The Church: The Word of God

Quite frequently, a Protestant will come up with what looks and seems like a great argument for Sola Scriptura. It generally involves only one slight error: the assumption that the "word of God" in the Bible always means Sacred Scripture. This assumption is what makes the argument so compelling. However, keep in mind that according to Church dogma, Sacred Tradition is the word of God ... Sacred Scripture is only part of divine revelation and therefore only part of the word of God. Let's take a look at some Scripture passages.

Isaiah 55:10-11 - " 'For as the rain and the snow came down from heaven, and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish what I intend, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

Luke 3:2-3 - "in the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness, and he went into all the region about the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."

Now for this one, it is important to remember that this word is not written down in Scripture. It is a divine revelation giving to John for him to spread, but he doesn't write it down, he preaches it. There is no mention of writing it down at all.

Luke 4:42-5:1 - "And when it was day he departed and went into a lonely place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them; but he said to them, 'I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.' And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea. While the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret."

It does not say read the word of God, it says hear it. Protestants might say, "well everything Jesus said is the word of God because He was God." And I would agree, but not everything Jesus said is written in the Bible.

Luke 8:11-15 - "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, that they may not believe and be saved. And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but these have no root, they believe for a while and in time of temptation fall away. And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. And as for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bring forth fruit with patience."

John 1:1,14 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheled his glory, glory as the only-begotten Son from the Father."

Here we have an interesting case where the Word is Jesus. It's not the Bible. It's not even Sacred Tradition here. The Word is Jesus.

Acts 4:31 - "And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness."

It doesn't say they wrote the word of God, it says they spoke it.

1 Thessalonians 2:13 - "And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers."

Hebrews 4:12-13 - "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of the soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do."

Hebrews 11:3 - "By faith we understand that the world was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was made out of things which do not appear."

Interestingly enough, this and the one before it seem to be talking about Jesus again, not Tradition or Scripture.

It is clear from these many verses that the "word of God" does not always mean the Bible. Who is to say that other passages that refer to the "word of God" do refer to the Bible.