The Scriptures

[K2CHRIST]

Too often I see a problem with understanding what the Scriptures are and are not.

God asked people to write things down, and so they did. But they are not the Lord Jesus Christ!

Jn 5: 46,47 For is you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me, But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?

A few things can be understood from the above verse. Again, the books of the Bible which Moses wrote were the writings of Moses! God may have told Moses to write them, but Jesus Christ (who is God the Son) said they were the writings of Moses.

Another thing we should notice, is that it is possible to read the writings of Moses and not believe them!!

And another thing: If you do believe them you will believe Jesus Christ's words. So Moses writings are not the same thing as the Lord words, but rather were written to lead you to Jesus Christ's words. We see that again covered in 2 Timothy. But before I go on to that I want to point out that since the words Moses wrote down are to lead you to the words of the Lord, then they are not the words of the Lord

We call the Scriptures the Word of God, and we might have good reasons to do that. After all God did have Moses write them. Moses may even have quoted God in much of his writings, but God call what Moses wrote the writings of Moses and not the Word of God. Indeed Jesus Christ (the Word of God) specifically pointed out a difference between the words Moses wrote and His words. The writing of Moses should have lead us to His words, but it wasn't happening like it was supposed to. So let's see this gone over again.

2 Tim 3:15,,, the sacred writings which are able to give you wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

So we see the writings are sacred. That is important to understand. And we see that they are able to give us wisdom. And we see that wisdom leads us to salvation. But we also see that salvation is not through the writing but through faith in Jesus Christ.

I can not possible count the number of times I have seen Christian say that the Bible gives them life!!

Even more amazing is that so many time the Christian saying that the Bible gives them life seem to love to quote the above verse to prove it. They obviously are missing the wisdom of the verse!! And that is what happens. We read the sacred writing and miss the wisdom in the verses we just read. And I find something even more amazing. It is the teachers, preachers, and pastors in the church who are so often the ones missing the wisdom of the verse!

A few years ago I was taking a class in a school of ministry. The class was called Bible Practicum. It was supposed to give us an understanding of the Bible for practical reasons. And the person teaching us was telling us the Bible gives us life. This was just one case, and I could give a number of them, but how could you possible miss that the most practical reason for reading the Bible is that is lead you to salvation which is through faith in Jesus Christ?

Now there are certainly more reasons for studying the Bible than just the wisdom that can lead to salvation which is through faith in Jesus Christ, and I want to go over them also, but that has got to be the most important reason. And if any Christian, an especially a teacher of the Bible who had gone through seminary, doesn't clearly understand this; we as the Lord's church have really messed up our teaching!! And we have messed it up, because I've seen this problem over and over and over.

Now Paul continued to give more good reasons for studying the Scriptures, and will look at them. But the first and main point I want to make is that knowing the writing is not the same things as knowing the words of the Lord! The Scriptures don't save us. They point the way to salvation through Jesus Christ!!

 

[K2CHRIST]

2 Tim 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness

This is really nice to know!! We need to use the Scriptures for teaching! But I want to note that it does not say preaching!!

Teaching and preaching seem so very similar to us, but they are not the same thing. It doesn't say that you can't use them for preaching, but this verse does not tell us that. So we can use the Scriptures to teach Sunday school. We can use them to teach this lesson or that lesson, but that is not the same things as hold the Bible up over your head and saying you are going to preach the Bible. This verse does not tell you to do that!

They are also good for reproof and correction. That is to say that if something is being done wrong, I should be able to use the Scriptures to point out the problem.

For example. The Greek word translated Scripture in your Bible is Graphe. If you see the word Scripture in your Bible, you will find that it came from the Greek word Graphe. I don't speak Greek, so I have to look it all up. For the purpose of my Concordance, it show a cross reference number 1124 and a word that seems to be 'ypaon' and my Strong's concordance show graphe, a document, i.e. holy Writ.

I could not find anywhere that it is written to preach the Scriptures. However a couple of verses later we are told to preach the Word.

2 Tim 4:2 preach the word; be ready in season and our of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction

The Greek word we are told to preach in the above verse is logos, not graphe! So if the graphe, the Scriptures, are the holy and sacred writings. Then they are what we call our Bible.. And I don't see where we are told to preach them, only teach them. And apparently, according to the verse above, we are supposed to reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction on this issue. And the writings are supposed to be good for doing that.

