“Importance of Scripture”

2 Timothy 3:15-4:5

1. (V15) The scriptures make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ

As you read the scriptures it builds your faith which first leads to salvation and then to maturity

Consistency in the scriptures builds you up

Isaiah 55:11 “So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

Romans 12:2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Hebrews 5:12–13 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.”

2. (V16) All scripture is given by inspiration of God

a) (All scripture ) All of it is inspired, which means we can’t decide which we believe or not believe)

b) (Inspiration) When people speak of the Bible as inspired, they are referring to the fact that God divinely influenced the human authors of the Scriptures in such a way that what they wrote was the very Word of God.

In the context of the Scriptures, the word “inspiration” simply means “God-breathed.” Inspiration means the Bible truly is the Word of God and makes the Bible unique among all other books.

The Bible was written by 40 men of diverse backgrounds over the course 1500 years (Its without any contradictions

c) (Reliability) What is the reliability of the scriptures?

The Dead Sea Scrolls are as old as 300 BC to AD 70 with the bulk of the documents dating to 100 BC (Vermes, Geza. This means our oldest copy of the Old Testament existed before Jesus came.

When the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in the 1940s, they were 800 years older than any other available manuscripts. Comparing earlier and later manuscripts showed a meticulous approach to transmission, once again adding to our confidence that what we have today represents the original texts.

One major reason we can trust the reliability of the scriptures is the prophecy

2.1 Scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and for instruction in righteousness

Romans 15:4 “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

(Doctrine) Profitable for doctrine: telling us what is true about God, man, the world we live in, and the world to come.

(Reproof and Correction) Profitable for reproof and correction: with the authority to rebuke us and correct us. We are all under the authority of God’s word, and when the Bible exposes our doctrine or our conduct as wrong

(Instruction in righteousness) Instruction in how to live right according to the standard of God

3. (V17) That the man of God be complete, throughly equipped for every good work

2 Timothy 2:21 “Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.”

In my life, the Word of God and the power of radically changed my life.

For me the transformation began when I put God first in my life and I sought Him with all my heart

4. (V1) I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ

a) Charge translates a strong word from Biblical Greek (diamarturomai), also often translated testified (such as in Acts 8:25).

b) Reminder that God will judge the living and the dead

The Old Testament believers went to a place of comfort and rest called “paradise” when they died. The Old Testament taught life after death and that everyone who departed from this life went to a place of conscious existence.

5. (V2) Preach the word

Because God will judge, this should gives us motivation to share God’s word with others

Our motivation is love for others.

If we truly believe what the Bible teaches, shouldn’t we be motivated to share our faith?

Our Christian duty is to share our faith and be an example to the unbelieving world

6. (V3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but according to their own desires

Case and point is homosexuality in the church

You have certain denominations, such as the methodist who goes against the teaching in the Bible and not only they say its okay but they allow their pastors to be gay