The word of God . . . does it exist? If so, what is it? Where is it? How do we find it? How do we recognize it when we find it? They say the word of God is the bread of life. What does that mean?
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The Word of God
48 posts · 6 participants · started Jun 20, 2017, 1:11 PM
The Eternal Son is the Word of God and becomes the “Word made Flesh” during a bestowal mission of mortal incarnation. During the bestowal mission, the Word of God lives among us.
So we can say that the Word of God definitely exists. It all began back in eternity when the Father’s thought found a perfect word of expression. We call that perfect word the Second Person of Deity, the Eternal Son. The Father has the original idea and the Eternal Son has the perfect expression of that idea.
8:0.1 Back in eternity, when the Universal Father’s “first” infinite and absolute thought finds in the Eternal Son such a perfect and adequate word for its divine expression, there ensues the supreme desire of both the Thought-God and the Word-God for a universal and infinite agent of mutual expression and combined action.
10:3.3 The divine Sons are indeed the “Word of God,” but the children of the Spirit are truly the “Act of God.” God speaks through the Son and, with the Son, acts through the Infinite Spirit, while in all universe activities the Son and the Spirit are exquisitely fraternal, working as two equal brothers with admiration and love for an honored and divinely respected common Father.
But then the perfect expression of the Father’s thoughts had a Son who came to earth in human form. John called Jesus the Word.
6:1.3 The Universal Father never personally functions as a creator except in conjunction with the Son or with the co-ordinate action of the Son. Had the New Testament writer referred to the Eternal Son, he would have uttered the truth when he wrote: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by him, and without him was not anything made that was made.”
6:1.4 When a Son of the Eternal Son appeared on Urantia, those who fraternized with this divine being in human form alluded to him as “He who was from the beginning, whom we have heard, whom we have seen with our eyes, whom we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, even the Word of life.” And this bestowal Son came forth from the Father just as truly as did the Original Son, as is suggested in one of his earthly prayers: “And now, O my Father, glorify me with your own self, with the glory which I had with you before this world was.”
John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
So now we know what the Word of God is. It’s a person!
So now we know what the Word of God is. It’s a person!
Do you think it’s possible that we might become like that too? Not like a Creator Son is, but like a human can in his (or her) sphere.
Hahahaha! Not making fun here, don’t go bonkers on me. When I first read your post Enno, I thought it said “like a human can” . . . a tin can . . . sorry. Needed a laugh.
Are you asking if we can become the Word of God in human form like the incarnate Jesus? Let’s see what other people think about that. But what I would like to focus on is why it’s so important to think of the word of God, and the Word of God, as a person.
Ok. You’re right. I was just posting what pops in my head and is really a question I am asking to myself. I don’t want to change the direction of the topic.
For me, it’s important to remember that the Word of God is a person, Jesus for us Urantians, because as a child I was taught that the Bible is the word of God. TUB tells us specifically that the scriptures are not the word of God. Knowing that the Word of God is a person reminds me that the Word is alive and is a source we can individually draw from at any time. We don’t require that it be interpreted for us or read to us by members of the clergy or what have you. We can access it on our own and the Word not only provides help, but listens ….. and cares.
Here’s another quote that sums up the two ideas of the Word being the Eternal Son and made flesh on a bestowal mission:
20:5.1 The Eternal Son is the eternal Word of God. The Eternal Son is the perfect expression of the “first” absolute and infinite thought of his eternal Father. When a personal duplication or divine extension of this Original Son starts on a bestowal mission of mortal incarnation, it becomes literally true that the divine “Word is made flesh,” and that the Word thus dwells among the lowly beings of animal origin.
The quote says it’s “literally true” that the Word becomes flesh. That’s pretty exciting for me because it means that John got it right. How did John know that? There’s a little Greek history that comes into play concerning the Logos, but I’m not sure I should digress. You tell me.
Wow! That’s refreshing. I’ve never thought of Jesus like that.
Knowing that the Word of God is a person reminds me that the Word is alive and is a source we can individually draw from at any time.
Spot on Keryn! You nailed it in my opinion. Jesus is the living Word . . . as I see it.
I’ve never thought of Jesus like that.
Do you mean as the living word or a person who listens and cares?
I’ve always understood Jesus as the living word and that he listens and cares. As far as I’m concerned, he has done and continues to listen and care for me as if he’s with me in the flesh. Which is why I love him so much. My problem is that I haven’t listened to him close enough I’m sure.
