The Doctrine of the Word of God

What are the different forms of the Word of God?

A. “The Word of God” as a Person: Jesus Christ
- Rev 19:13 “The name by which he is called is The Word of God.”
- John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”

B. “The Word of God” as Speech by God

1. God’s Decrees.
A decree of God is a word of God that causes something to happen.
“And God said, “Let there be light’; and there was light” (Gen. 1:3).

2. God’s Words of Personal Address.
God sometimes communicates with people on earth by speaking directly to them.

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die”’ (Gen. 2:16–17).

Though the words of God’s personal address are always seen in Scripture to be the actual words of God, they are also “human” words in that they are spoken in ordinary human language that is immediately understandable. The fact that these words are spoken in human language does not limit their divine character or authority in any way: they are still entirely the words of God, spoken by the voice of God himself.

3. God’s Words as Speech Through Human Lips.
Frequently in Scripture God raises up prophets through whom he speaks. Once again, it is evident that although these are human words, spoken in ordinary human language by ordinary human beings, the authority and truthfulness of these words is in no way diminished: they are still completely God’s words as well.

In Deuteronomy 18, God says to Moses: I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren; and I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not give heed to my words which he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die. (Deut. 18:18–20)

God made a similar statement to Jeremiah: “Then the LORD put forth his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, “Behold, I have put my words in your mouth”’ (Jer. 1:9). God tells Jeremiah, “Whatever I command you you shall speak”.

4. God’s Words in Written Form (the Bible).
We also find in Scripture several instances where God’s words were put in written form.

The first of these is found in the narrative of the giving of the two tablets of stone on which were written the Ten Commandments: “And he gave to Moses, when he had made an end of speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, the two tables of the testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God” (Ex. 31:18).

God said to Jeremiah, “Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you” (Jer. 30:2; cf. Jer. 36:2–4, 27–31; 51:60). In the New Testament, Jesus promises his disciples that the Holy Spirit would bring to their remembrance the words which he, Jesus, had spoken (John 14:26; cf. 16:12–13). Paul can say that the very words he writes to the Corinthians are “a command of the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:37; cf. 2 Peter 3:2).

Several benefits come from the writing down of God’s words. First, there is a much more accurate preservation of God’s words for subsequent generations. To depend on memory and the repeating of oral tradition is a less reliable method of preserving these words throughout history than is their recording in writing (cf. Deut. 31:12–13). Second, the opportunity for repeated inspection of words that are written down permits careful study and discussion, which leads to better understanding and more complete obedience. Third, God’s words in writing are accessible to many more people than they are when preserved merely through memory and oral repetition. They can be inspected at any time by any person and are not limited in accessibility to those who have memorized them or those who are able to be present when they are recited orally. Thus, the reliability, permanence, and accessibility of the form in which God’s words are preserved are all greatly enhanced when they are written down.


Resources
SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY
•An Introduction to Bible Doctrine •
by WAYNE GRUDEM

Link:
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/0B-5VAbUkSgFhfk1VYXJ6cFdETEdhYW04SmxYQnNud19ZMThuRUZ0cGYzS3BsUmFQRlhiYWM