Austin Bible Church
To know the will of God, we must know the Word of God. In Hebrews 4:12, “is living” means the Word is alive and keeps on living. The New Testament was written before 96 AD, but every doctrine and every promise is just as pertinent today as it was then. It has always been contemporary. “Active” means it is a source of operational power. Psalms 138:2.
“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, NASB)
“I will bow down toward Your holy temple And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; For You have magnified Your word according to all Your name.” (Psalms 138:2, NASB)
The Word of God is the written Bible and is the mind of Christ. 1 Cor. 2:16.
“For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 2:16, NASB)
In Hebrews 4:12, “sharper than any two-edged sword” means for the unbeliever, the Gospel is the only portion of the Bible that can be understood by the unbeliever. The Gospel is heard through the unbeliever’s soul where the Holy Spirit acts in place of their absent human spirit to make the spiritual Gospel information understandable.
For the believer, Bible doctrine essential for a believer to understand includes the essence of God, Positional Truth, Retroactive Positional Truth, Experiential Positional Truth, Faith-rest, Confession of sin, Spirituality, and the Edification Complex of the soul.
In Hebrews 4:12, “piercing” means the Bible is beneficial because of its penetrating power. “Division of soul and spirit” means the Bible is the only book that differentiates between the soul and the spirit. “Of both joints and marrow” refers to the material part of the believer. The Bible can distinguish, even as the knife of a surgeon can distinguish. Just as a surgeon penetrates, so the Bible penetrates the invisible inner man. “Is able to judge” means the Word of God is a critic of every thought and motive we will have. “Thoughts and intents” refers to motivation and “of the heart” refers to the right lobe of the soul.