The Powerful Tool of Scripture
2 Timothy 3:16-17
May 7, 2017
As you know we are in the middle of our study entitled
“500 Years of Reformation”.
It is in part a reminder of the history of the Reformation,
But more than that, it is a reminder of the absolute beauty of the true gospel
Which was rediscovered during that time.
It is out of the commitment of the Reformers that we get those 5 pillars.
Sola Scriptura, Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Solus Christus, Soli Deo Gloria
We believe that we are:
• Saved by Grace Alone
• Through Faith Alone
• In Christ Alone
• As Revealed in Scripture Alone
• To the Glory of God Alone
And in our study we have thus far simply been examining that first Sola; SOLA SCRIPTURA.
As we have said many times, this sola is the foundation.
Without this one, none of the others ever come into play.
Before we ever move on to the other solas,
We must first be convinced and we must first settle the issue of
Where our authority comes from.
Scripture and Scripture alone gets the final say.
Luther certainly understood this.
He said, “We must make a great difference between God’s Word and the word of man. A man’s word is a little sound, that flies into the air, and soon vanishes; but the Word of God is greater than heaven and earth, yea, greater than death and hell, for it forms part of the power of God.”
Martin Luther, The TableTalk of Martin Luther (Ross-Shire, Scotland: Christian Focus, 2003), 110.
He also wrote:
“Whenever you hear anyone boast that he has something by inspiration of the Holy Spirit and it has no basis in God’s Word, no matter what it may be, tell him that this is the work of the devil…Whatever does not have its origin in the Scriptures is surely from the devil himself.”
Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, Vol. 23, ed. Jaroslav Pelikan (St. Louis; Concordia, 1959), 173-174, 144
Everything that the Reformers stood for got its basis in Scripture.
If you give credence to any other form of revelation
Then you are in danger of a distorted gospel.
So we are building that foundation of SOLA SCRIPTURA
Tonight we are looking at one of the MOST FAMOUS PASSAGES in the Bible regarding the Scripture.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
Just to read that passage is highly informative.
It helps us even more when we understand the context
In which that statement was made.
You will recall that Timothy was the understudy of Paul, and that Paul had given Timothy a very daunting task.
1 Timothy 1:3-7 “As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.”
Ephesus had a truth problem.
• There were false teachers there who were looking to sources other than the
Scripture for their authority.
• Paul said they were teaching “strange doctrines” that they learned from
“myths and endless genealogies”.
• And to make matters worse they did not understand the Law even though they
spoke confidently about it.
You had a church that placed other sources on par with Scripture
And thus had grown knowledgeable in myths and ignorant of Scripture.
Timothy had been charged with straightening that whole mess out.
NOW IF YOU HAVE BEEN WITH US IN THIS STUDY
Then you are beginning to recognize that
The struggle Timothy faced was not all that different
From the struggle the Reformers faced. (Albeit on a larger scale)
The Reformers were also in a system
Which had elevated other sources to the same level of Scripture
And thus had grown knowledgeable in church tradition
And papal authority and ignorant of the Scriptures.
In many ways WE face the same struggle TODAY.
We have a culture that places other sources of inspiration
Equal to and even above Scripture and thus the church today
Is growing knowledgeable in myths and ignorant of the Scriptures.
Our question is:
HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU FIX IT?
• That would have been a good question for Martin Luther to ask wouldn’t it?
• The Roman Catholic church is corrupt and truth is lost, how in the world do you fix it?
Well Paul’s admonition to Timothy was simple.
1 Timothy 4:11-16 “Prescribe and teach these things. Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”
Paul told Timothy that faithfulness to the Scripture was the key
If he was to be successful in turning the tide at Ephesus.
However, by the time we get to the book of 2 Timothy,
We find a DISCOURAGED YOUNG PREACHER who is need of a boost.
Paul is addressing that.
Here in chapter 3 we can learn quite a bit.
We can see that it will most likely get worse before it gets better.
