[ Testimony ] All Words in the Bible Are God’s Words?

[James Brown]

By Kally
Pastors and elders always tell us that all the words in the Bible are God’s words and that the Bible is given by inspiration of God. As the Bible says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). So, we have been holding the belief that everything in the Bible is the word of God. But today, when studying the Bible together with Sister Qi, I gained a new knowledge of this notion.

When we read several passages of the scriptures, Sister Qi said that there are not only the words of God but also the words of man, of the serpent, of Satan, and of an ass in the Bible. And then she showed the following verses to me.
Genesis 3:1: “And he said to the woman, Yes, has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” This is what the serpent said to Eve.
Job 2:2: “And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” This is what Satan said to God.
Numbers 22:30: “And the ass said to Balaam, Am not I your ass, on which you have ridden ever since I was your to this day? was I ever wont to do so to you?” This is what an ass said to his master.
After reading these verses, I couldn’t help but feel confused in my heart: Right, these are not the words of God but are the words of Satan, of the serpent, and of an ass. Then why did Paul say that all scripture is given by God? Why do the pastors and elders say that everything in the Bible is God’s word? Sister Qi seemed to have read my mind and then shared some knowledge with me.
She said, “In fact, in the Bible, we find that God never said that everything in the Bible is His word, nor did the Holy Spirit testify it. The saying ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God’ only represents Paul’s personal knowledge instead of God’s will. And the belief pastors and elders hold is just based on the words of Paul, not God. We believers in God should view everything according to God’s words.” Hearing this, I nodded my agreement.
She then said, “Now we understand that not all the words in the Bible are God’s words. Then, what parts of the Bible are God’s words? I think it’s necessary for us to clarify this issue.” Thereupon, we continued the discussion.
Sister Qi went on, “In the Bible, only the words spoken by Jehovah God, the words Jehovah God instructed Moses to say, the words God asked the prophets to convey, the words said by the Lord Jesus, and the prophecies God revealed to John in Revelation are God’s words; apart from these, the biographies of man and letters of apostles are all man’s words. They only represent their personal experiences and knowledge, not God’s words, and moreover cannot be said to be the word of God.
“Let’s take a look at all the words that God enlightened the prophets. To differentiate God’s words from prophets’ words, the words of God conveyed by the prophets are always first marked ‘the LORD has spoken’ or ‘thus said the LORD’ according to God’s will. For example, Exodus 16:23: ‘And he said to them, This is that which the LORD has said …’; Ezekiel 5:8: ‘Therefore thus said the Lord GOD …’; and Jeremiah 7:20: ‘Therefore thus said the Lord GOD …’ etc. Aren’t these all facts? Are you able to accept this?” I nodded and answered, “Yes, I can.”
Thank the Lord! Today, I have obtained these gains from studying the Bible together with Sister Qi. Well, brothers and sisters in the Lord, have you also understood these?

 

[GodsGrace]

Hello JB,
Welcome to the forum.

You mention in your OP two different methods of the bible having been written.

One is by inspiration.
One is by God.

The first one is correct.
The bible is written by inspiration of God,,especially the O.T.

It was not dictated by God, word for word.
And the person who told you some words are of man is correct.
Not all the 613 rules in the O.T. were given of God...some were written by man...Moses would be one.

I DO NOT agree that the N.T. are men's words.
They ARE, but still under the inspiration of God...so what would she say is the difference between the O.T. and the N.T.?

In fact, I'd say that the N.T. is a "historical " account which is missing in some stories of the O.T..

 

[Truthfrees]

By Kally
Pastors and elders always tell us that all the words in the Bible are God’s words and that the Bible is given by inspiration of God. As the Bible says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). So, we have been holding the belief that everything in the Bible is the word of God. But today, when studying the Bible together with Sister Qi, I gained a new knowledge of this notion.

