The Problem with Ignorance of the Word of God

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge ~Hosea 4:6

Several people today say that “ignorance is bliss.” However, that is not always true. The result of driving on a road without the knowledge that the bridge is out could not be described as “bliss.” Being ignorant of an accident that occurred at the foot of a hill may not be pleasant when you arrive at the spot at your normal speed, especially if no warning had been given to the patch of ice that caused the accident. And no student ever enjoys the famous “pop quiz” that the teacher gives without any prior announcement. In all of these cases, ignorance certainly could not be described as “bliss.” Similarly, ignorance in our spiritual lives is not “bliss” either.

God chastised the people of Israel for their lack of knowledge. He set up a legal case against them because along with their lack of faithfulness and steadfast love, there was no knowledge of God in the land (Hosea 4:1). Such an ignorance of God led the people to commit grievous sins in God’s sight. Hosea tells us that among the people there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed (v. 2). Any sin against God brings ruin to the one who practices it. These sins incurred God’s judgment on the people. Their destruction resulted from their neglect of God and His commands. Had they known of God and been obedient to His law, then they would have avoided the judgment. But they did not know God due to the priests not teaching them. The priests rejected God and forgot about His law when they should have been instructing the people concerning it (v. 6). The people’s ignorance did not result in delight but disaster.

In many respects, the problem with the people of Hosea’s day can be seen with us today. We also can be described as having no knowledge of God in the land. The prophet Amos, a contemporary of Hosea, predicted a coming famine that would plague the nation. However, this would not be a physical famine but a spiritual one. “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I will send a famine on the land-not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD (Amos 8:11). Such a famine appears to be apparent in the 21st century. Many lack a knowledge of God because they do not take the time to study His Word to discover this knowledge. They have placed the knowledge of other things as of greater importance than the very Creator Himself. Several in the church today have been described as “biblically illiterate.” Many can quote the latest sports statistics or explain the latest movie that serves as the current box office hit but they cannot begin to describe who God is as He reveals Himself in His Word. This is a problem with drastic spiritual consequences. J. I. Packer puts it well when he writes, “Disregard the study of God, and you sentence yourself to stumble and blunder through life blindfold, as it were, with no sense of direction and no understanding of what surrounds you. This way you can waste your life and lose your soul.” Neglect of God ends with spiritual destruction.

The remedy for this problem is simple. We must take time to study God’s Word to learn more about Him. This is the most important thing that we can do that will make an eternal difference in our lives. So, how is your knowledge of God? Are you growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18) or would God’s indictment upon the Israelites also apply to you?

Love in Christ,
Lee

On the Application of Scripture

One thing that every Christian could work on more would be the proper application of Scripture. If one desires to understand the Bible correctly and in turn apply it properly, then they need to labor through rigorous research and study concerning what God intended the human author of the text to say to the specific audience addressed and what it means. One cannot just replace every "you" in Scripture with his or her self and view what is being said as being directed to them. Such a practice would lead to some interesting decisions in one's life. We all have heard the story of someone who prayed that God would show them what they should do and opens his Bible first to Matthew 27:5 which states that Judas went away and hanged himself. Then he turns in his Bible to Luke 10:37, Go and do likewise. Neither one of those statements were directed specifically to him and his ignoring their context led to dangerous peril. The following are some helpful things to remember to aid you in discerning God's Word rightly.

The Bible is A Book About God

The very first thing we need to realize about Scripture is that it is not about us. The Bible does not tell us "our story" but "His story." It is the written revelation of God to humans. Through it, God shows us Who He is and what He has done. It communicates God's work of redemption through His Son's death on the cross, subsequent resurrection, and the new life and restoration that brings. It does not serve as a self help book that tells us every single decision that we should make. Too often we treat that Bible as some sort of magical talisman or an 8-ball. Such is the mistake the man in the example in the opening paragraph makes. We should not ask simply "what does this say I should do" but instead "where does my life fit in with this story?" "How am I the sinner spoken of who has offended the Holy God?" "What has Christ done so that I can worship God as He created man to do?" "How does the new life that Christ gives to those who trust in Him enable me to be obedient to His commands?" We cannot forget that the Bible is a book about God and our study of it basically then is a study of God and man's relationship towards Him. To ignore this truth would lead to several misapplications of what God says in His Word.