(READ 3:1-9)
We can see that persecution is a reality.
(READ 3:10-13)
And we can see that commitment to Scripture is required.
(READ 3:14-15)
Paul tells Timothy that he must be committed to Scripture because Scripture is “able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
That is to say: There is no other tool like Scripture
Which can produce the revival that you are looking for.
THAT IS WHAT PAUL REVEALS IN VERSES 16-17
3 Things
#1 THE SOURCE OF SCRIPTURE
2 Timothy 3:16a
“All Scripture is inspired by God…”
We have talked about this recently,
But of course this fact is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.
This is what makes Scripture AUTHORITATIVE.
This is what makes Scripture SUFFICIENT.
• It is not authoritative because we find it to be true…
• It is not authoritative because we find that it works…
• It is not authoritative because we find it historically or archaeologically accurate…
THE BIBLE IS AUTHORITATIVE BECAUSE ITS AUTHOR IS SOVEREIGN.
We believe this book to be the actual words of God.
“All Scripture is inspired by God…”
(literally, “God breathed”)
2 Peter 1:20-21 “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”
And no doubt some would argue here
That Paul was referring to the Old Testament Scriptures,
Some have even used that argument to cast doubt
Upon the inspiration of the New Testament.
However, the N.T. makes it clear that it is also authored by God.
The men who wrote the New Testament
Knew they were recording the very words of God.
1 Corinthians 2:12-13 “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.”
2 Corinthians 2:17 “For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.”
Galatians 1:11-12, 15-16 “For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ… “But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood,”
Colossians 1:25-27 “Of this church I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”
1 Thessalonians 2:13 “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”
Even listen to Peter as he talks about Paul’s writings:
2 Peter 3:15-16 “and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation; just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.”
John the apostle certainly knew he was recording Scripture.
Revelation 1:1-2 “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.”
Or listen to how he ended every single message to the churches.
7 times we have John make the exact same statement.
(2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, 3:6, 3:13, 3:22)
Revelation 2:7 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
I think you get the point.
The writers of the New Testament knew whose words they were writing.
That makes it superior to any and every other form of revelation.
• Whenever God speaks, it is always authoritative.
• Whenever God speaks, it is always true.
• Whenever God speaks, it is always binding.
• Whenever God speaks, it is always effective.
Isaiah 55:11 “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”
So first and foremost we must understand what we are dealing with.
It is not the words of men…
It is the very word of God.
Spurgeon had a definite handle on this:
“O Bible! It cannot be said of any other book, that it is perfect and pure; but of thee we can declare all wisdom is gathered up in thee, without particle of folly. This is the judge that ends the strife, where wit and reason fail. This is the book untainted by any error; but is pure, unalloyed, perfect truth. Why? Because God wrote it. Ah! Charge God with error if ye please; tell him that his book is not what it ought to be. I have heard men, with prudish and mock-modesty, who would like to alter the Bible; and (I almost blush to say it) I have heard ministers alter the God’s Bible, because they were afraid of it…Pity they were not born when God lived far – far back that they might have taught God how to write. Oh, impudence beyond all bounds! Oh full-blown self-conceit! To attempt to dictate to the All-wise – to teach the Omniscient and instruct the Eternal. Strange that there should be men so vile as to use the penknife of Jehoiakim to cut out passages of the word, because they are unpalatable. O ye who dislike certain portions of Holy writ, rest assured that your taste is corrupt, and that God will not stay for your little opinion. Your dislike is the very reason why God wrote it, because you ought not to be suited; you have no right to be pleased. God wrote what you do not like; he wrote the truth. Oh! Let us bend in reverence before it, for God inspired it. It is pure truth. Here from this fountain gushes aqua vitae – the water of life – without a single particle of earth; here from this sun there cometh forth rays of radiance, without the mixture of darkness. Blessed Bible! Thou art all truth.”
