CH 2 - THE DOCTRINE OF THE WORD OF GOD

What does the bible say the Word of God is?
- the Son of God
- In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God
- the Word became flesh and dwelt among us
A decree of God is a word of God that causes something to happen. i.e; God said "let there be light"
1. God even spoke directly to Adam "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying; "You may eat freely of every tree of the harden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall no eat."
What do you think the world would be like if Adam and Eve had never eaten from the tree of knowledge?
2. God speaks through prophets, human language by ordinary human beings, but are still completely God's words with authority and truthfulness. Deuteronomy 18 God says to Moses "I will raise up for them a prophet like you...and I will put my words in his mouth.." and God also told Jeremiah, "Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.."
3. Not only does God speak words of decree, through personal address, and through the lips of ordinary humans, but He also speaks in written form. Up on the Mount Sinai, after God had spoken to Moses, he gave Moses two tablets of stone "written with the finger of God" and God even said to Jermiah, "Write in a book all the words that I have spoken to you." It's important to remember that God speaking through ordinary human beings does not diminish the authority of God's words as His own in any way. Why write down God's words?
1. There is a more accurate preservation of God's words for many more generations.
2. There is an opportunity for repeated inspection of God's words which permit careful study and discussion, which leads to better understanding and more complete obedience.
3. God's words in writing are accessible to many more people than they are when preserved through memory and oral repetition.
The focus of this study, however, is God's Word in written form, the Bible.
The other two forms of the Words of God are not as suitable for this study of the Word of God. We do not hear God's words of decree or God's personal address, which are uncommon, and God's words spoken through human lips ceased when the New Testament was completed. So, we will study God's words, written in the Bible. Psalm 1:2 "The man is blessed who meditates on God's law day and night." God said to Joshua, "This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do all that is written in it; for then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success."  Joshua 1:8.