The Bible is a Book That Points to Jesus

Again, the Bible is not about us. It points to Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself acknowledged this. He stated that the Scriptures, referencing what we call the "Old Testament," testify about Me (John 5:39). The Law pointed to His coming in that He can be said to fulfill the Law (Matthew 5:17). He explained to the two men on the road to Emmaus the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures, again referencing the Old Testament (Luke 24:27). Paul says that all of the promises of God find their yes in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20). Many passages that we try to apply to us actually apply to Christ. I love Matt Chandler's example of how several like to take the narrative of David defeating Goliath and make that out to convey that we can defeat the "giants" in our own lives. But we are not the point, Jesus is. David serves as a type of Christ; the one through whom the Messiah would come. It is about Jesus. We relate more to the cowering and fearful Israelites who did not have the nerve to stand up to the giant. We need to pay attention to how the Scriptures point to Christ to guard against misapplying something to ourselves that instead speaks of Him.

The Bible is a Book That Redirects Our Focus

David Powlison describes the Bible as "rescripting" our lives. He states, "Application today experiences how the Spirit 'rescripts' our lives by teaching us who God is and what He is doing." Our original focus revolves around ourselves. We are born viewing ourselves as the center of the universe. We think that everything is about us, we are okay, and we know what is right for us. There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death (Proverbs 16:25). If we are truly studying what Scripture says, it will move us away from ourselves and redirect us to God. It will show us that it is not about us but about Him. That we are God's and that He demands our obedience and not the other way around. It is through the Bible's doctrinal teachings about God and His work that shifts this perspective. This is why doctrine is so practical and necessary. Having the right focus leads us to living the right way. We cannot know how to please God unless we know Who He is and what pleases Him. Our spiritual growth comes from our growing knowledge about Christ. That is doctrine! Peter instructs us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Recognizing that the Bible is about God and centers on Christ can dramatically "rescript" our lives by redirecting our focus from ourselves and our ways to Christ and His ways.

The Bible is a Book That Has a Context

One of the biggest reasons for our misapplication of God's Word is our failure to examine the context. It was reported that when asked about the most important thing to take into account when studying Scripture, that Augustine said the following: "I answer three things: context, context, and context." We must always take into account the context of the passage studied to ensure that we do not misapply it. Our goal as Bible students always is to seek to understand the original inspired meaning of the original author's words. To do this necessitates that we take what is written in its historical context (when it was written), its cultural context (where it was written), its literary context (how it was written), its authorial context (why it was written), and the congregational context (whom it was written). Neglecting to examine such contexts will leave one without a fuller picture of what the text is teaching and then lost when it comes to the appropriate application of it. We need to thoroughly study these contexts so that we understand what the text is saying and what it means. We can't have a clear picture of what it means and its application in our lives without it.

To understand Scripture and properly apply it to our lives takes rigorous work and time. But it is well worth it if we truly desire to know God and live to glorify Him. We cannot know Him if we do not study His Word in its appropriate context and we can't glorify Him without first studying to know what glorifies Him. We also need the "rescripting" that Scripture does when studied in its original context to understand its original meaning. I encourage all who read this to strive, with the grace that God gives, to be better students of the Word. To labor, with the Spirit's guidance and direction, to seek to understand what He has said and what it means, so that you may love Him more and live to glorify Him.

In Christ,
Lee
Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Why I Believe the Bible

A question I am often asked is "Why do I believe the Bible to be truly God's Word?" This is a very good question as the reason which I hold to the positions and views I do all spawn from what I see Scripture as teaching. The Bible is the sole authority that governs my life and what I have devoted my life to studying and teaching. Unfortunately, many Christians respond with a "deer in the headlights" look upon receiving such a question. They are unable to think of the reasons why they hold to the Bible being God's Word and what distinguishes it from any other book available. While I cannot speak for others, here is my attempt to answer such a question:

I. The Bible's Testimony about the Bible
One reason I believe the Bible to be God's inspired, inerrant, and infailable word (at least in its original manuscripts) is that it claims itself to be. At least 3,808 times the Old Testament authors refer to a statement as being Thus said the LORD. The prophets are described as having the word of the LORD coming down upon them before they spoke His words (Jeremiah 1:1-2; Ezekiel 1:2-3; Joel 1:1; Hosea 1:1). The clear implication is that the prophets spoke what God had told them to speak and thus were delivering His message.