So I can not find where we are suppose to preach the graphe (Scriptures), but I do see where we are supposed to preach the logos. The logos is translated "Word" in our bible. But I can not find where graphe was translated 'Word" in my Bible. I did find an explanation of logos in my bible though.

Jn 1:1 In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.

That is Jesus Christ, right? Because it later said that the Word walk among them. And I saw where we preach Jesus Christ. 2Co 4:5

So the second point I would like to make on the Scriptures, is that they are good of study, reproof, correction, but that we don't preach them, but rather we preach Jesus Christ!

 

[K2CHRIST]

Gal 3:22 But the Scriptures has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

There is a reason we don't preach the Scriptures, but rather we preach Jesus Christ! And that is that the Scriptures has shut up everyone under sin. There is also a reason the they shut up everyone under sin, and that is so the promise by faith in Jesus Christ my be given to those who believe.

So we see that the Scriptures are again good for teaching, but we are telling people about the promise by faith in Jesus Christ. That is, we are preaching the promise of life that comes by have faith in Jesus Christ. It is called the good news, or gospel. And mostly what we are told to peach in the Bible is the gospel, although often you will see it as the kingdom of God. But it is the same thing. Jesus Christ is the Lord of lord, and King of kings, and so He is a King with a kingdom. And we can get access to the King and His Kingdom of God. That is the Good News, or gospel message. We preach that. He is called the Word of God because we can hear from Him and His words for us.

Now we, unlike the Bible, also call the Bible (Scriptures, Graphe, Holy Writ) the Word of God, because as we read that they were all inspired by God. God asked people like Moses to write, and they did. But the writing were supposed to give us wisdom that lead to Jesus Christ and His words, which we can get by faith. And that mean salvation to us. It also means access to the King and His words, and thus a Kingdom.

Yet somehow, we have often made it about the Scriptures instead of about the promise by faith in Jesus Christ. Man has historically had a poor understanding of this. And isn't that why God has made sure we still have the writing of men like Moses who were writing down words that were suppose to lead people the words the Lord has for them if they have faith that He exists? His sheep hear His voice, and that by faith.

So to those preachers, teachers, counselors, Christian writers (I read one well know Christian author replace Scripture with Word when quoting 2 Tim 3:16 for his book) and those thinking the Scriptures give us life so that we hold them up to preach them instead of the promise by faith in Jesus Christ, I refer you to the Scriptures and Paul.

Gal 3:2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you; did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law or by hearing with faith?

Gal 3:2 This is

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

K2CHRIST your message has always been about hearing God. As great as that sounds though, most of what else you say seems in error. For example, in this thread you're discrediting the scriptures and say instead rely on the word of God.

For salvation all we should need is to have faith in Jesus and believe in Him. I know this because I've read it in the bible. The bible is good for teaching, reproof and correction. But somehow preaching is something different? Word games are not something of value in my opinion, so if it comes down to the difference between teaching and preaching I'll be direct and say it's a waste of time to differentiate.

For God's word, His non written word. The bible speaks of people hearing God. Paul was healed by someone hearing God and obeying. There should be encouragement with this realization. But until any of us has that relationship with God (and trusts it to be from God instead of something else), until that time we have good stability and growth in the scriptures. After all they still lead to Jesus.

....

To your question. How do we (or specifically me) recieve the Holy Spirit? God gives it to whom he chooses. A follow up question could be asked. How do you know you have the Holy Spirit? If you have an answer to that, then congrats. I have to hope and rely on God. Then trust my experiences that Though God hasn't spoken to me He has indeed been part of my life.

 

[K2CHRIST]

K2CHRIST your message has always been about hearing God. As great as that sounds though, most of what else you say seems in error. For example, in this thread you're discrediting the scriptures and say instead rely on the word of God.

For salvation all we should need is to have faith in Jesus and believe in Him. I know this because I've read it in the bible. The bible is good for teaching, reproof and correction. But somehow preaching is something different? Word games are not something of value in my opinion, so if it comes down to the difference between teaching and preaching I'll be direct and say it's a waste of time to differentiate.

For God's word, His non written word. The bible speaks of people hearing God. Paul was healed by someone hearing God and obeying. There should be encouragement with this realization. But until any of us has that relationship with God (and trusts it to be from God instead of something else), until that time we have good stability and growth in the scriptures. After all they still lead to Jesus.

