I recently came across a
troubling article by an Adam Erikson that began as follows,
“Since my family
recently moved to the Portland area, we’ve been looking for churches to attend.
Besides visiting a church, the best way to gain a feel for a church is to visit
their website. Specifically, their About Us page. Since examining church
websites, I’ve noticed some pretty strange beliefs out there. Many churches
have a list of beliefs that are important to them. What is the first belief on
many church websites? The Bible.
On one
church begins its list of beliefs like this:
1.
The Authority of Scripture
2.
The Nature of God
3.
Jesus, God’s Son
4.
The Holy Spirit
5.
Salvation
6.
Nature of Man (Sorry,
women. You apparently don’t have nature … but if you read the description, you
might decide that’s a good thing.)
7.
The Role of the Church
Now,
those are all important aspects of Christianity, and I don’t mean to pick on
fellow Christians, but the order tells us what’s wrong with American
Christianity. We have elevated the Bible above God. It’s time we stop that form
of idolatry. Bibliolatry has no place in Christianity. But, unfortunately, the
Bible has become another god, above the Trinity, above Jesus, above the Holy
Spirit.”
Does
Erikson have a point? We will soon come to learn that the answer to this is a
resounding “No!” or, in true Pauline flair, “May it never be!” If anything, the
church has lost its commitment to the Bible and, as a whole, runs the risk of
the other extremes—i.e. biblical dilution and undermining its authority. Though
it is possible to grow so enamored with the text that one neglects the truths
therein, most who do this are liberal textual critics, not evangelical
believers. In fact, I believe that Erikson’s problem is ultimately with
authority—the authority of God’s divine Word and His divine Person, for, how do
we know of the latter without the former? The two are, in fact, intimately
connected, and, as we will soon learn, to have a high view of God’s written
Word ultimately leads one to an even higher view of God’s Word made flesh (Jesus
Christ) and God Himself.
In an
effort to demonstrate how this works, let us open our Bibles to Hebrews 4:12-13
and examine two teachings concerning the Word of God as taught in Hebrews
4:12-13.
THE WORD’S UNIQUE CHARACTER-4:12
When we last left the book of Hebrews the congregation was encouraged by the preacher
to remain in God’s rest. To do this, the preacher called for church body to be
watchful for unbelievers masquerading as real believers and to be about the
business of encouraging one another (see 3:12-19). These two actions promote a
healthy fear of God and the kind of perseverance that is characteristic of the truth
faith (see 4:1-10). Faith,
according to the preacher, results in glory; disaster follows unbelief.
To reiterate this, the preacher
calls upon his readers once more to make it their business to “attain the
eternal home of the people of God and not miss it” by giving into the kind of
disobedience that characterized the Israelites in the wilderness
(read 4:1-10). He concludes by saying, “Therefore, let us be diligent to enter
that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of
disobedience” (4:11).
How is one to avoid
faltering as the Israelites did in the wilderness? What is given to help the
believer live rightly? The answer is not a miracle, sign, or person,
exclusively, but all of these wrapped up into one—the “Word of God,” “the Word
of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing
as far as the division of souls and spirit, of both joints and marrow” (4:12).
Called “a rhapsody on God’s penetrating word” (Spicq, Theological Lexicon, 3:276-78), this verse “evinces a masterful
literary craftsmanship and has captivated the attention of Christians through
the ages” (Guthrie, Hebrews, 155).
However, this passage does not stand alone in its creative portrayal of God’s
special revelation.
Eph. 6:17-“…the
sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Rev. 1:16-“In
His right hand he held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged
sword;…” (see also 2:12; 19:15).
These verses reveal
that God’s Word is far more than dead or outdated symbols on a page. In fact, the
preacher begins to describe God’s Word as “living and active” in Hebrews 4:12.
But what exactly does this mean? How does ink spilled on a scroll and
then copied/translated into books live and act? The answer can be found in
the nature of language.
