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Answer
According to Hebrews 4:12, “the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” The “word of God” here refers to the written or spoken Word. The ESV states that the Bible is “living” and active.
Some readers of Hebrews 4:12 compare it to John 1:1 and deduce that the “word” mentioned by the author of Hebrews is Jesus. While it is true that the same Greek word (logos) is used in both passages, in the context of Hebrews 4, it likely denotes a general reference to all that God has communicated (and subsequently recorded). The passage employs personification, but the emphasis is on the written Word and its accompanying divine power to judge. If we interpret the Word as Christ in this passage, we encounter the awkward comparison of Him to a “sword,” a metaphor not found elsewhere in the Bible. Therefore, it is more probable that the Word in Hebrews 4:12 pertains to the written Word, not Christ.
Describing the Bible as “living” signifies that it possesses an inherent vital power. The written Word of God fulfills God’s purposes as stated in Isaiah 55:11. In the context of Hebrews 4, it holds the power to execute God’s judgment. The preceding verse cautions those who disobey God’s Word (verse 11), while the subsequent verse mentions being accountable to the all-seeing God (verse 13).
The Bible stands apart from other books, regardless of the emotional or social impacts they may have, by effecting enduring, supernatural transformation within an individual. “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” «So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. », (Romans 10:17).
Jesus likened the Word of God to seed in His parable of the sower
The Bible, as the living Word of God, is not inert or powerless, as demonstrated by the actions attributed to the Word in Hebrews 4:12: the Bible “penetrates” deep within us and “judges” our hearts and motivations. It is “active,” not passive. Resisting or ignoring the Bible is to our own peril (Hebrews 2:1-3).
We witness the living Word of God in action within the pages of the Bible. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter preached the Word of God, and his audience “were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’” «Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? », (Acts 2:37). Three thousand people were saved that day (verse 41). Later, as the apostles continued to preach, the number in the church grew to five thousand, because “many of those who had heard the word believed” «Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand. », (Acts 4:4, ESV). God’s Word, living and active, does not return to Him void.
The Bible is the living Word of God because it is the message given to us from the “living God” «Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. », (Hebrews 3:12). The God who is alive works in this world through His Word in conjunction with the Holy Spirit, as seen in Ephesians 6:17. Jesus spoke ofThe life-giving property of His words: “The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life” «It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. », (John 6:63). The word of our Lord is efficacious for our salvation and sanctification (Acts 13:48;John 17:17).
Other indications that the Word of God is alive include the facts that it sustains man «And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. », (Luke 4:4), it brings faith «So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. », (Romans 10:17), it has freedom to accomplish God’s will «wherein I suffer trouble, as an evil doer, even unto bonds; but the word of God is not bound. », (2 Timothy 2:9), it can be maligned «to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. », (Titus 2:5), it gives spiritual birth «being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. », (1 Peter 1:23), and it abides within believers «I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. »,
We witness the living Word of God in action each time a sinner repents and turns to Christ for eternal life. The transformed life of a believer serves as evidence of the vibrant, dynamic power of the Bible. Commentator Matthew Henry expressed that the Bible “convicts powerfully, converts powerfully, and comforts powerfully. It humbles a soul that has long been proud, transforming it to be humble; and a stubborn spirit, to be meek and obedient. Sinful patterns, deeply ingrained in the soul as if natural, are uprooted and eradicated by this sword. It reveals to individuals their thoughts and intentions, the depravity of many, the corrupt principles that drive them, and the sinful motives behind their actions” (Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible, Hebrews 4:11-16).
The living Word actively impacts the lives of those who accept it. As the psalmist describes, the individual who meditates on and delights in the Word will be “like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither” (Psalm 1:2-3). Today, the Scriptures are frequently undervalued in favor of human philosophies, personal experiences, or a “new” revelation from God. However, the Bible cannot be disregarded as if it were lifeless or outdated. The Word of God remains potent and very much alive. “We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” «We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: », 2 Peter 1:19.
