The
HOLY SCRIPTURES:

The Word of God
or
The Word of Men?

(‘Thus saith the LORD’, or ‘Thus saith _____’)

“Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye” (Mark 7:13).

“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (I Thessalonians 2:13).

“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (II Peter 1:21).

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (I Corinthians 10:31).

“We believe in the infallible, verbal inspiration of the whole Bible and that the Bible is the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice” (Psalm 119:160; II Timothy 3:16, 17). [Doctrinal Statement No. 2 of the churches of the American Baptist Association.]

We hope this booklet will be informative and enjoyable. We think it contains some things that are worthy of giving considerable thought and attention to. We ask that you consider what is written. All scriptures in this booklet are from the King James Version Bible.

The common practice by many, when they quote scriptures, is to say or write something similar to this, “Paul said ..”, or “Peter said ..”, or “Isaiah said..”, or “according to Paul ..”, and then quote a passage of scripture which that particular man was inspired of God to write. This may be the ‘politically correct’ way, the ‘popular way’ and the ‘Bible scholarly’ way to speak about the scriptures, but is it the most scriptural way, the best way, the God-honoring way?

Sometimes one can read Bible study material or listen a long time to Bible teaching and preaching and it would seem as if God had nothing to do with the scriptures. His name may not be mentioned nearly as often as the name(s) of the human writer(s) whom God inspired to pen His word.

More than likely these same writers and speakers would state that they certainly believe that all scripture was given by the inspiration of God, and yet in their writing and speaking they emphasize the human writer more than the Author.

This has been going on for years, and by some well-meaning people. Could it be that this tradition of writing and speaking this way about God’s word is not the best way to give honor and glory to God who inspired every word of the scriptures? Have we been exalting men more than the Lord by attributing to them that which truthfully is to be attributed to the Lord?

We realize that not everyone is doing this. We know that there are those who, in their writing and speaking, do emphasize the scriptures as the inspired word of God, that He is the Author and the scriptures have His authority. They do not emphasize the human writers. We want to encourage these to continue to do this. This gives glory to God.

We have all heard lost people say something like, “The Bible was just written by men, and not by God. It’s just the words of men.” Where could they have possibly gotten such an idea? It hurts us to hear this because they do not understand that the Bible is a divine book inspired of God, and that it is truth. But when we read in Bible study literature, Bible commentaries, and hear it spoken over and over again that “Paul said..”, or “John said..” and very little of “God said in His word..”, then those reading or hearing the lessons, the commentaries and the sermons year after year may begin to think and to speak that way, too, not even realizing it. Thus, the lost person who says the Bible was just written by men, may have read, heard and learned that from God’s own people in the Lord’s churches. We ourselves may be unintentionally guilty of misinforming others, or at least underinforming them by not emphasizing that every word of scripture was inspired of God, that it is His word. Some may take the scriptures lightly, and give little heed to it, because they have read and heard that it is what only men wrote, when they read or hear that “Paul said ..”, etc. Attributing God’s word to men may seem to be logical and pleasing to many, but this has an influence and impact upon the reader’s and the hearer’s perspective, and thus their response to, the scriptures. We should emphasize that the scriptures came from God and that they have His authority.

Consider a few questions: Who determined the words to be in the scriptures? Was it men such as Isaiah, Paul, Peter, John, etc., or was it God? Who decided what would compose the inspired word of God? Are the scriptures what men themselves wanted and then chose to write according to their own desires and will? Is it ‘God’s word’, or is it ‘man’s word’? A very important difference, isn’t it? In II Peter 1:21 we are told that it was ‘not’ by the will of man. Thus, the holy scriptures are not the ‘word of men’, but in truth the ‘word of God’ (cf. I Thessalonians 2:13 above).

We know that God used different men to pen His word, but God is the Author, the source of what was to be written and how it was to be written. God knew each man that He inspired, that He breathed His word into, to speak and to pen His word in writing. God knew each man’s personal life experiences, his upbringing, his education, his range of vocabulary usage, his understanding and ability, etc. God is all-knowing and He knew those men whom He chose to inspire to speak and to pen His word. How else could all the scriptures, every word, from Genesis through Revelation be perfectly harmonious, in total agreement, except there be one Author of it all? How else could every word of God be pure?

“The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times” (Psalm 12:6).

“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him” (Proverbs 30:5).

