Series -- "Does It Matter What You Believe?"
Luke 1:1 Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us, KJV
"About the Scripture"
2 Timothy 3:14-17
2 Timothy 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. KJV
Introduction: Today I'm preaching the fourth part of a series that asks the question, "Does it matter what you believe about the Scripture?"
I. The Authority of the Scripture
First, in my opinion the number one issue concerning the Scriptures today is the question "Is the Bible the Word of God?" First, just an observation: It is evident that Paul believed the Scriptures to be the Word of God. His reference in verse 15 to the "holy Scriptures" is the Old Testament which is what Timothy had known since his childhood and since 2 Timothy is Paul's last letter it is also evident that he considered the NT writing to be the inspired word of God. Let's go a few steps further in this vein: Our text states that God is:
a. The initiator divine revelation
Our text makes it abundantly clear that all scripture or every scripture... (Because it can be translated either way) is from God. God is the source and the fountain head of all Holy Scripture. The starting point of all doctrinal studies must be the Bible the word of God, that is, the holy scripture of 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. If we deny that the Bible is, without qualification, the very word of God, we are left without any truth and without any supreme and final authority. It is presumptuous and hypothetical to discuss any doctrine taught by the Bible until we acknowledge, unreservedly, the doctrine of the divine plenary verbal inspiration of the Bible and its divine preservation by God. Believe that the Bible is the divine revelation and communication of God's own mind and will to men, in pure words, and we have a fixed starting point from which advance can be made into the domain of truth.
The expression "Thus saith the Lord" or "The Lord spake saying" and similar phrases occur some 560 times in the Pentateuch, some 300 times in the historical and poetic books, 1200 times in the prophets and 24 times alone in Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament. This is the strategic center of Christian doctrine, and must be preached and defended at all cost. It is the point at which Satan is constantly hurling his hellish forces of darkness and corruption. Biblebelievers.com
It further states that God's spirit is:
b. The inspiration for divine revelation
We are sure that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God". 2 Timothy 3:16.
God the Holy Spirit directed even in the very words and the expression of those words, for Paul writes that these were "words which the Holy Ghost teacheth" in 1 Corinthians 2:13. and God said to his prophet, "speak with my words" in Ezekiel 3:4. It is impossible to overestimate the importance of the doctrine of the divine inspiration and preservation of the holy scriptures. Inspired of God (theopneustos) theh-op'-nyoo-stos means "God-breathed."
2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Moved (φερόμενοι) The same verb as came. Lit., being borne along. It seems to be a favorite word with Peter, occurring six times in the two epistles. Vines Word Studies The idea is that they were carried along by an influence from above (The Holy Spirit) Think of a sailing ship from Peter's time that was dependent on the wind to move. If there was no wind there was no movement but if there was wind it would fill the sails of the ship and carry the ship on its course. The Holy Spirit was the "wind" the moved these holy men of God.
It must also be noted that God used:
c. The human intermediaries
God spoke to men through His Spirit. Look at:
2 Peter 1:21 where we read, "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds...
2 Peter 3:1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
Two things are very plain here. First, God spoke to human beings and delivered His word to them by directly communicating Himself, or through angels, or dreams and visions and even through a donkey and second, these men considered what they wrote to be the Word of God in both the OT and the NT.
II. The Application of the Scripture
The Scriptures are given by God to teach truth to the unlearned, truth that cannot be learned any other way. This happens in three ways:
a. The Scriptures bring conviction
The word reproof literally means "convicting the erring of their errors"
One of the main purposes of the inspired Word of God is to reveal the truth about our sins and then to convict us of those sins. Let me give you a few examples:
Acts 26:14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. The word prick is a reference to an "ox goad" which was a sharp stick that was used to drive cattle. With a good sharp stick even a child could control a large animal, so God uses the Scripture to convict us of our erring ways.
b. The Scriptures bring correction
Correction is a word that means "to set one right"
What a wonderfully appropriate phrase to describe what the Scripture does for us when the Holy Spirit does His work on us and in us. We are all wrong, we are all "like sheep going astray", "there is none that doeth good, no not one" but through His word God sets us right!
Ill - The preacher stood on the street corner preaching to anyone who would listen. A man approached him who looked like he had lived on the street forever. "Can I help you" asked the preacher. "I think you can" said the bum. "Would you like me to tell you about Jesus?" "No." "Would you like me to pray for you?" "No." "If you don't want me to tell you about Jesus, and you don't want me to pray with you, how can I help you?" "You can give me your Bible." "Why would you want my Bible if you have no interest in knowing more about Jesus?" "I noticed that the pages of your Bible are very thin; I can use the pages to wrap a cigarette (or a joint)." Wisdom came suddenly to the preacher, who said, "I'll give you the Bible, if you will agree to read a page (of the Bible) before you smoke it." The bum agreed, took his new Bible, and left. The preacher thought he had seen the last of the bum, but he could get another Bible. Several months passed, and the preacher was on the street corner once again. A man came up to him dressed in a three piece suit. "You don't know me, do you?" said the man. "No. I've never seen you in my life." "Yes you have. I'm the man you gave a Bible to (about four months ago)." The preacher couldn't believe his eyes and ears. "What happened? Tell me what happened." "Well, I smoked Matthew, and then I smoked Mark, and then I smoked Luke--and then John smoked me."
c. The Scriptures bring chastening
This last word means to "discipline" as a father disciplines his child.
Psalms 51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Hebrews 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. 7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? 10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. 11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. 12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
III. The Aim of the Scripture
The aim or purpose of the Scripture is not to inform you but to transform you. It is not so that you will be happy but that you will be holy! It is not so you will be prosperous financially but that you will prosper spiritually.
3 John 1:2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
How does God do this? First:
a. In saving us
"...to make thee wise unto salvation..."
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
b. In schooling us
"...is profitable for doctrine (teaching)..." This is truth that cannot be learned any other way except the Word of God.
In Titus chapter 2 Paul admonishes Timothy to "...speak thou the things which become sound doctrine..." and then in verse 11 he declares that one of those sound things is "...the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world..."
c. In sanctifying us
"...That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works..."
2 Corinthians 3:12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: 13 And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: 14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. 15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. 16 Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. 17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Conclusion: THE REFINER'S FIRE
The story is told of a group of women that met for Bible study. While studying in the book of Malachi, chapter three, they came across verse three which says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver." This verse puzzled the women and they wondered how this statement applied to the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out more about the process of refining silver, and to get back to the group at their next Bible study.
The following week, the woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him while at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest, beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.
As she watched the silversmith work, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire, where the flames were the hottest as to burn away all the impurities.
The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot, then she thought again about the verse, that "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."
She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the entire time the silver was being refined. The man answered yes, that not only did he have to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on it the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "But how do you know when the silver is fully refined?"
He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy--when I see my image in it."
Ill - Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson go on a camping trip, set up their tent, and fall asleep. Some hours later, Holmes wakes his faithful friend.
"Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see."
Watson replies, "I see millions of stars."
"What does that tell you?" asks Holmes
Watson ponders for a minute.
"Astronomically speaking, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn
is in Leo.
Horologically, it appears to be approximately a
quarter past three.
Theologically, it's evident the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant.
Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. "
The after a pause, Watson says: "Well, Holmes, What does it tell you?"
Holmes is silent for a moment and then he speaks.
"Watson, can't you see that someone has stolen our tent."
There is a danger, when we come to Scripture that we look for the complicated rather than looking for the obvious.
