Xvangelical: What If the Word of God Is Not the Bible?

I know, it sounds like I’m casually wading into deep and raging waters without a life vest.

I’ve been pondering this question a lot lately so I’ve decided to begin sharing some of my thoughts on it with you guys. My hope is that this post isn’t offensive. I’m not intending it to be that way. Think of this post as more of a discussion of a question that has been persistently bubbling under the surface in my heart and mind.

It is one of many queries that have been hopelessly lodged and rattling around in my packed psyche.

This question is the launching point for a lot of things I’m allowing to marinate in my mind. It was pushed to the forefront by a conversation I had on Facebook.

One of those knock-down, drag-out, Facebook conversations.

I’m glad the conversation happened. I’m just not thrilled at the misunderstanding lingering in it’s wake.

The conversation began with a statement that I didn’t realize would be controversial. It’s in the picture below.

I’m going to share a link to the FB thread here so that you can follow the entire conversation if you want. I believe you may derive something beneficial by reading the discussion. I’m not going to repeat the entire thing in this post it for the sake of brevity and precision.

I was trying to make the point, apparently in terms more muddy than clear, that we tend to avoid the power of life in the Holy Spirit. I believe we do this because we’re afraid of where, to what, and to whom the Holy Spirit will direct us.

We prefer boundaries and lines and God’s Spirit ignores them both.

The thread took an unexpected turn.

One of my friends swiftly chimed in that the Spirit must be tested against scripture.

I disagreed.

My reason for disagreeing is that the Holy Spirit IS God. The scriptures elevate the Holy Spirit. The scriptures admit that the Spirit is totally, unencumbered God. The scriptures never elevate themselves in like manner.

My conclusion is that the Holy Spirit, being God and therefore greater than the scriptures, is the test of the scriptures and not vice versa.

It was quickly noted in that conversation that the Spirit would not lead us contrary to scripture. I believe that is an inaccurate way to look at both the ministry of the Holy Spirit and scripture.

The Holy Spirit guides us to something higher and greater than scripture. Think of how Jesus led us in the Sermon on the Mount. The Spirit leads us into a full-fledged, self-engulfing relationship with the Word of God.

The Spirit, in fulfillment of Jesus’ teaching (John 14:12; 16:7 & 12-15), is our advantage and does lead us to greater things.

This doesn’t mean that scripture isn’t or can’t be involved in the process (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Scripture teaches the same thing about the Word of God as the Spirit. The two agree on the identity of the Word of God.

I don’t believe the Word of God is the Bible. But I do believe the Word of God can be found in the Bible and I strenuously and emphatically reject the inglorious notion that if one scripture is found fallible or erroneous that we must toss the baby with the bathwater.

Such is a logical hole in which many Bibliolaters try to corner those with honest questions … many who truly love Jesus Christ … in order to label them as “outside” the faith … in order to force them into compliance with their own contrived ideas about God that fit neatly in their boxes.

This assertion can’t be further from reality.

Let’s dive in to the scripture and see what we find. As we read, listen for the Holy Spirit’s witness. John provides one of the most clear identifications in his first chapter.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

-John 1:1 NASB 95

The scripture tells us that the Word pre-existed creation. Okay, that means the Word can’t be scriptures or any version of the Bible, including the overly exalted KJV.

We also see the Word was both with God and was God. So, the Word of God … is God. So, again, not the scriptures or any version of the Bible. But, John had more to say.

“He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.”

-John 1:2-4 NASB 95

The Word of God isn’t a thing. The Word of God is a living Person.

The Word of God is THE Person who existed “in the beginning with God”. This is an obvious reference to Creation (Genesis 1:1). We see Him, the Word of God, as the Source of all Creation.

The Word of God is life itself.

The Word of God is Light, another reference to Creation (Genesis 1:3). We’re left to ask ourselves just who is this divine Person that is the Source of all existence?

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

-John 1:14 NASB 95

Ah, now we get it! The Word of God is none other than Jesus Christ. If we recall the words of Christ, we realize that He has told us this already.

“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 95

Jesus taught us that we can find the Word of God, Jesus Himself, in the scriptures. He is the Word of God, not the scriptures themselves. The scriptures testify about the Word of God.

