Jesus is the Word.
We all agree on this because John clearly teaches us this in the Scriptures.

However, I’ve come to question a Christianese phrase I’ve been hearing all my life.

The Bible is the word of God.

I understand that “word” can mean and be used a few different ways, but when did

Word of God = The 66 books of the Bible

Those who know me know that I love the Bible. I read and study it almost every day. The book I published is a Bible Study and my favorite kind of meetings are when we dig deep into Scripture.

But I’m not threatened by questions and neither is God.

The Bible is inspired by God and contains words of God. I believe that 💯. But, when did people start calling it The Word of God or God’s Word? Where in the Scriptures does it say that the 66 books in the Bible equal The Word of God?

There are passages where God spoke, but there are passages where it was a person speaking. Did God speak those words? When the Pharisees were coming against Jesus, was that the Word of God?

Many have settled for words in a book instead of enjoying a relationship with the One the book is about. They worship words, instead of THE WORD. They turn a book that should lead us into knowing who God is, into a self-help rule book to promote their self-righteousness.

They trust in a book that burns, instead of living the words of God within it, not recognizing that the word of God can’t ever be destroyed.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝗼𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧?
I believe it’s because the Bible is tangible. It can be seen, read, and heard physically. It’s easier to believe than to actually believe in the One it’s about. Faith is required to see with the eyes of our hearts.

God continues to speak. He wasn’t done speaking when the last book of the Bible was written. His Word is still spoken and seen every day.

These are just a few of the thoughts I’ve been thinking about for the last few weeks on this topic. I’m not afraid to ask questions. It doesn’t threaten my faith or God. Now I’m starting to research where this phrase came from because it’s not from Scripture.

Final note: I’m not saying the Bible isn’t inspired by God or that God didn’t lead the authors to write it. Clearly, I believe it because I am a Bible teacher who firmly believes the Bible tells us who God is and reveals Jesus. I’m simply trying to understand a phrase that has led people to worship a book, instead of its Source – God.

I’ll leave you with some words Jesus spoke.

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me, and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭5:39-40‬ ‭NASB

PS: I still say “word of God” when referring to Scripture. It’s a habit and colloquially used and understood. My objective is to get us to think about the things we say and make sure our faith is based on the proper foundation.