What is truly the Word of God

[LDSChristian]

We always hear the Bible and Book of Mormon are the Word of God. Yes, both books are true. However, I recently looked at Revelation 19 and it appears the scriptures say different in regards to what the Word of God is.

11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

A little more, this helps with John 1:1.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

By reading Revelation, we know the "Word" mentioned in John is Jesus Christ which can have a significant meaning. So another way of writing it is:

In the beginning was Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ was with God, and Jesus Christ was God.

The 2nd parts, "Jesus Christ was with God" obviously says He was with God the Father while at the same time, acknowledges the fact that God the Father is the one true God. The last part seems to be similar to parts of the Bible that calls Christ "our Lord our God".

Is it biblically incorrect to call the scriptures the Word of God since the Bible says the Word of God is Jesus Christ?

It's written as "Word" the same way people refer to the scriptures as "Word" and not "word".

[Wingnut]

If you read the JST of John 1:1, it says "In the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God."

[LDSChristian]

If you read the JST of John 1:1, it says "In the beginning was the gospel preached through the Son. And the gospel was the word, and the word was with the Son, and the Son was with God, and the Son was of God."

I've read it and I also know what John teaches in Revelation. It seems to be more of a capitalization thing. When referring to the scriptures we need to use "word of God" and not "Word of God" seeing how they appear to be two separate things. "word of God" being scriptures and "Word of God" being Christ.

[Wingnut]

Punctuation can't be taken too literally. Remember that the New Testament was written in Greek, which has different linguistic rules than English does.

Also, I think you're being more than a little petty. The Scriptures are most definitely the Word or word of God.

Edited February 15, 2011 by Wingnut
fix brain fart

[Latter Days Guy]

Punctuation can't be taken too literally. Remember that the Old Testament was written in Greek, which has different linguistic rules than English does.

Also, I think you're being more than a little petty. The Scriptures are most definitely the Word or word of God.

The old testament was written in Hebrew not Greek, the new testament was written in Greek.

[Dravin]

The old testament was written in Hebrew not Greek, the new testament was written in Greek.

I suspect she had a brain fart on New versus Old.

[volgadon]

Greek also was frequently written without spaces MUCHLIKETHISSOPUNCTUATIONATTHEMOSTELLSUSABOUTTHEINTERPRETATIONFAVOUREDBYKJVTRANSLATORS.

I've frequently said that the scriptures are not the word of God. They contain a record of some of the word of God. The word of God is what he reveals, and more importantly, commands.

What we are dealing with in Revelation and John 1 is the Logos (Greek for word), a divine agent which carries out God's commands. Especially when it comes to the creation of the world. It is the direct equivalent of the Aramaic Memra, which is frequently encountered in the Aramaic paraphrases of the Bible in similar contexts.

Daniel Boyarin explains the situation in the first few centuries after Christ.

"The finally definitive move for the Rabbis was to transfer all Logos and Sophia talk to the Torah alone, thus effectively accomplishing two powerful discursive moves at once: consolidating their power as the sole religious virtuosi and leaders of "the Jews", aand protecting one version of monotheistic thinking from the problematic of division within the godhead. For the Rabbis, Torah supersedes Logos, just as for John, Logos supersedes Torah. Or, to put it into more fully Johanine terms, if for John the Logos Incarnate in Jesus replaces the Logos revealed in the Book, for the Rabbis the Logos Incarnate in the Book displaces the Logos that subsists anywhere else but in the Book. This move on the part of the Rabbis at the end of the rabbinic period effectively displaces the structure of western thought, embodied in the Fourth Gospel, whereby Logos is located most directly and presently in the voice of the speaker, Jesus, with the written text understood at best as a secondary reflection of the speaker's intention."

(Daniel Boyarin, Border Lines: the partition of Judaeo-Christianity, pg. 129.)

[Traveler]

One of the problems with scripture is that the student has a tendency to think there is one meaning associated with each passage and that is what G-d wants us to gain from the scripture. That His WORD and only be interpreted one way. That is not accurate - we learn the things of G-d line upon line upon line and precept upon precept upon precept. Thus each time we read and re-read the scriptures we will be more enlightened. As we become more Christ like we expand the word in our life until we also become the word and one with G-d.

The Traveler

[Wingnut]

The old testament was written in Hebrew not Greek, the new testament was written in Greek.

I suspect she had a brain fart on New versus Old.

Yep, Dravin's right. I did mean the New Testament. I'm sick (again) today, and my head is pretty foggy. I'll fix my error.

[GeneC]

The Word of God can be taken literally and figuratively.

The Book of Jacob the Brother of Nephi Chapter 4

9 For behold, by the power of his word man came upon the face of the earth, which earth was created by the power of his word. Wherefore, if God being able to speak and the world was, and to speak and man was created, O then, why not able to command the dearth, or the workmanship of his hands upon the face of it, according to his will and pleasure?

The First Book of Nephi Chapter 11

25 And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God.

The Book of Ether Chapter 4

9 And at my command the heavens are opened and are shut; and at my word the earth shall shake; and at my command the inhabitants thereof shall pass away, even so as by fire.

Doctrine and Covenants Section 68

1–5, The words of the elders when moved upon by the Holy Ghost are scripture;

4 And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation.

Doctrine and Covenants Section 84

45 For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is blight, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

Doctrine and Covenants Section 93

8 Therefore, in the beginning the Word was, for he was the Word, even the messenger of salvation—

There are many more examples but the point is the Word of God comes in many different form emanating from Jesus Christ, even He Himself. One Truth is that He Himself has to fulfill it.

[Mudcat]

We always hear the Bible and Book of Mormon are the Word of God. Yes, both books are true. However, I recently looked at Revelation 19 and it appears the scriptures say different in regards to what the Word of God is.

11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

A little more, this helps with John 1:1.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

By reading Revelation, we know the "Word" mentioned in John is Jesus Christ which can have a significant meaning. So another way of writing it is:

In the beginning was Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ was with God, and Jesus Christ was God.

The 2nd parts, "Jesus Christ was with God" obviously says He was with God the Father while at the same time, acknowledges the fact that God the Father is the one true God. The last part seems to be similar to parts of the Bible that calls Christ "our Lord our God".

Is it biblically incorrect to call the scriptures the Word of God since the Bible says the Word of God is Jesus Christ?

It's written as "Word" the same way people refer to the scriptures as "Word" and not "word".

As an Evangelical Christian, I can't speak for LDS on the issue. But in my own view, I am agreeable with what CS Lewis had to say on the issue and can say it no better.

It is Christ Himself, not the Bible, who is the true Word of God. The Bible, read in the right spirit and with the guidance of good teachers will bring us to Him.

[rameumptom]

Christ is the great Logos or word. John was describing Jesus in a way that the Greek-influenced world could understand.

There is Jesus, through whom all the words of Life are fulfilled. And then there are the words God speaks and are written down for us, so we can have the inspired voice of the Word given to us to guide us.

Nephi said that the Rod of Iron is the Word of God. This can definitely be read either way, but given that Jesus is also shown as the Fruit of the Tree of Life, then perhaps the best reading in this instance would be the scriptures. After all, Nephi knew the importance of scriptures in preventing his people from dwindling in unbelief.