Sermon Date: May 15, 2011
Sermon Title: Bible: Good Book or God’s Word
Sermon Text: 2 Timothy 3:16
Small Group Text: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 Opinions abound regarding the uniqueness of the Bible. Some would acknowledge its moral structures and value its ethics. Others would relegate it to an anthology of JudeoChristian religious writings – on the same par as the Koran, the Book of Mormon or the Upanishads. Then there are those who assert that the Bible “contains” God’s word (nestled in between the opinions and ideas of men) . For these people, it is incumbent upon discerning theologians to sort out what parts are of God and what parts are of human origin. At the other end of the spectrum is the idea that the Bible is literally the product of divine dictation – as if God were audibly narrating His written revelation utilizing passive “scribes” for the task. Is it possible to know the true nature of the Bible? Another way to ask the question would be, Is the Bible reliable? But this question begs another: “Reliable for what?” A house key is not reliable for eating spaghetti. But a house key is wonderfully reliable for accomplishing it’s intended purpose. Even so, the Bible is most reliable when it is accomplishing its intended purpose. The Bible claims its own purpose In one of his letters to a young pastor named Timothy – and writing under the influence of the Holy Spirit – the Apostle Paul penned these words: However, continue in what you have learned and found to be true. You know who your teachers were. [15] From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures. They have the power to give you wisdom so that you can be saved through faith in Christ Jesus. [16] Every Scripture passage is inspired by God. All of them are useful for teaching, pointing out errors, correcting people, and training them for a life that has God's approval. [17] They equip God's servants so that they are completely prepared to do good things. 2 Tim. 3:14-17 (GW) (See also John 20:30-31; 1 Peter 1:23)
The Usefulness of the Bible Timothy had been grounded in the Scriptures all his life – his mother and grandmother had seen to this (2 Tim. 1:5; 2 Tim. 3:15) . From the context of this letter, we can presume Timothy would have given a hearty assent to the truths of the Scriptures. But Paul wanted to emphasize the crucial role of God’s written revelation. Notice Paul’s word, “continue” (Greek, meno ) . It means to abide, dwell, remain, and stay in the Scripture. Timothy was to stay in the Scriptures – to live, move, and have his being in the written Word of God. Not merely for “information;” but rather, for transformation! Timothy needed to align his life with Biblical truth. The Bible presents a wisdom which results in salvation No other source on earth reveals God’s wise and judicious plan for restoring this broken world and reconciling humanity back to Himself. Philosophies and religions offer profound perspectives and well-intentioned plans for solving the human dilemma. But each is hopelessly flawed by identifying human answers to what is rooted in a universal sin problem. The Bible, on the other hand, reveals a salvation originating solely from God (Acts 28:28; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:8; Titus 2:11)
that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Cor. 5:19
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Only the Holy Scriptures reveal the wisdom of God’s plan of salvation for the world and how He saves people through faith in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible is inspired by God The phrase “inspired by God” (Greek, theopneustos) literally means, God-breathed. The Bible’s self-claim of being divinely inspired refers to the supernatural influence of the Holy Spirit upon men of God’s own choosing… • Inclining their hearts toward writing the revelation God was giving them • Guiding their thoughts and ideas (even to the choosing of the phrases they would write) • Supervising the process in such a way as to preclude any errors or omissions in the original manuscript while at the same time preserving the writer’s own identity and personality. And so we believe that every word in the Bible is the Word of God and that the entire Bible is inerrant in the original writings. This means that when the Bible is correctly interpreted (grammatically) and understood in its historical setting (in context) , it is absolutely true and infallible (dependable and flawless).
The Bible is useful for teaching Just prior to completing his earthly ministry, Jesus commanded his disciples to move out into the world and teach. They were to teach not only what he had taught them over three years of ministry but also what the Holy Spirit would continue to teach them in the days to come (Matthew 28:19-20; John 16:12-15) . God wants people to know who He is, what He’s like and how He’s redeeming this world back to Himself through the life of His Son and a Holy Spirit infused church. This is why the teaching of God’s word is such an essential element in the life of a church. From the Scriptures, we learn how to be reconciled to God and how to live in ways that promote and affirm life. The glory of God is man fully alive (St Irenaeus) . To this end, the Bible teaches us how to experience “life to the full” (John 10:10) . The Bible is valuable for making mid-course corrections Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the Bible is valuable for helping people discern ways of being that hinder “life to the full.” Whether personal habits that deplete life or the espousing of spurious values and false doctrines, the Scriptures can actually turn a life around and put a person on the right path. God’s Word is an instrument of divine conviction when our lives are out of order. He is gracious indeed. But conviction of sin is a particular grace of God that keeps one from continuing down a wrong (destructive) path. Correction in this sense is both gracious and merciful. The Bible is not historical fiction. It is eternal truth written in black and white with powerful relevance to the life of the church. Note these words from a letter to the Hebrews: For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
The Word of God is living (Greek: zao) and active (Greek: energes). Its ability to pierce into the inner recesses of one’s life is figuratively greater than any double-edged sword so that it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. In doing this, it is able to discriminate successfully between that which is truly Godly and that which is of the flesh, natural or carnal. Motives and intentions relative to our thoughts and behaviors are most often a mixed bag – some good and some not so good. But these can get as entangled and interwoven as “joints and marrow” so that we are able to rationalize any thought or behavior that makes sense to us on some subjective level. But the Word of God is able to differentiate between these contradictory inner elements – supernaturally discerning and exposing what is of the flesh and what is of the Spirit. And even more sobering, the teachings of Jesus and the whole of Scripture provide ample warning for those who fail to make the mid-course correction.
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The Bible is helpful in training for a life of which God approves Useful for …training in righteousness” is the NIV wording (Greek, paideia) and literally refers to the training of a little child. In this sense, Paul may mean that the Bible if helpful in guiding new believers in God’s ways. The Lord wants both new and seasoned believers to live in ways that enhance their lives and relationships – brining honor and glory to His name. The Bible, then, is a training manual of sorts– revealing how… to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, [13] while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, [14] who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” Titus 2:12-14 Results in transformation The Bible equips God's people to be prepared for great accomplishment The Scriptures are useful for teaching, correcting and training in righteousness. They equip God's servants so that they are completely prepared to do good things 2 Timothy 3:17 (GW). The Bible’s influence and power are given for the accomplishment of great Kingdom ministry to the glory and honor of God. The Bible—the Living Word of God—has the power to make Christians complete (Greek, “artios); meaning, perfect – lacking nothing necessary for the task. (See also 2 Peter 1:3) The implications for the church are profound. If church leaders – at any level – are remiss in this area of “knowing the Holy Scriptures” (2 Timothy 3:15) or negligent in helping others know and understand the Bible, then Paul would relegate such leaders to the category of the “spiritually immature” – unfit to lead the sheep of God’s pasture. But with the Scriptures in hand, heart and head, church leaders are prepared to meet the demands of ministry – thoroughly equipped (Greek, exartizo) –capable and proficient – to take-on whatever the demands of Christian life and service require.
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