06.05.22 Evening - Baptist Catechism Q6

Good evening. •We are continuing our study of the Baptist Catechism.  •Specifically, we are using the edition found in the white catechism booklets that we give out for free here at the church. (Published by Reformed Baptist Publications) •And this evening, we come to Question 6.  •And this question has to do with our use of the Word of God.  Questions 5-7 all have to do with the Scriptures, their authority, their use, and their general teaching.  •We find them so early in the catechism because our view of Scripture is the foundation of all the rest of our doctrine.  Brothers and sisters, the Word of God is a very important subject for us to consider.  •The Scriptures are to be our highest treasure in this world aside from God Himself. And that is because in the Scriptures, we hear from Him and He is revealed to us.  •And so, we would do well to meditate upon these things.  •And that is exactly what we will be doing this evening by considering Question 6 of our catechism.  As always, I want to make something plain: •This catechism is not the Word of God. And it is not inspired by God.  •BUT, we do believe that it is a faithful summary of many doctrines contained in the Scriptures.  •And so, it is a faithful guide for us as we seek to learn the doctrines of our Faith, and as it provides Scripture proofs for what it teaches. •Again, it is not Scripture. But it is a good summary of what is taught in Scripture, just like our Confession of Faith and the Creeds we confess.  Now, with that said, I will pray and we will begin to consider our question and answer for this evening.  (PRAY) Our Great God,  We thank you for this Lord’s Day and how you’ve blessed us already.  And we are grateful that we can meet again as we seek to keep the whole day unto the Lord.  We ask now that you would guide our thinking as we consider your Word.  By your Spirit, lead us into more and more truth as we search the Scriptures. And sanctify us by it. We do not merely want our heads filled, but we desire to be conformed more and more into the image of your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.  Glorify yourself in us this day.  We ask these things in Jesus’ Name and for His sake.  Amen.  Our question for this evening. I ask that you would read the answer with me.  Q. May all men make use of the Scriptures? A. All men are not only permitted, but commanded and exhorted, to read, hear, and understand the Holy Scriptures.  •(Let’s do that again.) 1.) Let’s begin by considering the question.  •“May all men make use of the Scriptures?” •Our question uses the word “may” here. And, if you had a good English teacher, you’ll remember that “may” is a word of PERMISSION.  •So we’re being asked this: Are all people PERMITTED to use and benefit from the Scriptures? Now, who would do the permitting in this situation? •Well, considering that the Bible tells us that the Bible is God’s Book, it’s His Word, authored by His Spirit working through men, it belongs to Him.  •And, therefore, God would be the One who gets to determine who is and who is not allowed to use the Bible.  •It’s His Book, so He gets to decide what it’s used for and who gets to use it.  So then, our question, at root, is this: •Does God permit all people to make use of the Scriptures? •That’s the question.  And that may seem like an odd question to us.  •We’re Protestants. We believe in Sola Scriptura. We all own and read copies of the Scriptures.  •So, our knee-jerk answer is “Of course all men may make use of the Scriptures!” •So this question may seem odd to us. But I think that is because we are so many centuries removed from the clutches of the Roman Catholic Church.  •I think that’s the background to this question.  •The men who put this catechism together were not that far removed from the beginning of the Reformation. And Rome still had much power in their day. You see, there are some religious traditions, like Rome, that believe that knowing the Bible and using it are not ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for the average Christian.  •More than that, the Roman Church used to teach that it was dangerous to give a Bible to the person in the pew. (And many still believe that today.) •They believed that the Bible, in general, is simply too convoluted and difficult for the average believer to understand.  •And so, they fought hard against the Bible being translated into the common languages of the ordinary people.  •The Roman Church believes that it is only the clergy who MUST have, understand, and use the Bible. (And that’s even a bit debatable, honestly.) •The common people are to simply receive what the Church tells them and have faith that the Church is telling them the truth. (Sola Ecclesia instead of Sola Scriptura.) So then, back when this catechism was written, it was a fairly common belief that God did not permit ordinary Christians to read the Word of God.  •But, in reality, it was simply the Roman Church who said that, not God.  But let’s be fair: •Nowadays, they think it’s fine to give people a Bible.  •But they still admit that it is not NECESSARY for the average person to know or even really understand what the Bible says.  •Knowing what the Church says about the Bible is technically enough according to Rome.  BUT IS THAT WHAT THE BIBLE TEACHES? •There is the question.  •What does God say about who is to use His Word?  •And so, the question stands: “May all men make use of the Scriptures?” 2.) Our answer to that is this: “All men are not only permitted, but commanded and exhorted, to read, hear, and understand the Holy Scriptures.” •I will now defend that answer using the Bible itself. (We will be considering the Scripture proofs in the catechism along with some others.) 