Untitled Sermon (7)

Introduction

We live an an age where absolute truth is all but forgotten. Fake news, fake friends, fake leaders have become the norm. If you talk to anyone from a younger generation you will hear them talking about things such as “my truth” or the phrase “live your truth” as if reality is subject to our beliefs. Not only that but Christians in the west are leaving the faith in numbers never seen before. What is our hope? How can we know truth? What will we hold firm to in uncertain times? Has God spoken? If so, how can we know that we have what he said accurately recorded? We as Christians, believe that the Bible is the word of God. We affirm that it holds absolute truth. But do we know why? And what do we do with Scripture when we find that it is true? These questions bring us to our passage today. Our main focus will be verses sixteen and seventeen but we will begin in verse fourteen. Let us read together,

2 Timothy 3:14-17, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed. You

know those who taught you, and you know that from infancy you have known the sacred

Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All 2

Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for

training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good

work” (Christian Standard Bible).

Let’s pray. Father thank you for the truth of your Word. Thank you that in an age of

uncertainty, we can know with certainty where our hope is found. Open our eyes to the

inspiration of your word. Not just for intellectual comfort. But let us apply it to our livers as we

grow in discipleship. For it is in Jesus’ name we pray

Scripture is inspired

When it comes to theologically loaded terms, how often do we truly ponder what they

mean? Often we do not consider the impact that it has on our faith. But I can tell you that the

evangelical church in the west is reaping the benefits, or lack there of, of not taking doctrine

seriously. We are in a crisis of deconstruction. Every day a celebrity Christian declares that they

no longer trust in Christ for salvation. Or a church proudly declares themselves as progressive. I

promise you they do not wake up one day and decide to do so for fun. It is a slow and deliberate

process of questioning spiritual things without the Bible as their foundation. It is asking the same

question as the serpent in the garden of eden, “Did God really say?” It starts with the

abandonment of the doctrine of Inspiration.

We will begin today by looking at the beginning of verse 16, “All Scripture is inspired

by God” The word translated as inspired is θεόπνευστος, But what does Paul mean when he says

that the Bible is inspired? Does he mean to day that the Bible inspires us in these dark days? Well

the Bible does do that. But that is not what he is saying here. Rather he is talking about the 1

1

Thomas D. Lea and Hayne P. Griffin, 1, 2 Timothy, Titus, vol. 34, The New American Commentary (Nashville:

Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 236. 3

origin of Scripture. Some of your translations may say that all scripture is God-breathed. I love

that picture. It flows out of God. Though the Bible was written by human hands, it comes from

God himself. The authors maintain their personality and writing styles. They write under their

own agency. But the Holy Spirit still chooses each and every word to covey the exact message

intended by God.

Peter records, “Above all, you know this: No prophecy of Scripture comes from the

prophet’s own interpretation, because no prophecy ever came by the will of man; instead, men

spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pe 1:20–21).Scripture is not

subject to the opinions or changes of man through time. It comes directly from God through

human authors.

What is with this phrase here “all Scripture?” How much of scripture is inspired? well all

of it. But more specifically Paul is writing this in the first century. Some of the New Testament

had been written up until this point. But it certainly had not been compiled in any meaningful

way. The passage says that Timothy had been instructed from the Scriptures from his youth. This

passage is primarily talking about the Old Testament. We get the New Testament thrown in there

too. We may want to throw out the Old Testament. Or unhitch it as some preachers say today.

There are numerous laws and stories that make us uncomfortable. But we cannot do that if we

take the New Testament seriously. Conservative estimates say that the New Testament directly

quotes the Old Testament 855 times. But over a third, or 7,967 verses, reference the Old

Testament in some capacity. OD Testament. To be logically consistent, if one believes in the inspiration of the New

Not only that but we just saw Paul affirming the inspiration of the 2

2

“O.T. Quotations Found in the N.T. - Study Resources,” Blue Letter Bible, n.d., https://www.blueletterbible.org/

study/pnt/pnt08.cfm. 4

Testament, they must also believe in the inspiration of the Old. Later we will take a look at how

Scripture is profitable for discipleship. Just remember that the Old Testament has a place in it.

If the Bible is Inspired, or rather since it is, there are three important truths that follow.

