Is scripture and the Word of God the Same?

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   CertifiedHandyposted 11 years ago

   Is scripture and the Word of God the Same?
   
   Paul defined "scripture" within certain imitations in 2 Timothy 3:16 as being "inspired" by the Spirit but he Word of God is summed up in John 1 as - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. At our weekly mens' Bible study most agreed that the Word of God and Scripture are the same. If that were the case why did Paul make a distinction or redefine scripture apart from the Word? What do you think?
   
   

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   MickSposted 11 years ago

   Well, we don't know what the word of God is, if there be such a thing.  We know what scriptures are, words by men who have hoodwinked people into believing that they are the words of God.

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   ViolinByCourtneyposted 11 years ago

   I don't interpret what Paul says as a "distinction." He is stating appropriate uses for Scripture. No where in 2 Timothy 3 does he actually assert that "Scripture" and "Word of God" are not the same thing, or even mention "Word of God" for that matter. John 1 does not use the phrase "word of God" but only "the Word" and in this case uses it to refer to God speaking and his words having life, ultimately being embodied in the person of Jesus Christ. When the Bible says "word of God," sometimes it refers to what has been written in the Old Testament and other times it refers to spoken words inspired by God. Therefore, I would define Scripture as that which has been written, and in the context of Paul's letters specifically to the Old Testament. I would define the Word of God as including Scripture and in agreement with Scripture but not limited to Scripture.

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   1. 59

      CertifiedHandyposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      @violin so, according to the way you "define scripture" and in agreement with John 1:1, the Word which is the same as the Word of
      God, the Living Word, supersedes scripture in that it is not limited by or
      to scripture; hence the "distinction"

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4. 60

   renegadetoryposted 11 years ago

   When Paul wrote Timothy, the only Scriptures that existed at that time was the OT, the NT was not fully written nor available in written form for study.  His statement that all Scripture is given by inspiration would still be applicable when the NT would be completed.
   
   I don't think you can separate Jesus (the Living Word) from Scripture because in essence, He was the the written Word in living form!

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   Disappearingheadposted 11 years ago

   Paul was a Pharisee and so I don't believe for a minute that he would count his letters as scripture. The only scripture is the Hebrew Scriptures aka the OT. The NT consists of human sermons and the collective memories that people had of Jesus 30 years earlier. Nobody would consider a Church Simon today as scripture so why should Paul's be elevated to such mystical status?

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   Deepes Mindposted 11 years ago

   Scripture is very much different than the actual word of God. Being inspired by something does not mean that it is actually coming from something. Just like a movie or a book saying inspired by true events. It could mean that some events actually happened but the details have been changed.

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