As clearly stated in Scripture, Jesus is the Word of God. In John 1:1, we read, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This same Word “became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). In Revelation 19:13, Jesus is explicitly named “the Word of God.” Hebrews 1:1-2 declares that while God previously spoke through prophets, in these last days, He speaks to us through His Son, the one through whom He made the universe, declaring Jesus as the final and fullest revelation of God.

However, there is a growing trend in some churches and denominations to abandon the authority of the Word of God, diluting its importance and power. Paul warns of this when he writes, “But understand this, that in the last days there will come some who, having a form of godliness, denying His power. Have nothing to do with such people (2 Timothy 3:1, 5).”

Rather than upholding Scripture as God’s revelation, those who love themselves and are lovers of money will become increasingly boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will be unholy, filled with hate, unforgiving, slanderous, and lacking all self-control. They will be brutal, opposed to what is good, treacherous, rash, and conceited. Instead of loving God, Jesus, and His Word, they will treat Scripture as the mere thoughts about God written by men for men and with the understanding that God’s word shifts with times and cultures. This drift away from the authority of Jesus raises critical questions about their commitment to Christ and his good news.

Here’s a breakdown of where some major denominations stand on the words of Jesus, the Word made flesh, particularly with regards to His authority, interpretation, and whether Scripture is considered the literal Word of God.

Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) holds that Scripture is God-breathed, and Jesus, as the Word made flesh, fully embodies that divine revelation. They believe in His literal interpretation, with all teachings being divinely inspired and authoritative on matters of faith and practice. And yet, despite their staunch defense of Scripture in their 2022 annual meeting the Southern Baptist Convention issued this statement: “The belief that Jesus’ sacrificial and atoning death grants believers health, wealth, and the removal of sickness… be it RESOLVED, that the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention denounce the teaching of the gospel.” https://sbcannualmeeting.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/2022-SBC-Resolutions.pdf 

Pentecostal (e.g., Assemblies of God) generally hold that Scripture is God-breathed, and Jesus, as the Word made flesh, fully embodies that divine revelation. They consider Scripture to be fully authoritative for belief and conduct.

Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod affirms that Scripture is God-breathed, and Jesus, as the Word made flesh, fully embodies that divine revelation, with a literal interpretation of Scripture where possible. They adhere to a conservative understanding of biblical texts.

United Methodist Church (UMC) generally accepts most Scripture but interprets the Bible within the context of tradition, reason, and experience. Many within the denomination allow for more liberal interpretations, often emphasizing cultural context and non-literal interpretations. During its May 2024 General Conference delegates approved the proposed Revised Social Principles which read as follows:

“Human sexuality is a healthy and natural part of life that is expressed in wonderfully diverse ways from birth to death. It is shaped by a combination of nature and nurture: heredity and genetic factors on the one hand and childhood development and environment on the other. We further honor the diversity of choices and vocations in relation to sexuality such as celibacy, marriage and singleness. We support the rights of all people to exercise personal consent in sexual relationships, to make decisions about their own bodies and be supported in those decisions.”

“We honor the diversity of choices and vocations in relation to sexuality.” could be interpreted as an effort to affirm sexual vocations of all types, including prostitution (where legal) and work in the adult film industry. At the very least, “Human sexuality expressed in wonderfully diverse ways” stands in contrast to God’s commandments on sexual morality and fidelity in union “one with another.”

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) allows for historical-critical methods of interpretation of Scripture. They don’t require a literal reading of every passage.

The Episcopal Church views Scripture as containing all things necessary for salvation but allows for a wide range of interpretations. Many members accept modern critical approaches and do not hold to a strictly literal reading of Scripture.

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Scripture is divinely inspired but does not insist on a literal interpretation of every passage. Scripture is interpreted within the context of Church tradition and teachings, with the Magisterium (the Church’s teaching authority) guiding interpretations.

The Eastern Orthodox Church also believes in the Bible but places a strong emphasis on interpreting it within the context of Holy Tradition. They are cautious about individualistic interpretations and promote a spiritual reading of Scripture.

The United Church of Christ (UCC) often views the Bible as a historical document that reflects the cultural context of His time. They tend to emphasize a non-literal approach to Scripture, focusing on His moral and ethical teachings rather than His supernatural claims.