Scripture is infallible, inerrant, and authoritative. To say that the Bible is infallible is to say that it

is reliable on all matters it speaks of. It does not mislead people. To say Scripture is inerrant is to

say that the original copies are free from any mistake of doctrine, teaching, or fact recorded. Our

English copies have come a long way as well. I can be quite the nerd when it comes to Textual

Criticism. To avoid that rabbit trail, many of our modern copies are faithful interpretations of the

past. The King James and New King James worked off of the Textus Receptus as their basis for

the original languages. They are truly remarkable and beautiful works. But since their writing,

scholars have found older and more manuscripts, giving even greater confidence that we know

what the Bible originally said and can translate it faithfully. Normally translations are put

together by a committee. This committee is made up of some of the best scholars on the original

languages from across denominational lines. The idea is to translate the words without adding or

taking away meaning, I will encourage you to mark and avoid translations that do not work this

way. One that has been rising amongst some in the community is the Passion translation. This

has been put together by one man with little to no language training. His writing has clear hyper-

charismatic leanings. Not only that but he claims to have been visited by an angel named passion

that gave him so called secret knowledge. This is very reminiscent of Joseph Smith and the

mormon “corrections” to Scripture. 5

All of this to say that we know what the Bible says. So please read it in a translation that

you can understand. Many readings are trustworthy today. I would love to talk more with you

about this after the service if you need a hand picking a good one.

Since the Bible is Inspired, we ought to listen to it. That is to say that the Bible is

authoritative in all that speaks of. There is no need to insert your opinion into the text. We live

according to its guidelines. In Bible studies we have probably all been asked, “What does this

mean to you?” Frankly my opinions do not matter. They are subject to God and His rule. The

Bible has objective truth. My opinion on abortion must be subject to what the Scriptures have to

say about the starting point of life and its treatment of murder. My stance on paying taxes is

subject to Jesus’ words. My politics are subject to the authority of Scripture. All of my life is

subject to what God has decreed. In a sense this is comforting. If I do my job properly as an

expositor of God’s word, and you do not like something I say, I can just point back to the text

and say take it up with God. Verse 16 begins, “all Scripture is inspired by God.” Because this is

true, we must live our lives subject to it. This applies to discipleship.

Do you know your Bible? It is a fair question. This book I hold in my hands has been

brought to us through great sacrifice by our brothers and sisters in church history and the wisdom

of scholars today. Paul is writing to someone who certainly knows his Old Testament. Look at

verses fourteen and fifteen. “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly

believed. You know those who taught you, and you know that from infancy you have known the

sacred Scriptures, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus”

(2 Ti 3:14–15). Timothy knew the scriptures. And it wasn’t just because of his own efforts or

Paul’s teaching. It was because of the efforts of his mother and grandmother. Look at the 6

beginning of the letter, “I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother Lois and in

your mother Eunice and now, I am convinced, is in you also” (2 Ti 1:5).

Timothy’s faith was built by faithful women. We do not know what exactly happened to

Timothy’s father, whether he died, left, or was simply an unbeliever. Regardless, he was not in

the picture. These women devoted themselves to raising Timothy up in the Lord. You see in

jewish culture, learning the Old Testament was crucial. Starting at the age of five, mothers would

help their kids memorize entire books of the Bible. At age ten, their fathers would teach doctrine

and traditions. 3

God’s design has always been for a family to teach their children about their God. Are

you training up your kids? I am not asking if you take them to church. But are you saturating

them in the things of God? From sun up to sun down, the Israelites were constantly reminding

themselves about God and His word. They would put Scriptures on their doorpost to be

reminded. They would put little pieces of a scroll in a box and tie it to their forward to force

themselves to dwell on the things of God.We all must dedicate ourselves to know and memorize

the Scriptures.

Teaching little children is both an opportunity and a burden. Jesus fiercely protected

children during his ministry. Look at His own words, “‘Truly I tell you,’ he said, ‘unless you

turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore,

whoever humbles himself like this child—this one is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And

whoever welcomes one child like this in my name welcomes me’” (Mt 18:2-5). To welcome a

child is to welcome Christ. Lead them in the way of God. Guide them. There is great blessing in

3

Bruce B. Barton, David Veerman, and Neil S. Wilson, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Life Application Bible

Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1993), 217. 7

this. Many of you know that my wife and I have been praying for a child. We never got to hold

Cassius in our arms. Please take this call to make disciples out of your children seriously. For

Look at Jesus’ warning, “‘But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to fall

away—it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were

drowned in the depths of the sea’” (Mt 18:6).

As a Youth Pastor, that scares me. God does not mess around when it comes to children.

Are you making disciples out of your children? Does your life revolve around the life of Christ’s

bride or around the world? We get so busy sending our kids off to school, sports, friends,

hobbies, and everything else. If we are honest, discipleship is the first thing we cast aside. All of

us could think back to the last time we missed a Bible study because we had something else we

would rather do. When is the last time you missed something else because you had to gather with

the saints? When is the last time your child missed a sports practice to worship their creator? I’ll

brace for the angry emails later.