1. We turn now to the Gospel of John 5:39.  •Jesus is in the middle of a discussion/debate with some of the Jews (probably Pharisees) and He says: •“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me…” Now, let’s reason for a moment from this text and others in the Bible.  •If the Scriptures bear witness about Jesus, as Jesus says (and they do), AND God commands that all men everywhere repent and believe upon Jesus (Acts 4:11-12), then surely God wants men to read and understand the Scriptures.  •The Scriptures reveal the One whom God demands we turn to in faith. So surely, God is pleased that men would search the Scriptures for Him.  But considering the verse itself, notice that the men Jesus spoke to in John 5:39 were NOT rebuked for using the Scriptures.  •Not at all. You won’t find Jesus ever rebuking anyone for using the Bible.  •They were not even rebuked for SEARCHING the Scriptures. That is, DILIGENTLY reading and studying them trying to mine them out for truth.  •Rather, they were rebuked for NOT BELIEVING what the Scriptures taught and revealed about Jesus Christ.  •It’s almost as if Jesus is saying that it’s a good thing to search the Scriptures, but the problem is unbelief and the misuse of Scripture.  Not only that, but quickly consider this: •We often read of how Jesus gets upset when those to whom He speaks DO NOT KNOW what the Word says.  •Jesus is constantly saying things like: “Do you not know? Have you not read? What do the Scriptures say? How do you read them? God has said to you.” •Jesus expects people to know what the Bible says and to understand it.  •Furthermore, from Jesus’ interactions with people, we see that they are accountable to what God has said in the Bible. So then, naturally, they must know what God has said in His Word.  2. A second text we now turn to is Deuteronomy 6:8.  •Moses is speaking to the Israelites in his farewell address. And He is speaking in chapter 6 about the Law of God and the duty of parents to teach it to their children.  •And there he says: “You shall bind them (the words of God) as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.” The Jews were to teach the commandments/words of God to their children.  •And they themselves were to keep the Word of God on the forefront of their mind and on their hands (actions) at all times.  •And the only way to do this is if you KNOW the Word of God.  •This then requires a diligent use of the Scriptures: Hearing, reading, and understanding them.  •Deuteronomy 6:8 presupposes a proper use of the Scriptures. And instructing children was the job of EVERY SINGLE PARENT.  •So then, everyone was expected to know the Word.  We see this again in Deuteronomy 31:11-13. “…when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place that He will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God…” •The Scriptures were to be read to ALL THE PEOPLE.  •All the people were to hear and understand the Word of God so that they might fear and obey Him.  3. Another text for us to consider is Revelation 1:3.  “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and those who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” •The Apostle John, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, pronounces a blessing on the one who reads the Book as well as the one who hears it.  The Book of Revelation is a letter. •And it was written to be read in Christian assemblies.  •And, like all Scripture, it was written to be understood so it could be kept/obeyed by the hearers.  •So once again we see this: Reading, hearing, and understanding the Scriptures is expected of the People of God.  •And surely, the blessing of God was not for a select few within the Church.  •The blessing John has in mind is FOR THE CHURCH. The WHOLE Church. After all, this letter was written for the CHURCH. (Not just the clergy.) And the blessing mentioned in this verse naturally extends to all of the Word of God since the Scriptures were written down for the benefit and blessing of God’s Covenant People as a whole.  •We see this in 1 Corinthians 10:11: “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.” •The Apostle Paul says that the things that happened to Israel in the OT were recorded in Scripture for our benefit and blessing.  •The Scriptures, as a whole, are meant to be a blessing to the WHOLE CHURCH, not just the clergy.  We see this again in Colossians 4:16: “And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea.” •The Scriptures were to be circulated and read among all the Church so as to instruct, edify, and bless the Church as a whole.  So then, the blessing of Revelation 1:3 is not restricted only to the Book of Revelation.  •It is true of all Scripture: Blessed is the one who reads and the one who hears.  4. A final text to defend our catechism’s answer is found in Acts 8:30.  So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” •In this text, Philip meets an Ethiopian eunuch. And the man is reading from the scroll of Isaiah. He had a personal copy it seems.  •And Philip, a preacher commissioned by God, WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE MAN UNDERSTOOD WHAT HE WAS READING.  •Now, why would he do that? Why would he want that?  •Simply because the Word of God is meant to be read, heard, and understood by all people.  Furthermore, is there any mention of rebuke or Philip being upset that the man was privately reading the Bible? •No. Not at all.  •And that’s because the Ethiopian eunuch was not sinning by privately reading the Word.  •He wanted to know what God said. Now, he needed some help understanding. And that’s why God gave ministers as gifts to His Church (Ephesians 4:11-14).  •But, nevertheless, it was a good thing that the man was reading the Word of God and seeking to understand it.  So then, brothers and sisters, it is manifestly clear that God gave us His Word to be read, heard, and understood. •Therefore, all men are permitted, commanded and exhorted to read, hear, and understand the Scriptures.  •This is the very purpose for which God gave them. And God did not waste His breath when He spoke.  3.) At this time, I’ll go beyond the catechism for a bit.  •If the Scriptures are the Word of God, and if God commands us to read, hear, and understand them, then how should we read and hear them? •(The following thoughts are taken from an exposition of the Baptist Catechism by an 18th century RB named Benjamin Beddome.) How should we read and hear the Scriptures? •Since God has given them, since God commands us to read, hear, and understand them, this is a solemn thing.  •We ought not approach the Word of God with frivolity. We come to the hearing and reading of Scripture to do serious business.  •We come at the command of our God and Savior. So we must come properly.  1. First, we must come with faith.  •We must come with an open heart, ready to believe whatever God has said. FOR HE IS GOD.  •We must come with an attitude that says, “‘Thus saith the Lord’ is enough for me. I will believe Him.” •We must come to the Word with faith, trusting that whatever God says to us in Scripture is trustworthy, true, and worthy of full acceptance.  2. We must come with reverence and fear of God.  •We must humbly come to the Word recognizing just who it is we are about to hear from.  •We are to open our Bibles or sit under the hearing of the Word read with the understanding that Almighty God is speaking. •And we must show the same reverence and attentiveness to the Word as we would if Jesus Christ Himself were standing before us and speaking.  •Because, really, He is. He is actually speaking. This Book the very Word of God.  3. We must come to the Scriptures with meekness.  •That is, we will not fight back against what we read.  •We must come ready to be rebuked and corrected where we need it. And with an attitude that is submissive to the correction of God.  4. We must come ready to pay great attention.  •We come ready to pay attention to detail and use the fullness of our mental and spiritual capacities in understanding the Word.  •We do not read lazily. But with serious intent to get to the bottom of what God is saying to us.  •After all, we are to UNDERSTAND the Word.  5. We must come to the Bible often.  •We always need a guide. And so we should constantly be looking to the Word.  •We always need encouragement and reminders of God great’s love for us, His control over all things, His goodness, the beauty of the Cross of Christ, and many other things.  •And so we must come to the Bible regularly to hear from God.  6. We must come to the Word with an eye to obeying what we read.  •After all, this is the purpose of hearing, reading, and understanding: So that we may believe and obey what God has said.  •We don’t come to the Word simply to fill our heads with theological propositions or historical facts.  •We come to the Word to be instructed so that we might believe and be conformed to the ways of our holy God so that we might live a life pleasing to Him.  7. We must come to the Word in prayer.  •We are to understand. And we are to believe.  •But we are sinful. And so we must pray for the Spirit of God to make the text shine clearly in our minds and hearts.  •It is a supernatural thing to read the Bible. And, as sinners, we need help.  •Everything we receive from God is by grace alone. And that includes our understanding of the Word.  •And so, our reading of Scripture should be saturated with prayers for God’s help so that we can understand and believe and obey whatever He has said.  4.) My dear brothers and sisters, reading, hearing, and understanding the Word is serious stuff.  •There are awful consequences for not doing so: Those who know nothing of the Word of God cannot be saved.  •And that’s because they will not know the Gospel of salvation through faith alone in Christ alone without the Bible.  •They will never hear of His atoning death, righteous life, and glorious resurrection apart from the Scriptures.  •Knowing what the Bible says is vital for the salvation of sinners.  But even beyond that, those who do believe the Gospel and have been justified may still fall into great sin and error if they do not pursue the Word of God.  •Even if you’re a Christian, you are opening yourself up to a world of sin and suffering if you neglect the Word of God.  •You will be blown around by every new wind of doctrine.  •And you will be at a constant loss for how to conduct yourself according to God in difficult moral situations.  But consider the great blessings of knowing the Word! •The Person and Work of Christ is found there!  •Salvation through faith in Christ is declared in the Scriptures! •The assurance of pardon for those who trust in Christ is contained in the Scriptures! •Correction and training and guidance is in the Book.  •Rebuke and conviction of sin and reformation of life is contained in the Book.    •Encouragement and perseverance in the Faith is found in the Book.  •Constant reminders that God is with us, for us, helps us, and loves us is found in the Book.  So then, brothers and sisters, let me say this in conclusion: •Read the Book! •Hear the Book! •Seek to understand the Book! It is God’s very Word.  •And it has been given to you for your benefit.  •Take up and read! Use the Book! •It is God’s greatest gift He has given to you, second only to Christ Jesus Himself.  •May God help us to receive it and cherish it as such.  •Amen.