THE MOST PRECIOUS THING THIS WORLD AFFORDS
Children can be embarrassingly frank. I read of a minister who was visiting one of his members. The lady of the house was trying to impress him about how devout she was by pointing out the large Bible on the bookshelf and talking in a very reverential way of it as "the Word of God". Her young son interrupted the conversation, "Well, if that’s God’s book we better send it back to him because we never read it!"
Most of the apostle Paul’s writings which have survived to be included in the Scriptures are written to churches, but there are just a few personal letters to individuals, where he focuses to a single person and gives him the benefit of his long experience. This is the case when he writes to Timothy whom he regards as his son in the faith - and what a warm letter he sent. What an encouragement it must have been to the young man. When did we last send a letter or speak a word of encouragement to someone starting out in God’s service or any Christian under pressure? Think if the enormous blessing a postcard of John Bunyan’s church meant to Terry Waite kept hostage in Lebanon for several years.
Paul was nearing the end of his life, but before he died, he wanted to make sure that the message that had been revealed to him by the risen Christ would be continued in a new generation. News came to Paul of heresy in the church, of the entry of erroneous doctrine peddled by false teachers whom the evil one used, perhaps unknowingly to them, to deceive sincere believers in Jesus.
Paul was in a Roman prison, chained to a soldier, so what could he do? There’s a saying that "the pen is mightier that the sword" – but here we have "the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God". Paul took up his pen and wrote to his dear, young friend Timothy reminding him of the blessing which was his in coming into God’s family while young in life; how he had learned the truths of Scripture and the responsibility that he now had to carry the message forward. We have this in Paul’s second letter, 3: 14 - 17.
These verses, although originally meant for Timothy, contain a vital message for us too, as the apostle urged his friend to "Continue in the truth you have been taught". We see first of all the need to:
LEARN THE WORD THOROUGHLY
Paul had been warning Timothy of the effects of a godless society, the breakdown of relationships, the infiltration of error in the church and the persecution this would bring to a faithful servant of Christ. He then addresses Timothy personally: "But as for you" - you, he says, must be different from this; you must "continue in what you have learned". Let’s take the words as a personal call from the Lord.
Timothy is challenged to remain constant to the Christian teaching he had received from Paul, whatever false experts might teach. It’s as if a captain of a ship has issued a command to his navigating officer on the bridge; there must be no deviation from the course the captain has set or disaster will hit the ship. Timothy has begun well - he had learned the truth but he still had to persevere, to continue with no compromise.
People come to the truth of God from different pathways. Some come from having been misled in their search for God and have to discard their false ideas. Others, like Timothy, have been blessed in having been taught the truth of Christianity from childhood. What a blessing that is! Paul’s letter has a delightful reference to Timothy’s mother Eunice and his grandmother Lois, devout believers who ensured that he had been taught the Scriptures when he was a young lad.
Thank God for Christian mothers! It’s been said, "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world". An exaggeration perhaps, but undoubtedly Timothy had received the best foundation for life. There’s a proverb which encourages Christian parents and teachers in their patient work: "Teach a child how he should live, and he will remember it all his life" (22:6).
It’s easy to be dislodged from the truth. There can be the distraction of red herrings laid by unbelieving teachers, seeking to undermine the simplicity of the Gospel, the reliability of the Bible and its relevance for the 21st century. We must pray for our young people that they might be kept from error and drifting away from the central message of the Scriptures. It’s important that they, and we, should think through our faith, because it’s the shallow thinkers who can so easily be swayed by the fast-talking impostors of the Gospel, the unsound extremists who claim they have discovered a "new thing" not backed by Scripture.
How thankful many of us can be that we have learned the message of the Gospel from our parents, but even here there is danger. Paul mentions that Timothy had become acquainted with the Scriptures, but it’s not sufficient to know about the Scriptures, to have a theoretical knowledge of them. That knowledge must be changed into a saving faith, as Paul said of Timothy "you firmly believed".
I read an amusing story about the first Duke of Wellington. An inventor was trying to interest him in a bulletproof waistcoat he had made. It was absolutely marvellous and could save the great man’s life if somebody tried to assassinate him. The Iron Duke asked the man to put it on, and he examined it carefully, and then, to give it a test, he sent for a rifleman - but the inventor bolted out of the other door! When it came to the test he didn’t really believe in his product. I wonder how firmly we believe the Scriptures as God’s revelation of truth? Are we grounded and settled on God’s Word, like a building whose foundations are anchored on solid rock?
The Scriptures which Paul and Timothy knew were the 39 books of the Old Testament. They hadn’t been bound into a single volume but were grouped as the Law, the Prophets and the Writings. These scrolls were read regularly in the synagogues and the children taught to memorize important passages. You can never tell how the thorough learning of Scripture will be used in later life. Richard Wurmbrand was a pastor in Romania and was imprisoned and tortured for his faith by the communist authorities. He testified that it was the passages of Scripture that he had memorized as a youth that sustained him in his years of captivity.
The Old Testament had a vital purpose: Paul wrote to the Galatian church that "The law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ" (3:24). Paul leaves Timothy in no doubt as to the important part that the Scriptures play in anyone’s experience of God. "The sacred writings," he says, "are able to instruct you for salvation faith in Christ Jesus." It is the same today. God used the real life experiences of Paul, Peter, James and John through their letters to communicate his message to us today.
The years go by, the Christian leaders we knew in our youth are now with the Lord. Soon it will be the turn of our young people to be the leaders, but are we helping them to be prepared for the task? Are we giving them the opportunity to be taught the value and truth of Scripture? The early church placed a great emphasis on the public reading of Scripture and when it’s done well brings the anointing of God upon the service - it is the word of the Lord. It deserves a prominent part in our worship. It’s reflected in our prayers, hymns and songs, but there’s no substitute for reading the Word as given by the Spirit.
