The Word vs the word of God

[MountainChristian]

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

vs

Acts 6:2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

Why isn't it "word" capitalized in Acts 6:2?  Is the word of God given to men less than the Word sitting in Heaven? If so, how? Both are perfect, and infallible. Is the Bible a dead book? 

 

[DaveW]

I think it is simply to differentiate between the living Word of God and the written word of God, the former being a person, the latter being a book.

Think of it this way - they could not leave the (person of the) Word of God even if they wanted to, but they were being forced to leave the ministry of the study of the (written) word of God by the necessity of the physical ministering required.

The translators wanted to leave the reader in no doubt of this matter and made a difference of notation.

There is no question that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Word of God, but as you sit in church with a Bible in your hands you do not consider it to be the physical presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in that actual book, do you?

Hope this helps.

[MountainChristian]

Thanks Dave

[eswarden]

On 12/20/2016 at 1:02 AM, DaveW said:

I think it is simply to differentiate between the living Word of God and the written word of God, the former being a person, the latter being a book.

Think of it this way - they could not leave the (person of the) Word of God even if they wanted to, but they were being forced to leave the ministry of the study of the (written) word of God by the necessity of the physical ministering required.

The translators wanted to leave the reader in no doubt of this matter and made a difference of notation.

There is no question that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Word of God, but as you sit in church with a Bible in your hands you do not consider it to be the physical presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in that actual book, do you?

Hope this helps.

This has got to be one of the simplest yet informative responses on this subject I have ever heard! Thank you Dave for giving this for those of us who sometimes struggle to say what we're thinking or explain what we know. God bless you for your ability and willingness to expound in an understandable way without using big words.

Edited January 22, 2017 by eswarden

[Genevanpreacher]

On 12/20/2016 at 0:03 AM, MountainChristian said:

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

vs

Acts 6:2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

Why isn't it "word" capitalized in Acts 6:2?  Is the word of God given to men less than the Word sitting in Heaven? If so, how? Both are perfect, and infallible. Is the Bible a dead book? 

They are two different objects.

One being the source of the other.

The Word, (the Lord Jesus), is the "word" in physical form - while the "word" is the Word (the Lord Jesus) in verbal form.

That's why we call the scriptures the word of God, because they are from God, whose name, in human form, is Jesus Christ.

God's word (the Bible) and God's Word (the Lord Jesus).