Reading: 2 Timothy chapter 3 verses 15 to 17
Ill:
• A pastor was taking a group of parishioners on a tour of the Holy Land.
• He had just read them the parable of the good shepherd;
• He explained to them that, as they continued their tour,
• They would see shepherds on the hillsides just as in Jesus' day.
• He wanted to impress the group,
• So he told them what every good pastor tells his people about shepherds.
• He described how, in the Holy Land,
• Shepherds always lead their sheep,
• Always walking in front to face dangers,
• Always protecting the sheep by going ahead of them.
• He barely got the last word out when, sure enough,
• They rounded a corner and saw a man and his sheep on the hillside.
• There was only one problem:
• The man wasn't leading the sheep as the good pastor had said.
• Instead he was behind the sheep and seemed to be chasing them.
• The pastor turned red. Flabbergasted, he ran over to the fence and said,
• "I always thought shepherds in this region led their sheep — out in front.
• And I told my people that a good shepherd never chases his sheep."
• The man replied, "That's absolutely true... you're absolutely right;
• Only I'm not the shepherd, I'm the butcher!"
This chapter in Timothy is all about good guys and bad:
• Shepherds and butchers;
• Those who care for God’s people and those who would destroy them with false teaching.
• Paul (was a good guy / a shepherd) he is writing to another good guy / a shepherd;
• Called Timothy & he is encouraging him to remain loyal to the teaching he had received.
Quote: Verses 15-17 (N.I.V.)
“….how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work”.
Timothy had been taught the Word of God since he was a child.
• I hope he was better taught than the following children!
• True statements about the bible written by children:
• (1). The first book of the Bible is called Guinessis.
• (2). Noah's wife was called Joan of Ark.
• (3). Samson slayed the Philistines with the axe of the Apostles.
• (4). Moses went up on Mount Cyanide to get the ten amendments.
• (5). The seventh commandment is thou shalt not admit adultery.
• (6). Solomon, one of David's sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.
• (7). When Mary heard that she was the mother of Jesus, she sang the Magna Carta.
• (8). Jesus was born because Mary had an immaculate contraption.
• (9). The people who followed the Lord were called the 12 decibels.
• (10). The epistles were the wives of the apostles.
• (11). One of the opossums was St. Matthew who was also a taximan.
• (12). A Christian should have only one spouse. This is called monotony.
Quote: Let me quote the reading again this time in The Message:
“14………Stick with what you learned and believed, sure of the integrity of your teachers-- 15why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother's milk! There's nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another--showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God's way. 17Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us”.
• Timothy had been taught the Word of God from a child.
• By both his mother and grandmother who were Jewish believers (Chapter 1 verse 5).
• They had both faithfully taught him the Old Testament Scriptures;
• The word "those" in verse 14 is plural referring to these women.
• Timothy was to continue in what he had been taught.
• We never outgrow the Word of God.
Ill:
• Menekil II was born in 1844,
• He was one of the greatest rulers in African history and the creator of modern Ethiopia.
• He was captured during an enemy raid and held prisoner for 10 years.
• After escaping, he declared himself head of the province of Shewa.
• He began conquering neighbouring kingdoms;
• And developed them into modern Ethiopia with himself as emperor.
• When Italy tried to take over Ethiopia;
• Menekil’s army met and crushed the Italians at the Battle of Aduwa.
• This victory, as well as his efforts to modernize Ethiopia (schools, telephones, railroads),
• Made Menekil II world-famous.
Yet the emperor had one little known eccentricity.
• Whenever he was feeling ill, he would eat a few pages of the Bible,
• Insisting that this always restored his health.
• One day in December, 1913,
• Recovering from a stroke and feeling extremely ill,
• He had the entire book of Kings torn from an Egyptian edition of the Bible,
• And he ate every page of it—and then died.
Paul encouraged Timothy to keep feeding on the word of God:
• Feeding as in the sense of reading, thinking, mediating, studying etc.
• Not physically eating it!
• And to encourage him to carry on doing this;
• Paul makes some important statements about the Scriptures.
(1). THEY Are the HOLY SCRIPTURES (verse 15).
“And how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures”
The expression “Holy Scriptures” literally means "The sacred letters".
• The suggestion in this verse is that Timothy youngster;
• Learned his Hebrew alphabet by spelling his way through the Old Testament Scriptures.
Quote: William Barcley:
It was the glory of the Jews that their children from their earliest days were trained in the law. They claimed that their children learned the law even from their swaddling clothes and drank it in with their mother’s milk. They claimed that the law was so imprinted on the heart and mind of a Jewish child that he would sooner forget his own name than he would forget it”
The word for; 'holy;' means "consecrated for sacred use".
• The Bible is different from every other book;
• Because it has been set apart by God for special sacred uses.
Application:
• The job of the Bible is to make you holy!
• Ill: Holiness preacher.
• Quote:
• “Some books inform, some reform, only the Bible transforms”.