(Spurgeon, C.H. [Spurgeon’s Sermons Volumes 1-2; Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 2007] pg. 31-32)
That is the Source of Scripture
#2 THE SUFFICIENCY OF SCRIPTURE
2 Timothy 3:16b
“and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.”
Because it is the very word of God it is therefore “profitable”;
It is therefore tremendously valuable.
If you’ll remember what David said:
Psalms 19:7-10 “The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether. They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.”
There is tremendous profit and value in this all authoritative word of God.
Paul even has his own list of what God’s word is profitable for.
“for teaching”
That is to say, it is profitable for the basic instruction of doctrine.
• How do you know what things please God?
• How do you know what He expects?
• How do you know how to reconcile with Him?
• How do you know what is true?
• In this book we find who God is.
• In this book we find who we are.
• In this book we find what salvation is, and how it is obtained.
These are very basic truths Scripture alone provides the answer to.
And throughout the scope of human history,
People without this basic knowledge were in grave danger.
Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”
We turn to the Scripture because in it
We find basic truth which must be taught.
Ephesians 4:11-14 “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;”
It is the Scripture that helps us discern what we see and here.
In it we find the basic truths of life and salvation.
This is why Timothy was so urgently commanded to read and preach it.
1 Timothy 4:16 “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”
The Scripture must be taught,
Because it gives us basic doctrinal truths that must be known.
If you want people to know who God is, teach them the Bible.
The Bible is also “profitable” “for reproof”
And of course this is so important in our world of “don’t judge me”.
Our society thinks any and all behavior is acceptable
So long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else.
The fact is however that there is certain behavior that offends God.
Our Creator was specific about
What is and what is not acceptable in His sight.
And incidentally, God is so offended by certain behaviors
That He has determined to eternally destroy everyone who has offended Him.
If you doubt His seriousness in this, you need lonely look back to the flood in the days of Noah.
Genesis 6:5-7 “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. The LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.”
What happened next is referred to as the great flood in which every person on earth died, except for the 8 whom God determined to save.
Or go to Sodom and Gomorrah
Genesis 18:20-21 “And the LORD said, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave. “I will go down now, and see if they have done entirely according to its outcry, which has come to Me; and if not, I will know.”
And then we read:
Genesis 19:24-25 “Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.”
And of course regarding eternity we read:
Revelation 21:8 “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
The point being of course that offending God is a massive ordeal.
We need a guide that will confront and correct us
Any time we stray from what is acceptable to Him.
And nothing does that so well as the word of God.
In God’s word is lifted high the holy standard
By which all behaviors, motives, thoughts, intentions, actions, etc.
Are confronted and judged.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”
And we need it.
Beyond that, if you seek to disciple others and are aware that they need reproof, by what standard are you going to reprove them?
Are you going to simply tell them that you don’t agree with their behavior?
Get ready for a “what gives you the right?” sort of response.
No, instead we hold open the Scriptures and show them
That their behavior is offensive to God
And therefore they must stop what they are doing.
I used to joke with Lenny. He’d sit in my office after a hard day of parent meetings and would talk with me about some of the dilemma’s he was forced to sort out. He’d then say, “I know you understand what it’s like to deal with people.”
I would then typically respond, “Yes, but your job is far more difficult. When people come in my office, I can simply open the Bible and the reproof comes from God and the answer is final. Lenny, you actually have to reason with these people.”
What tremendous value comes in having God’s word.
It is also “profitable” “for correction”
The Greek word here is only used this one time in Scripture,
But in Greek literature it is a word used of “sitting something back up after it has fallen over” (like a lamp)
It literally means “to restore to an upright state”
So not only does God’s word reprove, but it improves.
And we use it to help those who have fallen to be restored.
How many times has someone come to my office broken about their failure and we read:
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Or we take someone who has made a mess out of life and they want a guide for living. What tool are you going to use?
Galatians 6:1-2 “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.”
Are you just going to give them Dr. Phil to help them be restored?