When we read several passages of the scriptures, Sister Qi said that there are not only the words of God but also the words of man, of the serpent, of Satan, and of an ass in the Bible. And then she showed the following verses to me.
Genesis 3:1: “And he said to the woman, Yes, has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” This is what the serpent said to Eve.
Job 2:2: “And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” This is what Satan said to God.
Numbers 22:30: “And the ass said to Balaam, Am not I your ass, on which you have ridden ever since I was your to this day? was I ever wont to do so to you?” This is what an ass said to his master.
After reading these verses, I couldn’t help but feel confused in my heart: Right, these are not the words of God but are the words of Satan, of the serpent, and of an ass. Then why did Paul say that all scripture is given by God? Why do the pastors and elders say that everything in the Bible is God’s word? Sister Qi seemed to have read my mind and then shared some knowledge with me.
She said, “In fact, in the Bible, we find that God never said that everything in the Bible is His word, nor did the Holy Spirit testify it. The saying ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God’ only represents Paul’s personal knowledge instead of God’s will. And the belief pastors and elders hold is just based on the words of Paul, not God. We believers in God should view everything according to God’s words.” Hearing this, I nodded my agreement.
She then said, “Now we understand that not all the words in the Bible are God’s words. Then, what parts of the Bible are God’s words? I think it’s necessary for us to clarify this issue.” Thereupon, we continued the discussion.
Sister Qi went on, “In the Bible, only the words spoken by Jehovah God, the words Jehovah God instructed Moses to say, the words God asked the prophets to convey, the words said by the Lord Jesus, and the prophecies God revealed to John in Revelation are God’s words; apart from these, the biographies of man and letters of apostles are all man’s words. They only represent their personal experiences and knowledge, not God’s words, and moreover cannot be said to be the word of God.
“Let’s take a look at all the words that God enlightened the prophets. To differentiate God’s words from prophets’ words, the words of God conveyed by the prophets are always first marked ‘the LORD has spoken’ or ‘thus said the LORD’ according to God’s will. For example, Exodus 16:23: ‘And he said to them, This is that which the LORD has said …’; Ezekiel 5:8: ‘Therefore thus said the Lord GOD …’; and Jeremiah 7:20: ‘Therefore thus said the Lord GOD …’ etc. Aren’t these all facts? Are you able to accept this?” I nodded and answered, “Yes, I can.”
Thank the Lord! Today, I have obtained these gains from studying the Bible together with Sister Qi. Well, brothers and sisters in the Lord, have you also understood these?

the words of God are red in red letter bibles

 

[for_his_glory]

Truthfrees Actually there is a red letter edition of the KJV Bible as my husband has one, but our Pastor had ordered them years ago so I don't know where to order one, but you could probably find it online.

Back to the topic:

Genesis 3:1 Satan is partially quoting what God said in Genesis 2:16, 17 in order to deceive Eve. It was God's word, but only used in part and not the full context.

Job 2:2 is Satan's answer to God's question of where he came from.

Numbers 22:30 God opened the mouth of the ass and spoke through it.

All of scripture is given by inspiration of God for what He wanted written through His Prophets and Apostles. Not every teaching teaching is found in the Bible as one book could not contain all of what God gave to the Prophets and what Jesus taught His disciples, John 21:25.

Thus saith the Lord in the OT is God's spoken words written down word for word. In the NT the red letters are the words Jesus spoke that are written down by the Disciples. The rest that is not red letters are the actual teachings of Christ that the Disciples sat under and were inspired of God to write as they used their own wording, but yet wrote that of what Jesus taught them as they witnessed those teachings and testified of Christ.

Paul on the other hand was taught the law by Gamaliel who was a Jewish law teacher and this is why Paul teaches so much about the law. Paul also proclaimed the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit as he focused on making disciples wherever he went.

 

[Bull of the Woods]

In my opinion the red letters are not more important than the black.
It is all God's Word and His expression to us.
It's like a newspaperman writing an account. The whole story is what he wants to convey to his readers, but he includes quotes of people to tell the story. So on the one hand the whole thing is his story and what he has to say, but it includes sentiments that are not his.

 

[tdidymas]

By Kally
Pastors and elders always tell us that all the words in the Bible are God’s words and that the Bible is given by inspiration of God. As the Bible says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). So, we have been holding the belief that everything in the Bible is the word of God. But today, when studying the Bible together with Sister Qi, I gained a new knowledge of this notion.