• Ill: Horse story.
• “Every bit that doesn’t look like a horse, I chip it off!”
(2). THE Scriptures LEAD US TO SALVATION (vs 15).
“And how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures,
which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus”.
• Note: we are not saved by believing the Bible;
• But by trusting the Christ who is revealed in the Bible.
Ill:
• E.g. Timothy was raised on the Holy Scriptures in a godly home.
• Yet it was not until Paul visited the home and led him to Christ that he was saved.
• E.g. Satan knows the Bible (e.g. quoted it to Eve in the Garden & Jesus in the desert);
• But he obviously is not saved.
• E.g. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day knew their Bibles;
• John chapter 5 verse 39.
“You search the Scriptures, because you think you will find eternal life in them. The Scriptures tell about me, 40but you refuse to come to me for eternal life”.
• So we are not saved by believing the Bible;
• But by trusting the Christ who is the message of the Bible.
Ill:
Consider the themes of the sixty-six books:
• In Genesis, He is the Creator God.
• In Exodus, He is the Redeemer.
• In Leviticus, He is your sanctification.
• In Numbers, He is your guide.
• In Deuteronomy, He is your teacher.
• In Joshua, He is the mighty conqueror.
• In Judges, He gives victory over enemies.
• In Ruth, He is your kinsman, your lover, your redeemer.
• In I Samuel, he is the root of Jesse;
• In 2 Samuel, He is the Son of David.
• In 1 Kings and 2 Kings, He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords
• In 1st and 2nd Chronicles, He is your intercessor and High Priest.
• In Ezra, He is your temple, your house of worship.
• In Nehemiah, He is your mighty wall, protecting you from your enemies.
• In Esther, He stands in the gap to deliver you from your enemies.
• In Job, He is the arbitrator who not only understands your struggles,—but has the power to do something about them.
• In Psalms, He is your song—and your reason to sing.
• In Proverbs, He is your wisdom, helping you make sense out of life and live it successfully.
• In Ecclesiastes, He is your purpose, delivering you from vanity.
• In the Song of Solomon, He is your lover, your Rose of Sharon.
• In Isaiah, He is the mighty counsel our, the prince of peace, the everlasting father, and more.
• In short, He’s everything you need.
• In Jeremiah, He is your balm of Gilead, the soothing salve for your sin-sick soul.
• In Lamentations, He is the ever-faithful one upon whom you can depend.
• In Ezekiel, He is your wheel in the middle of a wheel
• The one who assures that dry, dead bones will come alive again.
• In Daniel, He is the ancient of days, the everlasting God who never runs out of time.
• In Hosea, He is your faithful lover, always beckoning you to comeback—even when you have abandoned Him.
• In Joel, He is your refuge, keeping you safe in times of trouble.
• In Amos, He is the husbandman, the one you can depend on to stay by your side.
• In Obadiah, He is Lord of the Kingdom.
• In Jonah, He is your salvation, bringing you back within His will.
• In Micah, He is judge of the nation.
• In Nahum, He is the jealous God.
• In Habakkuk, He is the Holy One.
• In Zephaniah, He is the witness.
• In Haggai, He overthrows the enemies
• In Zechariah, He is Lord of Hosts.
• In Matthew, He is king of the Jews.
• In Mark, He is the servant.
• In Luke, He is the Son of Man, feeling what you feel.
• In John, He is the Son of God.
• In Acts, He is Saviour of the world.
• In Romans, He is the righteousness of God.
• In I Corinthians, He is the rock that followed Israel.
• In II Corinthians, He the triumphant one, giving victory.
• In Galatians, He is your liberty; He sets you free.
• In Ephesians, He is head of the Church.
• In Philippians, He is your joy.
• In Colossians, He is your completeness.
• In I Thessalonians, He is your hope.
• In I Timothy, He is your faith.
• In II Timothy, He is your stability.
• In Philemon, He is your benefactor.
• In Hebrews, He is your perfection.
• In James, He is the power behind your faith.
• In I Peter, He is your example.
• In II Peter, He is your purity.
• In I John, He is your life.
• In II John, He is your pattern.
• In III John, He is your motivation.
• In Jude, He is the foundation of your faith.
• In the Revelation, He is your coming King.
• “He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.’’
• (Colossians 1:17)
• So we are not saved by believing the Bible;
• But by trusting the Christ who is revealed in and the message of the Bible.
(3). THE SCRIPTURES ARE TRUE + DEPENDABLE (vs 16A).
Ill:
• Four high school boys were late to their morning classes one day.
• It was a day they were supposed to take an important test.
• They entered the classroom and made their excuses;
• They were late because of a flat tire that they had to help their mum repair.
• The experienced teacher, who knew the boys,
• Was not too impressed with their answer.
• She gave them each a piece of paper and a pencil;
• And sent them to four corners of the room.
• Then she told them they would pass if they could answer just one question:
• Which tire was flat???
