The Importance Of Pvi

The Importance of PVI

(Verbal plenary inspiration)

2 Tim 3:13-17

13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. 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.

Intro: In 2 Timothy we find Paul’s last words to his young preaching protégé and he begins this section by warning Timothy of the dangers to him personally and to the church concerning the deception that will be the greatest threat to the faith. These “evil men” (v. 13) will seduce and seek to deceive men in the last days. These seducers will have a “form of godliness, but denying the power thereof…” This behavior will get progressively worse and worse as time goes on.

He then admonishes Timothy to “continue” in what he had learned from Paul himself and what he had learned as a child. Paul refers to these things that Timothy had learned as the “holy scriptures” which would include the OT taught to him by his mother and grandmother, Lois and Eunice, and then the NT writings of Paul and others. These scriptures make of the Word of God that ultimately led to Timothy’s salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. It is when we get to vs 16-17 that we see the importance of PVI...

I. The Source of Inspiration

In 2 Timothy 3:16, Paul states, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” This is the only use in the Bible of the Greek word theopneustos, which means “God-breathed, inspired by God, due to the inspiration of God,” but other scriptural passages support the basic premise of Scripture being inspired by God. The power of the breath of God in divine inspiration pervades Scripture. God breathed “the breath of life” into Adam (Genesis 2:7), and Jesus “breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:22). GotQuestions.com

2 Peter 18-21 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. 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.

a. The Sovereign’s will

In 2 Peter 1:21 we are told that “prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Here we see the truths of Scripture described as coming directly from God, not from the will of the writers He used to record them.

b. The Servants words

God used His own servants to communicate His word to mankind. They “spake…” Hebrews 1:1-3 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;

Commentary: God spake to his ancient people at sundry times, through successive generations, and in divers manners, as he thought proper; sometimes by personal directions, sometimes by dreams, sometimes by visions, sometimes by Divine influences on the minds of the prophets. The gospel revelation is excellent above the former; in that it is a revelation which God has made by his Son. In beholding the power, wisdom, and goodness of the Lord Jesus Christ, we behold the power, wisdom, and goodness of the Father. Basically this text says that the delivery of the Scripture was fragmentary but that now it is full. There is no more revelation and will not be any more. This is clear. Any new revelation so called is not revelation but deception and error.

c. The Spirit’s work

These holy men spake “as they were moved of the Holy Spirit.

Consider Bill, who was just a young man at the time. He had tried preaching, but didn’t always feel the power of God or see any results. One of his contemporaries, Charles Templeton, got into academia and started to believe scripture as flawed and outdated. Bill wondered about all of this. A friend of his, Henrietta Mears, invited him to speak at a Christian retreat center called Forest Home. The night before, he went off alone into the nearby woods, put his Bible on a stump, and had an honest talk with God. He prayed, “O God! There are many things in this book I do not understand. There are many problems with it for which I have no solution. There are many seeming contradictions. There are some areas in it that do not seem to correlate with modern science. I can’t answer some of the philosophical and psychological questions Chuck and others are raising.”