Would it not be better and make a stronger impression upon people, including the lost, and actually be more accurate, truthful and honest if they could read in the Bible study literature, and hear from teachers and preachers, more of “Thus saith the LORD..” , or, “God inspired Paul to pen these words..”, or “God spoke this through _____ ” emphasizing that it is in truth God’s word and not man’s word, that it is not the word of Paul, nor the word of Peter, nor the word of John, nor any other inspired man of God? We should always emphasize that it is God’s word, the very word of God. This may not be in agreement with the popular way, or the way we have heard others speak and maybe even ourselves have spoken for years, by our tradition. Is change on our part needed because of the way we have spoken about the word of God? Will we change how we present the holy scriptures to others as the word of God and not as the word of men?

Even when it may appear that the human writer is writing words of his own choice, by his own will, the Lord inspired that writer to write those words. One example of this might be Ephesians 3:8, “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;”. This is not a statement that the Apostle Paul wrote by his own will regarding himself. If it was, it would seem as if he was bragging about being so humble. These words were from God that He ‘breathed’ into Paul to write as scripture. These words are the truth of God, not an opinion of a man.

Please carefully and prayerfully consider the following scriptures in which the Lord makes it very clear that the scriptures are in truth His word and not the word of men, though God inspired these men to speak and/or write the words. These men were merely the tools that God used to write that which He inspired them to write. God spoke through them and by them. We see by the many examples in the scriptures that the Lord wants His children to know that the holy scriptures are His word and not man’s word. Note how often it is said that the LORD spake “by” His servants and other such terminology. Please share this truth and teach and help others with it.

-“And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel” (Exodus 24:4). [COMMENT: It was the “words of the LORD” that Moses wrote.]

-“And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses” (Leviticus 10:11).

-“And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live” (Deuteronomy 8:3).

-“Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God” (II Samuel 23:1-3).

-“Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat” (I Kings 12:15).

-“And they buried him; and all Israel mourned for him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by the hand of His servant Ahijah the prophet”(I Kings 14:18).

-“And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite:” (I Kings 15:29).

-“In his days did Hiel the Beth-elite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun” (I Kings 16:34).

-“And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah”(I Kings 17:16).

-“So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son” (II Kings 1:17).

-“Wherefore they came again, and told him. And he said, This is the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel:” (II Kings 9:36).

-“Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD, which the LORD spake concerning the house of Ahab: for the LORD hath done that which he spake by his servant Elijah”(II Kings 10:10).

-“He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gath-hepher” (II Kings 14:25).

-“Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. And he said, Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?” (II Kings 20:19).

-“And the LORD spake by his servants the prophets, saying,” (II Kings 21:10).

-“And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldees, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by his servants the prophets” (II Kings 24:2).

-“Therefore came all the elders of Israel to the king to Hebron; and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD; and they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by Samuel” (I Chronicles 11:3).

-“All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern”(I Chronicles 28:19).

-“So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God, that the LORD might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat” (II Chronicles 10:15).

-“And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD” (II Chronicles 36:12).

-“To fulfil the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years. Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,” (II Chronicles 36:21, 22).

-“Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, ..” (Ezra 1:1).

-“Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands” (Nehemiah 9:30).

-“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar” (Proverbs 30:5, 6).

-“At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot” (Isaiah 20:2).

-“O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you” (Isaiah 21:10).

-“And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it” (Isaiah 40:5).

-“Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth” (Jeremiah 1:9).

-“From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon king of Judah, even unto this day, that is the three and twentieth year, the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened” (Jeremiah 25:3).

-“Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book. And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am shut up; I cannot go into the house of the LORD: Therefore go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD'S house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities. .. Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book” (Jeremiah 36:4-6, 18).

-“But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of the LORD, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah” (Jeremiah 37:2).

-“And I that am the LORD thy God .. I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophets” (Hosea 12:9, 10).

-“In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, in the first day of the month, came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet unto Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD'S house should be built. Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying,” (Haggai 1:1-3).

-“In the seventh month, in the one and twentieth day of the month, came the word of the LORD by the prophet Haggai, saying, Speak now to ..” (Haggai 2:1).

-“Should ye not hear the words which the LORD hath cried by the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, and the cities thereof round about her, when men inhabited the south and the plain?” (Zechariah 7:7).

-“Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:22)

-“But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). [COMMENT: “..every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (inspiration), wouldn’t that be all of the scriptures?].