In New Testament days:
• False teachers came onto the scene claiming special insight;
• They claimed to have received knowledge from mystical sources.
• Paul makes a very clear distinction between their man made books & experiences;
• And God’s revealed word.
• Quote: D.L. Moody:
• “The best way to show that a stick is crooked is to place it next to a straight stick”.
• So that is exactly what Paul does in verse 16:
• He shows us the straight stick.
Verse 16:
• "All Scripture is God-breathed" (NIV).
• “Everything in the Scriptures is God's Word” (CEV.).
• “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (KJB).
The doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture is vitally important:
• It is a doctrine that Satan has attacked from the beginning;
• Genesis chapter 3 verse 1: "Did God really say?"
If you think about it logically:
• It is inconceivable that God would give His people a book they could not trust.
• He is after all the God of truth (Deuteronomy chapter 32 verse 4);
• Jesus claimed to be "the truth”. (John chapter 14 verse 6);
• And the Bible also calls the "Holy Spirit of truth”. (1 John chapter 5 verse 6).
• If then this book is not true;
• It contradicts everything we know concerning God the Father, Son & Holy Spirit!
Question: What do we mean by this idea of inspiration?
Answer:
• Biblical inspiration is different to say; what the world thinks of inspired;
• e.g. "Shakespeare was certainly an inspired writer."
What do we mean by biblical inspiration:
• Is that the Holy Spirit guided and breathed upon the Bible's writers;
• He used their individual personalities and styles – not robotic writing!
• He guided them in the expression of their thoughts,
• Even to the choice of their very words.
• Ill: Wind in the sails of a ship.
• Ill: Tide carrying a boat along the water.
Quote: Dr J.I. Packer:
“Men no more gave us the Bible than Sir Isaac Newton gave us the law of gravity”.
Ill:
• In the Old Testament again and again; nearly 4,000 times we read:
• “The word of the Lord came to me” or “Thus says the Lord”.
(4). THE SCRIPTURES ARE PROFITABLE (vs 16B).
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness”.
Ill:
• There is a story about Abraham Lincoln who was arguing with a political opponent.
• He asked his adversary; "How many legs does a cow have?"
• "Four, of course," came the disgusted reply.
• "That's right," agreed Lincoln.
• "Now suppose you call the cow's tail a leg; how many legs would the cow have?”
• "Why, five, of course," was the confidant reply.
• "Now, that's where you're wrong," said Lincoln.
• "Calling a cow's tail a leg doesn't make it a leg."
As well as being true these scriptures are profitable:
• In this verse;
• Paul tells Timothy that the Bible is profitable in 4 ways:
• They are profitable for “teaching” or “doctrine” (what is right),
• For “rebuking” or “reproof” (what is not right),
• For “correcting” or “correction” (how to get right),
• And for “training in righteousness” or “instruction in righteousness” (how to stay right).
Any Christian who studies the Bible and applies what they learn;
• Will grow in holiness and avoid many of the pitfalls that seek to trip us up.
• It is a map, a lamp, a light…everything we need for direction in life.
Ill:
• Gipsy Smith told of a man who said he had received no inspiration from the Bible;
• Even though he had “gone through it several times.”
• “Just let it go through you once,” replied Smith,
• “Then you will tell a different story!”
Quote:
• Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark...
• One: Don't miss the boat.
• Two: Remember that we are all in the same boat.
• Three: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
• Four: Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
• Five: Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
• Six: Build your future on high ground.
• Seven: For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
• Eight: Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
• Nine: When you're stressed, float a while.
• Ten: Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
• Eleven: No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.
(5). THE SCRIPTURES EQUIP US FOR SERVICE (vs 17).
“So that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
• The study of the Bible must never be selfish,
• Simply for the good of the person studying it.
• We study so that we might make ourselves useful to God and useful to other people.
• The end result should be a deeper love for God and a deeper love for other people.
Ill:
Bruce Barton & the two seas.
Quote: Unknown Monk (1100AD)
• “When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world.
• I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation.
• When I found I couldn't change the nation,
• I began to focus on my town.
• I couldn't change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family.
• Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself,
• And suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself,
• I could have made an impact on my family.
• My family and I could have made an impact on our town.
• Their impact could have changed the nation & I could indeed have changed the world”.
The word translated ‘equipped” (N.I.V) “perfect” (KJB) was a familiar Greek word in New Testament times:
• Doctors knew it because it meant ‘to set a broken bone’.
• Fishermen knew it for it meant ‘to mend a broken net’.
• Sailors knew it for it meant ‘to outfit a ship for voyage’.
• Soldiers knew it because it meant ‘to equip an army for battle’.
• The word of God when studied and applied can equip each Christian:
• To set the broken bones in our lives so that we can walk straight in life.
• It can repair the breaks in the nets so that we might catch fish and win souls.
• It can equip us for battle so that we can stand firm in the storms of life.