No, you instruct them with the word of God.
It is profitable for putting a life back on the right track.
God’s word is also “profitable” “for training in righteousness”
The word for “training” here is PAIDEIA and it deals with the whole scope of training that you would give to a child.
In fact a form of that word is used in Paul’s letter to the Galatians:
Galatians 3:23-24 “But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.”
There referred to as a “tutor”.
It is that all-encompassing guide meant to take a new believer
And turn them into a mature believer.
How do you fit a new believer for the world?
How do you make them strong?
You do that through the teaching of God’s word.
Make no mistake about it, we are in the education business.
And by the way, the Reformers knew this.
Zwingli actually set up a school in Zurich.
It was a bible school.
He would start with Genesis 1.
• He’d have a Hebrew professor come teach it in Hebrew
• Then He’d have a Greek professor come teach it in Greek
• Then He’d have a Latin professor come teach it in Latin
• Then He’d have a German professor come teach it in German
And the next day he’d move on to Genesis 2. And so on.
John Calvin preached in Geneva where he preached the O.T. 6 days a week and the N.T. twice on Sundays.
WHY?
Because they saw the need to thoroughly teach the Scripture to each and every generation as it alone was useful for “training in righteousness”
And that was not a new thought.
Ever hear God’s command to Moses about how to train your kids?
Deuteronomy 6:4-8 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.”
The key word there being: THOROUGH
Want godly children?
Want a righteous congregation?
THEN PREACH THE WORD TO THEM
Again let me read:
1 Timothy 4:12-16 “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”
It is God’s word which accomplishes this work.
And it is SUFFICIENT to do so.
Timothy was struggling to see revival in the church of Ephesus,
Paul reminded him that the Scripture was sufficient
For everything he wanted to see.
• Whether that was for teaching doctrine…
• Whether that was for reproving sinners…
• Whether that was for establishing the saints…
• Whether that was for producing righteous living…
God’s word was profitable for all of those things.
And of course that is because it is the very word of God.
So you see the Source of Scripture, The Sufficiency of Scripture
#3 THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SCRIPTURE
2 Timothy 3:17
And what a great statement.
“so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
The title “man of God” is only used twice in the New Testament
And both times it is when Paul is addressing Timothy.
It is however a title used often in the Old Testament
Referring to the prophets of God.
Here Paul is referring to the preacher.
If the preacher wants to be “adequate” (word meaning “fitted for service”) then he must preach the word so that he may be “equipped for every good work.”
Literally that phrase is “enabled to meet all demands of righteousness”
If a preacher wants to do his job well
And see the type of results that God demands
Then there is only one tool which he can use; God’s word.
It alone can teach and reprove and correct and train.
It alone can produce spiritual results.
Isaiah 55:11 “So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.”
And that reality is probably best illustrated to us through the Reformation.
• The Roman Catholic church was a machine of deception.
• Worse than that it was uniquely intertwined with the Kings and Monarchs of the day.
• You had entire countries bound under the ignorance that it produced and terrified of the threats it made.
• Catholicism had a death grip on this world.
How in the world would that stranglehold ever be broken?
How could reformers make a difference?
How could you ever turn entire nations like Germany, and Switzerland, and England, and Scotland away from Catholicism?
The answer: Preach the word of God.
God’s word did it all.
I love the statement Paul makes to Timothy in this second letter.
2 Timothy 2:8-9 “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel, for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned.”
Boy isn’t that the truth!
Once those Bibles went out in German and English,
There was no going back.
God’s word worked a transformation!
And so you understand why we begin with SOLA SCRIPTURA
Without it, we get nothing.
You also understand why when Timothy was discouraged
Paul had ONE MAJOR WORD OF EXHORTATION to him:
That word is found 2 Timothy 4.
2 Timothy 4:1-5 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
Just preach the word, it will do the rest.
What a tremendous reality,
And one that was continually proven throughout the reformation.
