Apostle Nelson Joseph Castille
This is a concept that we learn in school. The methods of persuasion: Logos, Pathos & Ethos. Ethos is credibility based (authority & popularity). Pathos is emotional appeal. Logos is logic & reasoning.
I find it interesting that logos everywhere else refers to logic, reasoning, thought, & mentality, but in Christianity it becomes a book. The word Logos doesn’t mean book nor does it refer to anything writing related. The Word (logos) that was with God and was God is the Mentality & logic of God. The Word of God is not nor was it ever a book, nor do the Scriptures call it that.
If we are using Greek, there are a few words that have literary application: lexi & graphe.
Lexi is where we get the word lexicon in reference to a language. Graphe is a word that refers to writing. There is no Lexi or Graphe of God spoken of in scripture. The idea of there being both a written & spoken word is an idea only. It is a doctrine/concept that has no basis in the texts of its claimed inspiration.
Does this mean that texts cannot be inspired by God? No. God can inspire anything. However, being inspired by something & being that something are 2 completely different things. Many will call the Bible the word of God while also agreeing that the Bible is not God; even saying that you need to communicate with God in order to understand it properly. This I’ve always found interesting because the Scriptures say that The Word is God. This is cognitive dissonance in action. I (like most people) were taught that The Bible was the (inerrant, incorruptible, unedited) Word of God. This has never been true but it has been taught so much that people often feel conflicted between what you’ve been taught vs what is the truth. God & history both reveal the truth about the purity/corruption & role of scripture.
God is not a book. That doesn’t mean that you should never read any books or sacred texts. Simply, that the voice of God (direct communication) holds far greater authority than any inspired resource ever could. The text wasn’t given by God so that man could know the difference between God & a deceiver. Texts weren’t used that way even in the Bible. The texts are a resource that can be used. None of them are mandatory for knowing God or navigating life.
The reason for the doctrine is fear & control. People often struggle with the idea of fully surrendering Control to God, so the book gives them some area of control. They’ve surrendered to their interpretation of texts rather than God. This allows them to manipulate their lives & call it God with a clear conscience.
The Apostolic Council 