When we read several passages of the scriptures, Sister Qi said that there are not only the words of God but also the words of man, of the serpent, of Satan, and of an ass in the Bible. And then she showed the following verses to me.
Genesis 3:1: “And he said to the woman, Yes, has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?” This is what the serpent said to Eve.
Job 2:2: “And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.” This is what Satan said to God.
Numbers 22:30: “And the ass said to Balaam, Am not I your ass, on which you have ridden ever since I was your to this day? was I ever wont to do so to you?” This is what an ass said to his master.
After reading these verses, I couldn’t help but feel confused in my heart: Right, these are not the words of God but are the words of Satan, of the serpent, and of an ass. Then why did Paul say that all scripture is given by God? Why do the pastors and elders say that everything in the Bible is God’s word? Sister Qi seemed to have read my mind and then shared some knowledge with me.
She said, “In fact, in the Bible, we find that God never said that everything in the Bible is His word, nor did the Holy Spirit testify it. The saying ‘All scripture is given by inspiration of God’ only represents Paul’s personal knowledge instead of God’s will. And the belief pastors and elders hold is just based on the words of Paul, not God. We believers in God should view everything according to God’s words.” Hearing this, I nodded my agreement.
She then said, “Now we understand that not all the words in the Bible are God’s words. Then, what parts of the Bible are God’s words? I think it’s necessary for us to clarify this issue.” Thereupon, we continued the discussion.
Sister Qi went on, “In the Bible, only the words spoken by Jehovah God, the words Jehovah God instructed Moses to say, the words God asked the prophets to convey, the words said by the Lord Jesus, and the prophecies God revealed to John in Revelation are God’s words; apart from these, the biographies of man and letters of apostles are all man’s words. They only represent their personal experiences and knowledge, not God’s words, and moreover cannot be said to be the word of God.
“Let’s take a look at all the words that God enlightened the prophets. To differentiate God’s words from prophets’ words, the words of God conveyed by the prophets are always first marked ‘the LORD has spoken’ or ‘thus said the LORD’ according to God’s will. For example, Exodus 16:23: ‘And he said to them, This is that which the LORD has said …’; Ezekiel 5:8: ‘Therefore thus said the Lord GOD …’; and Jeremiah 7:20: ‘Therefore thus said the Lord GOD …’ etc. Aren’t these all facts? Are you able to accept this?” I nodded and answered, “Yes, I can.”
Thank the Lord! Today, I have obtained these gains from studying the Bible together with Sister Qi. Well, brothers and sisters in the Lord, have you also understood these?

I don't know Sister Qi, but she's made the classic interpretive mistake of taking verses of scripture out of context. To claim that because "Satan said these words, therefore it isn't God's words" is interpretive error. The words of even Satan in the context of scripture conveys truth in the context of scripture, and it is God who is conveying truth therein.

So, by saying "all scripture is given by inspiration of God," Paul isn't saying "all words taken out of the context of scripture are God's words." Which is, BTW, the premise behind Sister Qi's argument, and this is what makes it error.

The apostle John wrote "the Spirit is the truth" (1 John 5:6). IMO he is talking about the truth conveyed in the context of what is being said. The power of the truth is in the interpretation, and it depends on a person's hidden agenda (or attitude), whether they will or will not accept the truth in the message.

Be very wary of someone who tries to persuade you that the Bible cannot be trusted as truth in its entirety. I believe in the God who preserved His message of truth in the writings of men who were intent on conveying and preserving that truth.

The apostle Peter considered the writings of Paul in the same caliber of God-inspired scripture as what they had at that time (2 Pet. 3:16). Paul called the scripture "the oracles of God" (Rom. 3:2). It means that prophets of old believed in the one true God, and were intent on conveying the truth about God in the words they wrote.

The point is, the "word of God" is found in the context of scripture, in its entirety, and not in particular words or statements. Even Jesus' words can be expressed in error, and are often misused that way. I don't see Sister Qi saying this. I see her saying that the Bible contains God's word, as opposed to is God's word. It's a classic mistake of someone who doesn't understand it.
TD

 

[for_his_glory]

the whole 66 books of the bible?

if so thanks

Yes, I looked it up and you can get them at Barnes and Noble for around $30. It's called the Sword Bible. I think it only comes in the KJV.

 

[for_his_glory]

In my opinion the red letters are not more important than the black.
It is all God's Word and His expression to us.
It's like a newspaperman writing an account. The whole story is what he wants to convey to his readers, but he includes quotes of people to tell the story. So on the one hand the whole thing is his story and what he has to say, but it includes sentiments that are not his.

