we read:
Psalms 12:6
"The words of the Lord are PURE WORDS, like
silver tried in a furnace of the earth, purified seven times"
Psalms 119:140
"YOUR WORD IS VERY PURE; therefore your servant loves
it"
The
Word of God is not a word with impurities. It is not a word for which
you have to apologise for its "mistakes" nor a word that needs
to be refined before usage. Instead, it is a PURE word and in fact so
much pure "as silver tried in a furnace of the earth, purified
seven times" i.e. it couldn't be purer. That's why we love it
("THEREFORE [as a result] your servant loves it"). Its purity,
perfection and accuracy really reflects the purity, perfection and
accuracy of its author: GOD
5. God's Word:
the source of rejoicing
We have already seen
quite a few things that the Word of God is. However, the list does not
stop here. In Psalms 119 we learn for another effect that this Word has:
Psalms 119:162
"I REJOICE at your Word as one who finds great treasure"
Also: Psalms 119:14
"I HAVE REJOICED in the way of your testimonies as much as
in all riches"
Many
people try to find rejoicing through the possession of great amounts of
money. However, as we saw you cannot live with bread alone, and money is
not and cannot buy the ingredient that can give you real life and real
rejoicing. What is this ingredient? The Word of God. The Word of God,
apart from all the things that by now we have seen that it is, it also
brings great rejoicing. In fact, it brings so much rejoicing as the
rejoicing of the one "who finds a great treasure". You don't
need to earn the lottery to rejoice. What you need is just to go to the
Word, study it, believe it and keep it in your heart. Every time that
you do that your rejoicing will be so great as the rejoicing of the one
who finds a great treasure. Isn't really marvellous that we have such a
constant source of rejoicing! It is not a rejoicing dependant on the
conditions, the "luck" or other things but on God and His
wonderful Word, the Bible.
6. God's Word:
A lamp to our feet
Another thing that the
Word of God is, can be found in Psalms 119:105 and II Peter 1:19 It says
there:
Psalms 119:105
"YOUR WORD IS A LAMP TO MY FEET AND A
LIGHT TO MY PATH"
Also II Peter 1:19
"And so we have the prophetic word2
more sure, WHICH YOU DO WELL TO HEED AS A LIGHT THAT SHINES IN A DARK
PLACE, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your
hearts"
(NKJV-KJV)
To
walk in a path you necessary need light. Either the light is physical or
artificial, the fact is that without it you cannot walk. The path of
life is not an exception to this rule. To walk in this path you need
light to lighten it. Where are you going to find this light? According
to the above passages, the answer is to the Word of God. By following
the Word of God, you will be like walking in a path full of light. As
Psalms 84:11 and I John 1:5 say:
Psalms 84:11
"For the Lord God IS A SUN..."
I John 1:5
"GOD IS LIGHT AND IN HIM IS NO DARKNESS AT ALL."
God
is like a sun3.
Following therefore His Word is like following a path lighten by as much
light as the light of its author, i.e. as the light of God.
7. If the Word
is not our delight......
Probably you understand
better the significance of something when you become aware of what would
happen if you didn't have it. In the above we exposed some of the things
that the Word of God is and therefore we can easily understand by them,
what we would lose if we didn't have it. In Psalms however, there is a
passage that does not speak in terms of the benefits from the Word but
in the converse way i.e. in terms of what will happen if the Word is not
our delight. In Psalms 119:77, David said by revelation:
Psalms 119:77
"your law is my delight"
For
David, the Word of God (the "law" in David's time and
administration) was his delight. To see now what would happen if the
Word was not his delight, we don't have but to go just fifteen verses
ahead. Indeed, verse 92 tells us:
Psalms 119:92
"UNLESS YOUR LAW HAD BEEN MY DELIGHT, I WOULD THEN HAVE
PERISHED IN MY AFFLICTION"
Sometimes
difficult periods may come, in which there may be some temporal, light
affliction (II Corinthians 3:17 and I Peter 1:6). However, this does not
mean that in those times the Word of God stops to be the constant source
of rejoicing, the lamp to our feet, and the food for our lives. There is
no situation, no circumstance that can make the Word less bright than it
is or make it lose its value. God is the same powerful and loving God
both in good and in bad situations. His Word is the same trustworthy
Word both in good and in bad situations. However, WE have to take care
so that we continue to keep the flame of the Word always alive into our
hearts. Sadness, pressure and affliction may sometimes come but they
will not manage to overtake us as long as the Word of God is our
delight. God is a faithful God and He will always make us more than
conquerors as we trust in Him (Romans 8:37)
8. If we
meditate in the Word of God we will be....
Having seen some of the
things that the Word of God is, they should already be clear the great
benefits that we will have by studying and putting this Word deep into
our hearts. However, let's also see some more of the results that this
Word will have if we meditate in it i.e. if we make it the focus of our
mind and thoughts.
