What Does It Mean That “What Scripture Says, God Says”?
1. The Principle of Divine Inspiration
The phrase “what Scripture says, God says” expresses the conviction that the Bible is not merely human speech but divine communication. According to the Bible, “All Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). This truth, known as inspiration, affirms that while human authors composed the biblical texts, the Spirit guided them so that their words are God’s words.
Peter explains, “No prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). Inspiration does not erase human personality or historical context but ensures that the message conveyed is exactly what God intended. This double agency—God working through human authors—grounds the authority of Scripture as God’s own word.
The result is that when the Bible speaks, God Himself speaks. As Augustine described, the Scriptures are “letters from home,” God’s voice to His people across time. This principle safeguards the church from treating the Bible as merely ancient literature or human reflection on the divine.
2. The Authority of Divine Speech in Scripture
If what Scripture says is what God says, then its authority is supreme. This principle underlies the biblical conviction that God’s word is binding, trustworthy, and sufficient. Jesus repeatedly affirmed the authority of Scripture, responding to Satan’s temptations with “It is written” (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). For Him, the written word carried divine force.
The apostles also upheld this authority. In Acts 4:25, the early church attributed the words of Psalm 2 simultaneously to David and to God: “You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David.” Paul refers to the Old Testament as “the oracles of God” (Romans 3:2), highlighting its role as divine revelation entrusted to His people.
This authority extends across all of life. The Scriptures are “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). They are not confined to private spirituality but serve as the standard for doctrine, worship, ethics, and mission. The authority of Scripture is thus inseparable from the authority of God Himself.
3. The Human and Divine Dimensions of Scripture
The affirmation “what Scripture says, God says” does not deny the human element in the Bible’s composition. Moses, David, Isaiah, Matthew, and Paul each wrote in distinctive styles, using their cultural contexts and personal experiences. Yet the biblical writers were more than religious thinkers—they were inspired instruments of God’s revelation.
This dual dimension can be compared to the incarnation. Just as Christ is fully God and fully man, so Scripture is fully divine and fully human. Jesus Himself pointed to this dynamic when He asked, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord?” (Matthew 22:43). David’s words in Psalm 110 were both his own and the Spirit’s.
The human authorship makes Scripture accessible, written in ordinary language rather than technical or philosophical abstractions. At the same time, the divine authorship ensures that it is true, reliable, and sufficient. Thus, the Bible is not a record of human search for God but God’s self-revelation through human words.
4. The Communicative Acts of God’s Word
The principle that what Scripture says, God says also highlights the diversity of God’s speech in the Bible. Scripture contains not only assertions but promises, commands, laments, warnings, and encouragements. Each of these is a divine communicative act.
For example, God promises Abraham, “I will make of you a great nation” (Genesis 12:2). He commands Israel, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3). He warns His people through the prophets of judgment (Jeremiah 7:23–24) and comforts them with hope of restoration (Isaiah 40:1–2). These are not merely records of human religious expression but God addressing His people in varied and powerful ways.
Because of this, Scripture is not static information but living discourse. Hebrews 4:12 describes it as “living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.” God continues to speak through His word today, performing acts of conviction, encouragement, and renewal in the lives of believers.
5. The Redemptive Purpose of God’s Speech
Ultimately, the phrase “what Scripture says, God says” points to God’s redemptive purpose. The Scriptures testify to Christ, the Word made flesh. Jesus told the Pharisees, “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is they that bear witness about me” (John 5:39).
From Genesis to Revelation, God’s speech reveals His plan to redeem a people for Himself through Christ. The law, the prophets, the psalms, the gospels, and the epistles all bear unified witness to Him. This is why Paul says the Scriptures “are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15).
God’s speech in Scripture does not merely convey doctrines to be believed but calls people into covenant relationship with Him through the Gospel. It confronts, corrects, comforts, and shapes the church until Christ returns. As Peter describes, the prophetic word is a “lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Peter 1:19).
Conclusion
The principle “what Scripture says, God says” captures the heart of biblical inspiration and authority. Scripture is not a record of human reflection about God but God’s own word given through human authors. It is therefore supreme in authority, trustworthy in content, and effective in purpose.
According to the Bible, God communicates through Scripture with truthfulness, power, and clarity. He commands, promises, warns, and comforts, always with the aim of leading His people to Christ. This principle reinforces the unity of Scripture, the reliability of God’s word, and the centrality of the Gospel.
To confess that what Scripture says, God says is to affirm that when we read the Bible, we hear the voice of the living God. His word continues to speak, transforming lives, sustaining faith, and pointing to the hope of Christ’s return.
Bible Verses on the Principle “What Scripture Says, God Says”
2 Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching…”
2 Peter 1:21 – “Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
Acts 4:25 – “You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David.”
Matthew 22:43 – “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord?”
John 5:39 – “It is they that bear witness about me.”
Romans 3:2 – “They were entrusted with the oracles of God.”
Hebrews 3:7 – “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, ‘Today, if you hear His voice…’”
Hebrews 4:12 – “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword.”
John 10:35 – “Scripture cannot be broken.”
2 Peter 1:19 – “We have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention.”
