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Reading the Bible

Servant School

October 7, 2021

Introduction

Welcome to our “Reading the Bible” class

Tonight we begin a journey that I hope will lead you into a lifelong habit of reading your Bible every day.

I’d like to start with a short study from 2Timothy 3:16-17, and talk about the value of the Bible.

Paul wrote to his spiritual son Timothy,

(2 Timothy 3:16–17 NKJV) —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 complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2Timothy 3:16

:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God

Lesson

God-breathed

all – pas – individually; each, every, all, the whole, everything

Paul doesn’t say “some Scripture” is given by inspiration, but ALL.

A phrase you will hear some liberal theologians use is, “The Bible contains the Word of God.”

This might sound okay, but what they’re really saying is, “Not all of the Bible is the Word of God.”

Paul says, “ALL” Scripture.

If I am going to claim that “some” things are inspired, then I’m going to face a problem. How do I know what is inspired and what isn’t? I find myself at the mercy of the “scholars” (so-called), or even worse, I find myself at the mercy of what I personally like or don’t like.

scripture – graphe – a writing, thing written; the Scripture

When Paul says “scripture”, had in mind the Old Testament when he’s writing this.

Yet at the time that Paul is writing this, Peter wrote,

(2 Peter 3:15b–16 NKJV) —15 …as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, 16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.

Did you catch how Peter was describing Paul’s writings? He’s calling them “Scripture”.

It wouldn’t be long before the Church realized that the writings of what we call the “New Testament” were Scripture.

Some would say this didn’t happen until the Council of Nicea (AD 325), but that’s just when it became official.

Within a few short years after Paul’s writing, the early church fathers recognized the New Testament writings as inspired and authoritative.

given by inspiration of God – theopneustos (“God” + “breathed”) – inspired by God

Peter wrote,

(2 Peter 1:21 NKJV) for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit worked through the individual human authors, taking advantage of their individual unique personalities, but moving in such a way to make sure the message was transmitted without error.

There is one exception, the technical phrase is that inerrancy is “in the original autographs”.

We don’t have the original manuscripts in Paul’s handwriting. We just have copies of copies. And there are some small discrepancies between the copies, attributed to copyist errors. But we believe we can get pretty close to the original, and in these there is no error.

How can I know that God is behind this book, and it’s not just written by a bunch of crazy fanatics?

One of the things that sets the Scripture apart from any other set of religious texts is the fulfillment of prophecy.

No other religious document contains the size and scope of the prophecies in the Bible.

The first coming of the Messiah alone is a subject that spans over 300 prophecies, including such specific things as:

The place of his birth – Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2)

(Micah 5:2 NKJV) “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.”

Being preceded by a messenger (John the Baptist) (Is. 40:3)

(Isaiah 40:3 NKJV) The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.

His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey (Zec. 9:9)

(Zechariah 9:9 NKJV) “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.

Betrayal by a friend (Ps. 41:9)

(Psalm 41:9 NKJV) Even my own familiar friend in whom I trusted, Who ate my bread, Has lifted up his heel against me.

Death by crucifixion (Ps. 22)

(Psalm 22:16 NKJV) For dogs have surrounded Me; The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet;

His resurrection (Ps. 16:10)

(Psalm 16:10 NKJV) For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

There many, many other prophecies in Scripture – predictions of things hundreds and thousands of years before they would take place. Such as …

Abraham’s descendants being slaves in Egypt for 400 years before being delivered. (Gen. 15:13)

(Genesis 15:13 NKJV) Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years.

The unbelievable fall of the city of Tyre to the Babylonians (Eze. 26:4)

(Ezekiel 26:4 NKJV) And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers; I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock.

The Jews being taken to Babylon for 70 years (Jer. 25:11)

(Jeremiah 25:11 NKJV) And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

The actual name of the Persian king who would allow the Jews to return – Cyrus (Is. 44:28), given a hundred years before Cyrus was even born.

(Isaiah 44:28 NKJV) Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure, Saying to Jerusalem, “You shall be built,” And to the temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” ’

Only God knows the future, and only God gives us hints of things to come.

(Isaiah 48:3 NKJV) “I have declared the former things from the beginning; They went forth from My mouth, and I caused them to hear it. Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass.