Until Keryn expressed it, I don’t think I ever took note how the idea of the Bible being the Word of God was a part of those things I’ve unknowingly intellectually crystallized, as it stands in contrast to the real truth that the Word of God is a person.
Shows ya how much I know.
I suggest another read of Papers 6 & 21 in consideration of the topic! = ) (The Bible is not the Word of God by the way….and neither is the FER. The Bible is written BY mortals, some of whom were inspired in their expressions. The UB is written by time and space celestials who give witness to universe realities as they factually and experientially know them and Part IV is a narrative as told by witnesses and participants of the events.)
So….the way I have come to view the Word is as the expression of God. The first expression (Eternal Son)but also the ongoing expression of God in time and space through the Paradise/Michael/Creator/Master Sons. The Eternal Son (Paper 6) was God’s first utterance or thought expression. “Word” is an expression, whether spoken, thought, or written I think. The Creator Sons aka Paradise Sons (Paper 21) are each a unique expression of the Eternal Son and God who then co-create with the Spirit in time and space creation.
It’s a whole continuum of Word….or the expression of God in Paradise and also in time and space.
We are told that each local universe Michael/Creator/Paradise/Master Son is the representative of God in the Local Universe. To see the Son is to see the Father as representative (or re-presentation) of his nature, his purpose, his plan, his process, and his love for all of creation. Way cool!!
21:2.2 (235.5) When a Creator Son departs from Paradise to embark upon the adventure of universe making, to become the head — virtually the God — of the local universe of his own organization, then, for the first time, he finds himself in intimate contact with, and in many respects dependent upon, the Third Source and Center. The Infinite Spirit, though abiding with the Father and the Son at the center of all things, is destined to function as the actual and effective helper of each Creator Son. Therefore is each Creator Son accompanied by a Creative Daughter of the Infinite Spirit, that being who is destined to become the Divine Minister, the Mother Spirit of the new local universe.
"Live loyally today—grow—and tomorrow will attend to itself. The quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live loyally each moment as a tadpole."
- Bradly wrote: The Bible is not the Word of God by the way….and neither is the FER.Jesus explained to Nathaniel that the Hebrew scriptures were not infallible. They were and are not perfect and therefore cannot be the literal word of God. However, he never denied that God sometimes spoke through prophets. What he did say is that even if God chose to speak through a prophet, the prophet’s written word might not adequately reflect what God actually said. The word of God is a living truth and cannot be crystallized in black and white print. Yet, we currently have an epochal revelation in writing, in black and white print . . . actual written words. So what does that mean to us if they’re dead words. Why bother giving us dead words? Are they really dead?
159:4.7 The authority of truth is the very spirit that indwells its living manifestations, and not the dead words of the less illuminated and supposedly inspired men of another generation. And even if these holy men of old lived inspired and spirit-filled lives, that does not mean that their words were similarly spiritually inspired.
155:6.2 Our Father did indeed speak through Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Amos, and Hosea, but he did not cease to minister words of truth to the world when these prophets of old made an end of their utterances.
101:2.6 2. The revelation of truth, whether by direct personal ministry of the Spirit of Truth, by the world bestowal of divine Sons, or through the revelations of the written word. Outside the box here but:
the word should be expressed on all levels of reality as well? Absoniters – ? Probably no bestowal happening there.
the word should be expressed on all levels of reality as well? Absoniters – ? Probably no bestowal happening there.
I don’t know if you recall, but TUB explains that Havona is the expression of God’s thought into the Son’s word by the Conjoint Actor. Havona is the absonite level of reality.
0:11.1 When the combined thought of the Universal Father and the Eternal Son, functioning in the God of Action, constituted the creation of the divine and central universe, the Father followed the expression of his thought into the word of his Son and the act of their Conjoint Executive by differentiating his Havona presence from the potentials of infinity.
14:6.15 The Havona worlds and their perfect inhabitants are the first and the eternally final demonstration that the Son is the Word of the Father. Thereby is the consciousness of the Son as an infinite complement of the Father perfectly gratified.
I see where you’re going with this Bonita. Is the Urantia Book the Word of God? The bread of life?
I better not tell. It’s a secret.
I see where you’re going with this Bonita. Is the Urantia Book the Word of God? The bread of life?