....

To your question. How do we (or specifically me) recieve the Holy Spirit? God gives it to whom he chooses. A follow up question could be asked. How do you know you have the Holy Spirit? If you have an answer to that, then congrats. I have to hope and rely on God. Then trust my experiences that Though God hasn't spoken to me He has indeed been part of my life.

A few comments:

First I am not discrediting the Scriptures! Show me were I am doing that. I clearly provided Scriptures for all the points I made. But I believe that we might be discrediting God. That is, God says that He stands at the door and if anyone hears His voice and opens the door, He will come into him and eat with Him (Rev 3:20) Do we believe that, or have we discredited God? If we believe what is written in the Scriptures (and I am not discrediting them) then I have to believe anyone can hear from God.

So then those people written about are an example to all of us and not some special people whom God just choose to send His Spirit to. Thus it is me who is telling everyone to seek the Lord Jesus Christ by faith and listen to Him, yet others gives the impression that hearing from God is only for a select few! They have forgotten the it is written anyone! I preach that! So who has discredited the Scriptures and God? Not me. I am only explaining that the Scriptures are not God but are sacred writings intended to point people the our Lord Jesus Christ!

Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door...

That would mean anyone, as in anyone! So who is the Spirit of God sent to? Anyone who hears His voice and opens the door - that's who! But do we believe the writings?

Isn't that what Jesus meant when He told the Jews (Jn 5:47) But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?

Moses, John, Paul, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the others were all trying to tell us to listen to the Lord, and it is recorded in the Scriptures to this say. But we don't We think it is for the other person. So we come to the foot of the mountain of God and say "Let not God speak to us", and we reject anyone trying to tell us different. So it is not I who is discrediting the Scriptures but it is the person who reads the writings and does not open the door to the Lord by listening for His voice. That person dis credits both the Scriptures and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

[Free]

A few comments:

First I am not discrediting the Scriptures! Show me were I am doing that. I clearly provided Scriptures for all the points I made. But I believe that we might be discrediting God. That is, God says that He stands at the door and if anyone hears His voice and opens the door, He will come into him and eat with Him (Rev 3:20) Do we believe that, or have we discredited God? If we believe what is written in the Scriptures (and I am not discrediting them) then I have to believe anyone can hear from God.

What do you mean by "hear from God"?

If you mean an audible voice, we see that prophets and some select others heard from God, those to whom God chose to speak, but nowhere are we told that everyone can hear God in an audible way. Very few have heard God actually speak to them.

Every believer "hears" God's voice by an impression on their heart, and sometimes that is even difficult to distinguish from all the other "voices" that compete for attention.

 

[Edward]

I can not possible count the number of times I have seen Christian say that the Bible gives them life!!

I think this is said with a certain amount of facetiousness. Figuratively it is true, because a man who has never gone to hear a preacher before can pick it up and read it, and pray and find God and be saved...so...that book saved their life! In a manner of speaking. But no, the book isn't God. The book doesn't save on it's own. But it's His Words, and if heeded, lead to Him and to life. The message is life for the message is His...and His words will not return unto Him void. And are truth.

Moses may have written down the Lord's words...but you can bet money that it was dictated to him every dot and every tittle. Otherwise they wouldn't be finding all those bible codes in it.

 

[Edward]

If you mean an audible voice, we see that prophets and some select others heard from God, those to whom God chose to speak, but nowhere are we told that everyone can hear God in an audible way. Very few have heard God actually speak to them.

You're likely wrong about this. I've heard the audible voice of God and I'm nothing special. Everyone can hear God in an audible way...if He has something to say to them and speaks, which is His prerogative and not of our will in the least. He normally speaks to us through the scriptures. If you can't hear God's audible voice, then it means He's not speaking to you right then, lol.

But if He speaks to you, you will hear it. There was no question who it was either. I knew His voice, even though I had never heard it before! (that I can remember)

 

[Edward]

To your question. How do we (or specifically me) recieve the Holy Spirit? God gives it to whom he chooses. A follow up question could be asked. How do you know you have the Holy Spirit? If you have an answer to that, then congrats. I have to hope and rely on God. Then trust my experiences that Though God hasn't spoken to me He has indeed been part of my life.