All written
and spoken language is living in active in the sense that it accomplishes
several things when it is uttered/given/written. First,
there is the ink on the page or the actual voicing of the words spoken that
constitute the mechanics used to deliver a message (locution). However, if this
was all that language could be, we might believe, contra Hebrews 4:12, that the Word
of God is cold and dry. This is why it is important to understand the intention
behind the words spoken or written. Words are not merely words on a page or
sound waves on the eardrum. When put together in unique configurations, words
produce something more than the sum of their parts—commands, promises, poetry,
dialogue, etc. (illocutions). These phenomena arise from the ink on the page or
voicing given that adds life to language and this, in turn, demands something of the listener or
reader in response to the author/speaker’s intent. In fact, not only is
language written on a page/spoken through a voice (locution) and as a result
intends to do something (illocution), but there is also the effect it has on
the recipient that must be taken into consideration (perlocution). Every speech
act (written or spoken) contains these three components. Such is the view of
proponents of what is called “speech-act theory” (see Vanhoozer, Wolterstorff,
etc.).
“Audrey, do not jump on the couch!” In this speech act, the words formed by the movement of my lips and vibrations on my vocal folds constitute the literal linguistic act (locution). However, in this situation, these
words come together to form a command (illocution)—something meaningful to
Audrey (my daughter). When she listens to these words and responds to the
command given, the intended effect is that she remain seated on the couch
(perlocution).
The language of the Bible works in a similar and yet vastly superior way. Inasmuch as the Bible is the product of
God, it is a perfect speech act in its original form. The original words on the
original parchment scrolls are exceptional mechanisms used to give the literal words
of life and salvation itself. The intentions of the authors (little “a”) and
the Author (big “A”) flow from a perfect will and amazing love. The effect that
this Word has on those who rightly apprehend it is of eternal proportions. The
Bible is alive and presently speaking in this robust way to those who pick it
up and read it. As God’s special revelation to the world and a product of His
holy Character, it is the greatest speech-act of all. It contains the
greatest words with the greatest message that affords the greatest
implications.
Apply speech act theory
to the following message-- “For ‘Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will
be saved’” (Rom. 10:13). Here, the ink spilled on the page in this unique way form
certain letters which, in turn form these English words (locution). However,
given their source and intention, these words come together to form a promise
(illocution), that, if heeded result in eternal life (perlocution). Now that is
a powerful speech act!
However, the Bible as
divine speech act is not only alive because of the nature of language itself,
but also because the “Word became flesh and dwelt among us” in the person of
Jesus Christ. In many ways, God the Father’s Word in heaven (locution) came
down and delivered a message to us in Jesus Christ Himself (His life, ministry,
death, and resurrection understood as God’s illocution), that through the Holy
Spirit’s work takes its desired effect on those who know Him and are obedient
to Him (perlocution). All of these ideas support and inform what the preacher
says when he utters, “The Word of God is living and active…” (4:12).
However, not only does
the preacher say of God’s Word that it is living and active, he also teaches
that it is “sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the
division of souls and spirit, of both joints and marrow…” (4:12b). In other
words the penetrating effect (perlocution) of God’s Word far exceeds the
consequences of other more inferior messages/speech acts. While we might be
changed emotionally, psychologically, or even physically by messages we hear
(whether they be messages of encouragement that build us up or words of hate
that tear us down), God’s Word is able to dive into the innermost depths of the
soul like a sharp sword would cut into the inner part of bone. In other words,
when God’s Word confronts the individual, it cuts deeper than any other
message.
Evidence of the Word’s
penetrating power is witnessed in the first sermon ever given. When Peter
completed his homily in Acts 2 (a stirring message of conviction and judgment),
the Bible says that those in the audience “were pierced to the heart, and said
to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’” (Acts
2:37).
The Word of God cuts
deep and while it can cut through pain to deliver a message of encouragement to
instill peace (as witnessed in it many glorious promises), the image used here
in Hebrews 4:12 capitalizes on the convicting power of God’s Word, that, when
delivered, exposes people’s sin and wickedness. This is especially pertinent to
the immediate context (remember, the preacher is trying to expose unbelief and
disobedience lest the people in the church fall away or fail to enter God’s
rest)
This is confirmed in
the last part of verse 12, “and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of
the heart” (4:12c). God’s Word, when heard or read (locution) is able to
convict someone of their sin (illocution), even the hidden sins of the heart,
and compel that individual to repentance and faith in God (perlocution). In
this way, the Word of God is living and active and sharper than a two-edged
sword.
