A Question of Authority

1. Last day’s culture - vs. 1-5

A. Central to this deterioration is a shift of affection.

1) Lovers of themselves

2) Lovers of money

3) Without love

4) Not lovers of the good

5) Lovers of pleasure

6) Not lovers of God

B. Methods of the evil culture:

1) They seek the gullible – vs. 6

2) They seek those with a guilty conscience

3) They seek those driven by desires

4) They are enemies of the truth – vs. 7-9

a) Appearing to search for truth, but denying actual truth

b) Imitating and opposing truth

c) They will ultimately be exposed as fools

5) What is truth? Four truths about truth

a) Truth is reality. If it is not rooted in reality, it is not true.

b) We do not create or invent truth. We discover it.

c) Our understanding of truth may change, but truth is unchanging.

d) Truth does not depend on how strongly you believe it to be true.

2. The authority of the Word

A. The example of Paul’s life – vs. 10-13

1) Teaching

2) Way of life

3) Purpose

4) Character (Faith, patience, love, endurance)

5) Suffering and persecution

B. The example of Timothy's mother and grandmother – vs. 14

C. The Word of God must be our authority for truth

1) The Scriptures can bring us to salvation - vs. 15

2) All Scripture is from God - vs. 16 (1 Peter 1:20-21)

3) The four uses of Scripture – vs. 16-17

2 Timothy 3:16–17 NIV

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

a) Teaching - Everything we need to have a life rooted in truth (John 8:31-32)

b) Rebuking - Stopping us when we are wrong

c) Correcting - Helping us return to the right path

d) Training in righteousness - Creating life patterns that are conducive to right living