“it is the scriptures that is quick and powerful that makes one alive if one respond by hearing the words of God.”
Are we certain of this? The verse alluded to, in context, 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.
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.
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.”
From the underlined portions of the text we see that the “word of God”:
1. Is “quick”, meaning “alive”. While acknowledging that the scriptures can be used to lead people from death unto life, are we to understand that they are a life form?
2. Discerns thoughts and intents. To discern is to perceive, recognize, observe, etc. Do the written scriptures possess the power discern thoughts and intents of the hearts of men and women?
3. Verse 13, in context, can only be an amplifier of verse 12; so “His sight”, before Whose eyes all creatures are manifest, can only be a reference to the subject of verse 12, i.e. the “”word of God”. Do the scriptures manifestly “see” all creatures?
4. Syntax further requires “the eyes of Him”, in verse 13, to also refer refer to the “word of God”, there being no other subject available in context. Are we to understand that the Scriptures are masculine and have eyes?
5. While not as directly connected to verse 12 as is verse 13, verse 14 must be taken either in connection with 12 and 13, or else be taken as springing up from nowhere and in no context. Assuming verse 14 relates to its preceding verses, it is revealed that the “word of God” in verse 12 is none other than our great High Priest, Jesus, the Son of God. Is this not consistent with what we learn in John, chapter 1, concerning the Word of God, who is God, and who was made flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth?
Though it would appear that the KJV translators (lower case “w” in “word”), and indeed all of “Christendom”, hold an opposite view, I have never been able to accept Hebrews 4: 12-14 as refering to anything other than Jesus; about whose person, office, speech, priesthood, etc. the book of Hebrews is particularly concerned, and who indeed is Living and Powerful, who is depicted in Revelation as having a two-edged sword proceeding from His mouth, whose words (never man spake like this man) reach right down into our spirit and soul (and we dead men, who thus hear the voice of the Son of God, pass from death unto life), who indeed discerns our every thought and intent so that we appear before His eyes as naked and open; supplicants, who are thus compelled to plead and to declare His righteousness rather than our own for the remission of sins.