It is common to refer to [the Bible] as the Word of God. And with good reason—this is what it purports to be! For example, the apostle Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 2:13, “We also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”
The Bible is God’s self-revelation to humans
God communicates with people. God sometimes communicates directly or via dreams, but the written word of the Bible—which was inspired by human authors—is the main channel of His communication. “Long ago, through the prophets, God spoke to our fathers in many ways and at many times.” (Heb. 1:1). “Because the Holy Spirit led men to speak from God, no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man” (2 Peter 1:21). The words of God were recorded and passed down to next generations. The Holy Spirit provided guidance during this process. Paul can thus assert that God wrote the Bible, saying that “all Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16).
God’s Word is true
The Bible contains a lot of historical details, many of which have meanwhile been confirmed by other historical sources or archaeological discoveries. The Biblical records are trustworthy. Moreover, many historical facts were prophesied long before they happened! Hundreds of prophecies all through the Old Testament were fulfilled in the birth, life and death of Jesus. For example, in Micah 5:2 we read about Bethlehem as the birth place of a ruler “whose coming is from of old” — that fits perfectly with Jesus as the eternal God who was born as a human baby in Bethlehem. He would be the Son of David — and indeed his mother Mary and her man Joseph were “of the house of David” (Luke 1:27). And there are many more prophecies, not only about Jesus but also about other historical facts. This is very clear evidence that the Bible is God’s Word, since human authors could never have foreseen these details centuries before. They could only be written down by an Author who foreknew what would happen.
God’s Word is powerful
The Bible is not just a book. “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” (Hebrews 4:12). It is no random force, but purposefully used by God: “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). Many Christians have already experienced this. The Bible is of life importance because it confronts us with our sins, it points us to Jesus, it teaches and encourages, it is food for the soul (Matthew 4:4). Countless lives have already been transformed by the supernatural power of God’s Word.
God’s Word is everlasting
The Bible is still relevant and applicable even if it was written centuries ago. It will never go out of style. “The flower fades and the grass withers, but the word of our God endures forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Because of this, the Bible is unlike any other book. “Believe me, folks, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single dot or iota will pass from the Law [= the Torah, or even the entire Old Testament] until all is accomplished,” Jesus declared to his listeners (Matthew 5:18).
We should listen to God’s Word
Everything we require to know about God, ourselves, and our relationship with Him is found in the Scriptures. This is extremely crucial information. It is necessary for us to discover eternal existence. “This is everlasting life, knowing you, the only real God, and your sent Son, Jesus Christ” (John 17:3). The Bible points us in the direction of God like a light on our path (Psalm 119:105). This was emphasized by Jesus Himself: “Happy are those who hear the word of God and heed it!” (Luke 11:28).
Jesus is God’s ultimate self-revelation
But not only the Bible is called ‘the Word of God’. The ultimate Word of God is a Person. It is God the Son. Let’s read the verse in Hebrews 1 again, but this time we read on: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1-2). This Son of God through whom the world was created, is called ‘the Word’ in John 1:1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” . This eternal Word of God became flesh, He was born as a human baby — called Jesus. He has made known the Father to us (John 1:18). Through the Bible, we learn about the life, death, and resurrection of this Word of God, but also about his miracles and teachings. That way, we too can get to know the Father.