Unitarian Universalism does not hold that Scripture is the ultimate authority and regards it as one of many religious texts that contain wisdom. Scripture is seen as metaphorical and open to broad interpretation.

Many non-denominational churches, particularly those with an evangelical or Pentecostal leaning, treat that Scripture as God-breathed, and Jesus, as the Word made flesh, fully embodies that divine revelation. However, some non-denominational congregations may adopt a more flexible interpretation, especially if they align with progressive Christianity.

This breakdown shows the diversity of beliefs regarding that Jesus, the Word made flesh, within Christianity, ranging from literal inerrancy to viewing Scripture as a historical or metaphorical document. Jesus says, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).” What we feed on nourishes or poisons both our body and soul. We should be careful where we dine.

But God’s word is more than our daily bread. Scripture, the Bible, the words of Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered, and at its core is the Word of God. Jesus, the Word made flesh, demonstrated the divine power of God’s word. In Mark 4:11, Jesus declares that the secret of the Kingdom of God has been given to us, and at the heart of this secret is the Word:

“The seed is the Word of God” (Luke 8:11). Just as a man who sows to please the Spirit reaps life, so the words Jesus speaks are spirit and life (John 6:63). Everything in the Kingdom begins with a word from God, for by His word, all creation was made (Psalm 148:5).

In this Kingdom, the seed of God’s Word, when planted in good soil—an open and noble heart—produces a crop, multiplying life (Luke 8:15, Matthew 13:23). Jesus teaches that the Word of God, the seed, holds the power to transform and give life to our body and soul, bringing forth a harvest for those who hear, believe, and persevere (Matthew 13:3-8, Galatians 6:8).

As Isaiah 55:11 reminds us, God’s Word never returns empty but accomplishes His purposes. Jesus, the Word through whom all things were made (John 1:1-3), upholds the universe by His power (Hebrews 1:3), and in Him, all things hold together (Colossians 1:17). Through faith, we know that the universe itself was formed at God’s command, and what is seen was made from what is unseen (Hebrews 11:3).

This is the mystery of the Kingdom: God’s Word creates, sustains, and gives life. Jesus, the Word of God, reveals this secret to us. As one seed planted grows into the largest plant in the garden, so too does His Word grow, transforming and giving life abundantly (Mark 4:32).

If you want life, health, healing, shelter, purpose, protection, provision, abundance, blessings, and fellowship with Jesus and the Father, get into the Word of God. Get the Word of God in you. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak God’s Word to you as you read and meditate on it. This is how Jesus lived while He was with us, and it is how He expects us to live with Him.

Jesus is the Word and the final word on the Word. If the Word of God was good enough for Jesus, let it be good enough for us.

Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord (2 Kings 22:8).” When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes and said, “Great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers [we] have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us (2 Kings 22:11-13).

Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants (2 Kings 22:16).

Then the king read in the people’s hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant (2 Kings 23:2) and he broke down the [ritual] booths of the perverted persons—male cult prostitutes, sodomites—who were in the house of the Lord, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah (2 Kings 23:7).

When the Holy Spirit speaks, he convicts us concerning sin and righteousness and judgment (John 16:8). Often He starts by making God’s word come alive in our heart. The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). But for the word to come alive we need to read, hear, and believe God’s word.

In the Book of Kings, a repeated pattern emerges where the spiritual and political fate of Israel and Judah is tied to the character of their kings. Kings who do what is right in the eyes of the Lord read, obeyed, and honored God’s word. In contrast, those who who disregard His word do evil in the eyes of the Lord and lead the people into sexual immorality, idolatry, and child sacrifice(1 Kings 16:30).

King Manasseh serves as one example. He embraced and promoted idolatry. He rebuilt the pagan high places and he set up altars for the worship of Baal. He created an Asherah pole, a symbol of the Canaanite fertility goddess, and placed it in the temple of the Lord. Manasseh also committed the horrific act of sacrificing his own son in fire, a ritual associated with the worship of the pagan god Molech. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, seeking guidance from mediums and spiritists, all of which were strictly forbidden by God’s law. by embracing practices that were an abomination to the Lord, Manasseh’s reign brought spiritual darkness to the people (2 Kings 21:3-9, 16).

