Proper 28 B - Heb. 4:12 - Reading Scripture, Eugene Peterson

" If the Revelation is masterful in getting us involved in a living response to scripture, it is also unavoidable in its claim that scripture is God's word to us, not human words about God. Reading scripture as if it were the writings of various persons throughout history giving their ideas or experiences of God, is perhaps the commonest mistake that is made in reading scripture. And the dealiest.

"God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scapel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey."
~Hebrews 4:12 "

Peterson, Eugene, Living the Message; Harper Collins Publishers; New York, N.Y.; 1996.