The New Testament authors also viewed the Old Testament writings as being God's very word. Peter tells us that But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (2 Peter 1:20-21). Though written down by the instrument of man, the ultimate author of Scripture is God whose Holy Spirit moved men to write down His very words. Paul refers to all Scripture as inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Literally, the Greek reads that all Scripture is God-breathed. The all Scripture that Paul refers to is the Old Testament as that would have been Scripture for both the apostle and Timothy. (A fuller exposition of this text may be found in a previous blog post here) The author of Hebrews even states that the author of Psalm 95 is ultimately the Holy Spirit and not David. Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, . . . (Hebrews 3:7). A similar case may be found in Peter's discussion of the necessity to choose Judas' successor based on Scripture in Acts 1:16. He states that the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David (Acts 1:16) indicating the Holy Spirit as the author and David as the means. The New Testament writers are unwavering in their testimony to God's inspiration of the Old Testament writings.

Although the New Testament as we have it today had yet to be completed at the time, there is evidence that the New Testament authors considered their own writings as Scripture, God's very word, as well. For instance, Paul quotes a statement of Jesus recorded by the author Luke and calls it Scripture in I Timothy 5:18. The quote is alongside one from Deuteronomy. Luke's writing is deemed authoritative by Paul in teaching that elders should be paid for their service. Also, Peter explicitly labels Paul's letters as Scripture. He states that the untaught and unstable distort his writings as they do the rest of the Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16). So, according to Peter, Paul's letters are a part of Scripture. Furthermore, these letters were intended to be read aloud to the congregations and admonish them (Colossians 4:16). One cannot persuasively argue against the fact that all of the writers of Scriptures deemed the words as not being their own but God's. Someone may attempt to postulate that the authors of Scripture were mistaken or outright lying, but they cannot deny the consistent and clear evidence of them viewing their writings as the very words of God. The succeeding reasons I provide all show the credibility of Scripture which would validate the explicit claim of the authors pertaining to the divine origin of their written words.

II. History's Testimony about the Bible
Another reason I hold to the Bible to be God's word is due to the evidence from history as to its authenticity. The Old Testament contains several prophecies of the coming Messiah that God planned to send for the redemption of His people Israel as well as hints of including other nations as part of the plan. If the Old Testament is God's word as it claims to be, then these prophecies must be fulfilled precisely as they are written. All of these prophecies did find their fulfillment in the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. In fact, about 300 predictions pertaining to the first coming of the Messiah are seen clearly in Jesus. The parallels between the descriptions of the psalmist in Psalm 22 and 69 to the events surrounding Jesus' crucifixion are striking. To argue that those who were responsible in crucifying Jesus intentionally orchestrated and performed His death as it occurred would be preposterous when they were upset at His popularity and claims to be God. The last thing they would have desired would have been to validate the very claim that bothered them the most about Jesus. There are several places in the gospels where the authors explicitly make the connection of something in Jesus' life to be a direct fulfillment of a prophecy God made in the Old Testament. Jesus' birth in Bethlehem was no mere coincidence but occurred just as God had promised it would. But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, / Too little to be among the clans of Judah, / From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, / From the days of eternity (Micah 5:2). Also, there is no other reputable case in history where a virgin has conceived a child apart from the account of Jesus' birth from Mary before she came together with Joseph. Isaiah predicted such a miraculous birth (Isaiah 7:14) and such occurred just as prescribed (Matthew 1:18). (A fuller exposition of Isaiah's miraculous prophecy can be found here). While a few of these predictions corresponding to certain things in one's life could be possible, the possibility of all of them, particularly the more miraculous ones (ie. the virgin birth and the resurrection three days later), is an impossibility unless God has predicted and orchestrated things as such.

Also, no significant archeological discovery or finding has yet to prove Scripture historically inaccurate. In fact, the most recent finds have done quite the opposite. Names of certain Biblical Hebrew kings have collaborated with extrabiblical writings and materials of the same time period recorded. Historical sites described in Scripture have been uncovered and the details provided by Scripture shown to be true. Scholars believe they have found the location of Sodom and Gomorrah where there is indeed evidence of destruction from an earthquake or volcano that would have led to fire falling from the sky and bringing destruction. Lack of archeological findings for certain events or descriptions in Scripture in no way disprove anything that occurred. It just means that remains were not left or that they have yet to be found. What has been discovered though has only pointed to the authenticity of the Bible being God's word and have not cast any doubt on it.