Bradly already explained that TUB is Not the word of God, nor the Word of God. My question is why have it then? Why bother? What’s the connection between the dead written word and the living Word? We’re told that revelation can come in the form of written words. By definition revelation of truth is living. How is it that something living can come out of dead words? Are they really dead? Or are they only dead on the page until they become enlivened in the soul?
101:2.6 2. The revelation of truth, whether by direct personal ministry of the Spirit of Truth, by the world bestowal of divine Sons, or through the revelations of the written word.
Or are they only dead on the page until they become enlivened in the soul?
Yes. This is what I’ve been trying to say. The words of the Urantia Book are a means to an end. Not an end in itself, which all of us who are studying it know all too well.
I see where you’re going with this Bonita. Is the Urantia Book the Word of God? The bread of life?
Bradly already explained that TUB is Not the word of God, nor the Word of God. My question is why have it then? Why bother? What’s the connection between the dead written word and the living Word? We’re told that revelation can come in the form of written words. By definition revelation of truth is living. How is it that something living can come out of dead words? Are they really dead? Or are they only dead on the page until they become enlivened in the soul?
101:2.6 2. The revelation of truth, whether by direct personal ministry of the Spirit of Truth, by the world bestowal of divine Sons, or through the revelations of the written word.
All good questions!!
An important factor when considering the UB is that so much of its contents are facts of universe reality. Within this presentation of facts are connections and relationships that require mind to associate, discern, connect, and collate to discover and embrace meaning and value….or truth!
But it is not just the mind of reason and insight – it is the entire mind mechanism and ministries which reveal the meanings and the values of causes and effects I think. Those causes require integration….the God caused, the Son caused, the Spirit caused, and the personal free will choice caused effects. The facts of reality may be unknown to us and still we can grow soul and respond to Spirit and find/experience/express Truth, Beauty, and Goodness….this is personal revelation.
But epochal Revelation brings knowledge to reduce confusion, eliminate errors, and provide the foundation for source/destiny/universe reality perspective that delivers the philosophy of living!! Are there more than one philosophy of living? Only on a dark and immature world I think. On a planet in Light and Life, I would imagine the philosophy of living has little distinction from one mortal to another – that is regarding source/destiny/universe reality perspective. Same for the celestial beings in time and space.
An effective philosophy of living depends upon knowledge of factual reality. Okay….overstated. The most effective philosophy of living depends upon knowledge of factual reality to eliminate error and confusion in mind. An ‘effective’ philosophy can be delivered by personal revelation only I presume….as we have determined on another topic discussing the primitive and young child mind which, in this case, also encompasses all minds on Urantia without the factual evidence provided by Epochal Revelation.
Enno – as to the Bread of Life and the Living Waters….pretty sure those are TRUTH as revealed only by personal relationship to the Spirit. Jesus said something about those who starve or die of thirst while surrounded by bread and water. I’ll look it up! = )
101:2.12 (1107.2) Revelation as an epochal phenomenon is periodic; as a personal human experience it is continuous. Divinity functions in mortal personality as the Adjuster gift of the Father, as the Spirit of Truth of the Son, and as the Holy Spirit of the Universe Spirit, while these three supermortal endowments are unified in human experiential evolution as the ministry of the Supreme.
101:2.13 (1107.3) True religion is an insight into reality, the faith-child of the moral consciousness, and not a mere intellectual assent to any body of dogmatic doctrines. True religion consists in the experience that “the Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.” Religion consists not in theologic propositions but in spiritual insight and the sublimity of the soul’s trust.
101:2.14 (1107.4) Your deepest nature — the divine Adjuster — creates within you a hunger and thirst for righteousness, a certain craving for divine perfection. Religion is the faith act of the recognition of this inner urge to divine attainment; and thus is brought about that soul trust and assurance of which you become conscious as the way of salvation, the technique of the survival of personality and all those values which you have come to look upon as being true and good.
101:5.5 (1110.8) Both science and religion start out with the assumption of certain generally accepted bases for logical deductions. So, also, must philosophy start its career upon the assumption of the reality of three things:
101:5.6 (1110.9) 1. The material body.
101:5.7 (1110.10) 2. The supermaterial phase of the human being, the soul or even the indwelling spirit.
101:5.8 (1110.11) 3. The human mind, the mechanism for intercommunication and interassociation between spirit and matter, between the material and the spiritual."Live loyally today—grow—and tomorrow will attend to itself. The quickest way for a tadpole to become a frog is to live loyally each moment as a tadpole."
