Difference Between The Bible, Scripture And The Word Of God. || Apostle Joshua Selman

Apostle Joshua Selman: Difference between the Bible, Scripture and the Word Of God.

 I need to explain this to you very quickly. What is the Bible? The Bible is a compendium of 66 separate yet related books, written by over 40 authors over a period of 1,600 years apart, from men and women who caught across various works of life.

That means when you read the Bible, you will see that there were carpenters who spoke,  there were shepherds who spoke, there were ordinary servants who spoke, there were kings and queens who spoke, there were nobles who spoke, there were wise men who spoke.  So, it’s a collection of people from all walks of
life. From a theological standpoint, the Bible is broadly divided into two, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament has 39 books and the New Testament 27 books.

Malachi to Matthew, theologians teach that is a span of about 400 years that is called the Dark Age and there are many ages that are referenced as the Dark Age but at that point there was no prophecy, there was no description. The next Prophet that arose officially after Malachi was Prophet John, John the Baptist. After many years, they didn’t even believe there was the prophetic again, suddenly one guy starts shouting from the wilderness, saying “repent”.

When we talk about scripture, I told you scripture means writings but when you talk about scriptures, Bible scriptures, they are called holy scriptures from 2 Timothy 3:15-16. And the difference between the scriptures of the Bible and other writings is that these ones are called Holy Scripture or inspired scriptures. They are not mere writings, they came by the inspiration of God.

So, when we talk about scripture from a believer’s angle and with respect to the Bible, we are talking about inspired writings, is called holy scriptures. In fact, it is also called the Oracles of God. You find that in Hebrews 5:12
So, he’s speaking with respect to the scripture and he calls them the Oracles of God, the speakings of God, inspired communications of God.

Now, let’s talk about the Word of God.

The word of God refers to two things. When you read about the word of God in the Bible, it refers to basically two things:

*The word of God refers to Jesus, the living Word.

John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

This time around, it does not just mean a print material, it’s talking about a person, the Bible calls him the living word of God.

*The word of God refers to the written word which is a compendium of God’s thoughts.

When you say the word of God, you mean a person, Jesus Christ the living Word but you also refer to the word of God as a compendium of the thoughts of God captured in material form(written form) for the edification of the Saints.
The relationship between the word as a person Jesus and the word as a material, a compendium of the thoughts of God. The living Word “Jesus” is revealed in scripture(the written word). When you want to learn about the living Word, you make reference to the written word and then the written word also leads or points us to the living Word.

John 5:39-40 You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

In other words, the scripture on its own does not give you life. The scripture reveals a person. The scripture begins a journey with you that should lead you to the living Word(himself). The intent of studying the Bible is not just to be and remain a theologian. That the study of scripture is a pathway that should ultimately lead you to encounter the living Word himself.

Luke 24:27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

When you study scripture, you are not just learning stories, they are pointers, they converge at a central point, that central point is Jesus. Hallelujah.
When we talk about the word of God;
*You think the thoughts of God that are captured in a material, a resource, a reference, and ultimately those materials point you to an experience, that experience is an encounter with the living Christ and it is only at the point where Christ becomes real that life is transmuted from the word.

Your Bible study will not necessarily give you life until your Bible study leads you into an encounter where the reality of Jesus through the lens of the word becomes furnished upon your spirit.

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