Topical Bible: The Scriptures are Called The: Oracles of God

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Topical Encyclopedia

The term "Oracles of God" is a significant designation for the Scriptures within the Christian tradition, emphasizing their divine origin and authoritative nature. The phrase underscores the belief that the Scriptures are not merely human writings but are inspired by God, serving as His communication to humanity.

Biblical References

The concept of the Scriptures as the "Oracles of God" is explicitly mentioned in several passages within the New Testament. In Romans 3:2, the Apostle Paul highlights the privilege of the Jewish people, stating, "They have been entrusted with the very words of God" . Here, the "words of God" are understood as the divine revelations given to Israel, encompassing the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings, which collectively form the Hebrew Scriptures.

Similarly, in Hebrews 5:12, the author admonishes the recipients for their lack of maturity in understanding, saying, "For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to reteach you the basic principles of God’s word" . The "basic principles of God’s word" are equated with the foundational teachings found in the Scriptures, which are described as oracles.

Theological Significance

The designation of the Scriptures as the "Oracles of God" carries profound theological implications. It affirms the belief in the divine inspiration of the Bible, as articulated in 2 Timothy 3:16, which states, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness" . This inspiration implies that the Scriptures are infallible and authoritative, serving as the ultimate standard for faith and practice.

Furthermore, the term "oracles" suggests that the Scriptures are not static texts but living words that continue to speak to believers across generations. As the oracles of God, the Scriptures are seen as a means through which God reveals His will, character, and redemptive purposes. This understanding is rooted in passages like 1 Peter 4:11, which exhorts believers, "If anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God" , indicating that the Scriptures are the foundation for all teaching and proclamation within the church.

Role in the Life of Believers

For believers, the Scriptures as the "Oracles of God" serve as a guide for life and godliness. They are a source of wisdom, comfort, and instruction, providing insight into the nature of God and His expectations for His people. The Psalms, for example, frequently extol the virtues of God's word, as seen in Psalm 119:105, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" .

The oracles also play a crucial role in the spiritual growth and maturity of believers. As noted in Hebrews 5:12-14, there is an expectation for believers to progress from the "milk" of basic teachings to the "solid food" of deeper understanding, facilitated by engagement with the Scriptures. This growth is essential for discerning good from evil and living a life that honors God.

Conclusion

The Scriptures, as the "Oracles of God," hold a central place in the life of the church and individual believers. They are revered as the divinely inspired word of God, providing the foundation for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness. Through the Scriptures, God continues to speak to His people, guiding them in truth and equipping them for every good work.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Romans 3:2
Much every way: chiefly, because that to them were committed the oracles of God.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Peter 4:11
If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God gives: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Walking with God
... The scriptures are called the lively oracles of God: not only because they are
generally made use of to beget in us a new life, but also to keep up and ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/walking with god.htm

Confession of the Evangelical Free Church of Geneva. AD 1848.
... by the universal consent of the Jewish people, to whom the oracles of God ... Ghost,
the supernatural change which, in the Holy Scriptures, is called new birth ...
/.../confession of the evangelical free.htm

Disciples of Christ; Sometimes Called Campbellites, or Reformers.
... DISCIPLES OF CHRIST; SOMETIMES CALLED CAMPBELLITES, OR REFORMERS. ... The holy Scriptures
of both Testaments they regard ... read and hear the living oracles, to teach ...
/.../hayward/the book of religions/disciples of christ sometimes called.htm

The Duty of Searching the Scriptures
... God at all, but throw the sacred oracles aside, as ... which make up that volume commonly
called the Bible ... These are emphatically stiled the Scriptures, and, in one ...
/.../whitefield/selected sermons of george whitefield/the duty of searching the.htm

The Doctrine of the Scriptures.
... That the writers of the Scriptures claimed to write ... degree of their insspiration
may be called into question ... from the literal fulfillment of these oracles of God ...
/.../evans/the great doctrines of the bible/the doctrine of the scriptures.htm

On the Sufficiency and Perfection of the Holy Scriptures In
... Peter, when he said, "if any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God." (1
Pet. iv.11.). II. ... They are called, and truly so, "the Scriptures of the Old ...
/.../arminius/the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 3 on the sufficiency.htm

Porphyry's Account of the Responses Given by the Oracles of the ...
... for even these are in the Scripture called gods, not ... Hence the Psalmist in the Hebrew
Scriptures sings, "I ... For through the prophets the oracles of God declared ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 23 porphyrys account of the.htm

That Christ is Very God is Proved from the Fact that He is God's ...
... the Son's nature, if they believe not the Scriptures, let them ... We have called them
in to witness, to put you ... blush, whilst we have also cited the oracles of God ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter xvii that christ is.htm

Of the Creed Sent by the Eastern Bishops to those in Italy, Called ...
... For the Sacred Oracles inform us that in this ... unwrested testimony of the
divinely-inspired Scriptures, among all ... [295] This creed was called makrostichos ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of scholasticus/chapter xix of the creed sent.htm

God's Purpose for his Church
... are the promises recorded in the Scriptures regarding the church ... of warning; and
when they were called to lay ... To them were committed the oracles of heaven, the ...
/.../white/the acts of the apostles/lesson 1 gods purpose for.htm