"The Written Word of God" (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Written By God

He is the Author (Theopneustos)

Paul taught that the Scriptures are “God-Breathed”

Scholars believe Paul coined the word “Theopneustos” meaning “God-Breathed” or “God-Inspired.”

He wanted to emphasize the reality and the belief among the early Church that it is God Himself who receives the credit for the authorship of ALL Scripture.

Peter taught the same thing

2 Peter 1:20–21 “Know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes by one’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever made by the will of man, but men being moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

The Church affirmed the 66 books we call the Holy Bible as the ones that truly are “Theopneustos” or “God-Breathed”

2 Peter 3:16 “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.

Paul, in his first letter to Timothy reveals to us that the writings of Luke are just as authoritative as the writings of the Old Testament. (1 Timothy 5:18)

The authority of the Author

The fact that the Scriptures were given to us by God is what elevates them to the authoritative status they hold today. (Sola Scriptura)

They are of the supreme authority in the lives of the Christian, not in replacing God but in revealing Him and His will for His Church.

Truth is it’s Theme

It was written by He who cannot lie! (Numbers 23:19 & Titus 1:2)

Deception does not come from God/ Confusion does not come from God. He is not the Author of confusion but of peace and harmony. (1 Corinthians 14:33)

We can trust that all that God has revealed through the inspiration of His Holy Spirit is the absolute truth, not simply plausible or verisimilar but absolutely true.

Our Lord Jesus Christ revealed His knowledge of this fact. (John 17:17 ““Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth.”)

Truth about physical realities like creation and modern scientific discoveries, as well as geographical and historical references.

Truth about spiritual realities like depression and anxiety, as well as moral law, righteousness and sin.

From “In the beginning” to “Amen”/ Genesis to Revelation; God the Holy Spirit guaranteed that nothing but the truth remained so preserved and blessed through the generations.

Unconcerned with feelings or the hardness/painfulness of the truth.

It is the truth that sets men free from sin and death and from the wrath of Almighty God. (John 8:32)

Christ is the Subject

Jesus is the Truth (John 14:6)

Christ is the focal point of all Scripture

God gave us this Holy book to bring about the revelation of His Son. He did this to tell us about His Son.

From the moment He was promised to us in the garden, to His incarnation in Bethlehem, to His coronation in Heaven and the anticipation of His return, the Scriptures have spoken of Him.

Luke records Peter mentioning in Acts 10:43 ““Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His Name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.””

Peter, a good Jewish student understood and could see how all the Scriptures he has studied his whole life point to Jesus of Nazareth.

Jesus also testified to this.

Luke 24:44-48 V.44 “Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”” (After Jesus’ resurrection, as He appeared to the Apostles)

John 5:39 ““You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that bear witness about Me;”

John 5:46 ““For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me.”

Written For Man (v.16 & 17)

Profitable for Teaching

The greatest advice anyone could give anyone is that which is found in the sacred Scriptures.

We are forever learners and who better to learn from than God and His text book on life and all things holy.

People search into things unholy for lessons on holiness

We treat philanthropy like a professor of humanity.

God is the author of life and the author of its manual, the Holy Scriptures and Christ the Teacher of teachers who teaches according to them.

We need not to wonder what is right and what is wrong/ What is pleasing to God and what stirs up His wrath towards us.

The Scriptures make it plain to us what is godly and what is wicked.

See Mark 7:21-23; Romans 1:28-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21; for lists that lay out for us unrighteousness and wicked acts that displease the LORD.

That which the natural man takes pleasure in but is not fit for the saints of God.

The written word of God is profitable for teaching us such things.

Profitable for Reproof

We flatter ourselves into thinking we have obtained perfection. A grave mistake. (Philippians 3:12-14)

Causes us to become lazy in our thinking and in our sanctification, arrogant and prideful of heart.

We begin to make more and more mistakes in our understandings of God and need to be reproved for our thinking.

The Scriptures are excellent to bring us back to the foundation of truth and reality.

When we need to see if we have strayed even a little, the Scriptures stand firm to show us where we have digressed.

The Scriptures keep us safe from feelings, misunderstandings and false teachings by rebuking what is not from God. (Plumbline)

Our response to this reveals our true desires for wisdom, growth in godliness and perfection.

Many harden their hearts to reproof and correction. Take offense to it. For they do not love wisdom but rather they hate it. Goes against them.

The Bible says that he is a fool who hates wisdom; he who hates discipline in knowledge hates wisdom.

Mark of a true Christian who will allow the Scriptures to mold them rather than attempt to warp or disregard the Scriptures.

Proverbs 12:1 “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is senseless.” (ESV “Stupid”)

Profitable for Training

It will train us in righteousness, for it is written…

“Be holy for I, the LORD your God am holy.” (Leviticus 19:2 & 1 Peter 1:15-16)

2 Corinthians 7:1 “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

If it is wisdom we seek, the book of heavenly knowledge teaches us that it begins with the fear of God. (Proverbs 9:10)

We study and train hard in that which we desire to perfect; Let us desire holiness and godliness and strive to be perfect as He is perfect.

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

The Scriptures are that which can and will train our minds, transforming us by the renewing of our minds from the things below to the things above where God is.

Fixing our focus on what is good and pleasing and perfect.

Show me a Christian who spends time in their Bibles and I will show you a Christian who is well trained in these things which are good and pleasing and perfect.

Show me a Christian who looks to God’s written word for teaching, reproof and training in all righteousness and I will show you a member of the heavenly choir.

Show me a Christian who not only looks but does the things which are written in this book and I will show you a saint and child of God.

Written Forever

“It is Written”

That which is written by God is written forever.

Seen 76 times throughout the Scriptures this phrase is used with 60 of them being in the New Testament.

The majority in the NT are references to what is found in the OT. (Some refer to other writings like the book of Joshua 10:13, referring to a nonbiblical text known as the book of Jashar, which is an ancient book of songs and poetry regarding historical events and heroes in ancient Jewish history.) But most were reference to God’s word in the Old Testament.

Jesus used this phrase when expressing the authority of God’s word in Deuteronomy over Satan, the devil himself, in the wilderness. (Matthew 4:1-25)

It means that it is not just the opinion of man but that which has been established by God for eternity.

Solid Foundation

Luke 6:47-48 Christ compares His words to a solid rock, which atop was built a house that would never fall.

Like a rock that cannot be moved stands the written word of God, resolute and resolved.

It does not shift beneath our feet like sand but remains in form and structure.

It will never fail us nor fall out from under us.

We can be sure that as long as we stand on the promises of God in the Scriptures we shall stand.

Every decision made under the leadership of God’s written word will be sound/ secure/ safe

Will Never Fade (Matthew 24:35)

All things in creation will soon be lost and forgotten but God’s written word shall stand for all time.

Never losing its brilliance but shining upon the feet and faces of men, guiding their way through a dark and perverse world.

Never growing dim/ Never fading/ Never slighting not even in the slightest.

What has been written by God shall stand in authority, even into the new heavens and the new earth.

The Bible makes reference to only three things that are everlasting: God Himself, mankind, and His word. (Psalm 90:2; Matthew 25:46; Isaiah 40:8)

The Holy Bible, the written word of God.

Everyday we hold a living miracle in our hands.

Everyday we read from the breath of the Living God.

Let us not neglect for a single day nor yet even a single hour, the written word of God.