III. The Coherency and Consistency of the Bible
The Bible is a collection of 66 different books written by possibly 35 different authors living in different areas and eras, writing in different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek), and yet as a whole does not contain any errors or contradictions. Moses' account of creation and the beginning of man and John's record of his revelation of Jesus Christ he received on the island of Patmos are separated by approximately 1500 years! While many have claimed to find apparent contradictions between books and authors, a closer study of the problems reveal these contradictions to be just that, apparent. I have spent much time, particularly during my undergrad studies in college, closely examining such so-called "contradictions" and found them not be contradictory but harmonious. Those who think that they have discovered a contradiction may just need more time to study both passages and figure out what they really are saying. After extensive study, they may find that there really is no contradiction at all. Such coherency and consistency all throughout the Bible leads me to conclude that God must have been behind the authorship of this book. The different authors all teach on the overarching theme of God's gracious salvation of rebellious sinners through the substituionary atonement of Jesus Christ. I know of no other anthology by different authors that fits together as well as these 66 books. In fact, I have read a book by one author where within it he or she contradicts himself or herself. Only God could work through the various authors of Scripture to bring about His very word pure and unaltered.

IV. Personal Testimony about the Bible
There is something about the Bible that sets it apart from any other book. The impact this book has had on individuals throughout history cannot be overlooked. Close to 2000 years old and the book still plays a major part in many peoples' lives. To date, it is the most bought and most stolen book. Though the authors addressed a different audience in a different time period it still speaks directly to issues we experience in our everyday lives. What church does not have problems similar to those addressed to the church of Corinth? Many lives have been changed from reading this book. By God's grace, through this book, many have become better fathers and husbands, wives and mothers, and sons and daughters. Humans are stubborn creatures (just think about yourself for a minute for proof) and one of the hardest things is to attempt to convince them to change something in their lives. For someone to undergo a complete transformation from hating God to loving Him, from living for themselves to living for Him, and from loving themselves to loving others after reading this book must be the work of God in their lives. I have no other way to explain it. This is just what Scripture describes that it does. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Romans 1:16). So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ (Romans 10:17). for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God (1 Peter 1:23). God uses His Word as the means of drawing people to Him. What other book has such an effect? It was through the preaching and teaching of this book that I saw how holy God was and how much of a sinner that I was. It was through this book that God convicted me of my sins and brought me to place faith in Christ as my only hope of salvation.

V. The Holy Spirit's Testimony about the Bible
While all of this evidence appears to me to be crystal clear pertaining to the Bible being more than just an ordinary book but the very Word of God, the ultimate reason I have come to see the Bible as God's Word is due to the deep seeded conviction in my heart wrought by the Holy Spirit that it is so. There is no doubt in my mind that the Bible is God's very word and must be my standard for how I am to live my life to bring glory to Him. All of these facts sit before everyone and several still deny the reality of this being God's Word. I think that the conviction came first and then with the conviction God opened my eyes to see the evidence that was there before me the entire time. John Calvin puts it well when he points out: "For as God alone can properly bear witness to his own words, so these words will not obtain full credit in the hearts of men, until they are sealed by the inward testimony of the Spirit." I pray that God would open up any eyes who are currently closed to these facts and not only would He give them a conviction that the Bible is indeed His Word but give a desire to read, study, mediate, and live out this Word. And if you have been given eyes to see that the Bible is true, you must deal with the ramifications of what God's Word says about God's holiness and your sin. May we not only honor the Word of God but in so doing also honor the God of the Word.

In Christ,
Lee
Soli Deo Gloria!

The Joy of the Word of God

The law of the LORD is perfect,
restoring the soul;
The testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is clean,
enduring forever;
The judgments of the LORD are true;
they are righteous altogether.
They are more desirable than gold,
yes, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the
drippings of the honeycomb.
Moreover, by them Your servant is
warned;
In keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors? Acquit
me of hidden faults.
Also keep back Your servant from
presumptuous sins;
Let them not rule over me;
Then I will be blameless,
And I shall be acquitted of great
transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the
meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.
~Psalm 19:7-14

Without any intention of my own, I have been writing on the theme of the Word of God and what it means for Christians who desire to live and base their lives on it. My past two notes and blogs dealt with the foundational importance of God's Word for the minister (The Word of God for the Man of God) and the "Reliability and Sufficiency of the Word of God". Today I am going to talk about "The Joy of the Word of God."