-“And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son” (Matthew 2:15).

-“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). [COMMENT: Jesus spoke this. Would not “my words” include all of the scriptures? They are His.]

-“For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Mark 12:36).

-“As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:”(Luke 1:70).

-“But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it” (Luke 11:28). [COMMENT: Jesus called the scriptures ‘the word of God’, God’s word. It is not the word of Luke, it is the word of God.]

-“Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus” (Acts 1:16).

-“But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled” (Acts 3:18).

-“Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began” (Acts 3:21).

-“..Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?” (Acts 4:24, 25).

-“And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,”(Acts 28:25).

-“Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (I Corinthians 2:13).

-“Since ye seek a proof of Christ speaking in me, which to you-ward is not weak, but is mighty in you” (II Corinthians 13:3).

-“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (I Thessalonians 2:13).

-“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (II Timothy 3:16, 17). [COMMENT: Since ‘inspiration of God’ means that all scripture was ‘God-breathed’, thus, God breathed His word into the writers who then penned His word. ‘All scripture’ would be all of the word of God from Genesis 1:1 through Revelation 22:21. Thus, it is God’s word, that is, ‘God said ..’ and not ‘man said ..’ .]

-“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;” (Hebrews 1:1, 2).

-“For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. .. Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts” (Hebrews 4:4, 7).

-“The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: .. John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;” (Revelation 1:1, 4). [COMMENT: God is the source of the words of the Book of Revelation. Even though in verse 4 we are told it was John actually writing it down. The process of God’s inspiration of this Book, and maybe others, was: from God the Father to His Son, Jesus Christ; from Jesus Christ to His angel; from His angel to John. Then John wrote what the Lord gave him to write. There were even some things that God forbade John to write. “And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not” (Revelation 10:4). God fully controlled what was written in His word. Wouldn’t it be more honoring to the Lord when speaking about something written in Revelation to indicate that “the Lord said by John”, or “the Lord inspired John to write”, rather than just saying that “John said” this or that?]

-“If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord” (I Corinthians 14:37).

-“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (II Peter 1:21). [COMMENT: Holy men of God were inspired of God as to what they were to write. God chose the words to be written as scriptures. It would be honest to attribute the scriptures to Him. The scriptures may record a lie that the devil spoke, but it was God who determined that this was to be included in the scriptures. The lie would be attributed to the devil.]

Even the words that Jesus spoke on earth were given to Him by the Father, and Jesus acknowledged this:

-“Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things” (John 8:28).

-“For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life everlasting: whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto me, so I speak” (John 12:49, 50).

-“Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works” (John 14:10).

-“For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me” (John 17:8).

These examples do not even include such phrases as, “Thus saith the LORD”, used many times, and other such statements attributing the scriptures to God.

CONCLUSION:

The Lord has made it very clear in the holy scriptures that it is His word, that He determined what was to be written. All sixty-six books, every word in them, were inspired of God. It is His word. He emphasizes this, shouldn’t we?

We should make it very clear when we speak or write regarding the scriptures that it is God’s word. In our speaking, writing, teaching and preaching there should be no confusion or doubt about the source and the authority of the holy word of God. We may need to take time to explain this when we use a scripture. We should not attribute to any man that which truthfully, rightfully and scripturally only applies to God.

To do this we may have to unlearn years and years of what we have read, heard and been taught by those we perhaps held in esteem, but we must always remember judgment is coming and there is only One that we must please. Each one will give an account of himself to God. We are to strive to please Him.

The scriptures are considered by God Himself to be the word of God. Should we not present it this way rather than present it as if it were the word of ____ (the man that God inspired to speak and write what God had given him)?

When referencing a certain scriptural passage we might state, “The LORD hath spoken by ____”; “The LORD said this through ____; “The LORD said this by ____”; “God inspired ______ to write this”; or just, “God says here in His word …”; etc. This wording used for a particular passage of scripture may need to be stated in a certain way to clearly explain it. The emphasis always should be that the scriptures are the Word of God.

We thank the Lord for His word. It truly is an eternal treasure!

Let’s honor the Author of the word of God by attributing to Him the words that He has inspired, the holy scriptures.

“Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it” (Psalm 119:140).

We hope you have enjoyed this little booklet and that it has been informative, helpful and a blessing to you.

“That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord” (I Corinthians 1:31).