I’m tring to understand why Christian’s use the words “Bible” and “God’s Word” synonymously. It’s not done in the Bible and I find it makes no sense because the Bible teaches nothing of the sort but teaches that God’s Word is living and powerful and it’s called Jesus.

I’m really not questioning authority or origin here; I find 2 Tim 3:16, 2 Pet 1:20 and other passages make it clear that all Scripture is inspired and from God.

Nevertheless, as an experiment, I searched for the words “God” and “Word” in all Paul’s Epistles and extracted the passages where “God’s Word” or “The Word of God” are meant. As far as I can see “God’s Word” can have 2 clear uses:

  1. clearly Jesus
  2. the Gospel

Other uses are unclear (e.g. Ephesians 6:17) but none are clearly referring to Scripture!

Clearly Jesus

For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. – Hebrews 4:12

Jesus, not a book, is living and active and able to discern thoughts and intentions of the heart.

For concerning those who were once enlightened and tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the age to come, – Hebrews 6:4-5

If they were partakers of the Spirit they belonged to Christ and were not just tasters (readers) of the Bible. They had “tasted the good word of God” – Jesus!

By faith, we understand that the universe has been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen has not been made out of things which are visible. Hebrews 11:3

Through Jesus, all was made (John 1:3)

to be sober minded, chaste, workers at home, kind, being in subjection to their own husbands, that God’s word may not be blasphemed. – Titus 2:5

Only God can be blasphemed. God’s Word is Jesus who is God (John 1) and thus here, Jesus is meant.

For it is sanctified through the word of God and prayer. – 1 Timothy 4:5

Things are sanctified through Jesus, God’s Word.

The Gospel

of which I was made a servant, according to the stewardship of God which was given me toward you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden for ages and generations. But now it has been revealed to his saints, – Colossians 1:25-26

God’s Word was hidden? Paul must mean his Gospel or Jesus himself (see also Titus 1:2-3).

in hope of eternal life, which God, who can’t lie, promised before eternal times; but in his own time revealed his word in the message with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior; – Titus 1:2-3

Again, God’s word was revealed later and that means it is Jesus and/or the Gospel.

Blaspheming the Word: A Contradiction?

For this cause we also thank God without ceasing, that, when you received from us the word of the message of God, you accepted it not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God, which also works in you who believe. – 1 Thessalonians 2:13

The word of God is NOT the word of men and thus if the Bible is both God’s Word and men’s word, we have a contradiction with Paul’s statement here.

Unclear

And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the spoken word of God; – Ephesians 6:17

The spoken word of God is the sword of the Spirit.

Can anyone tell me when and why the Church started calling the Bible God’s Word?