This psalm attributed to David clearly reveals the heart of one who loves the Word of God. After rejoicing over the work of God in creation (vs. 1-6), David moves on to rejoice over God's Word. He uses five synonyms for God's Word (law, testimony, precepts, commandment, and judgments) and then proceeds to speak of its result. The effects of God's Word which should bring us joy are that it brings us encouragement in restoring our soul, teaching by making wise the simple, giving us joy, rejoicing the heart, as well as revealing truths to us by enlightening the eyes all because God's words are righteous altogether. While the fear of the LORD mentioned in vs 9 does not appear to be a synonym for God's Word, it does describe a proper response to it. One thing God's Word does in the heart of a Christian is inspire him to worship. In his wonderful work, Desiring God, John Piper makes a strong point that the natural response to reading God's Word is worship (while I remember reading it, unfortunately I have failed to find the exact quote in over 334 pages in his book.) I can recall several times personally studying Scripture when the Holy Spirit has revealed something to me or aided me in understanding something I had been struggling with and having to stop and take time to praise and worship God, to have that fear or awe of God David may be referring to.

Continuing in his joy of God's Word, David goes on to describe it as more desirable than gold, even fine gold. While many spend their lives searching for treasure, David has already found it in the Word of God. He would rather have God's Word than "silver and gold". Money cannot buy the joy the Word of God brings to the serious student. Material things are fleeting but the Word of God is eternal. As Isaiah points out comparing the temporal physical human life to God's messages: The grass withers, the flower fades, / But the word of our God stands forever (Isaiah 40:8). It grieves my heart to know of too many who are wasting their time seeking false joy from what they mistakenly believe material wealth will bring when true joy and treasure is found in Scripture. The treasures in God's Word will make an eternal difference in one's life, much more than "bigger barns" full of stuff one accumulates on this earth which receive no eternal value (Luke 12:13-21).

In addition to viewing God's Word as "greater treasure", David describes it as "greater food". He compares it to honey and finds it sweeter. It is hard to find anything sweeter than honey, especially when it is fresh from the honeycomb itself. Yet, as sweet as it is, David finds the treasure of God's commands and judgments to be better. David must have realized what Moses had taught in Deuteronomy 8:3: man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD. While it is important to partake daily of physical food for the nourishment of our bodies which are temporal, how much more important to partake of our spiritual food of God's Word for the nourishment of our souls which are eternal?

Another reason David rejoices over God's Word is the great reward of heeding to the warnings it gives concerning sin (vs. 11). Another psalmist later states that a young man can keep his way pure . . . By keeping it according to Your word, (Psalm 119:9) and Your word I have treasured in my heart, / That I may not sin against You (Psalm 119:11). The remedy for not falling into sin is to heed the warnings in God's Word and treasuring that word over all other things, which would include the pleasures of sin. 19th century evangelist Dwight L. Moody made a strong point when he held up his Bible in one of his revival meetings and stated: "This book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book." In reading the words which are true and righteous altogether, one will see how unrighteous he or she is. It is God's Word which leads one to confess and repent of both sins of omission (hidden faults) and sins of commission (presumptuous sins). David ends his psalm with a prayer resulting from the reforming power of God's Word in pointing out sin in one's life. Instead of living in sin which is displeasing in God's sight, he wants everything he does to be acceptable in His sight.

David's love and joy in God's Word is undeniable. The question then is what about you? Do you find your joy in God's Word or are their material things in your life which are sweeter and valued as a greater treasure? Would you rather watch a movie or read the latest fiction novel than spend an hour with God in His Word? I pray that the passion and joy David exudes concerning God's Word would flow in our lives out to others who witness us studying and living out Scripture. May God receive glory by us satisfying ourselves in Him through His Word.

In Christ,
Lee Smith
Soli Deo Gloria!!!

The Ministry of the Word of God for the Man of God

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. 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, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
~2 Timothy 4:1-5

As I have been working through a text for Sunday's sermon, the Lord has renewed a sense of importance of being true to what the Lord inspired the text to be saying and the necessity of effectively communicating His message. At the same time I have been reading John MacArthur and the Master's Seminary's book entitled Preaching: How to Preach Biblically which has also reminded me the importance of taking my personal study and exegesis of the text seriously. The last thing I ever want to do is to misinterpret God's meaning or miscommunicate a crucial truth He has inspired the authors of Scripture to record.

