Teaching the Bible

I believe we’re on week 7 of our deep discipleship class.

We’ve covered some fundamentals

Discipleship is from God and for God. The disciples were sent out by the authority of Christ and disciples ultimately grow into the image of Christ for the glory of God.

Discipleship is also from the church and for the church. Disciples are to be rooted in the church growing up out of the body of Christ, but the end is not leave the church, but to use our maturity for the sake of the body.

We’ve been talking about how we do that. That’s fundamentally through teaching. Teaching that furthers understanding the classroom, but also teaching that sets an example and invites others to follow me.

Over the next three weeks I’d like to cover the curriculum of this discipleship. We stated earlier that teaching has four fundamental elements. A teacher a learner, content, and communication.

We’ve talked about communication some in how we teach and I hope we’ll see how the content really parallels the communication.

This morning as you may have guessed from the pre-class work (which we’ll get to in a moment) we’re going to talk about Scripture as the fundamental content of discipleship and how we never really move on from Scripture. All of the content of Christian discipleship is founded on and oriented around Scripture itself. Even when we talk about putting our faith into practice we don’t move on from Scripture.

Let’s start with Why? Why is Scripture sufficient for the work of discipleship?

I’ll turn it over to you at this point.

Last week I invited you to do a little pre-class work.

“Find two passages that support the sufficiency of Scripture for discipleship” E.C. for a relevant passage that someone else does not use.

What did you find?

Pre-class work

Make an argument with two passages which support the sufficiency of Scripture for discipleship.

2 Timothy 3:14-17 (NASB95)

2 Timothy 3:14–17 NASB95

14 You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Psalm 19:7–8 (NASB95)

7The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

8The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

2 Peter 1:19–21 (NASB95)

19So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts.

20But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation,

21for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

Ephesians 2:19–20 (NASB95)

19So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,

20having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,

Psalm 1:1–3 NASB95

1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.

Psalm 19:7–11 NASB95

7 The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether. 10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward.

Psalm 119:1–2 NASB95

1 How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the Lord. 2 How blessed are those who observe His testimonies, Who seek Him with all their heart.

John 20:30–31 NASB95

30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Deuteronomy 4:2 NASB95

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

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In pursuit of the mature disciple that is characterized in Scripture

firmly planted

Prosperous

Obedient to the Lord’s commands

Full of faith

Rejoicing

Enlightened

Satisfied

Wise

Adequate

Walking in righteousness

All these descriptors of maturity are associated directly with Scripture itself.

At the front end I want to address the difference between sufficiency and helpful?

I hope we would see from authoritative Scripture that is inspired by the Word of God, that it does not speak of itself as helpful as if to say, there are other things that are necessary not contained here which are needed for your maturity in Christ. That simply is not the case. (Scripture is not magical, it does need to be read, taught, and the Spirit needs to work) The Word of God speaks of itself as

perfect

sure

right

able

inspired

profitable

a source of blessing

And to cap it all off we are specifically instructed not to add to it.

When we approach the teaching work of discipleship and ask, what content are we teaching? We view Scripture as sufficient, enough, necessary. It is not lacking in any way in pursuing the maturity of the Christian. It’s all here.

So then let’s address what’s going on in the room right now. If we believe in Sola Scriptura and the sufficiency of Scripture what role does a book like “Deep Discipleship” play in the work of discipleship. How about books like Dane Ortlund’s “Gentle and Lowly” or Don Whiteney’s “Personal Spiritual Disciplines”.

Let’s not take anything for granted.

How do these fit into our discipleship content if Scripture is sufficient? Maybe they don’t? Scripture functions as the foundation for all of theology. We need faithful theological teaching that presents the Scriptures systematically. What does the Bible say about marriage? What does the Bible say about loving one another? What does the Bible say about discipleship. There are numerous books on these topics that if done well give us a faithful systematic presentation of that doctrine in Scripture and tell us how to apply it in our lives.

We have three basic categories here that we’re covering over the next three weeks that are essential and they are all founded in the sufficiency of Scripture.

Scripture. 2 Timothy 4:2

2 Timothy 4:2 NASB95

2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

2. Sound Doctrine.

2 Timothy 4:3 NASB95

3 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,

3. Sound Practice

2 Timothy 3:16 NASB95

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

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In order for us to know the Scriptures to know Sound Doctrine we need to be taught. We need the classroom. We need the preaching of the Word on Sunday.

