Elders' Meeting 8-15-23: Sufficiency of Scripture

The Sufficiency of Scripture for the Christian Ministry

Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century (I. The Holy Scriptures)

1:1 The Holy Scriptures are the only sufficient, certain, and infallible standard of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience.

Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century (I. The Holy Scriptures)

1:6 The whole counsel of God concerning everything essential for His own glory and man’s salvation, faith, and life is either explicitly stated or by necessary inference contained in the Holy Scriptures. Nothing is ever to be added to the Scriptures, either by new revelation of the Spirit or by human traditions.

Pushing back against two things:

1.) Anabaptists: “new revelations of the Spirit”

2.) Roman Catholics: “Sacred Traditions”

Both of these are dangers… even for US.

1.) Letting our “feelings,” “fears,” or desires...

…cause us to neglect the word of God on a matter.

2.) Failing to evaluate our methods and practices...

…in light of God’s Word.

A Third: Ministerial Pragmatism

God’s Kingdom is/always has been...

…established on the Rule of Law:

Deuteronomy 4:1–2 (ESV)

1 “And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live...

2 You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you.

Deuteronomy 12:32–13:5 (ESV)

32 “Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.

1 “If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder,

2 and the sign or wonder that he tells you comes to pass, and if he says, ‘Let us go after other gods,’ which you have not known, ‘and let us serve them,’

3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams. For the Lord your God is testing you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

4 You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him.

5 But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has taught rebellion against the Lord your God . . . So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

Joshua 1:8 (ESV)

8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Proverbs 30:5–6 (ESV)

5 Every word of God proves true...

6 Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

Same in the NT:

Galatians 1:8–9 (ESV)

8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.

9 As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.

Revelation 22:18–19 (ESV)

18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book,

19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

Our Go-To Passage:

2 Timothy 3:13–15 (ESV)

13 ...evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

straying away from what standard?

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it

15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

Notice the coupling of...

The apostolic teaching

The Old Testament Scripture.

This is personal application for Timothy!

Salvation

Godly Living

In Verse 16 he moves to ministerial application:

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Theological instruction

For moral refutation

For Doctrinal correction

For bringing conviction

Positive instructions in the ways of righteousness:

Pleasing Worship

Pleasing Ministry

Pleasing Living

The Scripture provides all of that...

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

“man of God” = messenger/servant of God

“complete” = proficient, capable, suitable

“equipped” = thoroughly furnished, outfitted

-Then Paul charges him:

2 Timothy 4:1–2 (ESV)

1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus...

2 preach the word...

That’s what our people need!

And it is sufficient.

We don’t need to look outside of it...

…to fulfill our duties to Christ...

…as shepherds of his people.

He’s given us what we need:

The Spirit and The Word!

Let’s hold fast to both!