That's easy Brother. If you have a conscience then that is the Holy Spirit within you. Feeling guilt about something is the Holy Spirit at work, proving that God is with you and working with you...to convict you and lead you into a proper walk without sin, next to Him, with Him and Him in us. Our conscience has to be the Holy Spirit.

I think back to OT days, before the Comforter came. It must have been a seriously dangerous planet at that time with many people out walking around, with no conscience. We've never known that, since we were born after that time.

 

[JLB]

But before I go on to that I want to point out that since the words Moses wrote down are to lead you to the words of the Lord, then they are not the words of the Lord

Moses words are inspired by and spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ, who is YHWH the Lord God Almighty.

That is why He said -

For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” John 5:46-47

All scripture is inspired by the Lord.

He is the Word.

His words are Spirit and they are Life.


JLB

 

[K2CHRIST]

You're likely wrong about this. I've heard the audible voice of God and I'm nothing special. Everyone can hear God in an audible way...if He has something to say to them and speaks, which is His prerogative and not of our will in the least. He normally speaks to us through the scriptures. If you can't hear God's audible voice, then it means He's not speaking to you right then, lol.

But if He speaks to you, you will hear it. There was no question who it was either. I knew His voice, even though I had never heard it before! (that I can remember)

Is the audible voice "audible"? I have heard the Lord tell me things where I thought they were audible, but I don't think they were. Moses took the people to the mountain of God and while Moses heard words, it came across as thunder to the people. So it could not have been sound waves. Saul on the road hear the words God spoke to Him "Saul, Saul, why do you..." but when giving the testimony it seems that those with Saul got something but they were not sure what.

God is spirit. I think He could make sound waves, but I don't think that is what happens. And most of the time His voice comes across in what we tend to call the small voice. Elijah stood in the cave on the mountain and saw the earthquake, fire, and mighty wind, but God was in the still small wind. And that is how it is.

 

[Free]

You're likely wrong about this. I've heard the audible voice of God and I'm nothing special. Everyone can hear God in an audible way...if He has something to say to them and speaks, which is His prerogative and not of our will in the least. He normally speaks to us through the scriptures. If you can't hear God's audible voice, then it means He's not speaking to you right then, lol.

But if He speaks to you, you will hear it. There was no question who it was either. I knew His voice, even though I had never heard it before! (that I can remember)

The point is, saying that everyone can hear God's audible voice is not based on Scripture. It is entirely subjective. Nowhere is it mentioned in Scripture and from the example we have, relatively few heard God's actual voice.

The example we do have is that God spoke through the authors of Scripture. That is our primary source for God's voice.

 

[Not_Now.Soon]

A few comments:

First I am not discrediting the Scriptures! Show me were I am doing that. I clearly provided Scriptures for all the points I made. But I believe that we might be discrediting God. That is, God says that He stands at the door and if anyone hears His voice and opens the door, He will come into him and eat with Him (Rev 3:20) Do we believe that, or have we discredited God? If we believe what is written in the Scriptures (and I am not discrediting them) then I have to believe anyone can hear from God.

So then those people written about are an example to all of us and not some special people whom God just choose to send His Spirit to. Thus it is me who is telling everyone to seek the Lord Jesus Christ by faith and listen to Him, yet others gives the impression that hearing from God is only for a select few! They have forgotten the it is written anyone! I preach that! So who has discredited the Scriptures and God? Not me. I am only explaining that the Scriptures are not God but are sacred writings intended to point people the our Lord Jesus Christ!

Rev 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door...

That would mean anyone, as in anyone! So who is the Spirit of God sent to? Anyone who hears His voice and opens the door - that's who! But do we believe the writings?

Isn't that what Jesus meant when He told the Jews (Jn 5:47) But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?

Moses, John, Paul, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the others were all trying to tell us to listen to the Lord, and it is recorded in the Scriptures to this say. But we don't We think it is for the other person. So we come to the foot of the mountain of God and say "Let not God speak to us", and we reject anyone trying to tell us different. So it is not I who is discrediting the Scriptures but it is the person who reads the writings and does not open the door to the Lord by listening for His voice. That person dis credits both the Scriptures and the Lord Jesus Christ.

You didn't see it? There's a context to it. With your message to listen to God, you've included the distinct view that scriptures are not His word. And arguably that's ... well that's something to consider. The first post hugs the idea of discrediting scripture in order to focus kore on hearing the word of God.

The second post though, it's not just context though.

