The Bible as Word of God

We speak of the Bible as the “Word of God.” We think of the “Word of God” often as a "book" with pages which we read and study. And we see ourselves as believers who are people of the Book. This “bookishness” of our faith, sometimes tend to make us think that we are not as privileged as the disciples of Jesus. They had Jesus, they could listen to Him, hear Him ad follow Him. We, however, no longer are with Jesus. We “only” have words of Jesus.

But is is not that simple. Luke begins his first story in his Gospel with the wonderful narrative about two devoted Bible students: Zechariah and Elizabeth, the parents of John the Baptist, receive the announcement of his birth. They are described as observant of “all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly” (Luke 1:6). This is spirituality: they are transformed by their relationship with God. Their relationship with God is determined by God’s word, the law. The words of the Lord shape them, become a reality in their lives and remain the source of their ongoing devotion to God. They “only” have a Bible, but they live wholeheartedly from this Word of God.

Luke’s story about these two people therefore also includes God’s story in their lives. They know the divine words given to Moses. They are inspired by what Moses heard from God and what was later recorded as God’s will to Moses in the Old Testament as part of our Bible. The story about Moses is the heart of the story of Luke and of these people’s lives. In the history of Moses we have two stages: Moses experiences the divine word – and he becomes the messenger who brings this word to the people of God. He is a minister of the word.

But note that there is another “story” in this first narrative: The story of Moses is linked with the story of Gabriel. The angel brings God’s word to Zechariah and Elizabeth. He, Gabriel, tells them, “I stand in the presence of God and I have been sent to speak to you and tell you this good news.” They hear from the angel the Word of God, the Gospel, the Good News. Gabriel heart God’s Word and communicates it to them. Like Moses who received the Word from God, Gabriel also becomes a witness to the Word.

Thus begins the gospel of Jesus- with the Word of God to these two people. It is a powerful word. It transforms them, changes them and they become messengers of the Good News. Long before the birth of Jesus, the Gospel is heard!

We do not “read” a Bible or “merely” study a “book.” We, like the believers in the time of Jesus and like Jesus himself, have the Word of God which changes and transforms people’s livers in an irreversible manner. The Bible as Word of God contains many smaller “Words of God.” Jesus too lives from the Word of God. He preaches from the Word, for example, in the synagogue (Luke 4) and in the Sermon on the Mount. He heard the Word of God, for example, when he was baptized. And he became the Messenger, the one who witnessed to the Word of God and who embodied the Gospel of Good News.

Now Jesus has left, but we still live from God’s word – like people of all times. We have more than a Book. We are not less privileged than people in the time of Jesus. We also can live from God’s Word which inspires us to become messengers.

No wonder Luke adds a prologue to his gospel in which he talks about the words of Jesus which he wrote down. His book is meant to write the words of Jesus in the most reliable manner (Luke 1:1-4). He knew how vital God’s Word was. It was the Word from which Jesus lived – as he testified to Satan during the temptation, which set the hearts of the Emmaus disciples aflame, which made them witness even though Jesus disappeared from their sight and it was the Word which brought the Ethiopian to be baptized and which filled his life with joy.