It just a help aid to know what parts God actually spoke to the Prophets in the OT compared to them giving second hand what God spoke. If you saw one you would understand as it really brings what God said to life.

 

[for_his_glory]

Sister Qi

Who is this Sister Qi and what is her religious affiliation? (Name of her church)

 

[Bull of the Woods]

It just a help aid to know what parts God actually spoke to the Prophets in the OT compared to them giving second hand what God spoke. If you saw one you would understand as it really brings what God said to life.

If you are speaking of a red letter bible, my usual NIV is.
But, frankly, the language is clear enough I know who is speaking when I am not using a red letter version.
And whatever printer produced it relied on people to do the same. They weren't red letters in the Hebrew and Greek.
I don't have anything against them. Just sticking with my guns. The whole bible is equally of use for instruction and knowing Him.

 

[Christ_empowered]

just jumping in here... 2 Timothy 3:16 is awesome Scripture, here.

I sometimes focus on Jesus' words...because I love The Gospels so much...The OT scares me, but I like to zoom in on THUS SAITH THE LORD...

i don't think the straight from Christ and/or straight from God on high parts are more important per se, but I do think that it helps frame everything else, if that makes sense.

 

[for_his_glory]

If you are speaking of a red letter bible, my usual NIV is.
But, frankly, the language is clear enough I know who is speaking when I am not using a red letter version.
And whatever printer produced it relied on people to do the same. They weren't red letters in the Hebrew and Greek.
I don't have anything against them. Just sticking with my guns. The whole bible is equally of use for instruction and knowing Him.

You're making a mountain out of a mole hill. I'm speaking about the red letters in the OT where God spoke to His prophets. Of course the Hebrew and Greek had no red letters. We know where God speaks in the OT, but the red letters bring it out more clearly. The red letter edition called the Sword Bible is the same KJV version we use today, but only with red letters in the OT.

 

[Bull of the Woods]

You're making a mountain out of a mole hill. I'm speaking about the red letters in the OT where God spoke to His prophets. Of course the Hebrew and Greek had no red letters. We know where God speaks in the OT, but the red letters bring it out more clearly. The red letter edition called the Sword Bible is the same KJV version we use today, but only with red letters in the OT.

I didn't think so. I guess my concern would be the possibility of a reader skipping over non-red words to focus on those in red. The entirety were written with God's direction. All inspired via the Holy Spirit.
It is just a cautionary perspective.

 

[for_his_glory]

I didn't think so. I guess my concern would be the possibility of a reader skipping over non-red words to focus on those in red. The entirety were written with God's direction. All inspired via the Holy Spirit.
It is just a cautionary perspective.

Do you really think people skip over the non-red words to focus on the red words in the NT, I don't think so, so why would they in the OT. No one is going to turn page after page to search out the red words. One has to read all the words whether they be red or black as the Holy Spirit gives them wisdom and understanding of what God spoke in the OT and gave Jesus to speak and teach us in the NT.

 

[Bull of the Woods]

Do you really think people skip over the non-red words to focus on the red words in the NT, I don't think so, so why would they in the OT. No one is going to turn page after page to search out the red words. One has to read all the words whether they be red or black as the Holy Spirit gives them wisdom and understanding of what God spoke in the OT and gave Jesus to speak and teach us in the NT.

I personally know people who do.

 

[for_his_glory]

I personally know people who do.

My question would be why would they do that as you need to read all of scripture. The red words are specifically what God spoke and gave Jesus to speak, but what God gave to the Prophets and Apostles to write is much more than that which was spoken in the red parts of scripture.

 

[Bull of the Woods]

Because they apply a greater value to words attributed to God (Jesus in the NT).

 

[for_his_glory]

Because they apply a greater value to words attributed to God (Jesus in the NT).

There is greater value in that which is spoken more so to that which was told to be written, but yet we need it all from Genesis to Revelation.

 

[Bull of the Woods]

I will stick with the "all scripture" perspective as Paul told Timothy.
But everyone is welcome to value what and how they want.

 

[for_his_glory]

I will stick with the "all scripture" perspective as Paul told Timothy.
But everyone is welcome to value what and how they want.

It makes no difference to me as it's all God inspired scripture, but I personally like where it's emphasized in red letters in the OT that of what God literally spoke as in thus saith the Lord.