Paul reminded Timothy to Learn the Word Thoroughly, and then went on to emphasize the need to:
Use the Word Effectively
To do this we must be convinced in our own minds as to what the Bible is in reality. "All Scripture", writes Paul, "is inspired by God" - that is the key to a correct understanding of the Bible. Although it is a small library of 66 books, written by about 40 authors who lived in different countries, spoke different languages, came from different backgrounds, and written over a period of 1,600 years - its unity is the inspiration of the Holy Spirit on the writers. Of course it must be understood properly by comparing scripture with scripture, recognizing that it contains different forms of literature - history, legal codes, poetry, parables and doctrine. Other religions have their holy books, so what is it that sets the Bible apart from all others?
"All Scripture is inspired" - here the apostle is referring primarily to the Old Testament but in his earlier letter to Timothy he had quoted both an Old Testament saying and one by Jesus recorded by Luke - both alike are Scripture. The Old Testament was often quoted by Jesus, giving it the stamp of his approval and authority. Its prophecies concerning the birth, life, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus were literally fulfilled. This all confirms Paul’s claim that Scripture is inspired, or literally, God-breathed.
Let’s think of what it means for the Scriptures as "God-breathed". Now God’s Word is God’s revelation, but it came through human instruments. Although the writers were human they were powerfully guided and directed by the Holy Spirit. It’s not that they were like human typewriters - no, God used their personalities, backgrounds and training to convey his truth.
The Word of God is his breath, shaped by man’s gifts and qualities, in different styles, but still God’s voice, God’s message. Listen to the powerful witness of the apostle Peter: "Prophesy never had its origin in the will of men, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21). "Inspired: God- breathed" - here we have the same thought that is found in the creation story where we learn of God breathing life into the first human being. As we read the Scriptures, if we’re conscious of their divine origin it will make all the difference to how we accept its authority and the impact it has on our lives - it is the Word of the Lord.
J B Phillips, perhaps the best known of Bible translators wrote of his experiences. He said its power overwhelmed him: "Translating the New Testament", he said, "was like rewiring a house with the mains left on." What a testimony to the use of the Bible! We must be careful how we handle the Scriptures. During the British Coronation ceremony a Bible is presented to the monarch with the words:"We present you with the Bible, the most valuable thing which this world affords. Here is wisdom. This is the Royal law. These are the lively oracles of God." Unfortunately, by and large, these grand words are ignored by those in authority over us, but we must not make the same mistake.
If we use the Bible effectively it will not only inform, but has the power to reform and transform lives. It’s the means of bringing a sure hope for the future and the peace and assurance of eternal life. Why? Because it’s God’s book of salvation. The Old Testament foreshadows Christ, the gospels focus on his life and work, concentrating on his death and resurrection, and the books that follow tell of the establishment of the early church and the working out of the Christian faith. The Bible is God’s gift to us - where would we be without it?
We use the Word effectively when we use it for its declared purpose. The apostle tells Timothy that the sacred writings are "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction and for training in righteousness." He is telling us that the Scriptures were written to be used both in doctrine and practice. The two purposes are never far separate from each other. It’s a characteristic of Paul’s letters to the churches that they have a doctrinal section followed by its outworking in practice. The truth of Jesus must be worked out in daily living or it will be worthless to us. Finally, our text urges us to:
TAKE THE WORD SERIOUSLY
Paul tells Timothy that the end result of having the Scriptures is "that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." Paul took the Christian life seriously. The whole emphasis of his letters is that his readers, whether individuals like Timothy, or Christians in a fellowship, is that they were to be people of God. God’s person was to be no amateur treating Christian service as a hobby, as an add-on to life. God’s person in Paul’s mind was a fully trained and qualified individual, shaped by the resources of Scripture, ready and willing to undertake the difficult and demanding work of the Kingdom of God.
The Bible is vital equipment for the believer and the church fellowship. It is the yardstick against which we must judge life’s transactions and ourselves. It is the architect’s drawing, the engineer’s blueprint on which we model our lives. It gives direction: as Paul says, "profitable for teaching ... for training" and also "for correction; for rebuking": showing us what is wrong - the Word can often be uncomfortable reading - and then pointing us to the true way of living. As the people of God, we must learn how to take the Word of God seriously in our lives, the church and society.
The man (or woman) of God, Paul wrote, must be "equipped". He used a word connected with the fitting out of a sailing ship for whatever the seas and winds could throw at it. Equipped ... prepared for whatever the voyage of life presents to us. Ready for anything. So Scripture’s usefulness was for a purpose. Timothy, and all that seek to serve God, would be equipped by the proper use of inspired Scripture. Do we treasure this vital equipment? It’s our food, our sword and our lamp. In the precious volume of the Bible we have a comprehensive supply for all the eventualities of life and service.
But more than that, we should develop a love for the Scriptures. A man who loves his wife will love her letters and her photographs because they speak to him of her. So if we love the Lord Jesus we shall love the Bible because it speaks to us of him. The husband is not so stupid as to prefer his wife’s letters to her voice, or her photographs to herself. He simply loves them because of her. So, too, we love the Bible because of Christ. It is his portrait. It is his love-letter.
Let’s take the Scriptures seriously. Like any book it won’t do much good if it is left on the shelf. Hear the words of Paul to his young friend Timothy:
- Learn the Word Thoroughly
- Use the Word Effectively
- Take the Word Seriously.
