In the King James Version of the New Testament, the word "quick" can be found four times. At every occasion, the word means "living." Our modern usage of the word "quick" is different, yet it is attached to "living/alive" in this way: Something that is full of life has great energy, which leads to its ability to be quick, rapid, or fast. Three of the four occasions this word appears in the New Testament are all passages referring to Jesus' authority to judge the living and the dead at His return (Acts 10:42; 2 Timothy 4:1; 1 Peter 4:5). The fourth—the occasion of our focus—is at Hebrews 4:12. It reads, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged 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." What does it mean that the Word of God is living?
The living Word of God has endurance. "For the word of God is living, and active…" (ASV). Peter wrote, "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever" (1 Peter 1:24–25).
The living Word of God has relevance. Again, it is "…living, and active…" (ASV). Some claim the Word remains relevant because its meaning changes as culture or life changes — our interpreta-tion may change, but its meaning does not change. Rather, it remains relevant because it remains the same, regardless of cultural/life changes, and our basic needs remain the same no matter our cultural differences. It remains relevant because it is from our Creator: "For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God (Hebrews 3:4)." If you want the instructions for a product you purchased, you go to its creator/manufacturer.
The living Word of God contains tremendous intelligence—knowledge, wisdom, and insight. Be-fore you thought of it, the Word of God created it. Before you questioned it, the Word of God an-swered it. Before you argued it, the Word of God settled it. There's not a false teaching present that God's Word cannot answer. There's not a depth in your soul, mind, spirit, that God's Word cannot reach. It is "… sharper than any two-edged 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" (Hebrews 4:12). Furthermore, consider the next verse: "Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do" (Hebrews 4:13).
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged 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" (Hebrews 4:12). In application, James exhorts, "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness (overflowing of wickedness, ASV), and re-ceive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves" (James 1:21–22).