Unfortunately, the current state of the pulpit is a sad state indeed. Several pastors are not being true to the teaching of the Word. They are not taking time to sufficiently study to personally understand what God is saying in the text. Instead of studying to figure out the original intent of what the authors were inspired to write, they place their own agenda on the text and become the master over it instead of allowing the Scripture to be their master with their job being careful not to overstep the boundaries of what the text is saying. My heart has been broken several times as I have had the privilege to travel to different churches and preach and see how hungry some congregations are because their pastor is not doing their best to truly feed them the Word of God. He may be giving them crumbs when they are starving for a meal.

The importance of God's Word to the ministry of the pastor is apparent in Scripture. It is something which cannot be easily neglected. In fact, the Apostles were so committed to the teaching of the Word of God that they would not allow trivial matters to hinder this ministry. When a dispute arose from the Hellenistic Jews due to their feelings that their widows have been overlooked in the provision of food, the Apostles make the powerful statement, It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables (Acts 6:2). This is not to say that the care for the widows was not important, because the apostles still took care of the problem by having the believers choose seven men of godly character to handle the problem. They just realized that they were responsible to minister the Word of God and that they needed sufficient time to do this effectively. This is a reason the office of deacon probably developed, to aid the pastor in service matters so that he can devote more time to the ministry of the Word.

Paul's second letter to the young pastor, Timothy, is filled with the importance of the Word of God in his ministry. Early in the letter, Paul encourages Timothy to not be ashamed of Christ but to join him in his suffering for the gospel (1:8). He urges him to Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth (2:15). Scripture is able to ground the young minister and keep him from being led astray by the deception of evil men and impostors and lead to salvation (3:14-15). It is also his sole handbook for his ministry and fully sufficient for his every work (3:16-17) (for a fuller exposition of these two verses, please see my previous note entitled: The Reliability and Sufficiency of Scripture).

Right after showing Timothy how important and fully sufficient Scripture is for the ministry of the man of God, he gives the young pastor this charge: preach the word (4:2). This is a charge for ministers everywhere which should not be taken lightly. After all, this charge is given with two of the most important witnesses, God and Jesus who clearly has authority. This is a charge which is for all time. It is not just for Sunday morning or Wednesday night. The pastor must so saturate himself in God's Word that he is prepared in season and out of season to proclaim and teach it. There is no such thing as an inappropriate time to teach the Word of God. The world may make such claims, but Scripture is clear that the pastor should always be ready to live out this charge. Also apart of this charge is to reprove, rebuke, exhort. These resemble the list given in 3:16 concerning what Scripture is profitable for. In fact, the Greek verb for reprove, "elegcho," is very similar to the noun, reproof, "elegchos". This must be done with great patience and instruction and not in anger. One reason Paul charges Timothy to be ready at all times and to make sure it is done with patience is that a time is coming when men will no longer listen to sound doctrine but instead seek to be comforted with what they want to hear in contrasts to what they need to hear. We are seeing this warning lived out today with many who have problems with sound biblical teaching leaving certain churches to form their own where they teach what they want regardless of what Scripture has to say or they flock to hear pastors which preach what they desire Scripture to say instead of conforming their lives to Scripture. Too many are flocking to hear a message of "health, wealth, and prosperity" and neglecting the fact that Scripture states that God chooses to use suffering to purify His children's faith and work to conform them into the image of Christ. Several are buying into a message of how to have "your best life now." (Side note: if you are able to describe this life as your best then what does that say about your eternal destination?) Other examples exist and are too numerous to mention but Paul's point is clear. Instead, Paul urges Timothy to keep his head and stay the course of his ministry, which is not always an easy job. Paul could be instructing Timothy to do the work of an evangelist for those who are following myths and not the truth. The role could be to tell them the truth of the Word of God in hopes that the Lord will lead them to the saving knowledge of the truth. Overall, the necessity of the commitment of the man of God to the Word of God is evident.

I would like to close this note and exposition with a statement from an anonymous member of one congregation concerning the importance of the Word of God for the man of God. It is lengthy but powerful and well worth the read. I read this last night and was strongly encouraged. If you are a pastor, may this be an encouragement to you to saturate yourself in the Word of God and be faithful in your studying, teaching, and living it out. If you are not a pastor, may this be an encouragement to you to hold your pastor or pastors accountable and demand them to uphold the truth of God's Word.

Fling him [the pastor] into his office. Tear the "Office" sign from the door and nail on the sign, "Study." Take him off the mailing list. Lock him up with his books and his typewriter and his Bible. Slam him down on his knees before texts and broken hearts and the flock of lives of a superficial flock and a holy God.

