The Word of God is the Will of God

[Twinky]

"The Word of God is the Will of God"

How many times have we all heard that? Who believes it? Some of the splinter groups still proclaim that on their websites and other information.

First, we have to define what is “the word of God”? Do it mean, the entire Bible?

Or does it mean, the prophecies contained in many books?

Or does it mean, the Old Testament? Or just the New?

Does it mean everything that’s in the book known as “the Word of God”, like the bad behaviour of David, for example, in his adulterous behaviour with Bathsheba or the engineering of her husband’s death? Surely that is not the will of God?

For instance:

2 Kings 20:1 (NIV)

1 In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover."

So that was the word of God to the prophet. Was that God’s will? I don’t think so. Because Hezekiah prays and lo and behold, God “changes his mind.”

4 Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: 5 "Go back and tell Hezekiah, the leader of my people, 'This is what the Lord, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the Lord. 6 I will add fifteen years to your life.

But – there is no shadow of turning with Him? That seems to me a complete about-face!

There are many other such examples in the OT.

From the NT:

Acts 5:1 (NIV)

1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. ...

8 Peter asked [sapphira], "Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?" "Yes," she said, "that is the price." 9 Peter said to her, "How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also." 10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died.

That was the word spoken of prophecy. But was it the "will of God"? Who is the author of death? Wouldn’t God rather have had her (and Ananias, when he was confronted) rather to stay alive with the possibility of repentance?

Paul’s address as he sets sail for Jerusalem:

Acts 20: (NIV)

29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.

This happened! Was it the "will of God"? I don’t think so!!

I know we all believe the “good things” (prosper and be in health; healing, etc, not to mention the return of the Lord Jesus Christ and all the stuff in Revelation) and accept those as “the will of God” – but do we accept the bad things that are foretold also as being “the will of God”?

What I’m saying, basically, is that this cute little phrase that slides so nicely off the tongue sometimes conceals more than it reveals. I’m just being a bit provocative here. I know what I believe, and I know what (who) I believe God to be and what he is willing to do.

Do we think, ie, engage brain, about this phrase??

(edited because some of the punctuation came out strangely)

Edited March 26, 2008 by Twinky

[Ham]

I think in a practical sense, it's "the word of gawd (as WE understand it) is da will of gawd.."

No supposed contradictions, or errors.. in OUR understanding anyway..

add to this, those of different beliefs supposedly "logically" come to their conclusions as well. "We" can't find a trinity anywhere in the bible, "they" seem to see it everywhere..

[excathedra]

i have no idea but i'm thinking no

[waysider]

I googled the quotation and found this:

http://thefellowshipofgodsword.org/

[excathedra]

okay then

rightly divide i got it now

please tell me rev. merkel isn't paul merkel

[waysider]

okay then

rightly divide i got it now

please tell me rev. merkel isn't paul merkel

http://thefellowshipofgodsword.org/aboutus.htm

http://thefellowshipofgodsword.org/Oct_7.html

http://thefellowshipofgodsword.org/Oct_14.html

Edited March 27, 2008 by waysider

[penworks]

I e-mailed them and asked whether Paul Mek@l was affiliated with them. I knew him back in the Way Corps in 1972. If I get a reply, I'll post it here.

[penworks]

Remember that VPW got the idea that the Bible was the Word of God and that it was the will of God from Rosalind Rinker waaayyy back. Keep in mind that she came out of the tradition of Fundamentalism which has as one of its main tenants that the Bible (N.T. canon established in the 4th century A.D.) is the Word of God.

There's plenty of info in books you can find in the library and on web sites that explain the history of the N.T. canon, as well as the formation of the O.T. canon. This subject is critical to any study of the Bible, as far as I'm concerned, yet is ignored by most people who are glib when they parrot the phrase that the Bible is the Word of God. Just exactly what they mean is up for grabs. If you pin them down, they usually give you lots of circlular logic in response...they usually are uninformed about what they're referring to exactly...

[waysider]

I want to state for the record that I do not know these people on the site that I linked to, though the names sound vaguely familiar. I found this site purely by chance. I have no quarrel with them whatsoever.

Heck, for all I know, maybe they even post here.

But, holy cow!

Anybody who doesn't think our thoughts were controlled, ought to give this stuff a very close listen.

Much of it is either straight out of PFAL or some other Way class or teaching.

Sure it's been updated to appeal to current tastes but the essence is clearly there.

The focal point is "The Word".

(As defined by whom, of course, is a vital concern.)

Yes, God and Jesus Christ are mentioned but only as supportive reference.

These people are attempting to build an entire "ministry" not around God or Jesus Christ, but around the catch phrase "The word of God is the will of God".

In my heart, I like to think of myself as a musician.

And, you know, there are about a gazillion ways you can interpret Take The A-Train.

Play it fast, play it slow, play it in a minor key, make it a polka, do it reggae style, whatever.

It's still really Take The A-Train.