My friends, discipling your kids is not an add on. It is not optional. It is a command. Not

only should we dedicate ourselves to discipling our kids, but we must disciple ourselves. And

how do we do that? Through dedicating ourselves to scripture.

Timothy’s faith was a direct result of studying the Word of God. May we never lose sight

of this foundational piece of our faith. As verses fourteen and fifteen remind us, this is a lifelong

process. We do not graduate from our dependency on the Word. We are to continue in what we

have learned and believed. So we have the inspired Word. We know that we are to use it to make

disciples. But how exactly does it transform us? 8

Luckily Paul does not leave us without an answer. Look at verses sixteen and seventeen

again, “All Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for

correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for

every good work.” (2 Ti 3:16-17).

Paul gives a fourfold use of Scripture in these verses. The first two are teaching and 4

rebuking. These things have to do with knowledge or doctrine. Useful for teaching is said in the

positive. The Bible tells us who God is and what we are two belief. Rebuke is the opposite. The

Bible teaches us what not to believe or teach. If you have read much of Paul you know that he

includes both, often in the same thought. Positive and negative. Encouragement and warning.

This way of teaching is present on every page.

Beyond doctrine, the Scriptures provide us with correction and training. This is we live

and behave. Correction here is the negative use of Scripture. It chides us when we venture off the

right path. It is to get our attention when we behave in a way that does not honor God. If we are

honest with ourselves, we do not like to give correction. This is true whether you have a child or

people who work under you, or whatever the situation may be. And we certainly do not like to be

on the receiving end of correction. But check out what Hebrews says, “ And you have forgotten

the exhortation that addresses you as sons:My son, do not take the Lord’s discipline lightly or

lose heart when you are reproved by him, for the Lord disciplines the one he loves and punishes

every son he receives” (He 12:5-6).

‌ A loving parent corrects their child. A good boss corrects their employees. I substitute

teach at the public school and there are many kids whose parents have never corrected them. It is

4

Donald Guthrie, Pastoral Epistles: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 14, Tyndale New Testament

Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1990), 182. 9

not loving to let them live in such self destructive behaviors. God loves us. And He uses His

Word to correct us.

The Bible also gives us training in righteousness. I want to be careful here to remind you

that this is not the Gospel. The Christian message is not live a good life and things will work out

in the end. For before we were saved we were dead in our sins. Unable to do good works. Now

that we are saved, we better be living God’s way. We ought to now desire to live an ethical life.

As we mentioned earlier, Pual and Timothy primarily have the Old Testament as their basis of

Scripture. The Old Testament certainly provides a basis for Christian ethics. Even more so now

that it has been illuminated by the arrival of the Messiah.

For what purpose? For what purpose has Scripture been inspired? Why should we use it

to disciple others and ourselves? Verse seventeen gives us the answer, “so that the man of God

may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Ti 2:17).

Paul has given Timothy a great burden. But not without being equipped to do so. If he

nurtures his spiritual walk, then he should have every confidence to live a live honoring unto

God. The New American Commentary puts it this way, “If Timothy would nurture his spiritual

life in the Scriptures that he would use in his ministry, he would be fully qualified and prepared

to undertake whatever tasks God put before him. What a tragedy for any Christian to be labeled

as spiritually unprepared for a task when the means of instruction and preparation are readily at

hand!” 5

My own temptation as someone in seminary and one who preaches may be to fall in love

with the truths of God’s Word and leave it there. But God has not given us His word to simply be

Lea, 1, 2 Timothy, Titus, 237–238. 5 10

hearers only. But doers as well. Look at Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in

Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.” Do I really need to

convince you that the greater part of the Western church has failed miserably at this? Look

outside these doors. The election is in just a few days from now. People are living a life far from

God. There are people in our own community without their basic needs being met. We must be

the hands and feet of God. We are the church, His body. Souls are on the line. Their eternity is

real. So do something about it. These good works have already been prepared beforehand. So

step into whatever God is calling you to do. And serve. Put your faith into practice..

Conclusion

The whole Bible is the inspired Word of God. As such we know it to be trustworthy and

applicable to our lives. We must read it and allow it test every claim made by the world. The

Bible provides the means for discipleship. It is our anchor, safeguarding us from lies amd false

teaching. And it tells us how to live a moral life.

But more than all of these, the Bible tells us about our Savior. It proclaims the Gospel with

boldness, refusing to apologize. Do you want a closer relationship with your Savior? then have a

closer relationship with His word