8.1. Blessed
and like a tree planted by the waters
To see what the Word
predicts for the man that makes it the focus of his mind let's go to
Psalms 1:1-3. There it says:
Psalms 1:1-3
"BLESSED is the man who walks not in the counsel of the
ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the
scornful; BUT HIS DELIGHT IS IN THE LAW OF THE LORD AND IN HIS
LAW HE MEDITATES DAY AND NIGHT. He shall be like a tree planted by
the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose
leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."
Is
there any of us that does not want whatever he does to prosper? I don't
think so. However, how can we obtain this? According to the above
passage the way is to meditate in the Word of God. If we rightly divide
the Word of God and make it the focus of our mind, then whatever we will
do, will be pleasing to God since it will come from a mind in which
God's Word possesses the central position and thus, according to the
above passage, it shall be prosperous and we shall also be
"blessed" ("happy") and like FRUITFUL trees planted
by the rivers of water.
8.2.
Prosperous and prudent
The effects of the
meditation in the Word of God are made even clearer by having a look in
the book of Joshua. Joshua was the successor of Moses in the leadership
of the people of Israel, as they were on their way to the promised land.
Bearing in mind that it was he that would lead the Israelites to the
promised land, and also knowing, by reading the relative records4
that they weren't the easiest people to lead, we can easily understand
how much Joshua needed prosperity and prudence to carry out his heavy
responsibilities. It is interesting therefore to see what God advised
him to do, so that he may have this prosperity and prudence. To see it
let's go to Joshua 1:5-8. There, God was speaking to Joshua and said:
Joshua 1:5-8
"No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of
your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave
you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage, for to this people
you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their
fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, that you
may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant
commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left,
that you may prosper wherever you go. This book of the law shall not
depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that
you may OBSERVE TO DO ACCORDING TO ALL THAT IS WRITTEN IN IT. FOR THEN
YOU WILL MAKE YOUR WAYS PROSPEROUS AND THEN YOU WILL HAVE GOOD SUCCESS
[Hebrew: "sakal" meaning to be circumspect, prudent, to
have understanding, wisdom, to prosper. See number 7919 in Strong's
concordance. The LXX reads "and then shalt thou be wise5"]
See
how wonderfully God encouraged Joshua. God is not someone that stays
afar without understanding the encouragement and the comfort that we may
need. Instead He is a loving caring God. See also what He told Joshua.
He told him that in order to always ("wherever you go")
prosper, he had to be very courageous to do according to all that the
law of Moses (the Word of God of that age and administration) commanded.
In fact, He told him to be careful and not turn away from what this law
said. He furthermore told him that only if he meditated in the Word day
and night, i.e. only if the Word of God was continuously the focus of
his mind, he would prosper and would act prudently. These
"THEN" that are used in the passage show that his prosperity
and prudence was conditional upon the position of the Word of God in his
mind. It is really only if the Word of God is the centre of our thoughts
and acts, that we will have prosperity and prudence. As the reader may
confirm by reading the remaining of Joshua, Joshua was indeed a man that
followed and served God throughout all his life, and he was indeed
prosperous and prudent in his task.
9. Conclusion
Having finished this
study, we have to say that it was by no means exhaustive. The reader is
advised to search the Word of God and find for himself other things that
it is. However, I believe that we have already seen a lot of things that
will help us in our appreciation of the Word of God. Summarising now all
the above, we saw that the Word of God, the Bible, is:
i) the truth,
ii) the most magnified thing of God,
iii) food for life,
iv) milk for growth,
v) the source of rejoicing,
vi) lamp to our feet,
vii) useful for doctrine, reproof,
correction and instruction in righteousness,
viii) very pure,
ix) the thing that if we make it our
delight we will not be overtaken in our affliction,
x) the thing in which if we meditate,
we will be:
a) blessed, b) like a tree planted by
the rivers of water c) prosperous in everything we do, and d) we
prudent.
Though this list is not exhaustive, it
is enough I believe to show us the greatness, the importance and the
worth of the Word of God. It is also enough to make clear the wonderful
effects that this Word will have in our lives if we study it, put it in
our hearts and keep it there alive.
Tassos Kioulachoglou
Footnotes
1. For a more
detailed
examination of II Timothy 3:16 see: The
Journal of Biblical Accuracy, Vol.1, Iss.1. January 1996 (press
here to return where you stopped).
2. The
"prophetic word" or the "word of the prophecy"
(KJV), is the Word of God. For more on this, see: The
Journal of Biblical Accuracy, Vol.1, Iss.1, January 1996 (press
here to return where you stopped).
3.
However, though in the sun there are some dark spots on its surface, in God
there is NO DARKNESS AT ALL (press here to return where
you stopped).
4.
See for example: Exodus 15:22-26, 16:1-5, Numbers 11:1-6, 16, 25:1-5,
Deutoronomy 1 (press here to return where you stopped).
5.
See: The Septuagint Version of the Old Testament with an English
translation, Samuel Bagster and Sons, London, 1879 (press
here to return where you stopped).
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