If we deny the word of God and treat His word as merely the thoughts and ideas of man—give attribution to others for a work of the Holy Spirit—we bury the word of God and deny its power to change lives. Listen to what Jesus says regarding the Holy Spirit’s authorship of Scripture.

David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared the things of my Father (Mark 12:36, Matthew 22:43).

The Holy Spirit of God, but Jesus Himself!

The Holy Spirit is undeniably the Spirit of Jesus Christ, as scripture affirms. The Spirit is referred to as both the Spirit of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:19) and the Spirit of God (Romans 8:9). This Spirit guides the followers of Christ (Acts 16:7) and is sent by God into our hearts as the Spirit of His Son (Galatians 4:6). Jesus promises His followers wisdom through the Holy Spirit (Luke 21:15), and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom, transforming believers into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:17-18). Even the prophets were led by the Spirit of Christ to foretell His sufferings and glories (1 Peter 1:11).

Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I came to fully carry out the Law or the Prophets and complete the word (Matthew 5:17-18). Truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished (Matthew 5:18). Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away (Matthew 24:35.)

Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit of Jesus

A better way of stating that first sentence could be:

Some argue that the Bible cannot be considered a reliable source of God’s word because it reflects the human authors’ personal insights rather than direct, infallible guidance from the Holy Spirit of Jesus.

“It’s not that God is secretly whispering the words and forcing the biblical authors to write exactly what they wrote. Instead, it sees the biblical authors as human beings and as human beings God is influencing them but they are writing about their reflections, their experiences, their thoughts and their dreams, their hopes and their and their insights into God.”

“Others found stories in the bible simply unbelievable. There is the story of Jonah and the whale.”

And yet Jesus confirms the story of Jonah. “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:40).”

“Or the Ark: you start calculating how big of an Arc would it take to hold two of every kind of animal and you begin doing the calculations and you say, ‘Yeah, if I got to take that literally there’s just no way I can believe that.”

Again, what does Jesus say? “For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man (Matthew 24:37-39).”

“The idea of a young earth or the earth being created in six days. There’s two creation stories and they tell the story in different ways between the two of them.

Speakers are taught: Tell them what you will tell them. Tell them. Tell them what you told them.

The Bible assumes that the sun revolves around the earth when we know that the earth revolves around the sun. Others found violence attributed to God deeply disturbing in Scripture. So did Jesus cleanse the temple at the beginning of his ministry or the end of his ministry?

The Gospel of John records one temple cleansing early in Jesus’ ministry. This event is found in John 2:13-17. The other Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) place the cleansing of the temple at the end of Jesus’ ministry, just before His crucifixion. These accounts are found in Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-18, and Luke 19:45-46. Some religious leaders then, as now, refused to obey the actions and words of Jesus.

Jesus affirms the divine authorship of Scripture by the Holy Spirit (Mark 12:36). His appearance with Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9, Mark 9:2-8, Luke 9:28-36) confirms the continuity of His mission with the Law and the Prophets. If Moses and Elijah had falsified Scripture, it would contradict the purpose of the Transfiguration, where Jesus stood with them to show His fulfillment of God’s plan.

Jesus goes on to say:

“Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; But he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation.

“If it is by the Spirit of God—by the finger of God—that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

“My Father gave to Moses, on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God (Exodus 31:18). Later Moses went down from the mountain, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, tablets that were written on both sides; on one side and on the other, they were written. The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets (Exodus 32:15-16).

“Later my Father said, “Cut for yourself two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke (Exodus 34:1). And my Father wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant—the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28).

“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. Religious leaders say I cast out demons by Beelzebub, but I say, you will give account for every careless word you speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. Therefore your words will be your judges.

“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits (Proverbs 18:21) What comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person (Matthew 15:18).

“Whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:19. Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea (Matthew 18:6).

Judge for yourself whether God lies, whether Moses falsely attributed words to God, and whether the Holy Spirit claims authorship of Scriptures that are actually written by men. But judge carefully, for if you speak against a work of the Holy Spirit and give credit to another, Jesus says, that sin is upon your own head