Force him to be the one man in our surfeited communities who knows about God. Throw him into the ring to box with God until he learns how short his arms are. Engage him to wrestle with God all the night through. And let him come out only when he's bruised and beaten into being a blessing.

Shut his mouth forever spouting remarks, and stop his tongue forever tripping lightly over every nonessential. Require him to have something to say before he dares break the silence. Bend his knees in the lonesome valley. Burn his eyes with weary study. Wreck his emotional poise with worry for God. And make him exchange his pious stance for a humble walk with God and man. Make him spend and be spent for the glory of God. Rip out his telephone. Burn up his ecclesiastical success sheets.

Put water in his gas tank. Give him a Bible and tie him to the pulpit. And make him preach the Word of the living God! Test him. Quiz him. Examine him. Humiliate him for his ignorance of things divine. Shame him for his good comprehension of finances, batting averages, and political in-fighting. Laugh at his frustrated effort to play psychiatrist. Form a choir and raise a chant and haunt him with it night and day—"Sir, we would see Jesus."

When at long last he dares assay the pulpit, ask him if he has a word from God. If he does not, then dismiss him. Tell him you can read the morning paper and digest the television commentaries, and think through the day's superficial problems, and manage the community's weary drives, and bless the sordid baked potatoes and green beans, ad infinitum, better than he can. Command him not to come back until he's read and reread, written and rewritten, until he can stand up, worn and forlorn, and say, "Thus saith the Lord."

Break him across the board of his ill-gotten popularity. Smack him hard with his own prestige. Corner him with questions about God. Cover him with demands for celestial wisdom. And give him no escape until he's back against the wall of the Word. And sit down before him and listen to the only word he has left—God's Word. Let him be totally ignorant of the down-street gossip, but give him a chapter and order him to walk around it, camp on it, sup with it, and come at last to speak it backward and forward, until all he says about it rings with the truth of eternity.

And when he's burned out by the flaming Word, when he's consumed at last by the fiery grace blazing through him, and when he's privileged to translate the truth of God to man, finally transferred from earth to heaven, then bear him away gently and blow a muted trumpet and lay him down softly. Place a two-edged sword in his coffin, and raise the tomb triumphant. For he was a brave soldier of the Word. And ere he died, he had become a man of God.

In Christ,
Lee Smith
Soli Deo Gloria!!!

The Reliability and Sufficiency of Scripture

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.
~2 Timothy 3:16-17

Last summer I was blessed to have a conversation with a faculty member of my alma mater, Bridgewater College, concerning our views on the Old Testament's place in Scripture. While I have great appreciation and respect for this man, his position, and all that he has done for the students and the college, his view on the Old Testament left me uneasy and greatly concerned. I fear that many others possibly hold similar viewpoints. He told me that he was taught and still currently holds to the understanding that the Old Testament is just the history of the Jewish people and has no bearing on Christians today because we are a New Testament Church. He also does not believe that many events (such as the Flood and the crossing of the Red Sea or Reed Sea) actually occurred. The major problem with such a view is that it places one at odds with the witness of the New Testament itself which unanimously affirms the inspiration and authority of the Old Testament. Holding such a view basically casts doubts on the reliability of the New Testament and the authority it should have in our lives.

The authors of the New Testament clearly held to the view that the Old Testament was more than just a history book. They saw it as God's very Word. Peter recognizes the origin of the writing of the Old Testament as being the Holy Spirit Himself. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (2 Peter 1:20-21). The author of Hebrews in quoting Psalm 95 does not even credit David as writing the poem but the Holy Spirit. In introducing a quote from the psalm, he states: Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says (Hebrews 3:7). He recognized that though David penned the words, the origin of them came from the Holy Spirit of God. Even Jesus identified the Old Testament as God's Word. He stated that David "in the Spirit" wrote about Him in Psalm 110 (Matthew 22:43-44). Also, keep in mind that the Scriptures Jesus studied, quoted, and lived by were the Old Testament (The Law (Torah), Writings, and the Prophets). He did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17-18). He did not throw it away but was the culmination of it since the entire Old Testament pointed to His coming and the redemption God had planned through Him before the foundation of the world. Surely Jesus and the writers of the New Testament can't be wrong on this issue. If they are, then how are we to fully trust them with their other testimonies? If they were wrong about one issue, then there is a great possibility they were wrong about others.