Are we, today, committing the same fallacy as the religious leaders in Jesus’ day? Are we elevating the scriptures and missing the very Word of God of whom they bear witness?

In case we didn’t “get” this image, John comes back to this later in another writing.

“He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.”

-Revelation 19:13 NASB 95

John reiterates that Jesus is the Word of God in his final vision in Revelation. I’m drawn to John’s imagery Jesus bearing the title of The Word of God while dressed in a blood-drenched robe. The blood is His own sacrificial blood! His robe is not dipped in the blood of His enemies as so many teach in our day. He conquered this world through His own death, by our violence born against Him.

He became the Lamb we needed to sacrifice.

But His Word is His only offensive weapon.

“From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations …”

-Revelation 19:15a NASB 95 (emphasis added)

Jesus doesn’t strike the nations with violence.

His Word strikes the nations just as it has struck all of us who have surrendered to Him. It is the very sword of the Spirit of which Paul wrote (Ephesians 6:17). The sword of God strikes in our heart, soul, spirit, and mind.

So, truly, the Word of God is Jesus Christ. The title belongs to Him alone. He is the undisputed and undefeated owner of that name.

Yet, the Word of God is also the sword of the Spirit. Well, because both are God.

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

-Hebrews 4:12

The Word of God is living, not dead. He is active, not idle. He is a sword that pierces into our soul and spirit. The Word of God judges our thoughts and intentions.

But, the Word of God doesn’t condemn, He gives Light and Life (John 3:16-17).

An encounter with the Word of God is entrance into a relationship with God Himself.

In summary, The Word of God is found in scripture, but is not bound by it. The Word of God is unlimited and boundless. The Word of God is not confined to scripture while yet also being contained in and testified about within scripture.

I realize these statement are controversial.

Can you trust me when I tell you how difficult this realization has been or me personally?

I’ve thundered from the pulpit about what “the word of God says” to quote any of a number of scriptures while not realized that The Word of God isn’t something I can control or dictate with those same texts.

I’m so fearful that we’ve attempted to define The Word of God by our own little Bible boxes. We’re missing His fullness because we’ve predetermined that He can only do and be what we can proof-text Him to do and be from scripture.

In doing so, we ignore the very scriptures themselves that remind us that The Word of God is higher, more exalted, and more encompassing than anything we can imagine (Isaiah 55:8-9).

So, yes, I’ve transitioned to a different understanding of The Word of God and of scripture. I no longer see the two as synonymous. While one does find The Word of God in scripture, not every scripture is The Word of God.

Go ahead, lob your grenades and scream your chants. Bring pitchforks and torches if it helps you work through what I’m saying today.

Once you’re finished, come and let us reason together (Isaiah 1:18). Allow me to share some of the questions that are leading me to this conclusion.

Does God’s love and respect or eviscerate consent?

Does God’s love and honor or abase human autonomy?

Does God desire only the worship of our heart, soul, and strength, or does He want the worship of our mind as well?

Does God desire our robotic, forced worship or our chosen devotion?

These are only a few of the questions with which I’ve grappled in my troubled spirit. I love Jesus Christ with every fiber within me. Focusing my devotional times on His words and works has also contributed to this path upon which I’m now traversing.

My hope is that you’ll read this post and think. Debate within yourself in the Holy Spirit. Allow Him to lead and guide. It’s exactly what I’m doing as I write this very post.

My view on this is held with an open hand. I’m trusting The Word of God to guide me into all truth by the work of the Holy Spirit. I trust Him to never lead me astray from His character and will.

However, in closing, I’ll admit that this journey is frightening and dangerous. My path leads outside the lines and the boxes those lines have created. Unbound existence is quite terrifying. My hope and prayer is that some of you will do more than simply sojourn at my side, but will walk with me, side-by-side, until I get to where God is leading.

Grace and peace!

If you liked this post, you just might enjoy my book, What He Said: Living the Sermon on the Mount, Transforming American Culture.

You can also follow along with me on my journeys through men’s mental health issues and Christian renovation at the links below:

That’s Me in the Corner – My journey through men’s mental health issues

Xvangelical – My journey through Christian renovation