"I could not find anywhere that it is written to preach the Scriptures. However a couple of verses later we are told to preach the Word."

In the context given there's no difference between preach and teach. Do you see where I'm going with this?

...

We can't all be hearing God unless He talks to us. That's not something we do it's something God does.

 

[K2CHRIST]

Moses words are inspired by and spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ, who is YHWH the Lord God Almighty.

That is why He said -

For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” John 5:46-47

All scripture is inspired by the Lord.

He is the Word.

His words are Spirit and they are Life.


JLB

I understand what you are trying to say, but it doesn't quite match up. Note "For if you believed Moses". For that to be correct Moses, the person, would have to be making a statement! I don't doubt that God was using Moses, nor even that God was giving Moses instructions as to what to write, but for Moses to be believed Moses had to have a will and taken and action to write according to his will!!

You see that if it was as you think, then Jesus Christ could not have said "if you believed Moses." Jesus would have had to say something like 'If you believed the writing of Moses you believed Me'. That way it would have indicated the writings of Moses were His writings, but that is not what Jesus said. You have to change the Bible to get the meaning you want.

And His words are Spirit and they are Life!!! Exactly!!! But I think you might have that meaning wrong also. If you mean that the words written in the Bible a spirit and are life, then everyone reading the Bible has life. Yet we see the above verses were an explanation of an earlier statement Jesus made at the same time.

Jn 5:39 "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life.

So indeed His words are spirit and are life, and not the ink on paper we read and call "the Scriptures". The Jews were thinking like you seemed to imply, and that is that reading and studying the Scriptures was giving them eternal life. Jesus had to reprove them for thinking that way. And so He told them the problem was that they were thinking the Scriptures gave them life, and went on to explain that if they had believe Moses then they would have been listening to His words, which are indeed spirit not sound waves or ink on paper.

Moses certainly hear the spiritual words God had to say to him. And Moses certainly was trying bring people to the Lord so they would also listen to God. And if they had believed Moses, they would have been listening with their spiritual ears and would have hear the word of God which are spirit and are life. But they didn't believe Moses and the writings he pasted on to them. So they didn't listen with their spiritual ears but instead searched the Scriptures thinking in them they had life. What a mistake!!

 

[Edward]

Is the audible voice "audible"? I have heard the Lord tell me things where I thought they were audible, but I don't think they were. Moses took the people to the mountain of God and while Moses heard words, it came across as thunder to the people. So it could not have been sound waves. Saul on the road hear the words God spoke to Him "Saul, Saul, why do you..." but when giving the testimony it seems that those with Saul got something but they were not sure what.

God is spirit. I think He could make sound waves, but I don't think that is what happens. And most of the time His voice comes across in what we tend to call the small voice. Elijah stood in the cave on the mountain and saw the earthquake, fire, and mighty wind, but God was in the still small wind. And that is how it is.

Is the audible voice audible, or in my head. Well, it sounded audible, but we do hear in our head...so...I dunno. But it sure sounded audible. It sure was different than that still small voice. And when I questioned it, it answered me back, so we had a conversation. If someone else was in the room, would they have heard it too? I think they would have but really don't know because no one else was in the room. I call it audible because it sounded audible as compared to the voices in our head when we think and have thoughts. Very different.

 

[K2CHRIST]

The point is, saying that everyone can hear God's audible voice is not based on Scripture. It is entirely subjective. Nowhere is it mentioned in Scripture and from the example we have, relatively few heard God's actual voice.

The example we do have is that God spoke through the authors of Scripture. That is our primary source for God's voice.

First, God's voice is not likely to be audible!! God is spirit, and where in the Bible does anyone ever hear God's audible voice. That may just be your interpretation! Saul on the road to Damascus did not hear an audible voice. We know that because those with Saul did not hear it. They only knew something was going on. And the people Moses brought to the mountain of God heard thunder while Moses heard the words. Both those things are explained by God's voice being spiritual, but not sound waves.

Second of all, God did not actually speak through the authors of the Scriptures! They wrote because He had them writing, but reading and speaking are not the same thing. If you read a book an author wrote, you did not actually hear that author speaking to you!!!