You can also teach Sound Practice in the classroom, but very often that’s where the “Follow Me” comes in. Follow my example.

Our book and our teaching schedule gives us this simple three fold outline, but I’d like to break it up further so we can get a better grip on all that’s comprised in the study of Scripture for discipleship.

The theological pyramid.

Practical Theology

Systematic Theology

Biblical Theology

Exegetical Theology

Scripture

Historical Theology

In different ways all of these advance our understanding Scripture and help us move from the understanding of Scripture to the work out of our faith, practical theology.

Let’s just start with the foundation.

Scripture itself. What does that look like to teach Scripture?

Every Sunday morning. We open the Word we read Scripture, the Word is preached. We’re teaching from Scripture itself.

Before we started this class, Jeremiah was teaching a survey of the Old Testament from David to the prophets. That’s teaching to further our understanding of Scripture.

A class on a single book would fit that category.

Exegetical Theology: What does it mean?

This is where we teach how to read the Bible and how to interpret the Bible. We’re taking the next step towards practicing what we’ve been taught. Before we apply the text we need to interpret the text.

This may look like a class on How to Read the Bible.

In many ways I teach how to read the Bible in how I preach.

When we gather in small groups and discuss Scripture together. We’re teaching hermeneutics and exegesis in a more organic and ordinary way.

If Scripture is going to be of benefit to us we need to know what it means and therefore we need to interpret it rightly. Therefore we need sound exegetical theology.

Biblical Theology : Isn’t all of this biblical theology? Biblical theology has been a term historically used to describe how Scripture progressively reveals to us the redemptive plan and purpose of God. When we see glimpses and types of Christ in the Old Testament we can rightly understand that God is showing a glimpse of how God is going to ultimately redeem his people. Often this follows in particular themes throughout Scripture. When we look at the priesthood in the Old Testament we see a type of the intercession which Christ will perform for us when the curtain is torn and the atoning sacrifice of Christ Himself is offered up on the cross.

This helps understand what the text means so often this is presented as a subset of exegetical theology.

Practically this may like a class on “Christ in the Old Testament” I believe Nathan did some years ago from what I saw.

This could be a class on the role of King in Scripture, the role of Priest in Scripture.

The ladies study currently happening on Sunday night is biblical theological study on the garden of Eden.

Systematic Theology: What does the Scripture say about marriage, eschatology, salvation, sanctification, the church. These are all a study of Scripture that focus on one matter of Christian doctrine. There’s often a work of compiling all the relevant passages and working to present those in a wholistic understanding of one doctrinal point often for the sake of application.

That leads to the culmination of all of this. We can’t forget the point of the pyramid. Scripture calls us to walk. To study Scripture rightly is to come intent on walking in the way of Christ.

James 4:17 NASB95

17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Ephesians 4:1 NASB95

1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,

Practical Theology

This may look like a class on personal spiritual disciplines, evangelism, worship, prayer, or discipleship.

But the teaching of practical theology in particular shouldn’t be isolated to the classroom. We as the body of Christ, serve one another, use our gifts for the good of one another, as examples to each other.

Last week we talked briefly about setting an example of what godly marriage and parenting looks like by just having younger believers in your home. You can teach those things in a classroom certainly, but at the end of the day an example is worth a thousand words. Practicum together should be a normal part of our study and practice of Scripture.

Finally, Historical Theology. Where does Historical Theology fit into the triangle?

Historical Theology is a historical look at every aspect of theology. How did the puritans do systematic theology? How did the reformers pray? It’s a kind of second look from a different time and likely a different country. Are we coming to the same theological conclusions as people have for hundreds of years. It’s a deserving question in the study of Scripture.

When we have the big picture we can see that all of these serve our study of Scripture and at the end of the day Scripture is sufficient. That’s why all these forms of theology exist. Only inerrant inspired Scripture in all it’s sufficiency justifies this kind of wholistic treatment.

But at the end of the day, we need to know the Word. We need to teach the Word. We need to know the narratives of Scripture, the Psalms of Scripture, the arguments that Paul are making because that fundamental understanding is what holds up all the theological work which helps us put our faith into action.