THE WORD’S UNIQUE CAPACTIY-4:13
The preacher moves in
verse 13 from a discussion on the Word’s unique character to a description of the
Word’s unique capacity. It is here that the connection between the word of God
(little “w”) and the Word of God (big “W”) is solidified, “and there is no
creature hidden from His sight”
(4:13). Though people may never see a
Bible (copy of God’s word) in their life (as Bibles are not omnipresent), no
one will escape the Spirit of the Incarnate Word which is in all places at all
times. All will confront God’s Word in one way or another—either they are
confronted by God’s Incarnate Word through the Spirit or they are confronted by
God’s Incarnate Word through the Spirit AND the written word of God in the
Bible. No one is immune from hearing God’s divine speech-act and no one escapes
the convicting implications therein.
“…all things are open and laid bare to the
eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (4:13b). Not only is the capacity of the
Word of God exhaustive in that all are accountable to it and confronted by it
in one way or another, the Word of God is also thorough in that when one is
confronted by it everything is exposed (externally and internally). The word translated “open” or “uncovered” normally
communicates nakedness . Here, the concept applies to an individual’s complete inability to
hide anything from God’s gaze. As it pertains to the preacher’s thought here in
Hebrews 4, those who have not responded to God’s word in obedience are
spiritually naked, vulnerable before his awesome gaze (Guthrie, Hebrews, 156). However, this image is
pressed even further, especially in light of verse 12’s cutting image, when the
preacher continues and says, and “laid bare to the eyes of Him…” (4:13).
Instead of being just naked before God, people are also cut open before God,
allowing Him to see their innermost parts. Therefore the Word of God is not
just a sword, it is a scalpel.
Think of a medical
examiner or an x-ray technician. These are not only able to see the surface of
one’s body, they also see the insides as well, thereby obtaining a full understanding of
the person’s condition. So too does the Word of God. God’s Word is able to
investigate us internally and externally, thereby exposing our sinful condition
and then prescribing the way to healing.
“Stripped of all disguise and protection, we are utterly at the mercy of
God, the Judge of all” and this we know because of His Word (Bruce, Epistle, 114).
So What?
How now shall we live in lieu of this extraordinary
passage? In fear of the Lord AND His
Word! God’s Word is truly awesome as it is a living organism that communicates
in real time the timeless truths of God which suffer incredible implications.
It is able to expose our condition and direct us to the cure that is Jesus
Christ. For this reason, it should be headed, respected, and believed, not only
in its particulars, but also in general. To be sure, God’s Word, as framed in
this passage is an extraordinary gift from God, that, like God’s Son, divides
all men into believers and unbelievers, the saved and the lost, the sheep and
the goats. My prayer is that this delineation of God’s Word inspires you to
fruitful study of it, rigorous meditation in it, and consistent communion
because of it.
However, one should also recognize that a high view of God’s
word necessarily leads to a high view of Christ—the Word made flesh. To be
sure, and in agreement with Erikson, the Bible is not God, but a witness of
God. However, while it is not a divine person, it is divine product. Everything
that it is and stands for is perfectly realized in the Jesus—God’s greatest
revelation. And yet, the discussion does not stop there either, for, in
exalting Christ, God is exalted—that is the Triune God (Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit). Therefore, to be people of the Word (robustly understood) means to be the people of Christ (God made flesh) which
is to be the people of God. In a unique program of condescension, God humbled
Himself as a man and then humbled His message into words so that through these
words we might know the God man Jesus and as a result know God.
Perhaps when a church lists the authority of Scripture first
on their “about us” page, what they are really saying is that the Bible is the
downbeat to a glorious finale found in and through Jesus Christ. It is the body
of truths that leads to the ultimate truth. It is the most robust way to come
to know the Way the Truth and the Life. It is the divinely inspired and
infallible means for us to be introduced to the Beginning and the End. Having a high
view of Scripture is essential to a high view of Jesus/God. Respectfully,
Erikson, I question whether or not it is possible for a lower view of Scripture to result in a higher view of God. It seems instead that these two entities
rise and fall together.
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