This is why Scripture can honestly be called both the Word of God and the writings of men.
We have a problem here Wansvic.
Please read this post carefully.
You used the phrase "the Word of God" the "Word" means Jesus Christ not a N.T that did not exist, when these letters
were written.
Many seem to think that when they see "the word" that the author is signifying the N.T and that also may not be correct.
There are actually three different Greek expressions that English translations often render as "the word", and they do not
always mean the same thing.
ὁ Λόγος (ho Logos) – "the Word" as a title for Christ (John 1:1, 1:14; 1 John 1:1; Revelation 19:13).
A capital W is appropriate because it is a person.
ὁ λόγος (ho logos) – literally "
the message," "the saying," "
the account," "
the statement," "
the speech," or "
the matter."
This is by far the most common use.
It does not automatically mean Scripture or the New Testament.
When Paul's letters, Acts, and the Gospels were being written, there was no completed New Testament canon.
Therefore, whenever Paul says things like "the word of God" or "the word of Christ," he cannot be referring to a bound
New Testament as we know it today.
I will let AI complete this post due to the lack of time available to step through the occurrences of "the word". In the N.T
or similar phrases.
Instead, the context usually points to one of these:
the gospel being preached,
God's spoken message,
the apostolic proclamation,
Christ's own teaching,
or, occasionally, the Old Testament Scriptures.
Below are several places where English translations may encourage readers to think of the Bible when the Greek probably
points elsewhere.
Reference Common translation Possible contextual rendering
Acts 6:2 the word of God the message of God
Acts 6:7 the word of God increased God's message spread
Acts 8:4 preached the word proclaimed the message
Acts 8:14 received the word of God received God's message
Acts 10:36 the word the message sent to Israel
Acts 11:1 received the word of God accepted God's message
Acts 12:24 the word of God grew God's message spread
Acts 13:5 proclaimed the word of God proclaimed God's message
Acts 13:26 this word of salvation this message of salvation
Acts 13:44 hear the word of God hear God's message
Acts 14:3 spoke the word spoke the message
Acts 15:7 hear the word of the gospel hear the gospel message
Acts 17:11 received the word received the message
Acts 18:11 taught the word of God taught God's message
Acts 19:10 heard the word heard the message
Acts 20:32 the word of His grace the message of His grace
Paul uses the expression similarly.
Reference Common translation Likely meaning
Romans 10:8 the word of faith the message of faith
Romans 10:17 hearing by the word of Christ hearing through Christ's message
1 Corinthians 1:18 the word of the cross the message of the cross
1 Corinthians 2:1 excellency of speech ("word") eloquent speech
2 Corinthians 5:19 committed unto us the word of reconciliation the message of reconciliation
Galatians 6:6 taught in the word taught in the message
Ephesians 1:13 the word of truth the message of truth
Ephesians 5:26 with the word with His spoken word/message
Ephesians 6:17 the word of God God's spoken message
Philippians 2:16 the word of life the message of life
Colossians 1:5 the word of the truth the true message
Colossians 3:16 let the word of Christ dwell in you let Christ's message dwell in you
1 Thessalonians 1:6 received the word received the message
1 Thessalonians 2:13 the word of God which you heard from us God's message that you heard from us
2 Thessalonians 3:1 the word of the Lord the Lord's message
The General Epistles are similar.
Reference Possible rendering
James 1:21 receive the implanted message
James 1:22 be doers of the message
1 Peter 1:23 through the living and abiding message of God
1 Peter 2:8 disobey the message
1 John 2:5 whoever keeps His message
Hebrews 4:2 the message they heard
Hebrews 4:12 the word of God (here the context may genuinely refer to God's living utterance rather than simply Scripture)
John is different
John deliberately uses ὁ Λόγος ("the Word") as a title.
John 1:1
John 1:14
1 John 1:1 ("the Word of life")
Revelation 19:13 ("His name is called The Word of God")
Here, the capitalization is appropriate because "the Word" is a divine person, Jesus Christ.
A general observation
Reading the New Testament in its own historical setting, many instances of "the word" are probably better understood as "the message" or "the gospel message."
This avoids an anachronism in which modern readers unconsciously substitute "the New Testament" into passages written before such a collection existed.
For example:
"The word of the cross" (1 Corinthians 1:18) naturally means the message about Christ's crucifixion.
"The word of faith" (Romans 10:8) means the message of faith that Paul was preaching.
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly" (Colossians 3:16) is naturally understood as let Christ's teaching
and message dwell in you, since Paul was writing before the New Testament canon had been completed.
So while not every occurrence should be changed, a substantial number of lower-case "the word" passages could be translated more transparently as "the message," "the proclamation," "the teaching," or "the gospel," depending on the immediate context. This better reflects the range of the Greek word logos and the historical context in which the New Testament documents were written.
End AI.
1 Corinthians 2:2
For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.
