You Can't Handle This Part 2

How can we trust in the Bible?

How can we trust in a book that was written around 1000 years ago? Is the bible just a collection of great stories and just a book of history? Why is there hundreds of different translations of the same book?

I can guarantee that the Bible is 100% the word of God and thus it can be 100% trusted.

The Bible was written by human authors but it is inspired by the Holy Spirit when it was written. If God can make the entire world in 6 days it would be insane not to think that he could control the hands of the biblical authors.

We are going to look at a letter that Paul wrote to his disciple Timothy. Paul was encouraging Timothy to continue on in the faith and to hold onto what he has been taught through the teachings he has been under.

Paul was writing earlier that the times in which he lives is not very good and very likely to get much worse as time goes on. People are arrogant, selfish, brutal, and not interested in God at all. Much like the world we live in today. Paul encourages Timothy with these words and explains the importance of holding on the the scriptures as well as the teachings they know.

2 Timothy 3:14–17 ESV

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. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Paul encourages Timothy to continue on from the lessons that you have learned from when you were younger.

How many of times do you remember different things from when you were younger that your parents taught you to do or not do? How many Sunday school lessons do you remember from when you were younger?

Paul is telling Timothy that he should believe in these things that he has already been taught. The people of the Bible most of the time did not have scrolls or bibles to be able to read for themselves so they would recall what they were taught from a priest or scribe.

This is also a reason why when you were younger your parents may have put and emphasis on bible drill or memorizing bible verses. They did this in order that you would be able to recall these as you got older.

These scriptures that Timothy has learned is the same scriptures that led him to salvation. All scripture points to Jesus in past, present, or future tense. With this in mind all scripture can point someone to salvation. We should look back at scripture in which we were taught as a reminder of the saviour who saved us from our sin.

The scriptures show you the faith that you need for salvation is taught through learning scripture or lessons from the Bible. You cannot come to a point of salvation unless you know what you are being saved to and what you are being saved from. Scriptures shows us that we are sinners and unrighteous. Scripture also shows us that Christ died in our place as a substitution for our sins.

We must be able to share our faith with others through sharing scripture with others.

Paul then explains the importance of scripture and how it is breathed out by God which makes it God’s Word. God used around 40 human authors to write 66 books in the Bible. These books have been critique by a group of people in order to make the Bible we have today.

There was certain criteria that must be met in order to have made it into the Bible.

Paul then explains the importance of the Bible:

Teaching:

The bible can be used to teach us! This teaching is for us to understand the importance of the Gospel. The detriment of our sin. The saving grace of Christ. We must be taught scripture in order to see Christ love for us.

Reproof:

The Bible can be used to rebuking those who are saved but are not walking in the way of righteousness. This happens if you have ever read the Bible and felt like you are a terrible person. The Bible is showing you sin in your life in which is in opposition of God.

Correcting:

The bible will show the problem but will also show the correction for the sin problems as well. It would be useless to tell someone that they are doing something wrong without ever telling them the correct way of living. The bible starts to change someone from the inside out rather than forcing them to change before salvation comes into their life.

Training in Righteousness:

The Bible helps you to become more like Jesus everyday. This is a process called sanctification. This process starts immediately after you are saved and continues until you meet Jesus. Scripture is the key aspect in someone living the life that God has called us to live.