The Bible as God's Words?

It seems to me that in some ways it would be helpful to call the Bible God's Words, rather than merely his Word, though this has not been a traditional way of speaking.

This would be a way of stressing the plenary verbal inspiration of the Bible. The words are chosen by God. It's not just that the Bible somehow conveys a message from God to us.

Strictly speaking, this claim would apply only to the autographs. They are the inspired words of God. Translations are an approximation to God's words. Losely, the Bible may be called God's words or God's word but this must allow for "errors" of translation and probably also for errors of transmission.

Clearly there would be some dangers in this language. Not all the words of the Bible are God's words in the same way. The prophectic oracles are God's words differently to the statement "There is no God" or Paul's comment that he cannot remember whom else he baptised. God does take up and use all those words. He speaks through them. This issue applies equally to calling the Bible God's word, but perhaps to call it God's words raises it more accutely.

Of course, saying that the Bible is God's words does not mean to imply that they are not also human words and the words of their human authors. It does not decide the issue of how they were composed.