The following excerpt was taken from a newsletter I received today. I would love to get your opinion on this. Do you think the Bible has a supernatural power? What do you think the writer means by "self-contained"?I guess I've never looked at the book as having any supernatural power. When Hebrews 4:12 says "The word of God...", I didn't think that meant the physical book , but rather the words God has spoken or inspired. I realize that the Bible is an inspired book...and I do believe there is power in the words...but is there power in the book?
Can you tell I'm kind of thinking out loud here? :-) Maybe I'm misunderstanding the author. I'd love to hear how you read it and what your thoughts are on it.
5 comments:
I'm thinking that this should not be taken in the literal sense. Yes, it has a self-contained, supernatural power: that power being the words within. The message. The power is in the Word of God, not the actual "book" and pages. I love that verse in Hebrews, because it reminds us of how powerful God's Word really is!
That's how I've seen it (Stephanie). I have yet to expierence someone who can take The Word and physically cut and pierce sinners (I guess they'd have to start with themselves anyway):) Not to be overly blunt, but I think it's pretty obvious that the passage is referring to the Bible's words. I didn't see where it referred to the physical book in it's tangible sense to be a sword or any other animate/supernatural object. It's simply talking about the inspired word of a most holy and perfect Creater God. He uses these words to His glory and for the fulfillment of His will and they are supernatural because of the power therein writen. The power of God is limitless and humanly uncomprehedible, and The Bible is God's word.
I agree with both of you. I too believe the power is in fact that the words are God's words. The word "self-contained" in the authors paragraph is what threw me for a loop. I wondered if there were people who believed that the physical book was empowered somehow.
'Course...if you hit somebody on the head really hard with it...
In Hebrews 4:12, "word" is the Strong's Greek word G3056.
G3056
λόγος
logos
log'-os
From G3004; something said (including the thought); by implication a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension a computation; specifically (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (that is, Christ): - account, cause, communication, X concerning, doctrine, fame, X have to do, intent, matter, mouth, preaching, question, reason, + reckon, remove, say (-ing), shew, X speaker, speech, talk, thing, + none of these things move me, tidings, treatise, utterance, word, work.
It's not the "Book" that has power, but the message!"
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