View Full Version : Is the Bible the "word of God"?
mamhay
Jan 3, 2012, 10:40 AM
Is the bible the word of God? Who said that?
RickJ
Jan 3, 2012, 11:41 AM
Christians believe that the Bible is the "Word of God". It has been said and taught by the followers of Jesus for about 2000 years.
It is impossible to list "who said it", so can you be more specific about what you are seeking or looking to have answered?
paraclete
Jan 3, 2012, 02:38 PM
The Bible itsself refers to itsself as the Word of God Hebrews 4:12
English Standard Version (©2001)
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
RickJ
Jan 4, 2012, 07:55 AM
Hebrews 4:12 could not have been speaking of "The Bible" as we know it today because it was written before the Christian community defined what is considered Scripture.
So logically speaking, one cannot say "The Bible is the Word of God because it says so in the Bible".
Early Christians were relying on the books that we call the Bible as soon as those books were written, but it was not until 367AD that the Christian Church, for the most part, accepted and relied on the books of the Bible (as Christians now recognize them) as "The Word of God".
So in summary, as I said earlier, there are thousands and thousands of Christian leaders and teachers - in the past couple of centuries, who have said that "the Bible is the Word of God".
paraclete
Jan 4, 2012, 02:34 PM
Hebrews 4:12 could not have been speaking of "The Bible" as we know it today because it was written before the Christian community defined what is considered Scripture.
So logically speaking, one cannot say "The Bible is the Word of God because it says so in the Bible".
Early Christians were relying on the books that we call the Bible as soon as those books were written, but it was not until 367AD that the Christian Church, for the most part, accepted and relied on the books of the Bible (as Christians now recognize them) as "The Word of God".
So in summary, as I said earlier, there are thousands and thousands of Christian leaders and teachers - in the past couple of centuries, who have said that "the Bible is the Word of God".
So by your definition prophesy is the only reliable word of God, but the Bible does not say prophesy is the word of God. In fact it gives a lower level of surity to prophesy. The Scriptures, at least the Old Testament form, had been available for a very long time before the christian church defined its canon so you cannot say that the word of God was not available. Paul also assures us that all Scripture is useful long before the canon was formed. The Scripture is not determined by the actions of man to define what is the word of God.
RickJ
Jan 5, 2012, 05:47 AM
I never said anything about prophecy and I never used the word reliable.
So in summary to the two questions originally asked:
Q: is the bible the word of God?
A: I believe so, as all Christians are taught to believe.
Q: who said that [the Bible is the Word of God]?
A: Thousands of Christian leaders, writers and teachers have said and taught that the Bible is the Word of God over the past 1800 years or so.