This might seem like semantics but it is not!! If you read a book, any book, that does not mean you know the author!!! If you go out to lunch and have a conversation back and forth with them, then the author would have to be a liar to say He never knew you. But if you just read someone's book and showed up at their house they are not going to know you and might not let you in. And that is the way it is with the Lord. You either start listening to His voice (which is spiritual) and start having conversation with Him so that you come to know Him, or you are going to find out that you never did actually know Him.

Now Moses knew Him. They had conversation back and forth. Abraham knew Him. They had conversations back and forth. Saul/Paul knew Him. That relationship started on the road to Damascus. But those with Saul were not part of that conversation, and neither is a person reading about it. You have to get your own conversation going with Him my friends!

 

[K2CHRIST]

Is the audible voice audible, or in my head. Well, it sounded audible, but we do hear in our head...so...I dunno. But it sure sounded audible. It sure was different than that still small voice. And when I questioned it, it answered me back, so we had a conversation. If someone else was in the room, would they have heard it too? I think they would have but really don't know because no one else was in the room. I call it audible because it sounded audible as compared to the voices in our head when we think and have thoughts. Very different.

Yeah I have had that happen also. The first words I heard from Him "Read Your Bible" were so loud to me that I felt like someone hit me over the head with a 2x4. Still, after reading the Bible I don't think if anyone else had been in the room with me they would have heard them, but they probably would have know something was up. His words are spirit.... and are life. Those words and the relationship there after has save me. I know Him now.

 

[Edward]

The point is, saying that everyone can hear God's audible voice is not based on Scripture. It is entirely subjective. Nowhere is it mentioned in Scripture and from the example we have, relatively few heard God's actual voice.

The example we do have is that God spoke through the authors of Scripture. That is our primary source for God's voice.

No, it's not based on scripture but common sense. It being not in scripture does not mean that people can not hear the audible voice of God if He speaks to them.

Scripture does say that when He comes back that every eye will see Him...now will you tell me that blind people will not be able to see Him?
Of course everyone has the capacity to be able to hear God's audible voice if He speaks to them.

Scripture is the primary source for God's voice. We agree on that.

 

[JLB]

I understand what you are trying to say, but it doesn't quite match up. Note "For if you believed Moses". For that to be correct Moses, the person, would have to be making a statement! I don't doubt that God was using Moses, nor even that God was giving Moses instructions as to what to write, but for Moses to be believed Moses had to have a will and taken and action to write according to his will!!

You see that if it was as you think, then Jesus Christ could not have said "if you believed Moses." Jesus would have had to say something like 'If you believed the writing of Moses you believed Me'. That way it would have indicated the writings of Moses were His writings, but that is not what Jesus said. You have to change the Bible to get the meaning you want.

And His words are Spirit and they are Life!!! Exactly!!! But I think you might have that meaning wrong also. If you mean that the words written in the Bible a spirit and are life, then everyone reading the Bible has life. Yet we see the above verses were an explanation of an earlier statement Jesus made at the same time.

Jn 5:39 "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life.

So indeed His words are spirit and are life, and not the ink on paper we read and call "the Scriptures". The Jews were thinking like you seemed to imply, and that is that reading and studying the Scriptures was giving them eternal life. Jesus had to reprove them for thinking that way. And so He told them the problem was that they were thinking the Scriptures gave them life, and went on to explain that if they had believe Moses then they would have been listening to His words, which are indeed spirit not sound waves or ink on paper.

Moses certainly hear the spiritual words God had to say to him. And Moses certainly was trying bring people to the Lord so they would also listen to God. And if they had believed Moses, they would have been listening with their spiritual ears and would have hear the word of God which are spirit and are life. But they didn't believe Moses and the writings he pasted on to them. So they didn't listen with their spiritual ears but instead searched the Scriptures thinking in them they had life. What a mistake!!

The scriptures are the word of God.


JLB

 

[JLB]

Is the audible voice "audible"? I have heard the Lord tell me things where I thought they were audible, but I don't think they were. Moses took the people to the mountain of God and while Moses heard words, it came across as thunder to the people. So it could not have been sound waves. Saul on the road hear the words God spoke to Him "Saul, Saul, why do you..." but when giving the testimony it seems that those with Saul got something but they were not sure what.

God is spirit. I think He could make sound waves, but I don't think that is what happens. And most of the time His voice comes across in what we tend to call the small voice. Elijah stood in the cave on the mountain and saw the earthquake, fire, and mighty wind, but God was in the still small wind. And that is how it is.

Amen.