The Nugget:
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
My Comment:
The Bible calls itself the word of God again in this passage (Hebrews 4:12). The Word of God is alive and powerful. It accomplishes what God intends when we read it or share it. It does not return void. It is sharper than any two-edged sword. It is a powerful spiritual weapon. No wonder the Bible has largely been removed from our public schools and the public square. And no wonder the results have been disastrous in terms of the morality prevalent in our society. The Word of God brings conviction to those who hear it, and salvation to those who receive and believe it. The Word of God changes lives. Yet, even if the secular powers that be are not in favor of the Bible having significant public exposure and influence in our society, we can still be used of God by sharing His written Word with others one on one, and its full impact can still be realized in our day.
For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:
(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 1427 for Hebrews 4:12.
(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 1446 or in Logos 5 Bible software for Hebrews 4:12.
(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:
Hebrews 4:12. the word of God. Gr. logos, Mk 9:32n. He %6:5 & 11:3 (Gr. rhēma). *13:7. Jb +*23:12. Ps 119:96. Is *40:8. *49:2. Je +*15:16. *23:29. Ho 6:5. Mt *4:4-10. Lk 8:11. Ac *4:31. 16:32. Ro 7:14. +9:6. +*10:17. 2 C *2:17. +*4:2. Ep *6:17. Ph 2:16. Col +*3:16. 2 T +**3:15, 16. 1 P **1:23. 1 J 5:7. Re *20:4. is quick. or, living. Gr. zaō (S#2198g, 2 C 1:8). T#1029. He 3:12. 10:31. Dt 32:47. Ps 110:2. +*119:50, 130. Ec 12:11. Is **55:11. Je **23:29. Jn 6:51, 63, 68. Ac 7:38. Ro +*1:16. 1 C 1:24. 2 C *10:4, 5. Ph 2:16. 1 Th **2:13. Ja **1:18. 1 P +*1:23. 2:4, 5g. powerful. Gr. energēs (S#1756g, Phm 6). Ps 19:8. Je 23:29. Ho 6:5. Mt 7:29. Mk 1:22. Lk *4:32. Ro *1:16. 1 C 1:18, 24. *16:9g. 2 C 10:4, 5. 1 Th **2:13. 2 Th 2:8. Phm 6. sharper. Gr. tomōteros (S#5114g, only here), to cut, as if by a single stroke (see Strong). Ps 45:3. 57:4. 59:7. 64:3. *149:6. Pr *5:4. Is *11:4. *49:2. 51:16. Ho 6:5. Ac *2:37. *5:33. Ep *6:17. Re *1:16. *2:16. *19:15, 21. twoedged. Gr. distomos (S#1366g, only here and Re 1:16; 2:12). He %11:34. Jg 3:16. Ps +149:6. Pr 5:4. Lk %21:24. 2 C 2:15, 16. Re 1:16g. 2:12g. sword. Gr. machaira (S#3162g, Ro 8:35). Jsh 11:11. 1 S 21:9. Ps 57:4. 59:7. 64:3. Is 49:2. Zc 9:13. Ep 6:17g. Re 19:15. piercing. Nu 5:18. 1 K 10:3. 2 Ch 9:2. Ac 2:37. *16:14, 32. 26:27, 28. dividing asunder. Gr. merismos (S#3311g, only here and He 2:4). This clause is often popularly understood to support “trichotomy,” the doctrine that “soul” is distinct and discrete from “spirit,” and that man is a trinity consisting of body, soul, and spirit. There can be no proper analogy drawn between the Divine Trinity of the Godhead who are equal in power and glory and of the same substance, and an alleged trinity in the human nature of body, soul and spirit, for to which Person of the Trinity shall “body” be equated, when the body is considered inferior to the soul and spirit? Likewise, soul being considered inferior to spirit, to which Person of the Trinity shall each be equated? The analogy, when pressed, breaks down immediately, and if held, is a fruitful source of heresy, as it has been throughout church history, though not all trichotomists are heretics! Elsewhere in Scripture man is consistently spoken of as “dichotomous” (Ro +*8:10n; Mt 6:25. Ja 2:26), consisting of two elements, body and soul, sometimes expressed body and spirit, the soul and spirit being the same element (Ge +2:7n). Here, the text in the original does not say soul is divided from spirit, but that soul and spirit are divided from the joints and marrow, speaking of man as dichotomous. Others understand the text to mean “the piercing of the soul and the spirit, even to their joints and marrow” (Strong, Systematic Theology, p. 485), and point out it is not stated that there is a “dividing between soul and spirit” but a dividing of, indicated in Greek by “a series of genitives, each one in itself naming something which is divided” (J. Oliver Buswell, A Systematic Theology of the Christian Religion, Vol. 1, p. 243). See related notes (Ge 2:7n. 1 Th 5:23n). Ge +2:7. 