One of the strongest portraits of the reliability and sufficiency of Scripture is found in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. The all Scripture Paul refers to is the compilation of both the Old and New Testaments. The sacred writings (vs. 15) that Timothy knew from childhood was the Old Testament. In fact, the Greek word, graphe (Scripture) typically refers to written words. Paul consistently uses the word to refer to the Old Testament writings (Romans 1:2; 4:3; 9:17; 10:11; 11:2; 15:4; 16:26; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4; Galatians 3:8, 22; 4:30; 1 Timothy 5:18). However, the New Testament authors themselves include each others' writings as the category of Scripture as well. For instance, Paul quotes a statement of Jesus' recorded by the author Luke and calls it Scripture in I Timothy 5:18. The quote is alongside one from Deuteronomy. Both the verse from Deuteronomy and the one from Luke's gospel are preceeded by the statement For the Scripture says. With the two quotes connected by a kai (and in English), Paul appears to identify both Deuteronomy and the Gospel of Luke as being Scripture. Luke's writing is deemed authoritative by Paul in teaching that elders should be paid for their service. Also, Peter explicitly labels Paul's letters as Scripture. He states that the untaught and unstable distort his writings as they do the rest of the Scriptures (2 Peter 3:16). So, according to Peter, Paul's letters are a part of Scripture. Furthermore, these letters were intended to be read aloud to the congregations and admonish them (Colossians 4:16).

Paul acknowledges that these Scriptures are God's very words. He describes them as God-breathed. The underlying Greek word, theopneustos, is a compound word consisting of God (theos) and breath (pnein). It communicates God breathing out the Scriptures. Thus, the origin of Scripture is God who breathed them out and not man. Peter affirms Paul's point when he says knowing that first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21). God chose to use fallible men to write the infallible Word of God. This gives Scripture a greater weight and authority as what is written (in the original manuscripts) is what God Himself intended to be written. The Old Testament may contain historical records of events but the Holy Spirit inspired how the authors should record those events.

Paul does not view any part of Scripture as useless but profitable. Notice, it is all Scripture that fits under this description. Not just certain books, passages, or verses. Not just what fits with our presuppositions or our theology. Paul does not give us the luxury to choose what part or parts of God's Word are profitable and which are not. They all are. What is Scripture profitable for? Paul gives us a list:

1) Teaching
Scripture teaches us about who God is and His character. Without the Bible we could never know Who God is. It teaches about salvation as Paul points out in the preceding verse that Scripture is able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. God's Word is the means He uses to bring people to faith (Romans 1:16; 10:17). We can learn a lot from the lives and decisions of the patriarchs, judges, kings, and prophets. In fact, the author of Hebrews points out how the examples of the Old Testament saints teach us "persevering faith" in Hebrews 11. In God's Word we find instruction for how to live a life which is pleasing to God and what glorifies Him.

2) Reproof
Scripture reveals our sin to us, showing us where we are wrong or in error. In reading about God's holiness, it is hard to not see the areas in our lives where we are in sin and falling short of that holiness. It was upon the reading of the book of the law that King Josiah recognized the sinful rebellion and disobedience of his ancestors (2 Kings 22:11-13) and which led the Jews to weep over their sins upon the return from exile (Nehemiah 8:9).

3) Correction
Not only does Scripture point out where we are wrong, but it also shows us how to correct our errors and walk aright.

4) Training in Righteousness
The Bible is our manual or "playbook" on how to live the righteous life which the Lord has called and enabled us to live. The Greek word used, paideian, connotes the training of a child. God's Word is food for the growth of the Christian. man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD (Deuteronomy 8:3). We need to daily read God's Word on how we must live life to glorify God. Like a little kid needs training and instruction on how to live, the Christian needs training as well and Scripture is where we can find that training.

The end result of what Scripture does is to fully equip the minister (as man of God normally refers to in Scripture) in everything that he needs to do. This is great encouragement for young Timothy as Paul reminds him that he has all that he needs to perform what he is called to do with the very Scriptures he has internalized since his childhood. Likewise, these Scriptures provide us with all that we need to live a life of godliness. We do not need the latest self-help book which attempts to tell us how to "live our best life now" or the latest fad. The Lord has already provided for us in His Word. May you use this provision in whatever you may be facing or with whatever the Lord has brought you to.

In Christ,
Lee
Soli Deo Gloria