Word


Word of God

Old Testament passages identify the Mosaic law and the words of the prophets, both spoken and written, with God's own speech. New Testament writers view the Old Testament as a whole as the "oracles of God." Apostles speak with the apostolic authority of God, guided by the Holy Spirit.

Words of God

Spoken Words of God

  • 2 Samuel 23:2-3 - "The Spirit of the LORD speaks by me; / his word is on my tongue. The God of Israel has spoken; / the Rock of Israel has said to me:"
  • 1 Kings 22:8-16 - But Micaiah said, “As the Lord lives, what the Lord says to me, that I will speak.” ... "Therefore hear the word of the Lord"
  • Psalm 119 - "With my lips I declare / all the rules of your mouth." ... "How sweet are your words to my taste, / sweeter than honey to my mouth!" ... "My tongue will sing of your word, / for all your commandments are right."
  • Jeremiah 25:1-13 - "The word that came to Jeremiah" ... "which Jeremiah the prophet spoke to all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem" ... "Thus the Lord, the God of Israel, said to me"
  • Ezekiel 2 - "And you shall speak my words to them, whether they hear or refuse to hear, for they are a rebellious house. 'But you, son of man, hear what I say to you.'"
  • Amos 3 - "Hear this word that the Lord has spoken against you, O people of Israel"
  • Acts 13:32-35 - And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second Psalm, “‘You are my Son, / today I have begotten you.’ (Psalm 2:7) And as for the fact that he raised him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings of David.’ (Isaiah 55:3) Therefore he says also in another psalm,“‘You will not let your Holy One see corruption.’" (Psalm 16:10)
  • Romans 9:17 - "For the Scripture says to Pharaoh, 'For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.'"
  • Galatians 3:8 - And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
  • Hebrews 3 - "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says," (followed by a quotation of Psalm 95)
  • Hebrews 8:5 - "For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, 'See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.'"
  • Hebrews 8:8 - "But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second. For he finds fault with them when he says:" (followed by a quotation of Jeremiah 31:33-34) ... "then he adds," (followed by a quotation of Jeremiah 31:34)
  • Hebrew 10:15-17 - "And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,"

Written Words of God

New Testament affirmations that the Old Testament is the oracles of God

  • Romans 1:2 - "the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures"
  • Romans 3:2 - "To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God."
  • Romans 16:26 - "Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith"
  • 1 Peter 1 - "Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look."
  • 2 Peter 1:20 - "no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation"

Jesus speaks the words of God

  • John 7:16 - "So Jesus answered them, 'My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.'"
  • John 12:49-50 - "For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”