:16 profitable for doctrine

profitable – ophelimos – profitable, useful, beneficial

Paul gives Timothy four things that the Scriptures are beneficial for.

doctrine – didaskalia – teaching, instruction

Doctrine isn’t limited to fancy theological words like “supralapsarianism” (the incorrect teaching that God had decreed both the election and damnation of all prior to creation)

It’s simply the subject of what’s being “taught”.

One of the things Jesus did in the “Sermon on the Mount” was to quote Old Testament Scripture, and then elaborated upon it.

(Matthew 5:27–28 NKJV) —27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

At the end of the Sermon…

(Matthew 7:28–29 NKJV) —28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

We could just as easily say they were astonished at His “doctrine”.

There are lots of sources that a pastor could teach from at church.

I remember as a child going to a church where the pastor based his messages on the songs of Simon and Garfunkel.

The Scriptures are profitable for “teaching”. This is why our focus is on the Scriptures.

They are also profitable for…

:16 for reproof

reproof – elegchos – a proof; conviction

from – elegcho – to convict; generally with a suggestion of shame of the person convicted

; by conviction to bring to the light, to expose

Jesus said that people doing bad things don’t like to be “convicted”

(John 3:20 NKJV) For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

Jesus also used this word in talking about what to do when someone has sinned against you:

(Matthew 18:15 NKJV) “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.

Paul wrote,

(Ephesians 5:11 NKJV) And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

The Scripture is profitable for “reproof”, to bring conviction in those who need to make a change in their life.

The issue of them changing their life is not about your opinion, or about what offends you.

When they argue with what you’re saying, it’s not your opinion, it’s what God says.

The issue is about learning to get your life into align with God’s standards.

The Bible is also profitable for…

:16 for correction

correction – epanorthosis (“upon” + “straighten”) – restoration to an upright or right state; correction, improvement of life or character

The root of this word (orthos) means “straight”, and we see it used in:

(Acts 14:8–10 NKJV) —8 And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. 9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked.

Just like the word “reproof”, this is about helping people to “stand straight” in their lives, in their character.

The writer to the Hebrews uses the root orthos to show how the Scripture can be profitable for correction.

(Hebrews 12:12–17 NKJV) —12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.

Sometimes people are walking down paths that AREN’T “straight”, and instead of seeing healing in their lives, they end up more lame than before.

I believe what follows next elaborates on this – and it’s from the Scripture –

14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: 15 looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; 16 lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. 17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.

Esau was at constant odds (not peace) with his brother Jacob.

His life was filled with bitterness, and that bitterness defiled many.

If we want to have “straight” paths for our feet, if we want to “straighten up”, then we need to learn to deal with things like bitterness and fornication.

We learn these things from the Scriptures.

The Bible is also profitable for …

:16 for instruction in righteousness

in righteousness – dikaiosune – in a broad sense: state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God

instruction – paideia – the whole training and education of children, discipline

(which relates to the cultivation of mind and morals, and employs for this purpose now commands and admonitions, now reproof and punishment) It also includes the training and care of the body; whatever in adults also cultivates the soul, esp. by correcting mistakes and curbing passions.; instruction which aims at increasing virtue; chastisement, chastening, (of the evils with which God visits men for their amendment)

This is the word that the writer to the Hebrews calls “chastening”, the difficult times God allows us to go through to help us mature.

(Hebrews 12:11 NKJV) Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

The point of this word is about maturity. It’s about growing up. It’s about the journey from being a “child” to being an “adult” when it comes to areas of “righteousness”, or doing the right things for God.

Those of us who are a little “older” in the Lord have a responsibility to help those who are “younger” to grow up. Kind of like a dad. What’s important is just how you do it…

Video: What Dad’s Can’t Do

God’s Word is really good to help us grow up.

:17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

:17 complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work

complete – artios – fitted; complete, perfect; “special aptitude for given uses”; specially adapted; able to meet all demands

The word for “thoroughly equipped” is a related word, just a more intense form.

thoroughly equipped – exartizo – to complete, finish; to furnish perfectly; to finish, accomplish, (as it were, to render the days complete)

God has good works for us to be doing.

(Ephesians 2:10 NKJV) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

The “blessing” in the book of Hebrews uses a related word for “complete”:

(Hebrews 13:20–21 NKJV) —20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.