15:17. Ro +8:10. 1 C 15:44. Ph 1:27. 1 Th +5:23n. Ju 19. soul. Gr. psychē, Mt +10:28. 1 C 2:14. 15:45. Ja 3:15. Ju 19. spirit. Gr. pneuma, FS121A3, Mt +27:50. Pr 20:27. 1 C +*2:11. 1 Th +5:23n. joints and marrow. Pr 20:27. Jn 2:25. and is a discerner. Gr. kritikos (S#2924g, only here), decisive (“critical”), that is, discriminative (Strong). Ps *139:2, 4. Is 11:4. Je +*17:10. Am +*5:12. Mt 22:11. *23:28. Jn 12:48. 1 C 4:5. *14:24, 25. Ep *5:13. Re *2:23. thoughts. Gr. enthumēsis [(S#1761g), deliberation (Strong): Rendered (1) thought: Mt 9:4. 12:25. He 4:12. (2) device: Ac 17:29]. Jb +*42:2. Is 30:28. *66:18. Ml +**3:16. Mt 1:20. 9:4. Mk 8:17. Lk 5:22. Jn 8:7. Ac 8:22. intents. Gr. ennoia (S#1771g, only here and 1 P 4:1), thoughtfulness, that is, moral understanding (Strong). Mk 3:17. Lk 18:4. Jn 5:42. 1 P 4:1g. of the heart. ver. 7. He 3:8, 10, 12, 15. 8:10. 10:16, 22. 13:9. 1 Ch 29:17. 2 Ch 1:11. Ps 44:21. 90:8. 95:8, 10. Pr 24:12. Je 31:33. Lk 24:32.
heb 4.12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged
sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and
marrpw. and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Father, i need your guidance and help today. speak to me through your
word. help me to understand and to obey.
encouraging cross references some of my favorites
1. heb 13.7 remember them which have spoken unto the word of God:
whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.
2.ac 4.31 and when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they
were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit,
and they spake the word of God with boldness.
3. 2 co 2.17 for we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but
as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.
4. psm 119.130 the entrance of the word giveth light; it giveth under-
standing unto the simple.
5. psm 149.6 Let the high praise of God be in their mouth, a two-edged
sword in their hand.
6. s of s 3.8 they all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his
sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night.
7. eph 5. 13 but all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light:
for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.
8. eph 6.17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which
is the word of God.
9. 2 co 4.2 but have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in
craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the
truth commending ourselves to every mans conscience in the sight of God.
19. isa 55.11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not
return unto me void, but it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish
that which i please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto i sent it.
1 sam 17.47 ” the battle is the Lord’s”
how to change and filled with the holy spirit in real life
Dear Rev. Kym,
Thank you for visiting this site and leaving a comment.
The subject you mention, how to change and be filled with the Holy Spirit in real life is a most important topic.
In Ephesians 5:18 we are commanded to be filled with the Spirit.
There are many different opinions on what that is all about. The best thing is to go directly by what the Bible itself says on this subject.
To find what the rest of the Bible has to say, make use of a complete source of cross references. They will lead you right to the relevant passages that explain the subject.
Another good verse is 1 Corinthians 12:13.